Research of parasocial relationships suggests that audiences engage in one-sided relationships with their favorite personae in the media. This study attempts to explore two types of reality stars: those who had fame before being on reality television and those who have fame because of the show. Using the PSR-Processing Scale, I compared levels of parasocial interactions for each, as well how moral disengagement might play a role for each type of reality star. I also explored whether these parasocial relationships are influenced by the frequency with which respondents watch various types of sub-genres of reality-based programs (i.e. game docs, dating shows, documentary soap operas). To measure levels of parasocial relationships, moral disengagement, media consumption, and reality television viewing habits, I administered an online survey to 244 students at a large southern university. Results show that respondents parasocial relationships and degree of moral disengagement with their favorite celebrity and non-celebrity on reality shows are influenced by the type of sub-genres of the reality-based programs (i.e. game docs, dating shows, documentary soap operas).

With the declining participation in civic engagement behaviors such as voting, people are turning to other means to demonstrate civic participation. This study examined the role of volunteering as a means to establish civic engagement. Because of this civic participation behavioral shift, the relationship between civic engagement and the communication tactics used by volunteer based organizations was investigated. This study investigated the relationship between civic engagement and political efficacy. Additionally, this study examined the interplay between organizational characteristics (trust, control mutuality, exchange relationship, and commitment) and civic engagement. Lastly, perceptions of new and traditional methods of communications to encourage civic engagement and build trust of volunteer based organizations were explored. To address these relationships, this study used on online survey with 245 adults and the data were analyzed using a linear regression analysis and SPSS Textual Analysis for Surveys. This study used convenience and snowball sampling. This survey used various civic engagement scales and James Grunigs PR Measurement Scale for organizational factors. Findings show higher levels of participation of political interest and trust lead to higher levels of political efficacy. Additionally, stronger control mutuality beliefs of an organization lead to higher levels of civic engagement. Participants reported email and direct mail to be the methods of communication they are most familiar with from their volunteer based organizations that encourage engagement. Furthermore, ease and access to information are crucial for volunteers regarding engagement and trust.

Over the past several decades, sports event tourism has been a growing area of research for scholars in the fields of sport administration, strategic communications, destination marketing and tourism. The city of New Orleans is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States, with its various entertainment, sports, and cultural events. Over the past three decades, New Orleans has hosted over 30 major sports events and will host several more major events including the BCS National Championship, NCAA Mens and Womens Final Four, and the Super Bowl through February 2013. This case study shows several primary reasons that New Orleans is continually chosen as an event host, including its reputation as a vibrant, unique tourist destination along with its facility infrastructure. In-depth interviews conducted with New Orleans tourism and sports commission officials show that the presence of large stadiums and convention facilities, along with many hotels and restaurants in close proximity to these facilities, and the authenticity of the city as a tourist destination is what primarily sets New Orleans apart as a premier host and destination for major sports events.

Scholars examining gender bias in elections have found that voters stereotypical expectations of women and men candidates affect their vote choice. This dissertation examines gender stereotypes from the perspective of campaigns. Specifically, I examine how ad, candidate and election variables interact with gender stereotypes to determine the use of emotions in political ads. My analysis contains ad data for the 2008 Senate, House and gubernatorial races gathered from the Wisconsin Advertising Project, combined with original content analysis of 1,170,728 ad airings (3,424 unique ads). The results indicate that campaigns use of fear, anger, enthusiasm and hope appeals depends to a great extent on gender stereotypes, and that this relationship is conditional on other factors such as the gender of the opponent, the level of the office, and the competitiveness of the election.

The press was outraged when reports in 1973 exposed the CIAs use of American journalists as undercover informants during the Cold War. The CIA-journalists link represented for the press a shocking break in the traditional line between journalists and government. A study of journalist Carl W. Ackermans experiences in the First World War suggests, however, that the CIA-journalists link has historical precedents in the practices of twentieth-century reporters. Ackerman, who later became the first dean of Columbia Journalism School, sent confidential reports to the State Department while reporting overseas for magazines and newspapers. He forged close relationships with a number of American and foreign government officials, offering them his cooperation and service. This thesis details Ackermans cooperation with government during the Great War and is the first step to an understanding of the systematic, close relationship between numerous progressive journalists and the Wilson Administration.

U.S. democracy is one of the most inclusive in the world, yet levels of political knowledge and engagement remain markedly low. Moreover, the news medias coverage of elections inadequately informs and engages the public. These shortcomings underscore the importance of campaign events like electoral debates events that are designed not only to educate the public but also to provide the public a more active role in the electoral process. Journalistic news norms and values wield tremendous power over campaign news agendas including post-debate coverage but the extent to which they influence debate agendas remains unclear. Given what we know about patterns of campaign news coverage, a closer look at mediated debate agendas is warranted. To date, no comprehensive data on debate agendas exist. With a unique sample of debate questions spanning 52 years of electoral campaigns including general election, primary, and state-level debates this content analysis is the first of its kind to examine the debate agenda over time and across electoral contexts. This dissertation determines not only the extent to which news norms and routines influence electoral debate agendas but also the conditions (e.g. rules, formats, moderators, question sources) predictive of particular debate questions. In short, this study provides the first systemic insight into what influences the debate agenda and why we should care about the questions posed to the candidates. The findings presented herein suggest that debates are considerably more policy-driven than campaign news coverage; however, content and tone of agendas vary according to format rules, moderator characteristics, and question source. I find that local journalists offer a more substantive and less attack-driven agenda than members of the national press corps; that, contrary to expectations, nonprofit journalists are actually less substantive than commercial press in the debate questions they generate; and public influence through town hall formats does little to help nor hinder the substance of debate agendas. These findings are discussed in a broader democratic context, and the research presented herein offers organizers of these events best practices for future debates and recommendations for preserving their relevance and substance.

Aereo and FilmOn X are online streaming services that allow subscribers to watch and record broadcast content online by capturing over-the-air signals through antennas assigned to each user and streaming that content to subscribers. The broadcasters and media owners who own copyrights in the content transmitted via the over-the-air signals that Aereo and FilmOn X capture argue that this service infringes upon their exclusive right of public performance, specifically under the Transmit Clause. The broadcasters have brought suit against both Aereo and FilmOn X for copyright infringement in several courts across the United States; some courts have found the online streaming services to be infringing, while others have found no infringementthus creating a split among the U.S. circuit courts of appeals. While courts have interpreted and applied the Transmit Clause in prior cases, one case in particular in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Cablevision, has come under critique for its interpretation of the law; this cases precedence is what causes the current issue in the circuit courts, which can only be resolved through a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court. Using traditional legal research methods, this thesis examines whether Aereo and FilmOn X are infringing broadcasters copyrights in their over-the-air signals and concludes that they are infringing under the Transmit Clause. The Second Circuits opinion favoring Aereo is wrong because of its incorrect reliance upon Cablevision and based upon the plain language of the statute, the legislative history, and prior case law, which all support a finding of infringement.

This dissertation examined tolerance of polygamists as a result of exposure to television programming. Specifically, it looked at how audiences form attitudes toward the practice of polygamy and its participants in light of viewing its portrayals in popular television entertainment. Using historical research, semi-structured interviews, surveys of viewers and students, and an experiment, I explored the issue of tolerance among different types of Americans. The findings in these studies demonstrate that Americans never cared for polygamy and continue to find little appeal for its practice. Yet, we are captivated by television shows that focus on polygamy. Part of our habit of tuning in is related to how we process portrayals of individual polygamists; we compare ourselves with them, sometimes upwardly or downwardly, and may build parasocial bonds with them through our screens. I found strong support for the parasocial contact hypothesis, and argue that with positive portrayals over time, viewing individual characters in such shows could erode the sense of divergence we feel as a result of our unfamiliarity with the practice. On the other hand, negative and even mixed portrayals of polygamists can reinforce our existing stereotypes and prejudices.

This study investigates the relationship between smartphone and desktop or laptop computer users characteristics and online content creation and participation. A survey collected demographic information as well as detailed information on which devices were preferred by the participants in various circumstances. Results showed age and income were the two primary demographic factors in determining a users degree of comfort with technology as well as their likelihood to participate with or create online content. Employing the Diffusion of Innovations theory, this research found support for the idea that home computers have seen to fruition the diffusion process, and are not factors in participants self-reporting of their level of online expertise. Looking at the use of technology through the Technology Acceptance Model lens, this research indicates that the usefulness a generation once saw in the proliferation of the home computer now has been more perceived and adopted in the area of smartphone use. This fairly widespread view of smartphone usefulness, except in the oldest age categories, indicates that like the computer becoming ubiquitous, soon too will the smartphone follow the same path. Interesting findings include the disconnect between a users self-concept and their actions; the Content consumers group, who generally consumes rather than creates or interacts with content, seems to rate themselves higher as influencers and experts online than the group who actually creates the content. And interestingly, those that are Smartphone averse will actually use their smartphones more in certain instances than Content consumers. Why participants self-concept differed from their self-reported usage patterns, in my view, is attributable to the fact that as the comfort level with technology rises, the awareness of that technology ebbs. This illustrates the power of ubiquity; once a piece of technology becomes commonplace or highly familiar, the user concentrates less on the device because it has become part of his or her daily routine. This, in turn, causes the users self-concept about the relationship between him or her and technology to become less based on actual usage patterns and more based on perception.

The changes to our socio-technological media environment over the past 30 years have heightened the interest in identity across the social sciences. The spread of networked digital communication technologies and mobile media have increased the urgency for media scholars to better understand how and why individuals consume media as they do. Several media choice scholars have recently started considering how individuals identity and self-concept relate to media choice, but have not yet systematically addressed how identity might be related. This dissertation takes the first steps toward advancing an identity-based approach to understanding individual media choice in the 21st century by: 1) Providing a thorough theoretical and conceptual review of identity theory (Burke & Stets, 2009) and the identity process; 2) By discussing media research in the context of identity theory and applying identity theory directly to media research, and; 3) By empirically testing multiple elements of identity theory in two original experimental designs. Results indicate that identity not only affects media choice, it also affects how individuals ascribe meaning to media content.