Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2017, Journalism (Communication)

The Web 2.0 era increasingly relies on submissions of content from non-professionals and interaction between the masses. Community newspapers work within a changing media market and one where the audience moves to digital consumption while economics greatly favor print. This study seeks to examine how community newspaper websites choose to engage in gatekeeping as it relates to user-generated content. It also seeks to learn the manner in which those who operate these sites interact with the public. This dissertation uses two content analyses to separately gauge the publication of UGC and interaction on community newspaper websites. Furthermore, the researcher seeks through survey to learn the attitudes of those who operate community newspaper websites toward both the publication of UGC and where they believed it was important to interact with the public. The study suggests there may be no easy answers in terms of technology for getting the public to contribute UGC. Simply making multiple requests for contributions, providing numerous manners for the public to submit, or even offering a special location on the web for all submitted content does not seem enough to convince the public to contribute more content. However, this dissertation indicated direct interaction does appear to increase the number of comments a site receives and the attitudes of managers UGC and interactivity also may influence public actions in terms of participation.

Committee: Hans Meyer Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Communication; Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2012, Journalism (Communication)

Hurricane Katrina was deemed to be one of the worst disasters in American history. The purpose of this study was to analyze the cathartic role of letters to the editor (hereafter, “LTEs”) in local newspapers, specifically in a community directly impacted by Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures. Letters were selected from New Orleans' major daily newspaper, The Times-Picayune. Textual analysis was used to analyze 198 LTEs published from Sept. 21, 2005, through Oct. 31, 2005. Previous LTE research about catharsis and writing was used to guide the theoretical framework of this study. Emotion-fueled LTEs in this case study provided evidence of catharsis. LTEs packed with rich content, highlighting diverse topics, concerns and issues, were considered as evidence of more than mere venting. The study suggests that taking into account catharsis and writing in terms of psychological research, and clearly understanding the limitations that emerge from gate-keeping functions and editorial tactics, may help future researchers better understand how public forums can facilitate catharsis for individuals and communities after catastrophe.

Committee: Bill Reader (Advisor); Cary Frith (Other); Hans Meyer (Other) Subjects: Journalism

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2024, Journalism

Football is a fickle game. Men throw pads on and hit each other, for hours at a time. However, when you take the game away from the communities in Southeast Ohio, you see that football means much more than just a "game". When you strip away the game, you get stories of a man who rose from the 740 to national prominence, a story of a legacy forged on skulls, and coaching greatness passed down from father to son. That is the tale of Friday Night Legacies.

Committee: Atish Baidya (Advisor) Subjects: Journalism; Regional Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2023, Journalism (Communication)

This dissertation explored how paywalls influence local journalism. Paywalls operate as digital blocks to restrict content to encourage readers to pay to read more. Because of this structure, journalists have to make choices about what content to promote and what content to hide behind the wall. The economic structure has its flaws, mainly because it commercializes content and prevents citizens from reading crucial information without paying. This dissertation studied one newspaper that decided to drop their wall to allow Covid content to freely circulate. By applying Shoemaker and Reece's hierarchy of influences model, the dissertation analyzed relations in the newspaper's newsroom which affect content production to better understand how these decisions are made and how it affects readership.

Committee: Hans Meyer (Advisor) Subjects: Mass Communications

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)

Committee: Frederick Busselle Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Joshua Atkinson Ph.D. (Committee Member); James Foust Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Journalism

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2021, Journalism

American socialist publications have all grappled with the conundrum of staying financially stable within a capitalist society. This has historically resulted in two outcomes: a compromise of values to increase funding like increased advertising, exploitive labor practices and/or the courting of wealthy donors, or the publication's demise. How does modern American socialist magazine Jacobin fall into this American tradition of socialist media? How has it stayed financially stable, and how has its content changed, if at all, in its 10 years of operation? The purpose of this thesis is to analyze Jacobin's content and business practices and place it into the greater historical context of American socialist media.

Committee: Hans Meyer Dr. (Advisor); Victoria LaPoe Dr. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Histology; Journalism

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2020, Mass Communication (Communication)

360-degree video and virtual reality news content is becoming more and more mainstream, yet research into its effects thus far have been limited, with early research focusing its attention on presence and empathy. This research expands our understanding of how 360VR news content affects cognition. Two experiments placing the user into a community-oriented news experience test memory performance, attention allocation, activation of spatial presence mechanisms, and the effects of sense of community on those mechanisms. Further, this study explores the persuasive power of politically-charged community news stories by incorporating attitude change measures. Findings of the first experiment indicate the presence of a visual focal point attracts attention to the story to the detriment of attention to the environment. Findings in the second experiment indicate both attitude change and attitude polarization occurred post-treatment. Sense of community was found to be a significant predictor of memory performance, activation of spatial presence, and others. According to the LC4MP, SOC is a motivating factor, and an increase in SOC may lead to greater memory performance, higher levels of perception of credibility, and an increase in the effectiveness of persuasive messages in moderates. Findings will inform both future research and professional practice.

Committee: Jatin Srivastava (Committee Chair); Hans Meyer (Committee Member); Eric Williams (Committee Member); Kim Rios (Committee Member) Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Experimental Psychology; Experiments; Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2018, Communication Studies (Communication)

Newsrooms have long been communicative spaces in which journalists negotiate various roles and identities, define professional values, debate coverage practices, and interpret events. Such spaces are increasingly significant as journalists adapt to a changing media landscape and respond to public perceptions reflected in such narratives as the characterization of responsible journalism as “fake news.” But publishers are increasingly downsizing newsrooms and outsourcing critical functions to free-lancers or editing and design hubs. In an effort to explore the costs associated with shrinking newsrooms, I spent nearly three months observing journalists in the Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette-Mail newsroom and interviewing them about their experiences. I found that newsroom interactions were central to journalists' socialization into their shared professional, organizational, and geographic communities and to their negotiation of shifting demands related to digital technologies and audience expectations.

Committee: Devika Chawla Ph.D. (Advisor); Laura Black Ph.D. (Committee Member); Benjamin Bates Ph.D. (Committee Member); Hans Meyer Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Organizational Behavior

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.

Committee: Bill Reader (Advisor) Subjects: Communication; Journalism

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2014, Journalism (Communication)

This dissertation examines the roles local news organizations in three rural Appalachian communities play in the facilitation of discussions about local poverty. The study is grounded in Stuart Hall's theoretical understanding of the encoding and decoding of media messages (1980), which offers insight on the way social practices influence the production and interpretation of news. Through three separate case studies using qualitative research methods (textual analysis and in-depth interviews), the study describes the dominant media frames local journalists used to describe poverty. Interviews with 11 current and former journalists describe the social and professional habits and philosophies that shape their coverage. Interviews with 40 local residents offer insight into how those messages are interpreted. The study suggests that media coverage in the three communities largely reinforces an understanding of poverty as a byproduct of Appalachian culture, a view that places responsibility on the poor themselves and often dismisses social inequalities that contribute to poverty. Coverage of poverty was largely absent from local news coverage in the three communities studied. When stories about poverty did appear, they often focused not on the poor themselves, but rather on community efforts to assist them. Journalists said coverage of poverty was largely influenced by journalistic norms, business limitations, concerns about exposing the poor to social ridicule, and a desire to portray their communities in positive lights. This dissertation suggests residents decoded the absence of poverty coverage as evidence that poverty was a normal aspect of life, something they had the power neither to fix nor to discuss. Interview participants experienced similar feelings of powerlessness to counter dominant media images of Appalachia, which, residents said, were largely negative. Such coverage, it is argued, could empower low-income residents and encourage dialog that could co (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Aimee Edmondson (Committee Chair); Bill Reader (Committee Member); Karen Riggs (Committee Member); Stephen Scanlan (Committee Member) Subjects: Journalism; Mass Communications

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2012, Journalism

The purpose of this project was to create a print and online publication and report on the visual arts of Athens, Ohio. Through interviews and images, the LAVALAND zine showcased a cross section of the Athens art scene. My research explicated how the zine and ezine platforms catered to a community of both place and interest and suggested how arts journalism could be improved at the local level.

Committee: Ellen Gerl M.S. (Advisor) Subjects: Journalism

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2011, Journalism

Joining a growing body of research on social capital and civic engagement, this project examined the ways that localized newspapers can build better communities.Availability of news outlets in an area is typically positively related to citizens' engagement within the community. It is unclear if community newspapers have similar impacts on engagement regardless of content, or if specific types of community newspaper content have different effects on civic engagement and social capital. This study examined engagement levels within demographically similar communities, differentiated by whether the community newspaper employed hyper-local reporting strategies. A mail survey, containing questions about newspaper readership, public expectations of the newspaper, community connectedness and civic engagement, was sent to residents of Hannibal, Missouri and Defiance, Ohio. Respondents from both communities displayed high levels of community knowledge and direct contact with those engaged in civic affairs (above 80% for all measures). Civic engagement levels were similar for residents of both towns, with slightly higher levels for those who were accustomed to hyper-local reporting. Respondents from both Hannibal and Defiance expected the community newspaper to serve a positive social role by helping to improve the community.

Committee: Hugh J. Martin PhD (Advisor); Bernhard Debatin PhD (Other) Subjects: Journalism

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

The purpose of this project was to examine my role as a journalist covering a community of interest through the creation of a website that enriches dialogue about the barrel racing and rodeo community in the Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia region. The website provides a space for works of journalism that cover barrel racing events and issues in the area, and my research included a thorough analysis of the role of community journalism in a community that is both virtual and regional.

Committee: Cary Frith (Advisor) Subjects: Journalism

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2012, Journalism (Communication)

This thesis describes the ways in which one community newspaper attempts to connect a broad, diverse population bound by a common ideal, in this case religious faith. The subject of the research is the national edition of The Budget, a weekly newspaper mailed to Amish and Mennonite readers all over the world. Writers for the national edition are largely free to write about whatever they like. They pass along local information about the weather, church visits, people who have fallen ill, marriages, and other aspects of community life. This qualitative study of The Budget explores the portrayals of Anabaptist life in those dispatches and how those portrayals unite readers. Using textual analysis, it explores common themes, ideals, and values expressed in letters, and how those expressions help create an ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿imagined community¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ among Budget readers. It builds upon past research that examines the ways in which niche publications with national followings connect with readers.

Committee: Bill Reader (Committee Chair); Michael Sweeney (Committee Member); Hans Meyer (Committee Member) Subjects: Journalism