Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Title from PDF of title page. Document formatted into pages; contains 155 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

This dissertation is concerned with the impact online news readers comments have on the role of journalists and the implication it carries in shifting private sentiments onto a public space. Online news readers comments have recently grown in popularity and journalists across the United States are divided on how best to host this new public space. Drawing perspectives from new forms of journalism, sociological studies in race and gender, critical race and feminist studies, this dissertation focuses on a) the challenges of news organizations as hosts of this new public space and b) the racist and sexist discourse generated by audiences of certain online news stories. This dissertation employs a multi-method research design that combines a large scale survey of journalists in the United States, in-depth interviews with journalists, content analysis and a discourse analysis of online news readers comments from five selected news stories with strong race and/or gender elements in order to 1) gain journalists’ perspectives in this new electronic landscape and 2) examine the content of the comments that pose the most challenges to journalists in terms of hosting this space. The survey and interviews revealed how journalists are divided in wanting to serve their public by providing a space for dialogue but yet refusing to host hate. Faced with this challenge within the new electronic landscape, a majority of journalists are left on their own to determine how best to handle this new public space with hardly any guidance or support from news managers. The analysis of the comments showed that the articulations of race and gender in the discourse were not erratic expressions of a minority but instead repertories of racism and sexism that mirrored the string of findings from race and gender scholars. This dissertation finds that online news readers comments section have emerged as the space for unconstrained expressions to flourish without the constraints of political correctness and within the safe confines of anonymity. / text

Newspapers have increased their emphasis on page design and presentation due to modern design styles, competition, and changes in technology. While newspaper designers have taken on increasingly important roles in newsrooms, professional and academic literature points to a divide between "word" journalists and "visual" journalists. This researcher examined current attitudes toward this divide using Q methodology.Forty-one journalists at four Midwestern newspapers comprised the sample. The journalists sorted 50 Q statements concerning attitudes about the responsibilities of designers and the value of design to the newspaper and its readers.Upon analysis of results, respondents were divided into three factor groups: the Collaborators, the Progressives, and the Traditionalists. Respondents in all three factors agreed that design elements serve readers and cooperation between designers and other journalists benefits readers. Collaborators had the most advanced point of view on the ability of designers and other journalists to effectively work together. Progressives were highly correlated with Collaborators, but placed a heavier emphasis on the product rather than the process, expressing positive attitudes toward the ability of design elements to aid readers and add to the quality of the newspaper. Traditionalists represented a less-advanced point of view, expressing negative feelings toward collaboration and the ability of designers to contribute as journalists. Newspaper policies and philosophies appeared to dictate attitudes toward the role of design, rather than demographic characteristics or job responsibilities. / Department of Journalism

This thesis analyzed Indiana editors and reporters through Qmethodology in an effort to establish a typology of Indiana journalists pertaining to the future of the daily newspaper. Because of an apparent lack of abundant research relative to what journalists perceive as the future of the daily print medium, this study attempted to add an Indiana perspective to existing empirical literature dealing with the future of newspapers.Fifty-six editors and reporters from 28 of Indiana's 73 newspapers were selected as a purposive sample of the state's journalists. Statements representing perceptions about the future of newspapers were compiled in a 64-card structured Qsort and administered in person to all respondents. Respondents were asked to sort through the cards and rank the statements on an 11-point, Likert-like most-agree/most-disagree scale.Computer analysis of the Q-sorts produced five typal arrays which may be considered five typical categories into which Indiana journalists fall with regard to their perceptions aboutthe future of newspapers.Four of the five types showed strong correlation among themselves. Although none of the 12 consensus items proved significant, Indiana editors and reporters were found to have similar attitudes overall regarding several key statements.Findings of this study indicate the typical perceptions of Indiana journalists regarding the future of newspapers are centered around the belief that responsiveness to readers is a high priority. Data also indicated editors and reporters see technology and marketing to be keys to success for newspapers of the future. Other findings appear to suggest journalists believe local news and information relative to readers' daily lives will be important parts of future newspaper content. Making newspapers "user-friendly" was also a high priority for Indiana editors and reporters.Although one of the five types emerging in this study showed strong discontent in its perceptions of the public, the overall view of journalists in Indiana appears to be one of respect and confidence in readers of the future. There was also indication that editors and reporters were open to change in the newspaper industry and committed to a career in the daily print medium.Because of the projective nature of this study, Q-methodology was selected as an appropriate research instrument. It should be noted, however, that this method provides only typical attitudes that may not be generalized among populations other than the one particular to this study. / Department of Journalism

This thesis analyzed the transformation of Uzbek state broadcast media into a public broadcaster. Based on the quantitative data, widely supported by the qualitative research, the researcher assessed that the prospects for public broadcasting in Uzbekistan were not good. The research was based on the responses of 22 Uzbek broadcast journalists and determined their perception of their roles in two time frames: present day and the future.The researcher grouped the respondents, based on their views of their present day roles, into two categories: "Independent Broadcasters" and "Socially Responsible Broadcasters." Independent Broadcasters showed professional confidence, strongly believed in the power of broadcast media and widely. supported the concept of public broadcasting in a transitional political environment.Socially Responsible Broadcasters strongly supported the idea of journalists being held accountable to the public, mostly agreeing that journalists were innovators and should promote diversity, equality, and represent the interests of the disadvantaged to the broader community. Unlike the Independent Broadcasters, these journalists were less confident about how well they were perceived by the audience and were concerned about whether their programs were relevant to the community.In the second study, respondents' views on their future roles were grouped into three categories: "Pessimists," "Pragmatic Idealists," and "Optimists."Journalists in the Pessimists' group expressed rather negative feelings about the future of their profession. In their view, Uzbekistan did not need a public media and journalists were not to serve as innovators in the society.Optimists expressed the opposite feelings, saying that they wanted to believe Uzbekistan would have public broadcasting in the future. They thought that the common good and the public interest should be the basis of broadcasting.Pragmatic Idealists believed that broadcasting would have to be a public corporation. But unlike the Optimists, these journalists were concerned about a lack of professionalism and funding, traditionalism in program content, and the lack of an advertising culture.All of the respondents, in this case, supported the idea of developing advertising as a means of supporting broadcasting in the future and saw it as a way of freeing themselves from government control and gaining editorial independence.Respondents in this study said that as long as they remained under state authority they would not call themselves "public broadcasters." They mostly agreed that a changing society needed a strong public media, which was independent of government influence and the marketplace. / Department of Journalism

The aim of this research is to examine the changing nature of risks that face journalists and media workers in the world's difficult, remote and hostile environments, and consider the 'adequacy' of managing hostile environment safety courses that some media organizations require prior to foreign assignments. The study utilizes several creative works and contributions to this area of analysis, which includes a documentary film production, course contributions, an emergency reference handbook, security and incident management reviews and a template for evacuation and contingency planning. The research acknowledges that employers have a 'duty of care' to personnel working in these environments, identifies the necessity for pre-deployment training and support, and provides a solution for organizations that wish to initiate a comprehensive framework to advise, monitor, protect and respond to incidents. Finally, it explores the possible development of a unique and holistic service to facilitate proactive and responsive support, in the form of a new profession of 'Editorial Logistics Officer' or 'Editorial Safety Officer' within media organizations. This area of research is vitally important to the profession, and the intended contribution is to introduce a simple and cost-efficient framework for media organizations that desire to implement pre-deployment training and field-support – as these programs save lives. The complete proactive and responsive services may be several years from implementation. However, this study demonstrates that the facilitation of Managing Hostile Environment (MHE) courses should be the minimum professional standard. These courses have saved lives in the past and they provide journalists with the tools to "cover the story, and not become the story."

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2006. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Arts. Bibliography: p. 366-373.

Thesis--Eichstätt, Ingolstadt, Univ., 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 165-172).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on November 12, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.J.)--Carleton University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-223). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.