This dissertation examines media coverage of two social protests set more than three decades apart The March on the Pentagon in October 1967, part of the anti-Vietnam war movement and The Battle for Seattle in November-December 1999, part of the movement for democratic globalization. Through two separate studies a content analysis of print media coverage and qualitative in-depth interviews with journalists this dissertation looks for patterns of sourcing and framing between the coverage of these two protests. It also examines any possible influence on these patterns caused by journalists access to diverse sources and research through the Internet. This examination is prompted by the current celebration as well as debate over the capacity of the Internet, as a tool of political organization, to empower social movement protests, boost political participation, enhance media coverage and develop the public sphere. This research uses the lenses of sourcing and framing to examine journalists reliance on official and authoritative sources in government and trade, the circumstances under which they cite sources of dissent, their preferences and practices in their use of the Internet, their use of the episodic versus thematic frame and the valence in their stories. The dissertation found that journalists who covered the anti-globalization protests used more official and authoritative sources in government and trade than did their predecessors who covered the anti-Vietnam war protests 30 years ago. No significant difference was found, however, in journalists sourcing from among protesters or the frames and valence in the coverage of both protests. Moreover, the coverage did not show any discernible impact of the Internet in either increasing the diversity of journalists sources or causing a shift from episodic to thematic frames; journalists exhibited skepticism over protest Web sites and showed a preference for official and authoritative sources even over the Internet. This dissertation, therefore, points to the endurance of age-old news values and norms despite journalists enhanced access through new tools and technologies. It also calls for a continued examination of the Internets ability to cause any shift in social movement-media relations, given the impact of these relations on participation and public opinion.

Country Roads magazine celebrated its 20th anniversary in September of 2003. Founded by Dorcas Woods Brown in 1983, the publication prides itself on offering its readers a cultural events guide showcasing events, festivals and destinations from Natchez, Mississippi, to New Orleans, Louisiana. Readers have watched the magazine evolve over the years. However, nearly two years ago, readers experienced one of the biggest changes. The magazine moved its headquarters from St. Francisville to Baton Rouge. This study evaluated Baton Rouge advertisers' reactions the move. The researcher modified and tested the Country-of-Origin Effects (COO) on a smaller scale by examining City-of-Origin effects. The following research questions were posed: RQ1: What dimensions do Baton Rouge advertisers use when evaluating magazine brands? RQ2: To what extent is COO an influence on the decision to buy advertising with a magazine? Based on the researcher's review of the literature on the subjects of branding, country-of-origin effects and brand image, the following hypotheses were proposed: H1: City-of-Origin is a dimension used in the consideration of whether to buy or continue to buy advertising with the magazine. H2: The more experience that an advertiser has with the magazine, the less influence COO has on the buyers' perception of the brand. H3: The more experience that an advertiser has with the magazine, the less influence COO has on the buyers' intention to buy. The researcher conducted fourteen personal interviews. The first seven interviews were conducted with Baton Rouge advertisers who have been with the magazine consistently before, during and after the move. The second set of interviews were with advertisers who began advertising after the move. Ultimately, although advertisers insisted that there is no direct correlation between where Country Roads is headquartered and whether or not they advertise, the underlying tone in most of the participants' responses was that the name "Country Roads" lends a certain amount of credibility to a magazine that is about "country things." Contrary to the concerns of the staff, having the "country" connotation actually works as a positive for the company rather than a negative.

This study uses Mikhail Bakhtin's chronotope, which is the informing principle of one's experience of space and time, to explore different relations among space, time, actors, and audience in medieval theatre. Relations between the material and spiritual worlds as understood in the Middle Ages are considered in the context of relations between performers and audience members with two goals. First, I explore how the ontological status of the metaworld created through performance changed in the context of specific chronotopes. Second, I explore how diverse religious discourses affected medieval modes of representation. This study posits three chronotopes of performance informing medieval theatrical experience. In the sacramental chronotope, disciplined bodies moved through spiritual geographies in Latin liturgical dramas to bring participants into contact with an ontologically superior divine world. The consubstantial chronotope operated from an ontology of self-sufficiency locating power in the individual's body rather than in a superior being. Within the consubstantial chronotope, performance, and representation more generally, was understood as a tool for the contemplation of ideas rather than as a vehicle for bringing performers into contact with an ontologically substantive world. The transubstantial chronotope works within an ontology of community that constructs performances as sites of cultural contestation and engagement. The communal mystery plays performed on Corpus Christi day in medieval England created a space and time for communicative bodies to tell shared narratives in a ritual effort to strengthen, purify, and heal souls. Performance within the transubstantial chronotope was uniquely open to metalinguistic and dialogic play, allowing the imaginative metaworld of the performance to function as innerly persuasive discourse possessing its own ontological weight and agency. Having explored these three chronotopes, this study examines the heterochronotopic quality of medieval English morality plays. I conclude with an analysis of a recent production of the Chester mystery cycle, Yimmimingaliso: The Mysteries. Using a variety of different languages in performance, as well as different languages of performance, this production evoked something of the transubstantial chronotope of medieval England.

Legal scholars said the National Endowment for the Arts v. Finley decision would create a "chilling effect" in government subsidy programs, and it unlawfully expanded the government speech doctrine. By analyzing cases that subsequently use Finley for a substantive part of their rationale, this article argues the opposite: the courts have rejected the government's attempts to interpret the decision as one that allows viewpoint discrimination and have not allowed the government to further a broad reading of the decision. The article also argues that, under the government speech doctrine, Finley provides the controlling precedent for truly "hybrid speech" cases where the government and private voices are equally responsible for the speech that occurs. These cases involve "excellence criteria," in which private voices are selectively chosen by the government. In these cases, Finley should apply.

Because university foundations are facing increased pressures as the result of declining funds and increased competition, they must learn to use more effectively a wide range of marketing activities and demographic segmentation. Prospect identification may be one such tool. The literature on non-profit philanthropy suggests that the demographic segmentation of alumni and prospect screening and subsequent identification may serve as appropriate criteria. This case study examines how giving levels, involvement levels and attitudes of donors may vary as a result of the implementation of the National Advancement Plan, a systematic peer screening model and communications tool developed for a university foundation. The results of this case study suggest that other university foundations may be able to use similar strategies to identify potential donors.

The purpose of this study is to note, categorize, and discuss the stereotypes of African Americans in animated childrens cartoons. The purpose is also to compare them to see how they changed. A content analysis of two cartoons finds that characters do act in stereotypical ways. A quantitative analysis of 76 cartoons supports these findings. Overall, The Proud Family, a cartoon of the 21st century, is more stereotypical than Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, a cartoon from 30 years ago. Though primary characters display the same amount of stereotypical behavior, secondary characters show an increase in the amount of stereotypical behavior. This study extends the amount of research in the entertainment media field by focusing upon animated childrens cartoons. This approach will add to our understanding of stereotypes and the manner in which they are presented to audiences.

This study's primary focus is to determine if the White House press corps acted more deferential to President Bush and his agenda after September 11, 2001, and if so, to see how long the period of decreased adversarial relations lasted. This purpose is accomplished through a content analysis of 37 White House press briefings, conducted by then White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, examining press-briefing questions three months before, on, directly following, and three months after September 11 according to four dimensions of adversarial relations: initiative, directness, assertiveness, and hostility. Ten question design features comprise the criteria to measure each dimension, and ultimately, to measure the degree to which the press acted more deferential or adversarial toward Fleischer after the September 11 attacks. Overall, the study's results show the White House press corps asked similar questions before and after September 11. Though deferent questions soared to the sample's highest levels on September 11, the press corps not only maintained its pre-September deferential/ adversarial relations with Fleischer in the weeks following September 11, but it became even more adversarial. By December 2001, deference increased and adversarial relations decreased, but not by more than 10 percent of what they were before September 11. This group of press members, in touch with the highest-ranking political officials and newsmakers, initiated more direct, assertive, and hostile questions following the momentous domestic shakeup of September 11, 2001. Contrary to many reports, this study found the press to be more aggressive than normal in their questioning in the two-three weeks following the attacks. This information begs bigger questions, which may serve for continuing areas of study: If members of the White House Press Corps were asking more adversarial questions following September 11, why didn't their increased adversarial tone make it into the headlines of national newspapers, broadcasts, and magazines? Is there a correlation between questions the media ask sources and what gets into the news? Does the press question's agenda have any bearing on the news agenda?

This work seeks to define, explain, and place into historical and social context the phenomena of Christian Repertory Theater (CRT). It does so by examining three CRT troupes: Acts 2 from Nashville, TN, sponsored by Two Rivers Baptist Church; The Company from Fort Worth, TX, sponsored by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; and Gen X from Clinton, MS, which operated independent of external support . Ethnographic fieldwork was the primary vehicle of information-gathering in this case study analysis. The author experienced each group as either a participant-observer, observer, and/or interviewer. CRT was ultimately defined as an activity wherein a constituted group performs short, primarily dramatic and versatile performances within the context of larger worship services. The group also trains and ministers to its own members while maintaining an active performance schedule. CRT is classified as both a performance troupe and a ministry team. CRT is an active movement primarily within the Southern Baptist Convention where thirty-two states have annual drama festivals/workshops, there is an annual national meeting, and a decanal celebration. Churches and religious organizations are utilizing the dramatic arts in a variety of forms on a more frequent basis, and CRT is a part of that movement. CRT struggles with its dual functions of ministry and performance, walking the line between self-glorification and humble ministry. A third, less vital, function is the training of the group members. The survival of a troupe rests largely with a driving force internal or external to it which provides both vision and leadership. Performance styles for the groups vary, but the one consistency is the presence of "straight drama" in which the performers fully embody characters and the audience suspends their disbelief. Further, CRT contends with the impression of frivolity as it does not contain the inherent gravity of more fully-developed and technical main-stage plays. CRT fills an important role both for its practitioners and the members of the churches and groups for whom they perform. The art form presents religious truth in a unique manner and provides an opportunity for growth and ministry to the members themselves.

In this study, I describe and analyze the masculinities constructed in four performance art monologues staged in the US on Broadway. I examined Whoopi Goldbergs 1984 performance Whoopi Goldberg Live, Lily Tomlins 1987 performance in Jane Wagners The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, Eric Bogosians 1990 performance Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, and John Leguizamos 1998 performance Freak: A Semi-Demi-Quasi-Pseudo Autobiography. My method of analysis is a critical interpretation incorporating the lenses of Robert Connell and Victor Seidler. It is grounded in a social-cultural perspective using Arthur W. Franks sociology of the body. By means of Connell, Seidler, and Franks theories, I conceptualize human behavior, gender in particular, in light of the social signs and codes, roles, and identities, that the performers bodies represent. The shows advance social critiques to their audience while also meeting the expectations of the popular marketplace by incorporating representational and presentational aesthetics. By evaluating and reconceiving the constructed nature of the self in and by means of performance, the performances advance a praxis. In light of my interest, they serve as a model for masculinities, as everyday actors, might (re-)conceive of and construct their lives, identities, and relationships. This study contributes to the growing literature and discourses concerned with representations of the male body and masculinities, particularly in live performance. In particular, this study offers an analysis of performance art monologues presented to the mainstream audiences that tend to frequent Broadway shows and that focus on diverse masculinities.

Young adults' stereotypes of older adults has been well-documented in communication literature, however, there has been a lack of research on the impact of message strategy on intergenerational interactions. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among three factors that previous research suggests should influence the activation of stereotypes toward a target: age, relational level, and message strategy. This study examines the role that message strategy, in this case, verbal aggressiveness, plays in activating young adults' (n = 186) negative stereotypes of older adults. The young adults' self-reported levels of trait verbal aggressiveness was positively correlated with negative stereotype activation. Verbally aggressive messages, also, consistently activated more negative stereotypes than did the corresponding neutral message strategy. Although all three factors (age, relational level, and message strategy) accounted for differences in stereotype activation, message strategy had the largest effect on negative stereotype activation. Implications of the findings on intergenerational interactions are discussed.