Thesis (MA--Communication Studies) -- Auckland University of Technology, 2003. / Also held in print (159 leaves, 30 cm.) in Wellesley Theses Collection (T 302.23082 CHE)

Thesis (Honors)--Liberty University Honors Program, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available through Liberty University's Digital Commons.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Communication and Culture. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 208-217). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR29511

Recent studies have shown an increasing impact of online social networks such as Twitter on sports media. The following study aims to provide insight about communication patterns of athletes during the Olympic Games 2012 in London. Drawing on literature from traditional fields such as social capital (Field 2003), the 'uses and gratifications' approach (Katz, Blumler and Gurevitch 1974), self- presentation (Goffmann 1971) and recent studies about social media in sports (Kassing and Sanderson 2012), a Twitter-analysis of ten athletes was conducted during the Olympic Games 2012 in London. Following a content analysis of 1042 tweets (including 246 pictures), the research findings of this study reveal that athletes predominantly use Twitter as a platform for self- presentation. Furthermore, the analysis showed the possibility for fans to use Twitter in order to overcome the parasocial orbit (Kassing and Sanderson 2012) of virtual space and engage in actual social interaction with athletes. It is concluded that linkages of athletes with various stakeholders and the official framework of social media guidelines by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), result in self- restricting communication patterns of the athletes during the Olympic Games 2012.

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The concepts of media accountability, media criticism and media governance are analysed and discussed in a Swedish setting; how they relate to each other and interact. This is achieved by using various methods – a survey to editors, analy- ses of parliamentary debates, interviews, direct observation and document stu- dies – in studying different stakeholders, media representatives and governance conditions in Sweden during the last 70 years. The findings point in a direction of dynamic complexities with a central role for media criticism. The type, level and intensity of media criticism may affect the functioning of the media governance structure and is a vital part of the media accountability process. The media governance structure – which in addi- tion to media criticism is influenced by international conditions, technological developments and political factors – may in turn affect the media accountability process. In this process, media representatives aim to defend obtained positions of societal influence, achieve and maintain positive PR and enhance editorial quality at the same time. Media criticism may start a substantial media accountability process if the discontent is widespread and not countered by market approval or political iner- tia. The process is facilitated if the critique is connected to more than one frame of accountability and if stakeholders see opportunities for dual objectives. Very strong and widespread media criticism may be difficult for media organizations to neglect. The accountability process in Sweden has become less dependent on corpora- tive negotiations between organized interests and political assemblies. Instead, two other tendencies seem to have emerged: on the one hand a possibility for media organizations to favour such accountability processes that they are able to control, and on the other hand the rise of a rich variety of sometimes short-lived accountability instruments that may develop for specific occasions and are difficult to control.

The intention of this thesis is to gain a greater understanding, to how communicators who has been convicted for gender discrimination by The Swedish Advertising Ombudsman, view their own creative process and their ethical responsibility in society. With their answers we hope to be able to approach a greater understanding of why sexism in the advertising industry still occurs. To approach the question we have conducted qualitative semi-structured research interviews with communicators involved in the creative process of advertisements that have been convicted by the Swedish self-regulatory organization, The Swedish Advertising Ombudsman for gender discrimination. Our question is focusing on their creative process for the current ad, personal values and responsibility and how the conviction has affected them and their future processes. In the result we found out that external factors such as time, money and the client had a major role in the process but also in their general work. Most of the respondents answer to only themselves when they make moral judgements and they generally have a misplaced view of the definition of gender discrimination, or sexism. All respondents agree that communicators, including themselves, have an impact on our society but they do not consider their own work to be a part of reproducing values and stereotypes. Almost all respondents express a strong distrust for The Swedish Advertising Ombudsman where most of them do not agree with their decision. The convictions haven’t lead to any major consequences, although, most of the respondents claimed that they will spend more time reflecting about their ads before publishing it. Some of the respondents also said that they are going to ask the client twice if they really want to publish this work, even though it’s a risk that it might be convicted for gender discrimination. Many of these factors shows that the conviction has not led to any major consequences.

The aim of this study is to explore how three Swedish media outlets adhere to mass media logic and social media logic in articles on their websites and the corresponding Facebook posts on their Facebook pages. The media outlets are SVT (Sveriges Television), Dagens Nyheter and Expressen. They represent a public service broadcaster, a daily newspaper and a tabloid in a Swedish context. The samples of the study consists of the headlines and leads of the articles and the text in the corresponding Facebook posts. The articles and the corresponding Facebook posts cover the news event of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of February 2022. The samples are analysed with the method of critical discourse analysis and the theoretical frameworks of mass media logic and social media logic. The main findings of this study are that the samples adhered to the mass media logic elements of coverage of events, staging experts and media personalities; and the social media logic elements relating to connectivity. The further implications of this study may be that media as an institution is impacted by social media platforms, such as Facebook, and that news distributed on Facebook is adapted to the platform. The findings of this study are an example of how media outlets in Sweden adhere to mass media logic and social media logic, when covering a news event in articles on their websites which they share on their Facebook pages.

This qualitative study aims to look at how the knowledge and awareness regarding source criticism is seen amongst media students attending their first year at Linnaeus University. Our theoretical base includes to explain what source criticism is, about media literacy, the power media has in the Swedish society, the effects that media can create, and the effects of internet. This study consists of eleven interviews where knowledge and awareness regarding source criticism are in focus. Our interviewees have contributed with diverse reasoning and thoughts, which will be presented closer in this study. A central part of this study also contains questions about the reasoning of the eleven media students regarding source criticism in relation to their career choice and position in society.Our result shows that the knowledge and awareness regarding source criticism amongst the eleven students are high, however they also express that this might not be the case amongst the population in general. All interviewees testify that source criticism is a subject that affects and that it is a high possibility it does not get the attention it deserves.

This dissertation provides a review of the literature and three studies related to home media environments and parent characteristics, attitudes, and media guidance for a group of preschool-aged children. The studies used a cross-sectional survey (N = 356) parents conducted at public health district WIC clinics over three weeks during 2008. In the first study, parents reported children’s media use, child and family characteristics, and the home media environment. Child’s age category (β = .495, p=.000) and the location of a TV or game console in the child’s room (β=.68, p = .000) predicted the number of media channels used by the child. The likelihood of activity-promoting media use was highest for two-and three-year-old children. The second study used structural equation modeling to examine child and parent characteristics, parent attitudes and home media density associated with time with media for 237 low-income Hispanic children aged six to 60 months. Results reflected significant relationships among parent media attitudes, home media density, and children’s time with TV, DVDs, and videogames. Parent attitudes and media density mediated children’s time with activity-promoting media. The third study examined the relationships of parent media guidance to media attitudes and children’s age and weight risk status. The study sample (n = 257) included low-income, primarily Hispanic, parents of children aged 12 to 72 months, with surveys matched to children’s weight measurements. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling reflected that parent media guidance was comprised of restrictive and promotive factors. Child age and child weight risk category were associated with promotive guidance, and child weight risk was negatively associated with parents’ health locus of control beliefs. These media use patterns imply that young children will use home screen media that promote physical activity. Interventions geared to reduce young children’s time with media as part of obesity prevention efforts should consider parent attitudes and beliefs concerning media and their children’s health as well as the health-promoting potential of the media children are using. / text