Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Soontae An / Since 2000s, advergames, a particular form of branded entertainment that features advertising messages, logos, and trade characters in a game format, have become popular. The impact of advergmaes on childhood obesity, however, has been concerned among consumer groups and parents. Advertisers may use advergame scoring systems to encourage children to consume junk foods, to persuade them to revisit the Websites to help them to become addicted to the games, to reinforce children’s bad eating habits in advergames with voices or rewards, and to attract children with animated spokes characters and avatars. The purpose of this study is to examine in-depth components of scoring systems of advergames, providing policy makers and researchers with insights about advergames. Brand integration in scoring systems of advergames appeared on food companies’ websites was explored with the descriptive characteristics of the roles of brands, such as gaming tools or equipment or main objects or in the backgrounds of games. A content analysis of 67 food companies’ websites aiming to children will be done to critically evaluate the practice of online food marketing and advergames targeting children. Results of this study indicates that the prevalence of junk food (e.g., snack foods, sweets, convenience entrees and meals and soft drinks, and artificially flavored beverages), different types of brand integration (e.g., secondary objects or primary objects) in advergames scoring systems, virtual food consumption and food brand exposures to children in advergames, and the behavior of animated characters used in scoring systems in advergames. Understanding the immersive marketing of scoring systems in food advergames can provide valuable insights into how to establish appropriate regulations for online food marketing to children.

Master of Arts / Journalism and Mass Communications / Soontae An / This study aims to investigate effects of external aid that can enhance motivation and performance of serious game playing to maximize learning effects. Based on self-determination theory, two types of rationales, intrinsic goal framing and extrinsic goal framing, were examined to know which message type is effective. Also, individual’s level of issue involvement was tested as a moderating variable. To investigate the effects of goal framing on motivation and moderating effects of involvement, this study designed a 2x2 (goal framing x involvement) between subjects with 120 middle school students in Korea. Three procedures involved for the experiment: 1) receiving message for manipulating involvement and goal framing 2) Playing actual serious game, and 3) answering survey questionnaire. Overall, providing intrinsic goal before a serious game was more effective to increase both motivation and performance than presenting extrinsic goal. However, there was no main effects and interaction effect in terms of issue involvement.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Robert C. Pearce / The present research explored whether consumer reactions to a deceptive environmental ad differs from consumers’ reactions towards a similar true green ad. The deceptive ad used in this study violates all FTC regulations for acceptable environmental claims. The practice of deceptive environmental advertising, known as green washing, is an increasing problem for consumers and advertisers as environmental products and services are offered at an increasing rate in the marketplace. Undergraduate college students participated in the experiment testing four hypotheses. As predicted, consumers were not able to identify a green washed ad as deceptive. Similarly, a measurement of consumers’ perceived overall ethics associated with the ad revealed low ethical concerns towards both green washed and true green ads. Attitudes towards green washing were also measures, and, as hypothesized, consumers have equally positive attitudes towards green washed and true green ads and brands. Additionally, stronger levels of environmental concern decreased the consumers’ ability to detect deception in green washed ads. Implications indicate that consumers cannot perceive differences in green washed ads and true green ads, and the prevalence of green washing has the potential to cause serious damage to the credibility of the advertising industry.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / William J. Adams / The study found, based on a focus group with professionals and secondary research conducted in 2007, that public relations (PR) graduates are not prepared for the job market and that nothing has changed in 15 years to improve this situation. Why? Because there has been no feedback from the professionals, PR students who are hired in PR positions, and PR Students who are not hired in PR positions, to the educators and universities on what is working and what is not working for PR graduates to obtain a position in the PR field. Basically, there is no follow-up after students graduate. This study did preliminary research and developed a survey of PR professionals, PR students and educators so that they can provide feedback. This study made recommendations based on the main points from the focus group, which centered on educational programs, PR students' curriculum, the importance of developing good writing skills, taking business courses, taking several PR internships, being involved in extracurricular activities, and the importance of learning how to prepare a resume. In turn, the follow up survey should help provide security for the PR industry to keep PR alive, by increasing the number of graduates due to their success as a PR professional based on their education.

Master of Science / Journalism and Mass Communications / Angela M. Powers / Background: During the 2014 Hong Kong protests, with the growing concern of various perspectives in the international media, news coverage, as the main source of information transportation has become an issue of research interest. According to framing theory, for a certain event, media is likely to place it within a field of meaning. Furthermore, the message meaning, framed by media, influence audience’s information processing. Different media organizations might have different perspectives on framing same event. This study examined how Chinese news coverage and U.S. news coverage framed an event. Method: A quantitative content analysis was conducted among a sample of 152 news stories from China Daily and The New York Times. All the stories from August 17th 2014 to January 8th 2015 were analyzed to determine whether the 2014 Hong Kong protest was framed by China Daily and The New York Times differently. The code sheet was structured with key variables derived from former published articles. Furthermore, the categories of main issue and secondary issue came from pre-tests with another co-coder. Data analysis was conducted with frequency counts, cross tabulations and Pearson’s chi-square analysis in SPSS. Results: Findings suggested that news coverage of China Daily focused on the issues of politics and protest, as well as did the coverage of The New York Times. However they have significant differences on framing of history, profiles of protesters and others. The findings suggested that the China Daily and The New York Times have significant differences on overall bias in terms of Pro-change, Anti-change and Neutral. Conclusion: Samples in this study, as prosperous news organizations with the reputation and resources to conduct fair reporting and to set journalistic standards in China and the United States respectively, represented most perspectives in general. According to different factors of national interest, political ideology and history, Chinese news coverage and U.S. news coverage have significant differences on framing the issues and overall bias.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Robert C. Pearce / The K-State Alumni Association has the highest percentage of graduates in the Big 12 who are members of the association. As a result, there is a strong network of alumni spanning more than 150,000 living alumni internationally and throughout the United States. This project seeks to utilize the relationship management theory to review current marketing strategies and develop new strategies to increase retention rates of alumni to the association after their one free year of membership, a gift provided to undergraduate students by their perspective college. The focus of the relationship management theory is about building personal relationships, which is in line with the K-State Alumni Association’s mission statement, “Enhancing our Kansas State University family through lifelong involvement.” The recommendations were created to assist the efforts of the Alumni Association to continue to reach out to alumni to meet them where they are at by utilizing media and new programs.

This work explores the place of creative non-fiction in Australian tertiary journalism education. While creative non-fiction — a genre of writing based on the techniques of the fiction writer — has had a rocky relationship with journalism, this study shows that not only is there a place for the genre in journalism education, but that it is inextricably linked with journalism. The research is based on results from studies using elite interviews and a census of Australian universities with practical journalism curricula. The first stage of this study provides a definition of creative non-fiction based on the literature and a series of elite interviews held with American and Australian creative non-fiction experts. This definition acknowledges creative non-fiction as a genre of writing that tells true stories while utilising fiction writing techniques such as point of view, dialogue and vivid description. The definition also takes into account creative non-fiction’s diverse range of publication styles which include feature articles, memoir, biography, literary journalism and narrative non-fiction. The second stage of the study reports upon elite interviews with Australian writers who have produced works in the genres of journalism and creative non-fiction. These interviews reveal the close relationship journalism and creative non-fiction share across a variety of approaches and techniques. This study also shows how creative non-fiction can improve the careers of journalists and the quality of journalism. The census of journalism programs further reveals the place of creative non-fiction in tertiary journalism education and prompts the formulation of a two tiered model for the genre’s inclusion in the curriculum. The first tier involves including creative non-fiction in a core journalism subject. The second tier is an elective creative non-fiction subject which builds on the skills developed in the core classes. Through the literature, and the responses of the elites and survey respondents, it was possible to show how creative non-fiction helps journalism students to appreciate the history of their profession, explore their talents and finally to be part of what may be the future of print journalism.

This thesis investigates the influence of the Internet on the reporting of crime and criminal justice in traditional media, focusing on the hitherto unexplored nexus of media, crime and the Internet. The Internet as a medium acknowledges no boundaries or geographical barriers and the implications of such globally unrestricted access are far wider than the mainstream consideration of several legal and ethical ramifications that accompany reportage on an international scale. This research represents a triangulated study, based on results obtained from an analysis of Internet crime sites, a process of elite interviewing of practising journalists and academics and demonstration case studies of three high-profile crimes.This research suggests the Internet audience wants shorter, more concise crime stories at first point of access, focusing on the main or more sensational aspects, with further background and detail available through links to the requisite multi-media facilities. These multi-media facilities often offer far more graphic detail and specificity than is available in mainstream media, particularly when the latter, constrained by such restrictions as deadlines and space, are compelled to dispense with superfluous detail, with no reader access to further information. In addition, the media theories of agenda-setting and framing undergo a noticeable transition when applied to online reporting.Crime reports on the Internet now complement the text of their narrative with audio and visual detail, bringing the audience ever closer to the scene of the crime and, in many instances, to the perpetrator and victim, again raising ethical issues and reopening the argument of the public‟s right to know versus the individual‟s desire for privacy.In addition, the speed of transmitting information and the ability to update it almost instantaneously must give the Internet a competitive edge in the media focus on attracting an audience and meeting its needs. Yet, despite the widely held consensus that the Internet is free from control, this coverage encounters some degree of gate-keeping.Exploration of available literature has complemented the study, which demonstrates conclusively the influence of the Internet on such journalistic elements as news values, legal and ethical issues, framing and agenda-setting in crime reporting in traditional media.

This work explores the place of creative non-fiction in Australian tertiary journalism education. While creative non-fiction — a genre of writing based on the techniques of the fiction writer — has had a rocky relationship with journalism, this study shows that not only is there a place for the genre in journalism education, but that it is inextricably linked with journalism. The research is based on results from studies using elite interviews and a census of Australian universities with practical journalism curricula. The first stage of this study provides a definition of creative non-fiction based on the literature and a series of elite interviews held with American and Australian creative non-fiction experts. This definition acknowledges creative non-fiction as a genre of writing that tells true stories while utilising fiction writing techniques such as point of view, dialogue and vivid description. The definition also takes into account creative non-fiction’s diverse range of publication styles which include feature articles, memoir, biography, literary journalism and narrative non-fiction. The second stage of the study reports upon elite interviews with Australian writers who have produced works in the genres of journalism and creative non-fiction. These interviews reveal the close relationship journalism and creative non-fiction share across a variety of approaches and techniques. This study also shows how creative non-fiction can improve the careers of journalists and the quality of journalism. The census of journalism programs further reveals the place of creative non-fiction in tertiary journalism education and prompts the formulation of a two tiered model for the genre’s inclusion in the curriculum. The first tier involves including creative non-fiction in a core journalism subject. The second tier is an elective creative non-fiction subject which builds on the skills developed in the core classes. Through the literature, and the responses of the elites and survey respondents, it was possible to show how creative non-fiction helps journalism students to appreciate the history of their profession, explore their talents and finally to be part of what may be the future of print journalism.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Todd F. Simon / The debate over human origins was a prominent fixture of U.S. news coverage during the first decade of the 21st century. During this period, U.S. news media featured regular portrayals of an all-out culture war between supporters of biological evolution and advocates of so-called “rival theories” of human origins. In the end, this war would cost American taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees, confuse science students, divide communities with unparalleled animosities, and alter public policy at the city, county and state level. While there have been previous content analyses performed on U.S. newspaper coverage of evolution and its primary challenger, an idea called "intelligent design," these analyses have tended to be somewhat informal (Mooney & Nisbet, 2005) or lacking (Martin, et al., 2006). The following study addresses these gaps in the literature. Using content analysis, the following study examines hard news coverage of intelligent design presented in 12 U.S. newspapers of varying circulation size and storytelling influence. A final sample of 421 newspaper articles originally published between the years 2000 and the end of the year 2009 is analyzed herein. Results demonstrate that U.S. newspapers initially framed intelligent design as primarily a religious / unscientific concept, but that intelligent design was increasingly framed as a scientific / unreligious concept leading up to, during and after the landmark 2005 Kitzmiller v. Dover trial. Additionally, this study finds no significant differences in framing intelligent design as a religious / unscientific or scientific / unreligious concept by dedicated science reporters and non-science reporters.