This study conducted a framing analysis of the medical marijuana issue in United States print media. In addition, this analysis investigated whether the medical marijuana issue was portrayed as a policy issue or a medical issue, and based the inquiry in public opinion and health communication literature. This analysis extracted a sample (N=240) from newspaper stories that reported the issue within the past five years in states that have enacted medical marijuana legislation. The framing analysis measured the occurrence of frames in three different categories: gain vs. loss, types of frames, and policy vs. medical. Furthermore, this analysis determined if a relationship occurred between the use of a policy context and the conflict frame, and the medical context and the human interest frame. Findings indicate that a majority of the medical marijuana conversation is framed as policy related, as a loss, and as a conflict. This study also uncovered that print media pair the use of conflict and policy frames together, and likewise for human interest and medical frames.

Online communities for expectant mothers have existed for many years, but newer social media sites are allowing these groups to exist in different formats. This study features an online community of 94 women that originated from TheBump.coms forums who then formed their own community, a Facebook group for February 2012 moms. The women exist in many different social media spheres including the group, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a separate Buy/Sell/Trade Facebook group. This study used a survey questionnaire to determine whether these different social media sites and platforms met different needs for this specific group of women. The study also hoped to determine whether needs being met or not met resulted in an evolution to different platforms. The third aspect of this study was to determine whether a context collapse existed with the creation and integration of this new Facebook group. The results suggest that the women used the February moms group rather than other social networking sites to fulfill most of their needs, and the women integrated their online friends from the group with their offline friends in social media contexts.

This study examined on-screen hashtags and Twitter activity associated with four television programs (The Walking Dead, Pretty Little Liars, Scandal and Hannibal). Twitter facilitates real time discussions, allowing water cooler conversations about television to occur while shows air live. Hashtags organize these conversations around topics of interest. Active viewers will migrate to new media sources, searching for additional content that interests them. The act of complementarity increases their level of media enjoyment. The desire for this additional content dictates the viewers behavior. Network producers also promote media convergence, utilizing websites and social media to build word of mouth advertising for their programs. The combination of an abundance of exceptional programs and producer-driven media convergence might be causing viewers to feel a stronger urge to migrate to new media. A content analysis was conducted on three episodes per program, noting the use of any on-screen hashtags. Next, Twitter activity information was pulled using analytics software Radian6. Various comparisons were made, such as the number of mentions of title-based hashtags versus plot-related hashtags and cable versus network program hashtags. An analysis of hashtag characteristics (such as the hashtag screen location and the length of screen time it received) provided information on how networks are currently utilizing hashtags on-screen, and how audiences are using these hashtags in their Twitter conversations. Networks are placing a higher value on audience engagement. They are mining online data to improve their understanding of how existing viewers are reacting to their shows. The upcoming Nielsen and Twitter partnership will incorporate engagement in a new television rating. By understanding how viewers use sites like Twitter and Tumblr, networks can fine tune their dialogue with viewers.

This research builds upon the work of Entman & Rojecki (2001) in examining the ways the most influential movies use racial stereotypes in media frames. The results of this study contribute to the rather limited mass media research and body of knowledge regarding the media content that attracts the largest and most enduring audiences in the new media landscape. As ten of the films that have generated the most revenue, the movies in this sample constitute a genre of movies that are also a prime feature of on-going publishing, cable, internet, digital gaming, DVD, and movie sequel franchises. If, as Entman & Rojecki contend, movie studios invest more resources into marketing and distributing films that adhere to a formula of using racial stereotypes, then the findings of this research documents the content of the formula. The sampled movie content is distinct from that found in the traditional literature on stereotypes because it captures not only derogatory themes, words, images, and actions of non-dominant racial groups, but also laudatory themes, words, images, and actions of both dominant and non-dominant racial groups. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, is the scrutiny of the relationships among these groups that is necessary to beginning to understand the relationship between movie stereotypes and historical ideologies.

Masada, a Herodian fortress and the site of an ancient struggle between Jews and Romans that culminated in a mass suicide by 960 Jews, is a symbolically important site for the country of Israel and for the Jewish people. Previous research on Masada has focused on how the story about the site, told through popular culture, in history books, and at the site, has been used to create and maintain a national Israeli and, more broadly, Jewish identity. Masada is the second most visited site in Israel, attracting over 800,000 people each year, and the number of visitors to the site has steadily increased over the last thirty years. When tourists visit Masada, they hear the story of the site and the story is framed so tourists will have a meaningful experience. While some scholars have looked at how the Masada story gets told to tourists who visit the site, these studies all tend to ignore what tourists do at the site. The research, presented this way, seems to assume that tourists and others who hear the story are passive recipients. I argue that tourists who visit Masada take a more active role in the meaning they get from their visit. In this dissertation I focus on what tourists and others do at Masada. I frame these actions as performances, conscious and deliberate acts that constitute who a person is and how they want to be seen. I argue that the touristic performances at Masada are expressions of the meaning that people get from the site and from being on tour. I conclude that being on tour encourages a fluid approach to individual and national identity. As tourists contend with the site, other tourists, and their own identity, tourist sites can be productive spaces to explore who a person is and who they want to be.

This study examined the rebranding of the Brooklyn Nets. A discourse analysis was conducted that observed messages generated by the Brooklyn Nets, selected media sources and fans regarding a number of elements relating to the Brooklyn Nets rebrand. Branding is important to businesses and building brand equity and brand associations with the external public is important for businesses looking to succeed in a profit driven world. This is no different for professional sports franchises who also focus on building brand equity and brand associations with sports fans and other members of the general public. By first examining the methods taken and messages generated by the Brooklyn Nets regarding their rebrand and then examining the messages and discourse generated by the media and fans regarding the Nets rebrand, this thesis was able to produce a number of best practices for sport franchises who may be looking to rebrand in the future. Findings show that a rebranding team should place an emphasis on developing a quality product over connecting the product to noteworthy individuals. Additionally, rebranding organizations would be wise to consult individuals experienced with sport rebranding rather than enlisting the services of less qualified but more famous individuals. Rebranding organizations should also not be afraid of taking a risk (when appropriate) when developing their visual brand. Authenticity and actions consistent with an organizations own messages are important to establishing strong brand equity and brand associations. Organizations might choose to emphasize their impact in the stadium community, their potential success in that community and finally, treat employees, players and fans in a professional manor consistent with team messages.

Despite significant and constantly increasing volume of social media use by both individuals and corporate entities, scarce scholastic attention has been paid to practices undertaken by companies and organizations in creating presence on social media, managing social media accounts and communicating with constituents on social media. New social media platforms appear regularly, attracting millions of daily visitors, however, this new type of communication media still lacks in-depth analysis, which would provide guidelines to be used by corporate entities to make their presence on social media most effective. This study makes the first step to analyze possible relationships between companies practices on social media and their size. It examines differences in companies social media adoption and activity on social media, marketing information provided on various types of social media, as well as communication strategies used, based on company size. This study finds significant differences in practices companies undertake on social media, based on company size, including social media adoption rates, activity on social media, as well as marketing information provided on the social media platforms. Overall, this study provides updated information about social media adoption by corporate entities, new insight into companies activity on various social media platforms, as well as overall picture of communication strategies used. This study also makes suggestions for improving companies representation on most popular social media platforms, making it easier for the general audience to find company social media pages, and increasing authenticity and consistency online.

Communications practitioners have long studied factors related to consumers impressions of brands as well as their intent to purchase from brands. While early research has focused on traditional advertising methods, newer research is geared towards understanding how interactive features are changing this relationship. The rise of newer computer-mediated communication (CMC) technologies, specifically social media, has lead to many changes in the way organizations market their brands as they allow for unique, interactive communication between an organization and its publics. While the notion of interactivity, a core feature of CMC, has no one definition, researchers continue to examine its effects within the digital sphere. This exploratory study investigated the effects of level of interactivity on the social networking site, Facebook, as well as level of product involvement on users attitudes towards the brand and perceptions of the brand as well as their intent to purchase from the brand. The study utilized a 2x2 (high interactivity, low interactivity X high involvement, low involvement) factorial design with level of interactivity and level of involvement as independent variables and attitudes toward the brand, perceptions of reputation and purchase intent as dependent variables. To explore these relationships, this study utilized a controlled online experiment with 96 adults. Participants were exposed to one of four possible conditions, and the data were analyzed using a factorial analysis of variance in SPSS. While this study did not find any significant effects for interactivity or product involvement on users impressions or intent to purchase from the brand, it did find that interactivity, attitudes toward the brand, perceptions of the brand and purchase intent were all highly, positively correlated with one another. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

This thesis examines Cornel Wests description of the human condition and the works of art produced in three particular ways. First, there is being human which is a universal condition that speaks to all people and their struggles in the face of death and fallibility. Second, there is the condition of being modern, which speaks to people in a particular age in which power must be challenged with intelligence. Third, there is the idea of being American, which is to confront historical legacies of injustice through political action and agency. Rhetoric speaks to these existential crises and draws its resources from jazz, blues, tragicomic and prophetic pragmatism to create a community of affiliation and rich discourse thats beneficial and productive for all.

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