▼ With the proliferation of new media, United States broadcast television networks have watched the former core television audience fragment into a number of smaller interest- and value-specific audiences. According to the uses and gratifications theory (Katz, Blumler and Gurevitch, 1974), members of this fragmenting audience are actively selecting which media outlets best serve their personal gratifications and needs. The seven major broadcast television networks in the U.S. – Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, WB, UPN and i (PAX) – have adopted several strategies to re-attract and retain viewers in a fragmented media landscape. The following analysis of four network strategies indicates the limited effectiveness of current network strategies to improve viewership, and proposes changes to the broadcast network model and the uses and gratifications theory. Advisors/Committee Members: Cherney, James Lavigne.

▼ Hundreds of thousands of students head off to college each fall facing the uncertainty of their first year. The factors predicting success of first year students are numerous, but center around one theme. The students must feel that they belong, developing a strong attachment to a group of friends, a professor or a student organization at the university. Many universities around the country have initiated Living Learning Communities (LLCs) to create cohesion amongst a smaller group of peers, grouping students by interest or major. The study analyzed a sample from a mid-sized Midwestern university that had implemented several LLCs. Students were allowed to preference which community they desired to live in and the demand for a few specific LLCs far exceeded the demand for others. This study examines how living learning communities differ in their effects on students first year of college. The previous research done about LLCs has revealed that the more a community adheres to the interest or theme assigned to it, the more successful the community. The location, courses offered in the residence hall and specialized programming all add to the unique and desirable community formed by a few LLCs. The findings of this study reveal interesting differences between LLCs. Advisors/Committee Members: Ward, Rose Marie.

▼ This study examines print articles and public relations (PR) surrounding the publications of two Harry Potter novels through the framework of the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) of persuasion. By dissecting the ELM techniques present in the PR, a successful strategy change emerged illustrating that the first Harry Potter book studied encouraged peripheral processing, while the second book studied encouraged central processing after the books’ publics built a foundation of knowledge about the series. Advisors/Committee Members: Nadler, Marjorie Keeshan.

▼ Normative measures of open quotient, speed quotient, maximum flow declination rate (MFDR), and subglottal pressure were determined for 75 children between the ages of 6 years 0 months to 10 years 11 months. The subjects produced a sustained “ah” at comfort (acf), high (ahi), and low (alo) pitches for a minimum of five seconds. The subjects also produced five repetitions of “pa” at comfort (pcf), high (phi), and low (plo) pitches. For both “ah” and “pa” tasks, open quotient mean measures increased from low frequency to comfort frequency and from comfort frequency to high frequency. Speed quotient mean measures increased from low frequency to comfort frequency and decreased from comfort frequency to high frequency. MFDR mean measures increased from low frequency to comfort frequency and from comfort frequency to high frequency. Subglottal pressure means increased from low frequency to comfort frequency and from comfort frequency to high frequency. As age increased, open quotient, speed quotient, and subglottal pressure mean measures decreased. MFDR mean measures increased as age increased. The variables that reached significance for age, regardless of sex, were open quotient at alo and acf, speed quotient at ahi, and MFDR at alo, ahi, and phi. Advisors/Committee Members: Weinrich, Barbara.

▼ In the following chapters, I have tried to present a fair and accurate depiction of the Religious Right using its own words. However, I acknowledge my bias as an outsider of the movement. The first chapter of this work provides an overview of the Religious Right, addressing the movement's history, religious beliefs, and political involvement. In the next three chapters, I have used a modified case study format to analyze the rhetoric of the Religious Right. Similar to regular case studies, I have traced the chronologies of three different political issues, including the details of the policy making process, people and organizations involved, and the outcomes. Given the focus of my study, though, I have paid disproportionate attention to the arguments raised by the Religious Right. Also, rather than merely providing examples of Religious Right rhetoric, I have analyzed the purpose and motivation behind the communication employed by this movement. Chapter Two traces the debate and policy decision making surrounding President Bush's faith-based initiative. The Religious Right was a key player in this issue because Bush was counting on support from conservative Christians, but several organizations actually came out and criticized the president's plan. Important to note in this chapter is the Religious Right's strategic use of rhetoric to maintain political clout with Bush and, at the same time, ensure that its wishes were granted. Chapter Three examines the Religious Right's role in an issue on the state level, specifically, the Kansas State Board of Education's decision to remove evolution from the state science standards. The Kansas case is significant because it illustrates the Religious Right's shift in rhetoric in the evolution-creationism debate. Rather than raising arguments in support of the biblical account of creation, the Religious Right focused on scientific objections to evolution and proposed a new alternative theory called "intelligent design." Chapter Four is documents a case that occurred in a Florida county school district. As part of a national campaign initiated by a Religious Right organization, the school board was asked to post the national motto "In God We Trust" in every classroom. This case again illustrates the Religious Right's tendency to shift rhetorical tactics depending on the audience, and it also provides a complete picture of the several levels on which this movement operates. Finally, in Chapter Five, I have attempted to synthesize the rhetorical tactics used by the Religious Right in these three cases and to develop a rhetorical method that forms the foundation of the movement's political communication. Advisors/Committee Members: Voth, Ben.

▼ On September 11, 2001, Americans watched in horror as nearly 3,000 people perished at the hands of an enemy whom most had never heard of and in a manner that none could have ever imagined. It was the first time since Pearl Harbor that a foreign enemy had carried-out such a large-scale attack on U.S. soil and, in doing so, it shattered the interlude of relative peace that had emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union a decade earlier. When the smoke cleared and U.S. officials named the culprit, many were shocked at the fact that it was not another state that had attacked the worlds sole superpower, but one man and his terrorist organization. In the months and years after the 9/11 attacks, America would unveil the most aggressive and controversial military doctrine in its history which included the utilization of overwhelming preemptive military force against an enemy who existed in over 60 countries worldwide. At the dawn of the 21st century, American military capabilities far surpassed those of any nation or combination of nations on the planet and President George W. Bush and his administration were eager to display such capacity. At the heart of these new policies laid the strong belief that the 9/11 attacks had somehow transformed the nature of the world and made the enactment of specific military policies the only way to ensure American security in the new century. Essentially, this thesis is designed to explore the world that existed both before and after 9/11 as well as the elements of the American domestic environment that influenced which policies were used to engage such a world. This comprehensive analysis which ranges from the Cold War to the Iraq War - will thus challenge the merits of the perception behind the post-9/11 military strategies and determine why, six years later, subsequent policies in Afghanistan and Iraq have not been successful in eliminating al Qaeda. Advisors/Committee Members: Barilleaux, Ryan.

▼ The Human Pappilomavirus (HPV) has been found to be the most common viral sexually transmitted disease in the United States. It can cause both genital warts and cervical cancer (Vamos, McDermott, & Daley, 2008).Recently, the pharmaceutical company, Merck and Co., released the vaccine Gardasil to prevent 4 types of HPV. It protects against the strains HPV-6, HPV-11, HPV-16, and HPV-18 (Huang 2008). This project will look at female students’ perception of the Gardasil vaccine, whether they have received the vaccine or not, with whom they are talking about the vaccine, and their motivation for getting the Gardasil vaccine. With this information we will be able to better understand the perception of HPV and who is getting the vaccine and why with the help of Rosenstock’s Health Belief Model. To conduct this research surveys were administered online with both open and closed ended questions. Advisors/Committee Members: Weiner, Judith.

▼ Organizations are finding public opinion increasingly important with the advances in technology and public access to information. Public support is especially important when handling a crisis. The public can either turn against an organization and harm its credibility and reputation, or it could provide support and assist in efforts to solve the crisis. Proper communication during a crisis is necessary to gain public support. Organizations that meet crises unprepared, such as Exxon, fail to address the importance of public perception and damage the company’s reputation. However, companies like Johnson and Johnson are proof that being prepared and being responsible for the public’s safety can enhance its credibility and its aid in financial recovery. This thesis provides an in-depth look at the important principles of crisis communication. It takes a look at the different guidelines suggested by experts in the field of public relations and takes into account examples of where these guidelines have worked. Two case studies examine the difference in how proper crisis communication can be a success and how the lack of crisis communication can be a disaster. The first case study looks at the cyanide-tampered capsules in 1982 and the response of Johnson and Johnson’s crisis team. The company’s corporate responsibility and preparation guides the crisis team through effective strategies in their communication. The second case study examines Exxon’s response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. Despite the existence of a contingency plan, Exxon’s executives lacked the preparation and guidelines for proper crisis communication. The ignorance towards public perception and poor communication skills left the company with a tarnished reputation and legal problems that continues even today. The thesis concludes with the key components for successful crisis communication. It also emphasizes the fact that crisis communication lies beyond a written document. Crisis communication is part of a vision that works toward the purpose and goals of that organization. Advisors/Committee Members: Nadler, Katharine.

▼ CABLE NEWS AND AMERICAN DEMOCRACY: MOVING FORWARD OR FALLING BACK by Robert Christopher Walter This paper examines traditional theories on how television news media operates in a democratic society and their application to a twenty-four hour cable news cycle. The study explores whether the switch two a twenty-four hour cable news cycle has enhanced or diminished the ability of television news to fulfill its theoretical role in the democratic process. The switch to a cable news format was found to have potential to enhance the positive role of television news media in democratic society, but was found not to have done so in practical application. Advisors/Committee Members: Campbell, Richard.

▼ The purpose of this thesis project is to analyze the rhetoric of Miami University’s anti-smoking advocacy between January 8, 2006 and April 23, 2007. A five-part rhetorical study methodology of the situation, purpose, rhetorical problems, strategies and effects is used to create a cartography of these persuasive efforts. In an attempt to share this information in an efficient and aesthetically appealing way, this project is presented in the form of a public website. The live URL is http://web.mac.com/laurenwilcher. Advisors/Committee Members: Voth, Ben.