Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2020, Journalism (Communication)

Although previous research has been targeted at the aspects of journalistic cultures within nations through the views of their population, such as the multinational Worlds of Journalism Study (2019), other avenues of study can offer a new perspective on these differences. To this end, the study provides a comparison of journalistic codes of ethics. Such codes (while differing in structure, implementation, and reach) share a common purpose in providing and defining standards of ethical action within the field of journalism. By making note of what standards are discussed within journalistic codes of ethics with national reach, and in what manner the ethical rationale is constructed and defended within said ethical codes, the study aims to provide insight into the similarities and differences of the journalistic cultures in which they are set. The study found that the 25 ethical codes examined discussed over 100 distinct generalized ethical situations, the documents often stretched beyond outlining the practice of ethical journalism. The codes of ethics were also found to primarily make use of deontological and virtue-based justifications, although examples of the other selected ethical frameworks were found in small numbers. Additionally, both the deontological and virtue-based justifications occurred dominantly within the examined codes of ethics with such frequency as to be considered ethical norms within the standards set by the study. In both cases, the findings provide a means to critique and point to ways these ethical codes could be improved in order to better relate to both the journalists they hope to guide and the public they hope to educate while laying the groundwork for similar examinations in the future.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2023, Journalism (Communication)

As more and more media outlets use Instagram to disseminate news it is important to examine how this novel way of presenting information affects journalistic quality. By conducting a qualitative content analysis of the Instagram accounts of six media outlets from Germany and the U.S., different quality criteria of journalism, differences between media houses, and different modes of distribution are examined in the given thesis. Results point to the conclusion that high journalistic quality is possible on Instagram. However, major differences between the media outlets are apparent: While a coherent structure in presenting news on Instagram can enhance quality, promoting corresponding online articles on Instagram, a feature commonly employed by private news outlets, results in lower journalistic quality. So far, only digital native accounts extensively make use of the new possibilities of features on Instagram like interactivity while maintaining a relatively high standard of quality. Overall, journalists need to balance maintaining a high-quality standard with adapting to the novel features offered on Instagram. Results add to the state of research on quality in digital journalism.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2021, Journalism (Communication)

This dissertation will utilize trauma scholarship and feminist standpoint theory as frameworks for understanding how women's accounts of gender-based violence have been—and continue to be—un- and under-valued by (and in) the media, culture, and society. The broad goal of this critical cultural and historical study is to 1) name, identify, and classify a phenomenon known as the first-person industrial complex; 2) examine the phenomenon's history; 3) identify systemic barriers to the phenomenon's elimination, including legal and ethical considerations; and 4) encourage others to partake in similar research and writing, and see their own stories of gender-based violence as valuable. Thus, this dissertation will examine the various flashpoints of women's first-person writing that have contributed to today's digital media landscape and will trace the history of the first-person industrial complex through primary documents containing such writing, including newspapers, magazines and digital media outlets. This work will draw from archival sources in order to trace the history of this phenomenon from 1841 to the present utilizing critical discourse analysis; will include qualitative analyses of legal and ethical structures that keep women's stories from being shared in an equitable way; and will conclude with a normative critique of the current landscape, offering potential solutions and new possibilities for research in this area.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2020, Journalism (Communication)

The lynching era in Ohio lasted from 1803 to 1937. During these years thirty-five people died at the hands of a lynch mob and seventy-nine escaped from a mob's clutches. This thesis situates the history of lynching in Ohio from 1872 to 1932 and discusses the issue of complacent journalism in the Ohio press through a study of twenty-four cases of white-on-white lynching and racial terror lynching. This thesis shows that lynching was employed as a means to enact fear to keep Black Ohioans in a marginalized position and prevent them from prospering economically or politically. The author also argues that journalists were not objective bystanders but were key to the social voice and national conversation that accepted the practice of lynching in America. By utilizing the concept of critical race theory, the author shows that the racist ideal of Whiteness was able to become hidden by seemingly objective reporting, thus allowing the mainstream press to accept the practice of lynching without the guilt of unlawful “justice.” There is also a paucity of research on Harry C. Smith, a Black journalist who pushed for the first anti-lynching law in Ohio. As such, this research aims to make a significant impact not only on the literature involving northern lynchings but also in the history of Ohio and the need to understand its dark past. In 2020 this historical research hold saliency regarding the racial violence which continues today in America.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2005, Journalism (Communication)

If a magazine's achievements can be measured in part by whom and how many it infuriated in the shortest amount of time, then surely Scanlan's Monthly deserves to be honored. The brainchild of former Ramparts editor Warren Hinckle and former New York Times law reporter Sidney Zion, Scanlan's printed only eight issues in 1970 and 1971. But during its short lifetime the magazine drew the attention and often the ire of business, labor, law enforcement, and government leaders including Vice President Spiro Agnew and President Richard Nixon. In the midst of such special attention, Scanlan's managed to print some of the most provocative muckraking journalism of its time. Scanlan's published the first examples of Hunter S. Thompson's now-celebrated Gonzo journalism; and two years before anyone outside of Washington, D.C., had heard of Watergate, Scanlan's called for President Nixon's impeachment. Scanlan's' 2019; eighth issue, dedicated to the subject of guerilla violence in the U.S., was subjected to a nationwide boycott by printing unions, and was then seized by Montreal police after it was printed in Quebec. The issue, which turned out to be Scanlan's' last, finally appeared in January 1971 after a three-month delay. Scanlan's' insistence on taking on and not backing down from power doomed it to an early death, and its brushes with the U.S. government demonstrate the extent of the Nixon administration's war on the dissident press. Scanlan's is a sobering lesson on how government power can be wielded to harass, and in some cases silence, the press.

BA, Oberlin College, 2018, Politics

In the United States, the news media is commonly referred to as the “fourth estate” because we rely on it to fulfill a variety of functions essential to a healthy democracy. We trust the media to, among other things, tell us what is going on in the world, contextualize and provide historical background on current events, filter politicians' spin, fact-check, be a “watchdog,” promote robust civil discourse, and enable understanding of complex issues.Up until the last decade or so, the media could meet this “standard” without sacrificing its financial well-being. The internet and the smartphone, however, changed everything. The web has transformed how America – and the world – gets its news. Caught up in their old ways and slow to respond to a rapidly changing world, media outlets saw their revenues plummet. Many news organizations laid off staff and others went out of business. Today the media is still struggling to adapt. These problems were caused by, among many factors, a proliferation in the number of news choices, a decrease in subscriptions, and major losses in advertisement revenue. The digital age has ushered in a depressing paradox for news organizations: Americans are consuming more news than ever before, but news companies are struggling to stay in business.While some news organizations have folded, others have tried to evolve with the rapidly changing landscape. Still, no newspaper has discovered the perfect formula for turning a profit in the digital age. On January 1, 2018, when Arthur Gregg Sulzberger replaced his father, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, as publisher of the New York Times, he penned a letter to his readers in which he said, “The business model that long supported the hard and expensive work of original reporting is eroding, forcing news organizations of all shapes and sizes to cut their reporting staffs and scale back their ambitions.”A healthy democracy needs a robust press. This thesis seeks to explain the ways in which newspapers can remain (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2017, Journalism (Communication)

This thesis pertains to media coverage of Israel/Palestine, with emphasis on The New York Times, Israeli publication Haaretz, and BBC Online's coverage of the conflict in Gaza during the Summer of 2014. The thesis quantitatively delves into the material being studied, utilizing measures of bias, as well as indicators of peace journalism to accomplish the objective of thoroughly analyzing the 351 news stories sampled from the three publications at hand. The study employs eleven variables, six pertaining to news bias and five operationalized indicators of peace journalism. The thesis will argue that peace journalism is a partial yet powerful remedy for biased coverage. Although it is considered to be a form of advocacy journalism, it can, when translated onto the pages of conventional news outlets, shed objective light on even the direst and most intractable shades of conflict. The study found that The New York Times and BBC Online favored Palestinians in headlines and photographs, likely due to the dramatic devastation wrought upon Gaza. Haaretz was found to be more evenhanded, likely due to its market of Israelis and Jews throughout the world. BBC Online and Haaretz both relied heavily on official (military and government) sources, while The New York Times relied on experts. Measures of peace journalism were varied among the variables being analyzed.

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2016, Journalism

Using the lens of postcolonial theory, this study explores parachute journalism through a textual analysis of regional and national coverage of the civil unrest that transpired in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014 as compared to coverage by smaller, local news outlets that had routinely reported on the communities affected by the turmoil. This study specifically focuses on how those different levels of news outlets covered black cultures in Ferguson and the parachute journalists themselves. Suggestions for ways to integrate more context and local knowledge into reporting published in elite news media outlets also are included.

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2010, Journalism

This thesis demonstrates the need for standardized online corrections policies through a critical analysis of several news outlets' current corrections policies, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Slate, and Christian Science Monitor. An examination of why corrections policies are necessary, including a look at the ways the internet has changed modern journalism, prefaces this critical analysis. There is an ethical discussion of how certain online corrections policies do or do not support the traditional journalistic principles of accuracy, transparency, accountability, and credibility. Finally, a typology was created to rank several news outlets' current online corrections policies. Ultimately, it was found that the emergence of online journalism has affected the way in which journalists correct their mistakes. The transitional timeframe, in addition to the lack of a guarantee that readers will ever return to an online news article (or even the news outlet's website in general), means that mistakes and their ensuing corrections can quite literally become lost in cyberspace. These changes indicate that it is time to address the issue of how best to deal with corrections in online journalism. Moreover, it was found that the current state of online corrections policies is a wildly inconsistent situation, and some sort of standard is vital to the journalism industry.

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2010, Journalism

This study examined six publications' online versions in order to determine if what standards of online journalism exist, and if they are shared across different publications. The publications were evaluated in light of the three categories of the study: transparency, interactivity and multimedia. For transparency, aspects of visibility of process were examined – is it possible to determine who the author is and find out more about him/her? Are the sources obvious, and is it possible to find more about them? Interactivity took into account three indicators of interactivity – sharing options, related stories and commenting. How extensive were they? How easy were they to use? Multimedia looked at offerings beyond text, like images, infographics, slideshows and video. Where these being utilized? Were they afterthoughts or did they aid the story-telling of the article? Given the standards found, recommendations for editorial and design practices were developed. Implementing these recommendations will hopefully draw in readers, keep them at the site and make them invested in it, which will in turn make online media more viable as a revenue source

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2011, Journalism (Communication)

This study examined demographics and characteristics of journalism professors and administrators to find potential trends in opinion of the importance of technologically based journalism skills and theories. Journalism school educators and administrators were surveyed and asked their opinion on the importance of a series of skills and theories, and their responses were analyzed for significance. The theoretical basis for the demographic and characteristics chosen dealt with selective perception. The results suggest that age and focus of teaching area have the strongest influence on the opinion formation.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2010, Journalism (Communication)

The historical plight of female journalists in the United States (in print, broadcast, and traditionally male-dominated arenas of journalism such as sports reporting) has been well documented. The vicissitudes of the American female rock journalist, however, have received comparatively little critical attention or analysis. This thesis is a collection of biographical accounts, obtained through in-person, telephone and e-mail interviews, with a diverse set of American women who write about, or have written about, music for a living. The central question asked in this thesis is: What personal characteristics and experiences helped these particular women excel in a historically male-dominated profession? Nearly every woman reported some form of struggle to fit into the “old boy's club” of rock journalism, ranging from mild discomfort at being one of the few female faces in boardrooms full of male colleagues, to snide remarks from editors, publishers and band members. Some women said they struggle to fit into a culture that revolves around hard partying and an encyclopedic, obsessive preoccupation with rock-and-roll statistics. To succeed in the industry – and to cope with any challenges that arise in the process – the women interviewed were conscious of adopting a role, or persona, such as “big sister” or “mother hen,” that helped their coworkers and article subjects better relate to them. This thesis also discusses the importance of mentorship for women in the field, the rise of online journalism (and with it, greater access for women), and the future for women in rock journalism.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2010, Journalism (Communication)

This thesis is a content analysis of Italian newspaper coverage of the Sicilian mafia ring Cosa nostra during a four-month period surrounding the Italian “decapitation” of Cosa nostra. The study examines the differences between the cosmopolitan newspaper La Repubblica and the provincial newspaper La Sicilia, and how organized crime fits into the hierarchy of media influences introduced by Shoemaker and Reese (1997). The results of this study indicate that the two newspapers, although different in audience, values, and societal stature, are similar to each other in terms of coverage of the mafia. Issues addressed in this thesis include cosmopolitanism vs. provincialism, media framing, and media influences, as well as the mafia as an ongoing sociological and historical research topic in Sicily.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2008, Journalism (Communication)

College newspaper sex columns and campus sex magazines accrued more popularity, caused more controversy, and endured more scrutiny than any other individual, group, or issue connected with modern campus media. They sparked contentious and far-reaching legal, administrative, religious, and intergenerational debates about sex, the student press, and the place of both within higher education. At the same time, they blurred once-solid journalistic boundaries separating information deemed public and private, art and porn, and gossip and news. They also analyzed the modern student social and sexual scenes in more depth than any other academic or media outlet, enabling students to take control of sexual messages that in the past were kept from them or aimed at them instead of created by them. As a writer for campus sex magazine Boink said, "This is kind of our protest to say that we're in charge of our sexuality, we can do what we want to do." This dissertation argues that college newspaper sex columns and campus sex magazines defined a sexual generation, redefined student journalism, and acted as vehicles to a stardom for their creators that is unparalleled by anything else student journalists have experienced.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2024, Journalism (Communication)

This research assesses the effects of media richness on journalism students' attitudes and readiness to report on mental illness ethically and accurately. Due to the ongoing inaccurate and sensationalized depictions of mental illness in media, future journalists must be trained to combat these issues. This study engaged 280 U.S. journalism students in a posttest-only experimental design. Participants were assigned to one of three conditions through Qualtrics: rich media with a narrated slide deck, moderate media with a non-narrated slide deck, and lean media with a static text page. Results indicated no significant difference in attitudes, self-efficacy, or intentions between the groups, challenging the predicted educational advantage of rich media. These findings suggest alternative factors – such as individual motivation – might also influence learning outcomes. This study calls for further inquiry into rich media educational methods to prepare journalism students to tackle subjects like mental health in their future careers.

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2024, Journalism (Communication)

This thesis examines how three major American newspapers reported on paleontology during the 1990s. Paleontology experienced a popularity spike in the 1990s with the Jurassic Park films breaking film records and bringing dinosaurs to the forefront of the public consciousness. A number of important specimens were found and improving technology revolutionized the field, leading to numerous discoveries. This study documents which topics within paleontology the media reported on the most and what news values drove this reporting. Additionally, this study analyzes the occurrence rate of a few common tropes, metaphors and mistakes often associated with paleontology within news articles. This thesis examines USA Today, The New York Times, and The Associated Press's coverage of paleontology due to their status as being amongst the largest news organizations and running wire services which distributed their work across the United States. This study applies the revised news values proposed by Harcup and O'Neill to gauge which news values are used by reporters and editors when covering paleontology and to determine if these revised news values are applicable to science journalism.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 1948, Economics

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2022, Media and Communication

This thesis creates a typology of indicators of difference for comparing community-centered newsrooms within the context of their local communication infrastructures and applies the resulting list to six illustrative case studies of Ohio news outlets. Research questions ask what the essential characteristics that may vary among community-centered news organizations are, how they may be used to understand differences among such organizations, and if they could relate to the success or failure of community news organizations. The list of key indicators for comparing community-centered newsrooms within the specific context of their positions in local communication infrastructures is compiled based on the existing body of research into communication infrastructure theory (CIT), community-centered journalism (CCJ), case studies and descriptions of key community-centered journalism themes, and journalistic engagement. The process for developing a list of essential indicators in a CCJ typology uses the current body of research to first determine areas of comparison within CIT. At the conceptual level, the essential constructs include the three actors within a storytelling network – local media, residents, and community organizations – according to Ball-Rokeach's CIT (2006a). Then, by interpreting from the literature the ways in which CCJ outlets differ from traditional journalism, measurable constructs are named and defined. Finally, six Ohio news organizations are evaluated based on the essential indicators of difference. Results suggest the criteria are useful for identifying differences in the characteristics of the six case studies. Determining the differences among community-centered news organizations is crucial to understanding their potential for success in the communities they serve. The typology is a starting point for analyzing the most effective attributes of a news organization for the needs of a specific community and within that community's existing co (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Journalism (Communication)

The objective of this dissertation is to offer a historical account of the anti-convict leasing efforts led by the Black club women of the National Association of Colored Women spearheaded by Mary Church Terrell, from the organization's formation in 1896 to the abolishing of convict leasing in the early 1930s. Through a qualitative historical analysis of the journalistic work of Mary Church Terrell and the NACW, this dissertation examines how Black club women subverted and leveraged their unique locus shaped by their intersectionality as well as the double burden of gender and race, to advocate for Black uplift, challenge prevailing Black stereotypes, and expose the horrors of the southern convict leasing regime, at a time when white men predominantly occupied rhetorical and political spaces. Through counter storytelling and a rejection of journalistic objectivity, the NACW refuted dominant typecast portrayals of Black womanhood—and by extension, the Black community at large—in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and exposed the racial disparities of convict leasing, long before the mainstream white press acknowledged the system's unconstitutionality.

Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, 2020, International and Comparative Politics

What role do domestic audiences play in authoritarian policy making? This study examines the relationship between newspapers and assertive foreign policy. Specifically, this study conducts content analyses of state-published newspapers during periods of unprecedented assertiveness in the South China Sea. Borrowing from Galtung's theory of peace journalism, this study analyzes valence patterns used in 99 separate articles published in Xinhua, China Daily, People's Daily, and Global Times. Additionally, this study examines the visibility of these articles, to better understand their prominence in national coverage. This study discusses nationalism in the case of China, as well as the overwhelming control that its government exerts over domestic access to information. However, the applicability of this study extends to any authoritarian state, inherently having significant influence on information availability of its domestic audience. Finally, this study concludes with a discussion on how these tactics fit in to larger strategic national goals.