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This dissertation interrogates how Florida’s major electric utility companies actively suppressed the nascent solar energy industry in their effort to consolidate solar energy production into their hands during the 2015-2016 election cycle. Along with this, newspaper coverage of this issue was analyzed to determine how the fight was presented to the public and whether prevailing commercial pressures that influence the news production process affected the coverage of this issue. Finally, audience commentary about this issue was explored to determine how Facebook users made sense of this issue and whether the commentary reflected the prominent themes that were also present in the news coverage. Results highlight the economic and political ties between the utility companies and their support network as well as the solar supporters and their affiliated network that squared off in this fight. Additionally, findings reveal that commercial pressures to the news production process resulted in news coverage that portrayed this issue this to the public from a small handful of viewpoints, limiting the range of perspectives from which this issue may legitimately be discussed. Furthermore, results indicate that Facebook users who commented on this issue largely reflected the same perspectives and concerns that were present in the news coverage. Final conclusions and recommendations for changes to the news production process are provided. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2018. / April 12, 2018. / Environmental Communication, Newspapers, Political Economy, Social Media, Solar Energy / Includes bibliographical references. / Jennifer M. Proffitt, Professor Directing Dissertation; Michelle M. Kazmer, University Representative; Andy Opel, Committee Member; Brian Graves, Committee Member.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2006. / Thesis advisor: Prescott "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Modern American History" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-151). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: R. Lance Holbert, Dept. of Communication. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1981. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 355-363). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

The majority of the Texas population now lives in urban areas. In rural areas, the traditional Extension audience prefers to receive Extension information at an Extension meeting, from a county agent??s visit to the farm, or a farm demonstration. A rural county Extension agent can invite their target audience to a seminar and probably have almost the entire audience attend. In an urban county, most county Extension agents would not even have a location large enough to hold their target audience. The Extension seminar/meeting model has been successful for many years and will continue to meet the needs of the rural Extension audience and most urban audiences. To determine the preferred delivery method in an urban audience and test the delivery method for gain in knowledge, participants at two garden seminars were asked to complete a questionnaire after attending breakout sessions about landscape maintenance practices. The same information was delivered by different methods; newspaper, television, Extension fact sheet, and a presentation. Participants were asked questions about what they learned in each session, how they preferred to received information, what was their primary source for information, how they perceived their landscape knowledge expertise before and after treatment, and about their past contact with Extension. Results indicate a gain inknowledge from newspaper, video, fact sheet, and presentation; most participants preferred and were receiving most information about landscape maintenance from print media particularly newspaper; participants who perceived their expertise as high before and after the treatment scored higher on the landscape knowledge test; and over half the participants had some previous contact with Extension. The results may be used to guide urban county Extension agents to select education delivery methods to effectively deliver best management practice information to homeowners about landscape maintenance.

Thesis (M.A.) - Simon Fraser University, 2006. / Theses (School of Communication) / Simon Fraser University. Also issued in digital format and available on the World Wide Web.

Dissertation (Ph.D.) - Simon Fraser University, 2006. / Theses (School of Communication) / Simon Fraser University. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 276-296). Also issued in digital format and available on the World Wide Web.