Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2012, Communication

Media richness theory is frequently cited when discussing the strengths of various media in allowing for immediate feedback, personalization of messages, the ability to use natural language, and transmission of nonverbal cues. Most studies do not, however, address the theory's main argument that people faced with equivocal message tasks will complete those tasks faster by choosing interpersonal communication media with these features. Participants in the present study either chose or were assigned to a medium and then timed on their completion of an equivocal message task. Findings support media richness theory's prediction; those using videoconferencing to complete the task did so in less time than those using the leaner medium of text chat. Measures of electronic propinquity, a theory proposing a sense of psychological nearness to others in a mediated communication, were also tested as a potential adjunct to media richness theory's predictions of medium selection, with mixed results.

Committee: Jesse Fox PhD (Advisor); Brandon van der Heide PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication

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

Blogs, as a new technology have influenced the journalism industry as well as journalists. It changed one-way communication to many-to-many communication. The content on journalists' personal blogs largely depends on why journalists start blogs. The motivation can be condensed into intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Journalists may apply their professional work experiences and judgments while writing the posts either for the purposes of informing the audience or releasing the pressure from work. By applying Uses and Gratification Theory, Diffusion of Innovation Theory and TAM and related theories, this study aims to analyze the motivations for journalists starting personal blogs and tests the relationship between journalists' attitudes, perceived usefulness and actual behavior. In addition, the study also analyzes the content of journalists' blogs. The study can lead to further examination of the structure for journalists' attitudes, perceived usefulness and actual behavior and help us understand how a journalist's blog is able to contribute to society.

Committee: Hans Meyer PhD (Committee Chair); Michael Sweeney PhD (Committee Member); Kevin Grieves PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Journalism; Mass Media; Multimedia Communications

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2006, Telecommunications (Communication)

During the war against Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) over 250,000 people were killed, and countless others were injured and lost loved ones. Almost half of the B&H population was forced from their homes. The ethnic map of the country was changed drastically and overall damage was estimated at US $100 billion. Experts agree that misuse of the media was largely responsible for the events that triggered the war and kept it going despite all attempts at peace. This study examines and follows the efforts of the international community to regulate the broadcast media environment in postwar B One of the greatest challenges for the international community in B&H was the elimination of hate language in the media. There was constant resistance from the local ethnocentric political parties in the establishment of the independent media regulatory body and implementation of new standards. The lack of a democratic heritage and the complex mix of cultures compounded the challenges facing the international community. This study uses internal documents, decisions and laws imposed by the OHR, first hand reports and communication from international experts who were involved in the establishment of the IMC and CRA. Evidence suggests the IMC was successful in the establishment of the fundamental principles for media regulation where previously no consistent principles existed. The IMC was also successful in licensing media outlets and in its transition to the CRA. The CRA achieved its goals of establishing the cooperation of broadcasters and the public. The CRA made significant progress in the protection of copyrights and creating a solid base for the development of a fair and competitive media environment. As a result, hate language has nearly vanished from the B&H media, although there still remains work to be done. Several questions remain, however. There needs to be a better understanding of the failure of the OBN to involve the B&H media experts in developing solutions to the med (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Gregory Newton (Advisor) Subjects:

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2012, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

Personal electronic media devices have evolved from being purposed-based articles into objects of projection; they are now existential embodiments of self. Today, for Generation Y, significance is not found solely in an object's design but rather in the malleability the platform affords. The purpose of design has shifted from aesthetics and performance to self-structured e-media platforms. This is driven primarily by each individual's need for personal possessions to reflect one's self. Aesthetics and performance are a given in today's narcissistic lifestyle. The proliferation of personalized electronic devices among Generation Y has pushed e-media to where product value has been supplanted by personal need and the desire to 'make it mine.' This thesis examines the changes in need and desire for personal possessions. By analyzing Generation Y's communicative evolution and emotional relationships towards malleable e-platforms we begin to understand Gen Y's desire for unrestricted information. These platforms have become a kind of Harry Potter-esque 'Horcrux' -- fragmented pieces of ourselves left in personal electronic media we use today. This is our new reality, our new 'self.'

Committee: Henry Hildebrandt MArch (Committee Chair); Steven Doehler (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Music Composition

Delphinium is a twelve-minute work for percussion ensemble and fixed-media electronics commissioned by Robert McCormick and the McCormick Percussion Group. Delphinium is a genus of flowers with about three hundred known species. They grow in ever-changing combinations of colors with height varying from two to six feet. Delphinium focuses on slow- morphing kaleidoscopic textures and timbres growing the way the flowers develop naturally. Adding electronics to the percussion ensemble allows for the exploration of augmented reality in which the percussion instruments are artificially enhanced by the electronics to create a soundscape that creates a seamless relationship between acoustic and electronic elements. The work's structure is cast in four sections reflecting an ABCA' form. The first section begins open and sparse, gradually introducing the main melodic and textural content before returning to stasis. This second section features microtonally tuned wine glasses and an antiphonal waterphone duo. The third section enters abruptly and showcases larger and darker instruments such as the bass drum and gong. Delphinium's final section loosely recapitulates the first section before growing into a final climax. The harmonic content of the composition explores the minor second. The relationship between these notes expands through their harmonic series up to the fifth partial. The resulting set of pitches will be 8-16 (01235789). The minor second's frequency relationship also produces beating, which is further explored and exploited in the percussion (especially vibraphones) and electronics. Delphinium includes a fixed media part running in Pure Data that is to be triggered by percussionist seven, the conductor, or an audio engineer. The fixed media material is derived primarily from recorded vibraphone and crotale notes, wine glasses, waterphones, and various metallic percussion. The electroacoustic soundscapes augment harmonic beating and enhance instrumental mat (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elainie Lillios Dr. (Advisor); Mikel Kuehn Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Composition; Music

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2017, Instructional Technology (Education)

This study investigates the perceptions and attitudes of a sample of students at Saudi Electronic University toward using Social Media for learning purposes. The effective integration of technology in instructional settings will help students choose the most appropriate technological tools that match the task at hand. Therefore, gaining an in-depth understanding of these students' attitudes as well as their perceptions will help to support the curriculum goals and encourage students to actively engage in activities. This will help them to effectively conduct short-term and long-term projects. This study utilizes the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM 1) and uses an online questionnaire to collect data about the research. The participants of the study were graduate and undergraduate students, 75 males and 148 females. The findings of the study indicate that students have a positive attitude towards using Social Media as a learning platform. The findings fully support the use of Social Media in educational settings and highlight the critical and surprising role of Social Media in enhancing students' learning.

Committee: Greg Kessler (Committee Chair); Scott Sparks (Committee Member); Dwan Robinson (Committee Member); Jesse Strycker (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Technology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2015, Media and Communication

Twitter has become an important news medium in recent years. The 140-character length limit of Twitter posts not only facilitates rapid expansion and success of fast news in the battle for attention, but also accelerates information diffusion on social media forums. However, given the rapid and uncontrollable spread of information on Twitter, an authoritative and credible information source in this environment is particularly important. Hoaxes on Twitter can have severe consequences. For example, a Twitter hoax in April, 2013 claimed that President Obama was injured in an explosion at the White House, which resulted in a 150 points Dow Jones Industrial Average fall, evaporating a $136 billion market value in minutes (Chozick & Perlroth, 2013). Even though people soon learned that the fake tweet was posted by hackers through the Associated Press (AP) account and the domestic market rebounded, it caused panic in the global markets and some investors lost money. Another hoax news was put up in May, 2013. Five-time NBA champ, Kobe Bryant, was said to retire in the fake news posted by a hoax Twitter account pretending to be Yahoo's well-known sports writer Adrian Wojnarowski. No market plunge occurred this time. But people did believe that Bryant was going to end his career after 17 seasons. The rumor ended only with Bryant's rebuttal tweet, “Really?? Me. Retire?? Soon, but not yet! Vino still has work to do.” Fake news on Twitter exerts great influence on us whether we are aware of it or not. In effect, it is the sources that play a vital role in the process of information dissemination because only when people believe the sources will they accept and spread the information provided by such sources. Then again, why people believe these social media sources to be credible and spread these rumors like they are real news? Now, what if a real sports writer, or AP or ESPN reporter publicized Bryant's retirement instead of, say, a makeup artist or a mechanical engineering (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Louisa Ha Ph.D. (Advisor); Gi Woong Yun Ph.D. (Committee Member); Michael Horning Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mary Benedict Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Cognitive Psychology; Communication; Marketing; Mass Communications; Mass Media

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2013, Human Ecology: Hospitality Management

As a form of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), online consumer reviews have attracted tremendous attention from researchers and practitioners. This research investigates how eWOM plays an important role in consumer review websites within hospitality and tourism services and how it affects the purchase decision-making process of consumers. The author examined the influence of eWOM communications in various online review websites based on the online social network framework by Brown, Boderick, and Lee (2007). Their framework postulates that individuals consider the websites to be primary "actors" and develop social relationships with the websites themselves rather than the other online participants. Drawing on the perspective of the consumer-website relationship, the current research proposes and empirically tests an integrative model of three social network constructs associated with the website (tie strength, homophily, and source credibility) and their relationship to consumers' evaluations associated with attitudes and perceived influence of eWOM effectiveness. An online survey with a sample of 793 respondents drawn from a large Midwestern university was conducted to examine predictors and consequences of eWOM communications in consumer review platforms. The results suggested that the social relationship constructs (homophily and tie strength) between a website and a consumer are important drivers of source credibility, which in turn influence attitude toward the reviews as well as the website. Moreover, the attitudes formed through the perceptions of tie-strength, homophily and source credibility ultimately determines the influence of eWOM consumers' purchase decisions. When consumers perceive higher tie strength, homophily, and source credibility associated with the reviews, they are more likely to have a favorable attitude toward the reviews as well as the review websites. An interesting finding was that attitude toward reviews does not directly influence eW (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jay Kandampully (Advisor); Bilgihan Anil (Committee Member); Binkley Margaret (Committee Member); Stoel Leslie (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Communication; Marketing

DMA, University of Cincinnati, 2008, College-Conservatory of Music : Horn

A survey of solo horn works composed in the late twentieth century exhibits the strong influence of horn performers on the instrument's expanding solo repertoire. Hornists such as Jeffrey Agrell, David Amram, Paul Basler, Randall Faust, Lowell Greer, Douglas Hill, Lowell Shaw, Jeffrey Snedeker, and many others have contributed worthwhile new works to the horn repertoire. These works take advantage of recent compositional trends in order to showcase the full spectrum of musical possibilities available to the modern hornist.The goal of this study is to draw attention to the large body of horn solo repertoire that has been composed by hornists from 1970 to 2005, to explore the technical challenges it poses, to consider common trends among the works of several hornist-composers, and to encourage performance of this repertoire. Chapter One provides an overview of the project and examines the relevant existing research. Chapter Two provides a brief historical context by summarizing the contribution of several representative players, including Jan Vaclav Stich (a.k.a. Giovanni Punto), Louis-Francois Dauprat, Jacques-Francois Gallay, and Franz Strauss, to the solo horn repertoire during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Chapter Three surveys the more recent repertoire with discussion of selected characteristic works from the last thirty-five years that demonstrate current trends in horn solo composition. These trends include the introduction of jazz elements to the solo horn repertoire, the revival of the natural horn, and the use of nontraditional accompaniments including various types of electronic media. Chapter Four provides the conclusions of the study. This project concludes with a catalog of works composed by horn performers between 1970 and 2005.

Committee: bruce mcclung (Committee Chair); Randy Gardner (Committee Member); Robert Zierolf (Committee Member) Subjects: Composition; Music

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

Committee: Bernhard Debatin (Advisor) Subjects: Journalism

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2010, Telecommunications (Communication)

Since the late 1990s, political democratization and new broadcasting technologies have transformed African countries' mediascapes. In addition to new private local television, broadcasters of transnational television officially gained access to African audiences. As such, transnational football (soccer) broadcasting became increasingly accessible to African football fans. This study aims to understand and to explain how television broadcasting's political and technological changes in the late 1990s induced electronic colonialism in Francophone Africa. This qualitative study was conducted in Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Benin, Burkina, and Cameroon. It constituted at first the goal to achieve an understanding of the intricacies of football television broadcasting by public, private, and transnational television broadcasters. The in-depth interviews, documents analysis, and field observations provided required data to analyze transnational television broadcasting in Francophone Africa within the theoretical framework of Thomas McPhail's (2006) electronic colonialism. Several significant findings emerged from this study. The main players in football television broadcasting are public and transnational television broadcasters. The newly installed private television broadcasters remain too economically fragile to compete for broadcasting rights. The economics of broadcasting rights (along with the access to satellite technology) give to European transnational television broadcasters – and media and marketing groups – a competitive advantage over local public television broadcasters. Consequently, media flows from Europe (and the one produced by Africans) are controlled by European media and marketing groups. What contributes to the control of the media broadcasting by European media and marketing corporations are the cultural and linguistic connections facilitated by African players in various French and European leagues, and the inherent cultural discount of football. Th (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Steve Howard Ph.D (Advisor); Rafael Obregon Ph. D (Committee Member); Kreutzer Andrew Ph. D (Committee Member); Muhammad Najee Ed. D (Committee Member); Zyati Ali Ph. D (Committee Member) Subjects: Mass Media; Political Science; Sociology

Master of Arts, Miami University, 2006, Religion

This thesis uses Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) as a case study for the exploration of religious broadcasting in America and the emergent Word of Faith movement. TBN is investigated as a challenge to the scholarly and popular understandings of religious broadcasting by considering it as a media-based church facilitating religious experience and community through technology. In order to understand TBN and its theological tenets better, the connection between the Word of Faith movement and Trinity Broadcasting Network is demonstrated through statistical and visual analysis of the flagship TBN program Praise the Lord. Additionally, this thesis examines the unique role of technology in TBN's end-times theology and in the development of Word of Faith. Finally, the political investments of TBN are explored, paying attention to the way that encoded visual texts subtly point readers to a socially conservative, American, and properly Christian, but distinctively TBN, identity.

Committee: James Hanges (Advisor) Subjects: