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.

Committee: Patrick Washburn (Committee Chair) Subjects: History; Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media

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

Committee: Lloyd A. Helms (Advisor) Subjects: Journalism; Mass Communications

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2022, Journalism (Communication)

This thesis examines three United States newspapers' (the New York Times, Chicago Defender, and Montgomery Advertiser) coverage on race issues within the United States, and their coverage on discrimination and race issues from the Nazis from 1933 to 1945. It compares and contrasts how these influential newspapers covered these two country's discriminatory laws and ideologies. James Q. Whitman argued in his book, Hitler's American Model, that leading Nazis and Hitler himself looked at the United States for inspiration for discriminatory methods. After performing a textual analysis of over 140 newspaper articles, this thesis argues that there were differences in how the journalists covered Nazi issues versus local issues. The journalists were quick to be critical of the Nazis, but often shied away from criticizing American racism.

Committee: Aimee Edmondson (Advisor); Mirna Zakić (Committee Member); Olaf Stieglitz (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; History; Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2021, Journalism (Communication)

This study examined sourcing and framing in PTSD news coverage published by The New York Times from 1999–2020 using quantitative content analysis. Based on the findings of previous studies, it was hypothesized that the sampled coverage would overrepresent combat trauma relative to other sources of trauma, underrepresent options for treatment and recovery, privilege men and official sources over women and unofficial sources (i.e., men and official sources would speak more often than women and unofficial sources), and favor episodic/individual framing over thematic/social framing. However, these hypotheses were only partially supported. The researcher ultimately found that, while the sampled coverage did overrepresent combat trauma and underrepresent treatment and recovery options, as well as favor men over women in sourcing, it defied expectations in other ways. Namely, it was observed that civilian/unofficial sources predominated over official sources, and that thematic/social framing predominated over episodic/individual framing.

Committee: Parul Jain Dr. (Advisor); Rosanna Planer (Committee Member); Victoria LaPoe Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Mental Health

Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, 2019, Journalism

Coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is widespread and far-reaching. Many international outlets are covering the conflict alongside local media, and the conflict has intense political ramifications that spread far past the Middle East. In this thesis, I examine two points of coverage during the Second Intifada in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and compare coverage amongst three different news outlets. The intifada broke out right after the turn of the century and was covered in a heavily global context. There is a sufficient existing literature examining media coverage of the Second Intifada, but my research focuses on two periods of involving the disengagement plan brought forth by then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. My research will examine the connection between politics and journalism in the conflict by taking political role conception theories and applying them to Israeli and U.S. media outlets covering the conflict. I will examine how these media outlets crafted certain political role conceptions in their coverage and also analyze the framing devices through which they were conveyed.

Committee: Andrew Alexander (Advisor); Nukhet Sandal (Advisor) Subjects: Journalism; Political Science

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

This dissertation explores the relationship between citizen journalism and political outcomes (political literacy and political participation) and their potential impacts on the Malaysian political arena. In the course of exploration this study examined the positive attitudes towards citizen journalism and political literacy, the association between political knowledge and political participation, and the correlation between positive attitudes towards citizen journalism and political engagement among students at four different Malaysian universities in 2016. The four campuses involved in this research were 1) Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, 2) Taylor's University College in Selangor, 3) Universiti Malaysia Sarawak in Kuching and 4) Curtin University Sarawak in Miri. This research employed a mixed method approach to answering the research questions – a survey of students from the four Malaysian education institutions and in-depth interviews with eight informants. I received 393 responses to the survey. To investigate the potential impacts of citizen journalism and political participation on Malaysian politics I selected for interviews eight informants, among them were news editors, public figures, and activists. The fieldwork for this research was carried out in Malaysia and the United Kingdom from April, 2016, to October, 2016. The results revealed a negative correlation between positive attitudes towards citizen journalism and political literacy. Other potential reasons found for low political literacy among Malaysians included low media literacy and social factors such as age, types of university attended, locality, race, and religion. I also discovered a negative correlation between political literacy and political engagement among respondents – respondents with lower political literacy were more likely to participate in politically related activities. Research outcomes revealed that respondents who showed positive attitudes towards citizen journalism h (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Drew McDaniel (Advisor) Subjects: Mass Communications; Mass Media

BA, Oberlin College, 2015, Comparative Literature

In the semi-biographical Capital Sur (2011), Spanish journalist Eduardo del Campo draws on experimental narrative techniques to portray his home city of Seville as he saw it in the 1990's: a barometer of Spain's social and economic crises. Here I compare modern translation theories to my own partial translation of this novel into English, which I place in the context of the U.S. translation publishing industry. I also show how the historical and cultural context of Seville influence the text's themes—including del Campo's critique of the hegemonic ways that countries such as the United States tend to exoticize Spain's culture.

Committee: Sebastiaan Faber (Advisor); Azita Osanloo (Advisor) Subjects: Communication; Comparative Literature; Composition; History; Intellectual Property; Journalism; Language; Literature; Mass Communications; Modern Literature

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2015, Journalism

As new technology is introduced, it is always a question of how the field of journalism will react. This occurred throughout history with the invention of the printing press, telegram, telephone, radio, and television. The latest in these developments is that of social media. Through the development of social networks and social media sites, scholars are noting an increased flow of information and a change in the way information is disseminated. It is also a discussion point how users of social media networks, including journalists, use these networks to interact with each other and spread information. Furthermore, as budget cuts tighten the staffs at newsrooms and the spread of information becomes more globalized, the role of the foreign correspondent is changing. Instead of being the sole source of information in a certain country for an American audience, foreign correspondents are now a voice in a sea of many. This study examines how foreign correspondents use one of the most prominent social networks, Twitter, to disseminate information to and interact with audiences. Through a content analysis of over 1,000 tweets, several variables were examined to determine whether traditional gatekeeping activities were fulfilled through Twitter activity, and how foreign correspondents use their accounts to interact with followers. In order to do this, tweets were sampled from 20 correspondents across four national American news outlets: CNN, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and NBC. Results showed that the majority of Twitter use among foreign correspondents was spent repeating information from other users' accounts or channeling messages to users. A low percent of messages across all outlets was spent interacting with users.

Committee: Yusuf Kalyango Jr. (Advisor) Subjects: Journalism

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2014, Journalism

The G-Cubed show ran for 14 weeks, highlighting major news stories within the gaming industry through a 3-8 minute web show uploaded to YouTube. Through the show and further research, this paper attempts to highlight the best practices for producing news content on YouTube.

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

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2013, Journalism (Communication)

This qualitative study explores the impact of new media, specifically social media and campaign websites with greater direct user participation and involvement. With the historic election of the first black president of the United States, Barack Obama, and the candidacy of the first Republican woman nominated for vice-president, Sarah Palin, the 2008 presidential and vice-presidential campaigns remain important for study. "Political Campaigning 2.0" analyzes campaign and user-generated web content covering a wide array of new media: Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, and campaign websites. The study is based on Erving Goffman's theories of Framing and Impression Management and complemented with James Grunig's Situational Theory of Publics. In contrast to other studies, this research includes the issue of age and explores the intersectionality of race, gender, and age. It uses a multi-method approach, combining textual analysis with in-depth interviews, focus groups, and self-reports made up of 66 Ohio University undergraduate student participants. Findings reveal that a majority of web users interpreted and represented the Democratic candidates in the same way as the campaign framed them, indicating convergent and successful representation in terms of race, gender, and age. The Obama-Biden campaign was able to take advantage of Obama's race as a historic milestone and Biden's age as a sign of experience. In contrast, most web users interpreted and represented Republican candidates differently than intended by the McCain-Palin campaign, indicating a divergence in framing. A majority of users framed McCain as old, rather than experienced, and Palin as inexperienced, rather than a "maverick." The McCain-Palin campaign worked to represent Palin as a candidate who would appeal to women, but her representation in terms of gender did not resonate with a majority of web users. Emphasizing the importance of new media technology, this study shows how the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Bernhard Debatin (Advisor); Joseph Bernt (Committee Member); Duncan Brown (Committee Member); DeLysa Burnier (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Journalism

Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Youngstown State University, 2009, Department of Criminal Justice

Purpose – Two questions: Did the men and women of the United States military torture detainees? In what ways did the New York Times portray the torture scandals in Iraq from April 2004 to October 2005?Design/methodology/approach – The first question is answered through the combination legal definition and general research of what the sentences were for the soldiers who were involved in the Abu Ghraib torture scandal. The second question is answered by conducting a content analysis of articles from The New York Times between April 1, 2004 and October 31, 2005. Findings – No, the men and women of the United States military did not torture detainees as the applicable law defines torture. This was found because of the eleven soldiers convicted in the Abu Ghraib scandal, none of them received the charge and conviction of torture. The answer to the second question is that out of 19 randomly sampled articles, only 3 articles did not contain graphically explicit content. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation of this study is that of the 57 articles found between April 1, 2004 and October 31, 2005, only 19 were read and analyzed for content. Due to time limitations I chose to sample 33% of the 57 articles in hopes that that would be sufficient for a thesis project. For a further explanation of why I chose 33% see Chapter 3 Methodology and Analysis. Practical implications – This thesis challenges the media to be more responsible in their recordings of the truth. It is the media‘s responsibility to report what is going on and they are entrusted to only report the truth. Originality/value – Very few articles have dared to challenge the media‘s almost unimpeded freedom of speech in the context of wartime coverage.

Committee: Patricia Wagner (Advisor); Gordon G. Frissora PhD (Committee Member); C. Allen Pierce PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Armed Forces; International Law; Journalism; Mass Media

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, Miami University, 2009, Mass Communication

This thesis examines the 2005 media coverage of Hurricane Katrina. It analyzes the content and the reasons for the sensationalist reporting which permeated media coverage, and looks at the extent to which racial identity and class level of those affected by the hurricane influenced that media coverage. The analysis shows that although there was an attempt at some level to provide institutional/structural reasons for why people couldn't leave, especially in The New York Times editorial articles, there was far more emphasis on tales of lawlessness and individual stories. When the media did point to institutional factors, two main challenges arose. First, these issues were often not adequately discussed, especially in television news reports. Second, focus on governmental failures often led to finger pointing at officials, instead of examining how the system as a whole had failed

Committee: Lisa McLaughlin Dr. (Committee Chair); Richard Campbell Dr. (Committee Member); Ronald Scott Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: American Studies; Communication; Cultural Anthropology; Journalism; Mass Media; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Rhetoric; Sociology; Womens Studies

Master of Arts, University of Akron, 2013, Communication

This study examined what citizen photojournalists describe as their motivations for documenting a natural disaster and their descriptions of why they think they shared their photographs with an online community. This study extends and utilizes the uses and gratifications theory to explore new media gratifications rather than older models of the theory. Eight citizen photojournalists who documented the Spring 2011 Alabama tornado outbreak were interviewed for the study. The results revealed four themes relating to the citizen photojournalists' descriptions of their motivations for documenting the tornado. These themes were (1) filling the void of professional media, (2) exposure for small communities, (3) showing progress and rebuilding, and (4) documenting personal memories. Five themes were revealed as to why they thought they shared their photographs with an online community. These themes were (1) visual communication with friends and family, (2) initiating discussion with photo, (3) receiving praise from online community, (4) becoming a better photographer, and (5) entertainment value. The purpose of this study was to examine the motivations of a citizen photojournalist and to also further integrate new media utilization of the uses and gratifications theory in relation to why the citizen photojournalists share their images with online communities.

Committee: Val Pipps Dr. (Advisor); Therese Lueck Dr. (Committee Member); Patricia Hill Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication