Thesis (PH.D.)--Michigan State University. Sociology, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Aug. 11, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 132-154). Also issued in print.

Thesis (MPhil (Journalism)--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / The media have a great responsibility to communicate more science to improve public understanding of science to help them make sense of their world. The aim should be to popularize scientific ideas and to create a better understanding of how science is daily altering lifestyles and culture. Scientific literacy is an important element of an all-round educated person, and the media need to fill whatever blanks have been left by his or her formal education. The function of the scientific journalist is to transform scientific ideas and results into a form that other groups can understand. This transformation is as much an intra-scientific as well as an extra-scientific matter, and the forms that such communication take and the consequences for intellectual development vary according to the sort of field involved, the audience addressed and the relationship between them. This transformation process must not affect the truth status of scientific knowledge, but it obviously changes the form in which this knowledge is expressed. Scientists need to unveil the secrets of nature, and need to explain to the public that science is always incomplete and incremental, that knowledge is imperfect. Communicating with the media is becoming an obligation, and popularizing of science is becoming an integral part of the professional responsibility of practicing scientists. This overview indicates that there is a need for scientists to increase their communication skills and activities across a broad field and for journalists to increase their understanding and training in science.

Thesis (MPhil (Journalism))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Global climate change is the result of the natural greenhouse effect being enhanced or augmented by human activities such as industrial burning of fossil fuels and large-scale agricultural practices which have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The result – the first truly globalised consequence of pollution – is arguably one of the most pressing matters facing the future of the human species. Journalists reporting on the subject have considerable responsibility to unravel the science and present it accurately and responsibly to the public, so that the latter can make informed decisions about individual energy consumption, informed decisions at the voting poll and go further to put the necessary pressure on policy makers. However climate change is without doubt the most complex story environmental and science reporters have ever encountered, not only because it encompasses so many different fields of natural sciences (oceanography, climatology, biological sciences including flora and fauna, hydrology, horticulture etc.), but because it all too often spills over into the political, economic and social arenas. “Climate change is a difficult story to recreate… (it) is one of the most complicated stories of our time. It involves abstract and probabilistic science, labyrinthine laws, grandstanding politicians, speculative economics and the complex interplay of individuals and societies” (Wilson, 2000: 206). Specialist environmental and science news reporters only have three and a half decades of experience and history, since this is one of the more recent journalistic beats to be assigned to modern newsrooms. Such writers face a particularly challenging job of reporting the complex and growing science of global climate change. Furthermore they must do so in an environment where politicians and environmental activists feed journalists sometimes conflicting information, each with its own agenda. Increasing consumer demand for entertainment in place of information may also complicate the telling of these stories, given the financial imperative to sell newspapers. Furthermore, the “global warming story is also affected by a number of journalistic constraints, such as deadlines, space, one-source stories, complexity and reporter education” (Wilson, 2000: 206). The complexities of news values also shape the stories which finally are released to the news consuming public.

Thesis (MPhil) -- Stellenbosch University, 2001. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Few news subjects or events can be comprehensively covered in the media without numbers being used. Indeed, most reports are essentially 'number stories', or could be improved through the judicious use of numbers. Despite this there are frequent complaints about poor levels of numeracy among journalists. Although numbers are fundamental to virtually everything they write, the most superficial review of South African newspapers indicates that most encounters between journalists and numbers of any sort are uncomfortable, to say the least. Reporters shy away from using numbers, and frequently resort to vague comments such as "many", "more", "worse" or "better". When reports do include numbers, they often don't make sense, largely because journalists are unable to do simple calculations and have little understanding of concepts such as the size of the world's population, a hectare, or a square kilometer. They frequently use numbers to lend weight to their facts without having the numerical skills to question whether the figures are correct. Numeracy is not the ability to solve complicated mathematical problems or remember and use a mass of complicated axioms and formulas; it's a practical life skill. For journalists it is the ability to understand the numbers they encounter in everyday life - percentages, exchange rates, very large and small amounts - and the ability to ask intelligent questions about these numbers before presenting them meaningfully in their reports. This thesis is not a compendium of all the mathematical formulas a journalist could ever need. It is a catalogue of the errors that are frequently made, particularly in newspapers, and suggestions to improve number usage. It will hopefully also serve to make journalists aware of the potential of numbers to improve reporting and increase accuracy. This thesis emphasises the importance of basic numeracy for all journalists, primarily by discussing the basic numerical skills without which they cannot do their job properly, but also by noting the concerns of experienced journalists, mathematicians, statisticians and educators about innumeracy in the media. Although the contents of this thesis also apply to magazine, radio and television journalists, it is primarily aimed at their counterparts at South Africa's daily and weekly newspapers. I hope the information contained herein is of use to journalists and journalism students; that it will open their eyes to the possibility of improving number usage and thereby reporting, serve as encouragement to brush up their numerical skills, and help to shed light on the numbers which surround them and which they use so readily. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Min nuusonderwerpe of -gebeure kan in beriggewing tot hul reg kom sonder dat enige getalle gebruik word. Trouens, die meeste berigte is in wese 'syferstories', of kan verbeter word deur meer sinvolle gebruik van syfers. Tog is daar vele klagtes oor joemaliste se gebrekkige syfervaardigheid. Ten spyte van die ingeworteldheid van getalle in haas alles wat hulle skryf, toon selfs die mees oppervlakkige ondersoek na syfergebruik in Suid-Afrikaanse koerante joemaliste se ongemaklike omgang met die meeste syfers. Hulle is skugter om syfers te gebruik, en verlaat hulle dikwels op vae kommentaar soos "baie", "meer", "erger" of "beter". Indien hulle syfers gebruik, maak die syfers dikwels nie sin nie: meermale omdat joemaliste nie basiese berekeninge rondom persentasies en statistiek kan doen nie, en min begrip het vir algemene groothede soos die wereldbevolking, 'n hektaar of 'n vierkante kilometer. Hulle sal dikwels enige syfer gebruik omdat hulle meen dit verleen gewig aan hul feite en omdat hulle nie die syfervaardigheid het om dit te bevraagteken nie. Syfervaardigheid is nie die vermoe om suiwer wiskunde te doen of 'n magdom stellings en formules te onthou en gebruik nie; dis 'n praktiese lewensvaardigheid, die vermoe om die syferprobleme wat die daaglikse roetine oplewer - persentasies, wisselkoerse, baie groot en klein getalle- te verstaan en te hanteer. Hierdie tesis is nie 'n versameling van alle berekeninge wat joemaliste ooit sal nodig kry nie; maar veel eerder 'n beskrywing van die potensiaal van syfers om verslaggewing te verbeter en joemaliste te help om ag te slaan op die getalle rondom hulle en die wat hulle in hul berigte gebruik. Die doel van die tesis is om die belangrikheid van 'n basiese syfervaardigheid vir alle joemaliste te beklemtoon, veral die basiese syfervaardighede waarsonder joemaliste nie die verslaggewingtaak behoorlik kan aanpak nie, te bespreek, en ook om ervare joemaliste, wiskundiges, statistici en opvoeders se kommer oor joemaliste se gebrek aan syfervaardigheid op te teken. Hoewel alles wat in die tesis vervat is, ewe veel van toepassing is op tydskrif-, radio- en televisiejoemaliste, val die klem hoofsaaklik op hul ewekniee by Suid-Afrikaanse dag- en weekblaaie. Ek hoop die inligting hierin vervat sal van nut wees vir praktiserende joemaliste en joemalistiekstudente om hulle bewus te maak van die moontlikhede wat bestaan om syfergebruik, en uiteindelik verslaggewing, te verbeter en as aanmoediging dien om hul syfervaardigheid op te skerp.

Normative professional journalism and the need to re-evaluate the structural social context of journalism practice and its role in emerging democracies has led to the increased scrutiny of journalists and their relationship to news sources. This study conceptualises the relationship between journalists and news sources as a dual process of consensus and conflict of interests in the newsgathering practice in Zambia, an emerging democracy. The study suggests that journalists actively pursue powerful individuals in society such as those in government, pressure groups and business as news sources who have been available and suitable in the past. Journalists’ view of society as bureaucratically organised and the short turn-around time of news production are among the organisational factors attributed to this tendency. This study adopts a sociological approach to investigate the journalist-news source relationship at The Post, in Zambia, by factoring in the perspectives of social organisation of newswork and political economy. Whereas the social organisation perspective focuses on the organisational and occupational demands of journalists, political economy reinforces the larger context of journalist-news source interaction in a society. Additionally, the social constructivist theory, which is premised around the idea that the agenda and content of journalism production, is in part a product of non-journalistic social factors is useful in understanding the various influences on the relationship. The study investigates the nature of the journalist-news source relationship using two diametrically opposed views – the dominant (exchange) and competitive (adversarial) paradigms. This is aimed at establishing whether the relationship is an exchange or adversarial. While the latter relationship is common in liberal democracies where the media are seen as part of elite structures with considerable power on their own, the thinking is that inequalities in resource distribution and political power generate social tensions in developing countries that require media to be carefully managed. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews and observation methods, this study establishes that while the adversarial role has an attraction for the journalists investigated, the exchange model comes closest to describing the nature of relationship they share with their news sources.

Thesis (MTech (Public Relations Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011. / The purpose of this mini thesis is to investigate the research question, "What is the importance and effectiveness of public relations practice in obtaining coverage in a multimedia newspaper?" It is obvious that the introduction of the multimedia newspaper has affected the role of the public relations practitioner and the role of the journalists. But has it changed the manner in which public relations practitioners practice public relations (that is the influence of the multimedia newspaper on the public relations industry) and its value in the eyes of the multimedia journalist. The study will measure the multimedia editorial staff's opinion and perceptions of the multimedia newspapers content and public relations practice's impact on that content. The research is interested in whether the introduction of the multimedia newspaper has affected the role of the public relations practitioner and the journalists and whether it has changed the manner in which public relations practitioners practice public relations (that is the influence of the multimedia newspaper on the public relations industry). The research reviews the perceived value of public relations to journalists operating within the multimedia newspaper context.

Master of Science / Department of Journalism and Mass Communications / Tom Hallaq / Traditionally, men have been the primary face and voice of live broadcasting. Limited research has compared Designated Market Areas by news content. This study compared and analyzed gender representations between large and small market news programs in the Northwest region of the United States. Hard news stories are those which audiences expect to be included in a newscast and are more likely time-sensitive. Soft stories, on the other hand, are those known to be not as crucial or time-sensitive as hard stories. The purpose of this study was to examine two major topics: (1) gender representation as news anchors and reporters, and (2) gender representation in types of stories covered. Data of gender representation was compared and analyzed between a large and small news market. Notable differences and similarities between both markets were revealed. This study found female news reporters present 16% more hard stories than male reporters even when females were underrepresented as overall news talent compared to male news talent. Males represented 55% of news talent compared to females at 45% of news talent. Male anchors also presented more news stories as overall news talent, indicating visible gender inequality in the presentation of news stories. Another important purpose of this study was to introduce a preliminary study by comparing and analyzing gender representation data by television market size. An important difference found regarding news anchors, was the large market sample more equally represented both males and females as anchors, whereas the small market sample did not. The data revealed a 56% disparity by exhibiting males 78% of the time and females only 22% of the time in the small news market. Both markets also displayed significant differences in the total count of news anchors, reporters, and news content.

Metaphors and assumptions which underlie them occur in everyday language use, including that found in newspaper articles. Conceptions constructed by these metaphors frame how social issues are thought about and acted upon. Adult literacy is such an issue. These representations influence how readers view literacy, and, in turn, may impel policy and practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine how articles were distributed over the 1990s in eight Canadian newspapers, what metaphors predominated, which endured, along with metaphorical representations, interpreted and constructed. Using a conceptual approach within the qualitative paradigm, the method was a blend of discourse analysis and critical linguistics, using the metaphor as the unit of study. Ideas from discourse research, metaphor studies, critical linguistics, critical literacy and conceptual analysis shaped the theoretical framework. Sources for research materials were the University of British Columbia Library, in particular its microform section and its online services, the University of Victoria Library, the Vancouver Public Library, the World Wide Web, and databases. Eight Canadian newspapers provided articles relating to adult literacy. The 284 articles collected in the sample were read for instances of metaphor. Access and Excel assisted in seeing the data; the findings were distilled from resulting tables. A culminating diagram depicted the metaphorical representations of adult literacy and guided discussion. Results showed most articles were published in 1990 and 1995 in conjunction with the release dates of literacy reports and surveys. In addition, metaphorical representations, clustered under the framework of a noun as a person, place, or thing, depicted adult literacy as a complex and often contradictory conception comprised of text personified, eight distinct, contrasting places, and two concrete and twelve abstract things. As a place, literacy is represented as a nation, region, sanctuary, divide, found world, lost world, dark territory and null space. As a concrete entity, literacy is organic, a commodity, a product, or a barrier. Literacy as an abstract entity is depicted as science, a deficit, burden, medical entity, spatial entity, journey or quest, crusade or cause, aspiration or liberation, advertising campaign, condition or disability, battle or competition, or theatrical event. Five stereotypes represented the illiterate: the child, the prisoner, the other, the heroic victim and the good citizen. Finally, most metaphors endured over the ten years with literacy as science being the most prevalent and sustained. The study makes six recommendations. First, newspapers should research and publish significant findings of how they construct conceptions such as adult literacy for their readers. Next, discourse and conceptual analysis should be more widely used by adult education researchers. Thirdly, research stemming from discourse and conceptual analysis should be reviewed by adult educators when they are discussing educational program planning or curricular and policy decisions. Fourthly, adult literacy theorists and practitioners should continue to expand their knowledge of conceptions of literacy by using investigative processes including qualitative research that moves beyond functionalist views. Also, adult educators should examine significant educational conceptions and their representations in the media and compare these to the conceptions discussed in academic literature. The last recommendation is that the representations of adult literacy and the illiterate in this study should be compared with the views of adult literacy practitioners and their students. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

No description available.

Baltimore is notorious for its recent and storied history of crime. The current study examines the treatment of homicide victims in Baltimore newspapers. In 2010, 222 homicides occurred in Baltimore, according to the city‟s homicide map. One hundred and sixty-five were discussed in The Baltimore Sun, the city‟s most-circulated paper. Based on the inclusion or exclusion of particular cases and the manner in which cases were discussed, conclusions can be drawn about the media‟s perception of a case‟s newsworthiness. Specifically, cases with particular details that varied significantly from a “normal” homicide were found to be most newsworthy, determined in part by analyzing the frequency of reporting, placement of coverage within the newspaper, and word count allocated to the discussion of crime.