<p>Digital images and videos used in the investigation of a crime often undergo several concurrent enhancement operations for improved analysis by humans or automated systems. When applying multiple image processing techniques to an image, the order and method in which processes are applied can have a profound impact on the result. However, the effect that one enhancement algorithm will have when applied in conjunction with another is not always obvious. When applied incorrectly, at best, there will be a negative impact to the amount of information that can be extracted from an image. At worst, the information contained in a processed image could be misrepresented. This thesis proposes a tool independent workflow for forensic image enhancement with a strong emphasis on an order of operations that maximizes the efficacy of each enhancement technique while observing the responsibilities and best practices of the forensic science community. This work will be useful for developing an understanding of common image enhancement techniques, understanding how these techniques relate to forensic science, and aiding in the creation of quality assurance standards for forensic image enhancement. Chapter 1 gives an introduction to image enhancement and discusses its role in forensic science and litigation. Chapter 2 summarizes the digital image creation process and its relationship to the human visual system. Chapter 3 reviews the most commonly used image enhancement techniques, including their theoretical background, strengths, and limitations. Chapter 4 introduces a framework for image enhancement and the rationale behind it through a series of practical examples.

A defining aspect of our era is the continuous migration of media consumers toward alternative distribution platforms. These are used to access content formerly available only in traditional media's original format. The intensification of wireless networks and the increasing portability of content, music content in particular, has resulted in radio listeners reverting to wireless delivery technologies to access, discover, listen to, share and store music. This empirical research project explores the consequences of mobile technology on commercial radio by looking at the ways in which mobility is altering the relationship between commercial radio and music fans. The specific research objectives of this study are threefold: (1) to better understand the increasing role of the mobile industry and of wireless delivery technologies as purveyors of music; (2) to explore their repercussions on the viability of commercial radio; and (3) to identify the appearance of effects on the habits and expectations of radio listeners.

<p> This purpose of this thesis is to analyze voice-activated recording artifacts, using a playback audio created in Adobe Audition. To show how an automated voice recorder with standby mode treats the silence of a recording. This thesis focuses on the WAV PCM format. The WS-550M, WS-560M, and the DM-520 recorders did not have the option to create a WAV PCM file, therefore the WS-550M and the 560M created MP3 files and the DM-520 created a WMA file. Each of the recorders have automated standby mode. The recorders were set to create a WAV PCM that was a 16-bit stereo file at 44kHz. The following is a list of the devices that will be used in this study. Olympus DM-520, Olympus DM-620, Olympus WS-550M, Olympus WS-560M, Olympus WS-700M, Olympus WS-700M, Olympus WS-750M, Olympus WS-760M, Olympus WS-802, Olympus WS-822, Olympus WS-823, Philips Voice Tracer.</p><p>

Abstract not available.

This research aggregated key elements discussed during the CRTC Public Hearing on New Media, in order to examine fundamentals for the development of sustainable business models within the new media environment. The use of a qualitative methodology allowed the progressive gathering of in-depth information. Three main data collection techniques were used to obtain the desired information. First, an observational case study focused on the new media public proceeding. Second, a thorough content analysis examined public submissions through grids in order to extract relevant data. Third, formal interviews with regulatory experts were used to access information at a more intimate level. In the context of this study five media groups were chosen for examination. This would include, private broadcasters, public broadcasters, the culture and independent producers sector, telecommunications companies and Internet Service Providers. This gave an overall view of each sector within the Canadian broadcasting system. As a result of this research, the Canadian media industries will have to make urgent changes. To begin, platform-specific content production will be vital to the overall success of the system. This would allow proper distribution, minimizing the need of reformatting the content. Accordingly, maximizing the use of content will ensure that Canadians have access to programming that reflects their realities. Most companies agreed that new online advertising funding methods were needed, that new media initiatives generated economic growth and that content ownership should be a priority for upcoming regulatory decisions.

Jackie Aina, a popular Nigerian American beauty vlogger and influencer-edutainer, has received attention for her candid stances on the beauty, fashion, and social media industries, along with her outspokenness about social justice issues. Notably, several of the videos on her YouTube channel contain “Unpopular Opinions” in their titles. In these videos, Aina conducts makeup tutorials while voicing viewpoints that she deems controversial. This thesis uses Aina’s “Unpopular Opinions” videos as a case study of Black women influencer-edutainers’ use of critical discourse in their content. It utilizes critical discourse analysis (CDA) with elements of multimodality and other critical disciplines such as critical race theory and feminist studies to examine how Black women vloggers and influencer-edutainers balance their dual responsibilities as influencers and educational entertainers. / Media Studies & Production

<p> Given the increasing popularity and effect of online media, especially Twitter, as news sources, this study was designed to examine Saudis&rsquo; behaviors toward Twitter with regard to newspapers and information delivery and the role that Twitter plays in getting news updates. It investigated if Saudi Twitter users perceive Twitter as a credible source for news and rely on it to read the news more than legacy newspapers and their online counterparts. This research conducted an online survey and distributed it among Saudis who use Twitter to get news updates. The sample of this study had been drawn online by using the &ldquo;SnowBall&rdquo; sampling method through Survey Monkey and, the sample was collected during December 2015 and January 2016. A total of 3,003 Saudi Twitter users completed all questions in the survey. The results showed that Saudis consider Twitter as a newsgathering tool; therefore, they read news on Twitter more than reading legacy newspapers because it is easier and the fastest way of getting news, which indicated that the area of legacy newspapers in Saudi Arabia is at stake. Moreover, Saudis positively rated Twitter as a trustworthy and credible source for getting news updates. Thereby, they concurred that using Twitter has changed the path that people deal with legacy newspapers. Furthermore, non-legacy newspapers&rsquo; Twitter accounts received the lion's share of Saudis trust, especially Sabq newspaper, that was at the top as the newspaper account with the highest following. In regard to age groups, young Twitter users in Saudi Arabia trust non-legacy newspaper Twitter accounts more than older users, while old Twitter users were more likely to trust legacy newspaper Twitter accounts. The disbelief in the fairness of legacy newspapers could also be referred to the Saudis&rsquo; understanding that the government has a sweeping power to direct the media. </p>

<p> Major hurricane landfalls are the most dangerous natural hazard threats experienced in the U.S. Television news is a primary sources of hurricane hazard information and has the ability to influence what viewers understand about and how they respond to these events. While it is understood that media plays a central role in communicating weather, it is unknown whether or not news media content communicates the recommended hurricane hazard adjustments that are needed for preparedness and protection. Thus this study supports prior research calling for a closer examination of the role and effects of visual information in media documents. Using the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, the present research employs qualitative media analysis to explore the framing of hurricane preparedness through television newscasts covering Hurricane Katrina from August 23-29, 2005. Key findings from this study suggest that there are five common frames through which hurricane information is presented to viewers of the national news broadcasts surveyed in this study. Preparedness information was found to be mainly represented through visual content but sparsely mentioned in reporting. The study also found that more often visuals were used to aid story development instead of provide educational or instructional messages that model the adoption of hazard adjustments and have the potential to motivate protective actions and behaviors by helping to increase self-efficacy. The present study concludes by discussing underlying aspects of conflict present within the media frames and offering recommendations for better integration of media content into risk communication campaigns for severe weather.</p>

<p> This dissertation makes the connection between the human drive, as described by psychoanalysis, to construct God and the construction of the technological entity, Google. Google constitutes the extension of the early Christian period God to the twenty-first century. From the examination of significant religious and theological texts by significant theologians (Augustine, Thomas, Luther, Calvin, etc.) that explain the nature of God, the analogous relationship of God to Google will open a psychoanalytic discourse that answers questions on the current state of human mediation with the world. Freud and, more significantly, Lacan&rsquo;s work connects the human creation of God, <i> ex nihilio,</i> to Google&rsquo;s godly qualities and behaviors (omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, and omnibenevolence). This illustrates the powerful motivation behind the creation of an allencompassing physical / earthly entity that includes the immaterial properties of God.</p><p> Essentially, Google operates as the extension or replacement of the long reigning God in Western culture. Furthermore, the advent of science and technology through rationalism (as outlined by Nietzsche) results in the death of the metaphysical God and the ascension of the technological God. Google offers an appropriate example for study. Moreover, the work of Jean Baudrillard and Marshall McLuhan will further comment on Google as the technological manifestation of God, particularly in its media formulations. Finally, this dissertation concludes with a review that highlights future research with an exploration that foresees the death of Google from the same rational method of inquiry by which the death of God occurred at the end of the nineteenth century.</p>

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Physics / Brett D. DePaola / Nobel S. Rebello / Previous research has showed that visual cues can improve learners' problem solving performance on conceptual physics tasks. In this study we investigated the influence of multimedia hints that included visual, textual, and audio modalities, and all possible combinations thereof, on students' problem solving performance and visual attention. The participants (N = 162) were recruited from conceptual physics classes for this study. Each of them participated in an individual interview, which contained four task sets. Each set contained one initial task, six training tasks, one near transfer task and one far transfer task. We used a 2 (visual hint/no visual hint) x 2 (text hint/no text hint) x 2 (audio hint/no audio hint) between participant quasi-experimental design. Participants were randomly assigned into one of the eight conditions and were provided hints for training tasks, corresponding to the assigned condition. Our results showed that problem solving performance on the training tasks was affected by hint modality. Unlike what was predicted by Mayer's modality principle, we found evidence of a reverse modality effect, in which text hints helped participants solve the physics tasks better than audio hints. Then we studied students’ visual attention as they solved these physics tasks. We found the participants preferentially attended to visual hints over text hints when they were presented simultaneously. This effect was unaffected by the inclusion of audio hints. Text hints also imposed less cognitive load than audio hints, as measured by fixation durations. And presenting visual hints caused more cognitive load while fixating expert-like interest areas than during the time intervals before and after hints. A theoretical model is proposed to explain both problem solving performance and visual attention. According to the model, because visual hints integrated the functions of selection, organization, and integration, this caused a relatively heavy cognitive load yet improved problem solving performance. Furthermore, text hints were a better resource for complex linguistic information than transient audio hints. We also discuss limitations of the current study, which may have led to results contrary to Mayer's modality principle in some respects, but consistent with it in others.