Department: College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication ![[clear]](close-x.png "Remove this limiter")
15 matches in the database.
These are records: 1 - 15.
1.
Andrews, Laura A.
SHOULD YOU JOIN PRSSA?: PUBLIC RELATIONS UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN PROFESSIONAL STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH THE ORGANIZATIONAL ASSIMILATION THEORY IN PREPARATION OF ENTERING THE PROFESSIONAL WORKFORCE.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2007, Kent State University
► The Public Relations Student Society of America is a student organization developed…
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▼ The Public Relations Student Society of America is a student organization developed to offer public relations undergraduate students additional experience and knowledge in the public relations field. This study examines the perceptions students’ hold on the benefits of participating in such student organizations and the help that these organizations may give them in finding employment in the public relations field. The organizational assimilation theory was used to examine parallels between student organizations, how newcomers assimilate into an organization and participants’ perceived feelings during the employment process. This study was conducted using a Web survey created with the software SurveyMonkey. The non-random sample consisted of male and female undergraduate public relations students from universities and colleges in Ohio that had an established PRSSA chapter on their campuses. This study found that members and non-members of PRSSA hold different perceptions on the importance of student organizations and the feelings experienced during the employment process. Therefore belonging to and participating in a student organization, such as PRSSA, corresponds to a perceived jumpstart in one’s public relations career.
Advisors/Committee Members: Sledzik, William.
Subjects: Journalism
Keywords: PRSSA Members; PUBLIC RELATIONS; STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS; SD; ORGANIZATIONS; Starting a Job
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2.
Bailey, Evan B.
The Role of Social Identity in the Convergence Process: A Study of a Shared College Newsroom.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2009, Kent State University
► A survey of journalism students at an Ohio university suggests that supposed…
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▼ A survey of journalism students at an Ohio university suggests that supposed cultural biases between print and broadcast student journalists may not be that strong and may not be that much of a barrier to media convergence. At the same time, neither print nor broadcast students seemed to have a firm idea of what media convergence involves or their role in it.
Advisors/Committee Members: Endres, Fred.
Subjects: Journalism
Keywords: Media convergence; journalism; student media; Social Indentity Theory, intergroup behavior
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3.
Balogun, Foluke.
Measuring Perceptions of the Relationship Between Faculty Members and Kent State University From A Public Relations Perspective.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2009, Kent State University
► The role of public relations is to build and maintain cordial relationships…
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▼ The role of public relations is to build and maintain cordial relationships between an organization and its relevant publics. Faculty members represent a university's important public because they are critical to the success or failure of its overall goals.This study measured faculty members' perceptions of their relationship with Kent State University based on six relationship indicators - ”trust, control mutuality, satisfaction, commitment, and communal and exchange relationships. The study was grounded in organization-public relationship scholarship. An online survey was administered to Kent State University faculty members over a 10-day period. Respondents indicated their level of agreement or disagreement with statements describing their relationship with the university. The study found that faculty members believed they have minimal control in the relationship. Faculty members also believed the university engages in exchange relationships more than it does communal. Other findings revealed feelings of neglect among part-time and non-tenure track faculty members.
Advisors/Committee Members: Drake, Jeanette.
Subjects: Communication; Higher education; Journalism; Management
Keywords: Relationship Management; Faculty-University Relationship; Relationship Measurement; Organization-Public Relationships; Relationship Indicators; Public Relations
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4.
Batyko, Richard J.
The Impact of Japanese Corporate and Country Culture on Crisis Communications: A Case Study Examining Tokyo Electric Power Company.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2012, Kent State University
► Employing a case study and qualitative research using thematic networks, this thesis…
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▼ Employing a case study and qualitative research using thematic networks, this thesis examines the impact of country and corporate culture on public relations crisis response. Tokyo Electric Power’s Company’s handling of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in 2011 will be considered along with the proposition that Japanese culture directly affected the corporation’s crisis communications response. This thesis considers the influence the country’s traditional corporate culture has on governance, lifetime employment, hierarchy, diversity, and information sharing. It extends this analysis to Japan’s unique culture using Hofstede’s Cultural Index. Finally, the thesis examines the evolution and current role of public relations practitioners and firms within this culture. In considering the proposition, the author explores: • how local corporate culture can have a dramatic impact on public relations crisis response; • how country culture directly affects corporate culture; • why the public relations function in an open society must be more than a collecting and distribution point for C-suite communications; and • how Hofstede’s Cultural Index and Thematic Networks can be useful in illuminating potential challenges for public relations professionals. This thesis adds to the what the author discovered is a scarce body of knowledge on this subject and encourages additional study in the area of country and corporate culture and its affect on public relations in-country and globally. While much has been written about country culture and organizational/corporate culture, the blending of these topics with public relations practice provides insights that will assist practitioners in the planning and execution of PR practices, policies, and programs.
Advisors/Committee Members: Batchelor, Bob.
Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Communication; Energy; Ethics; Management; Mass Communications
Keywords: crisis communications, public relations, corporate culture, country culture, Japan, Thematic Network, case study, qualitative research, ethics, Japanese public relations, governance, management, Fukushima, nuclear disaster
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5.
Borrero, Brittni M.
Faded Glory: Captain America and the Wilted American Dream.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2012, Kent State University
► More than 30 live-action superhero movies (based on comic book heroes) starring…
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▼ More than 30 live-action superhero movies (based on comic book heroes) starring A-list celebrities have been released by Hollywood since the attack on the Twin Towers in New York on September 11, 2001. Captain America, created during times of war to rally support, is among these. Comic book superheroes have almost always reflected American popular culture in a way that everyone can understand. The entertainment medium provides parallels of social issues within the superheroes' storylines through character dialogue, distinctive art and reader perspective. Symbolic Interaction Theory explains how people create meaning from their surroundings and from their relationships with others. Through symbolic interaction, this paper explores how readers define the American Dream through Captain America's interpersonal battles, interactions with other characters and physical appearance as presented by the comic book authors. The textual analysis reveals that Captain America is important in exploring the evolution of the American Dream.
Advisors/Committee Members: Batchelor, Bob.
Subjects: Communication
Keywords: Propaganda; Symbolic Interaction Theory; Popular Culture; Captain America; Comic Books; Deconstruction
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6.
Calloway, TaLeiza J.
Framing the Black Community: A Content Analysis of The Plain Dealer, Akron Beacon Journal and The Vindicator.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2008, Kent State University
► Historically, representation of African-Americans in the media has been negative and reflected…
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▼ Historically, representation of African-Americans in the media has been negative and reflected a certain pathology (the storyline that routinely portrays blacks as drug lords, crack victims, the underclass, the homeless and the subway muggers) (Drummond, 1995). Representation deals with image and what messages one can take away from certain images. The purpose of this study was to analyze how African-Americans are framed and what messages are being communicated about the black community when they are represented in newspapers. The researcher conducted a descriptive content analysis of The Plain Dealer, Akron Beacon Journal and The Vindicator over a three-week time period in 2006. The weeks were randomly selected and coded for the frequency of African-Americans in the centerpiece story. Framing stories is a part of the reporting process. Columnist Thomas Huang of the Poynter Institute said that "framing a story is akin to composing a photograph. If you're a reasonably good photographer, you deliberately point your viewfinder to capture certain things..." In relation to diversity stories (stories about people of color), he named some basic frames that are often used: conflict, bridge-building, disorientation, identity, creation, and the mainstreaming frame. These frames were used as a guide in this study.
Advisors/Committee Members: Grubb, Max.
Subjects: African Americans; Journalism; Mass media; Minority and ethnic groups; Social research
Keywords: African-Americans; framing; media; newspapers; representation; agenda setting
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7.
Conley, Gina Anne.
The Tension between Capitalism and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Case Study of Strategic Ambiguity in Clorox Environmental Communication 1970 - Present.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2012, Kent State University
► Capitalistic pressures are causing some companies to increasingly turn to corporate social…
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▼ Capitalistic pressures are causing some companies to increasingly turn to corporate social responsibility (CSR) to improve image and increase profits, rather than to genuinely improve society. Within environmental CSR, the profitability of an environmentally conscious image has led to greenwashing, the use of PR or marketing to promote a misleading perception that a company’s policies or products are more environmentally friendly than they actually are. While corporate discourse is flooded with claims of “going green” and “eco-friendliness,” I argue that companies take advantage of the ambiguity of eco-language in strategic attempts to reconcile the conflicting motives behind environmental actions. The goal of this paper is to analyze and explore how corporations use strategic ambiguity in environmental communication, and further how strategic ambiguity contributes to a culture skeptical of greenwashing. The misuse, overuse and deceptive use of eco-language in greenwashing has caused environmental language to become a factor in this ambiguity. Attribution theory is also used to examine how consumers perceive strategic ambiguity and ultimately develop skepticism of environmental campaigns. I present a case study of Clorox and analyze the company’s annual reports from 1970-present to critically explore Clorox’s CSR communication through deconstruction. This study provides an examination of how capitalistic motives behind greenwashing have been a driving force of strategic ambiguity and shaped the current culture of environmental skepticism.
Advisors/Committee Members: Batchelor, Bob.
Subjects: Communication
Keywords: greenwashing, corporate social responsibility, Clorox, environment, CSR, strategic ambiguity, attribution, capitalism
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8.
Mayock, Patrick R.
Agenda Building in the Age of Online Audience Feedback.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2012, Kent State University
► Emerging online platforms and channels of communication are allowing lay citizens to…
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▼ Emerging online platforms and channels of communication are allowing lay citizens to contribute to the collection and dissemination of news like never before. This shift in the media landscape is often described within the context of participatory journalism, which is a broad term that is generally understood as the increasing amount and various ways in which an audience actively contributes to journalism, such as through commenting on articles or submitting images taken on smartphones. To better understand how user-generated content informs the newsgathering process and thus the media agenda, this thesis borrows from previous agenda-setting research to examine how journalists use audience feedback submitted through digital channels such as Facebook, Twitter, article comments and emails. Twelve senior and mid-level editors at major online newspapers in the United States were interviewed in qualitative one-on-one, in-depth interviews. The results suggest the sampled editors view online audience feedback channels as an increasingly integral part of the day-to-day newsgathering process. As a result, user-generated content—and the public agenda by extension—does seem to inform the media agenda to various extents, as evidenced both by increased audience engagement as well as published content that is directly attributable to audience-generated story ideas, tips and news leads.
Advisors/Committee Members: Batchelor, Robert.
Subjects: Communication; Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Multimedia Communications
Keywords: agenda setting; agenda building; audience feedback; participatory journalism; social media; news gathering; Facebook; Twitter; article comments; online journalism
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9.
Olszewski, Michael Frank.
The Life and Career of Pete “Mad Daddy” Myers.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2009, Kent State University
► Radio in the 1950s went through a rapid and dramatic change thanks…
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▼ Radio in the 1950s went through a rapid and dramatic change thanks to the rising popularity of television and a post-World War II generation with its own separate culture from its parents. Radio was forced to investigate new avenues in programming and personalities to maintain its consumer base, and much of that effort was directed to the youth market. It also led to the birth of the rock and roll “disc jockey.” Cleveland, Ohio, was home to a number of pioneers in early rock and roll radio, including Pierre “Pete” Myers on WJW-AM and WHK-AM, who did a straight air shift, took his nightly dinner break, and came back as the “Mad Daddy”, a high energy disc jockey who could best be likened to a “Gothic beatnik.”. Myers would be wildly popular in Northeast Ohio, but his national recognition would come many years after his suicide when he was “rediscovered” following release of a compact disc compilation of his radio work, and a number of articles in alternative newspapers and magazines. This thesis examines Myers' role in that transition, and his continuing legacy.
Advisors/Committee Members: Grubb, Max.
Subjects: Biographies
Keywords: Mad Daddy; Cleveland; radio; Pete Myers; disc jockey; rock and roll; radio personalities
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10.
Sledzik, Christopher Steele.
PR and Online Branding Corporate Perceptions in a Digital Space: Branding Goodyear Engineered Products in the Automotive Aftermarket Online.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2012, Kent State University
► This thesis paper investigates how the main principles of online public relations…
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▼ This thesis paper investigates how the main principles of online public relations are applied to create a brand for organizations in the digital world. Research of scholarly journals, acclaimed texts and recent articles discusses how public relations and information architecture theories and strategies have been applied to the World Wide Web to shape perceptions of key stakeholders. Based on the research findings, a content analysis was conducted reviewing brand web pages and social media activity to produce recommendations for a current business case.
Advisors/Committee Members: Batchelor, Bob.
Subjects: Communication; Marketing; Mass Communications; Technical Communication; Web Studies
Keywords: online branding; public relations; PR; social media; SM; Internet; web sites; information architecture; world wide web; web design; homepage
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11.
Stevenson, Stacy Elizabeth.
Double Effect: Measuring the Ethical Beliefs and Practices of Social Media Users.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2010, Kent State University
► The speed of change in communication technology has left a gap in…
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▼ The speed of change in communication technology has left a gap in researching the ethical use of such technology. Social media has been a game-changer for many professions, especially journalism. As roles shift and audiences lose passive, traditional characteristics, the need for an updated ethics toolkit arises. An anonymous self-reporting survey was conducted among junior- and senior-level undergraduate students in both the College of Communication and Information and College of Business at a Midwestern university in order to gauge ethical beliefs and practices in terms of social media usage. This included several descriptive items such as frequency of usage and reasons for using social media. The resulting data showed a more homogenous group than expected, suggesting that specific study in a particular profession did not change how respondents viewed ethical beliefs and practices when using social media. Double effect reasoning is suggested as a possible set of criteria in the development of a new social media ethics toolkit across professions.
Advisors/Committee Members: Whitmore, Evonne.
Subjects: Mass Media
Keywords: social media; ethics; Double Effect Reasoning
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12.
Strainic, Jill Marano.
High School Publications Demonstrate Higher Quality When Students Control Content.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2007, Kent State University
► This study examines the relationship between American high school journalists’ First Amendment…
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▼ This study examines the relationship between American high school journalists’ First Amendment rights and the quality of work those student journalists produce. Based on a survey of National Scholastic Press Association members, this research shows that there is a positive relationship between student press freedom and publication quality for both newspapers and yearbooks. It also shows relationships between publication quality and other factors, including the a school’s attitude toward student press freedom, state student free expression laws, and adviser experience.
Advisors/Committee Members: Smith, Timothy D.
Keywords: High School Journalism; Publication Quality; High School Publications; School newspaper; Yearbook; freedom of expression laws; First Amendment; National Scholastic Press Association; NSPA; Censorship; High School Newspaper; High School Yearbook
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13.
Teng'o, Dan.
More of the Same: The Flow and Framing of African News on the Web sites of Five Western News Organizations and an African News Aggregator.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2008, Kent State University
► African countries have long censured the Western media for dwelling on negative…
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▼ African countries have long censured the Western media for dwelling on negative news and ignoring positive news from the continent. During the 1970s and 1980s, they called for an international order that would compel Western media outlets to provide more balanced coverage of Africa. The Western media stridently opposed the move, citing their press freedom rights. The issue spawned controversy, which died down in the late 1980s. However, the concerns expressed by African countries are still relevant today, as millions of people get news about Africa from the Web sites of major Western news organizations. This study examined the reporting of African news on five Western news Web sites and an African news aggregator. It used scholarship on international news flow and framing theory to examine the flow and framing of African news on the sites. The study found that African news items constitute a small percentage of the news reports on the home pages and world news pages of the Western news sites. Also, the study found that African news items on the sites mainly focus on clashes, conflict and crises, thus providing more of the types of negative news items that have riled African countries over the years.
Advisors/Committee Members: Grubb, Max.
Subjects: Communication; Journalism; Mass media
Keywords: African news; news flow; framing; journalism; mass communication; agenda setting; gatekeeping
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14.
Wagstaff, Audrey E.
PROTECTING THE SOUTHERN BORDER: FRAMING MEXICANS IN A POST-9/11 MEDIA.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2007, Kent State University
► In 2006, the United States was faced with new legislation regarding immigration,…
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▼ In 2006, the United States was faced with new legislation regarding immigration, midterm elections, an increasingly unpopular war on terror, a “Day without an immigrant” protest and the election of a new Mexican president. These events paved the way for questioning how the increasing population of Mexican immigrants was portrayed in print media throughout that year. The author also posited that print media framed Mexican immigrants within the context of the war on terror. That is, the author was concerned with whether the newspapers surveyed framed Mexicans as threatening to the United States, specifically in regards to terrorism. This study is a qualitative frame analysis of how Mexican immigrants were portrayed in 2006 in three United States newspapers: The Columbus Dispatch, The Houston Chronicle, and The San Diego Union-Tribune, in a census of N=462 articles. Frames of Mexican immigrants discovered include: [threat to the] status quo, criminal, desperate, alien, pathetic and cash cow, as well as a small number of articles relating Mexican immigrants to potential terror threats. The thesis concludes with a discussion of limitation and suggestions for future research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Grubb, Max V.
Keywords: immigration; MEXICANS; BORDER; illegal immigrants; Mexican immigrants
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15.
Zake, Susan K.
Obama, Interactivity and the Millennials: A Case Study.
Degree: MA, College of Communication and Information / School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 2011, Kent State University
► This case study examines the use of online interactivity by Barack Obama…
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▼ This case study examines the use of online interactivity by Barack Obama during his 2008 U.S. presidential campaign and its potential attractiveness to those under 30, often referred to as “Millennials.” By using features that allowed Millennials to have conversations, change or add to content, or share and receive information, Obama redefined the use of the Web for campaigning, setting a high bar for future campaigns and arguably reinvigorating a group of traditionally uninspired voters. A determination of the type of interactive features used by the campaign is undertaken, along with an analysis of their potential impact and the type of communication each exhibits.
Advisors/Committee Members: Smith, Timothy.
Subjects: Communication; Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Multimedia Communications; Political Science; Web Studies
Keywords: Obama; presidential elections; election 2008; interactivity; online campaigns; Millennials; Generation Next; social media; political science; young voters
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