International Communication 2011 Abstracts
Bob Stevenson Open Paper Competition
The Victim/Hero Legacy of Bulgarian Crime Writer Bobby Tsankov • Edward Alwood, Quinnipiac University • Western news outlets portrayed 30-year old Bulgarian crime writer Bobby Tsankov as a “”prominent”” victim/hero in the struggle for a free press following his brutal murder in 2010. In contrast, Bulgarian newspapers showed him as an unscrupulous trickster. This study examines 72 articles from the most widely read Bulgarian daily newspapers to understand factors that account for the contradictory framing of Tsankov’s murder. The findings provide an understanding of the role of framing in media mythmaking.
Global Digital Divide: Language Gap and Post-communism in Mongolia • Undrahbuyan Baasanjav, Temple University • This paper explores several factors of the global digital divide in the former socialist country of Mongolia. By analyzing manifest media content on the Internet, as well as by interviewing people involved in Internet development, this research goes beyond the question of access to the Internet and asks how language factors exacerbate the digital divide in an impoverished country. Furthermore, this research explores how post-communist political settings, aid dependency, and international organizations influence Internet development.
The Whole Online World Is Watching: Networking Sites and Activism in China, Latin America and the United States • Dustin Harp, University of Texas School of Journalism; Ingrid Bachmann, University of Texas at Austin; Lei Guo, University of Texas at Austin • Using a cross-cultural framework, this study relies on survey data to examine how activists in China, Latin America and the United States use social networking sites for their mobilizing efforts. Activists in China assigned greater importance to the importance of social media to promote debate. Those in Latin America expressed more apprehensions about the ease of using social networking sites. Respondents from the United States had greater confidence in their ability to solve community problems.
Journalism Advocacy: How Three Organizations Responded to Attacks Against Journalists in Egypt • Butler Cain, West Texas A&M University • When journalists who were covering the recent political protests in Egypt became targets of assaults and intimidation, three journalism advocacy groups – Reporters Without Borders, the International Federation of Journalists, and the Committee to Protect Journalists – responded quickly and forcefully. The press releases they issued during a two-week campaign of violence against the news media condemned Egypt’s actions, advocated for the humane treatment of all journalists, and documented dozens of incidents of press attacks and intimidation.
Reporting Global Obesity: A Longitudinal, International Comparative Study of News Coverage of the Public Health Issue as a Social Problem • Kuang-Kuo Chang, Shih Hsin University • Guided by social epidemiology concept, this research studies how 10 major newspapers in seven selected countries have covered the obesity issue. Findings broaden the theoretical scope of health communication in studying other public health or social problems and offer pragmatic implications for journalists, audiences, policymakers, and interested parties in dealing with this staggering issue, i.e. for governmental institutions to regulate food industry in advertising, confronting the seven nations, and the rest of the world.
Beauty Without Borders: Representation and role of female models in global women’s magazines published in China, India, and USA • BRIDGETTE COLACO, TROY UNIVERSITY • In China and India, a booming economy, rising salaries, disposable incomes, and a growing interest in beauty fashion, and relationships have encouraged a profitable print media industry that has led several foreign women’s magazines to launch Chinese and Indian editions. Women’s magazines not only shape how a woman views herself but also how society views her. This study is a content analysis that compared how Asian and Western models are portrayed in advertisements in Chinese, Indian, and U.S. editions of five women’s magazines. June 2010 issues of Cosmopolitan, Elle, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, and Vogue, from each country were examined. Altogether 870 advertisements were analyzed across 15 magazines. In the light of how globalization integrates different cultures, beside numerical representation of models, analysis revealed meanings that advertisers attached to Chinese, Indian and Western women with regard to specific social and beauty variables. This is because advertisers synchronize models, clothes, products, and values, to needs of the target audience. Variables included type of product models advertised, relative importance of models’ role and percentage of skin-lightening creams in beauty advertisements. The study found that 30 percent of Chinese beauty advertisements promoted skin-lightening products. The ‘Snow White syndrome’ exists in Indian advertising too. Drawing on feminist, social comparison and expectancy theories, further analysis revealed meanings that advertisers attached to Chinese and Western women with regard to specific social and beauty variables. This study contributes to the research that exists on how advertisers portray women in non-American media markets.
Framing of Election News in the Bulgarian Press • Daniela Dimitrova; Petia Kostadinova • Although election news framing is a burgeoning area of research, framing studies in Eastern Europe remain extremely rare. This study analyzes the media coverage of campaign news in six elite Bulgarian newspapers during the 1990-2009 period. It investigates the use of the game and issue frames and the relationship between these frames and a number of system-level and organizational-level factors. Empirical tests show that the number of parties in government and party ownership are significant predictors of game frame use. The results are discussed in the context of framing research in Western Europe and the United States.
Still Stuck in First Gear: The Case of the German Blogosphere • Stine Eckert • An implicit assumption that informs studies of new media is that similar trends and practices are emerging across the world, with blogging being one such widely perceived trend. Analyzing the case of Germany, where blogging has been slow to develop, this paper argues that such assumptions are questionable and identifies a complex combination of social, political, economic and legal factors play a critical role in inhibiting the expansion of blogging in Germany.
Development Communication to Internet Connectivity: Milestones in United Nations Formulation and Transfer of Communication Policy to Africa (1958-2010). • Lyombe Eko, University of Iowa • This paper analyzed United Nations formulation and transfer of communication policy to Africa since 1958. It was found that the United Nations and its specialized agencies- UNESCO and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)-started formulating and transferring communication policies to Africa at the dawn of independence. UN communication policies emphasized the role of the mass media as catalysts for development. At the turn of the 21st century, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) emphasized reduction of the digital divide between Africa and the rest of the world, and encouraged Internet connectivity as the panacea for the continent’s development problems. However, there was no long-term strategy to localize and use information and communication technologies to produce content in African contexts or languages. Policies aimed at reinventing and localizing Information and Communication Technologies in Africa would facilitate the production of African content and make the Internet relevant in different African contexts.
Before They Were Revolutionaries: Assessing Journalistic Professionalism in Mubarak’s Egypt • mohamad elmasry • Egypt’s historic 2011 revolution, which ousted President Hosni Mubarak after 30 years in power, is expected to transform various aspects of Egyptian society. Arguably, one area in need of significant reforms is journalism. Although Egypt has been seen historically as having one of the more developed media industries in the Arab world (Amin & Napoli, 1997; Ayalon, 1995; Rugh, 2004), Egyptian journalism has historically been fraught with problems, including a lack of freedom from government control (Cooper, 2008; Fark, 2004; Mellor, 2005; Najjar, 2004; Pintak, 2008; Sakr, 2001) and poor standards of education and training (Amin, 2002; Waterbury and Richards, 2007). The ousting of Mubarak and the installation of a democratic form of government may address – if it has not already done so – the problem of press freedom. It will likely take a sustained program of reform, however, to address the education and training issues. Education and training are key because they aid the development of a journalistic ideology (Weaver et al., 2003), and are important components of journalistic professionalism in general (Harless, 1990; Weaver et al., 2003; Windahl et al., 1978). The present study — a professionalism survey of Egyptian print journalists — grew out of nearly six-months of fieldwork in Cairo conducted over the last half of 2008. The purpose of the survey was to assess various aspects of Egyptian print journalism practice and professionalism during the (late) Hosni Mubarak era. Specifically, the survey addresses journalism education and training quality, work routines, press freedom, and journalistic ideology.
Exploring the potential of wireless technologies to accelerate universal Internet access in Ghana • Ignatius Fosu, University of Arkansas • A qualitative study including in-depth interviews with ISPs explored Internet diffusion in Ghana. Findings suggest that due to Ghana’s inefficient and outdated fixed-line infrastructure, Ghana’s universal Internet access goals might not be achievable through fixed-line technologies. Rather, wireless technologies present great potential and may be more efficient. Policy suggestions to encourage widespread deployment of wireless broadband, expand bandwidth, and encourage infrastructure sharing are offered as potential directions for future research.
A Not-So-Modest Proposal: Advancing a Research Agenda for Studying Central Asia Mass Media • Eric Freedman, Michigan State University School of Journalism • In former Soviet Central Asia, independence produced five distinctive press systems with authoritarian commonalities. Scholars have barely scratched the surface in studying those systems in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. This paper identifies unexplored and under-explored topics, including questions related to journalistic practices, governmental constraints, training and education, coverage of public affairs, access to information, public attitudes toward the press, social media, and the Internet. It also identifies obstacles to research in the region.
Country Reputation, Place Branding and ethnocentricity: South Africa and the 2010 FIFA World Cup • Jami Fullerton, Oklahoma State University; Derina Holtzhausen, Oklahoma State University • Using the 2010 FIFA World Cup event as a stimulus, this study investigated the effect of international sporting events on country reputation. Given the extensive media coverage and viewership of the World Cup in the United States, a pre/post quasi-experimental test was conducted to assess the effect of the sporting event on the country reputation of South Africa. A nationally representative sample of more than 800 US adults participated in the study. Sample statistics matched US adult population parameters in terms of age, level of income and geographic distribution. Scales measuring Country Reputation (Yang, Shin, Lee & Wrigley, 2008) and Ethnocentrism (Smith & Kim, 2006; Shimp & Sharma, 1987) were administered. Factor analyses of country reputation and the ethnocentrism were conducted and findings are discussed in the context of the extracted factors. The study found that on the Affection factor of country reputation, attitudes toward South Africa significantly improved after the World Cup event.Results also showed that levels of ethnocentrism moderated the effect.
The Impact of Technology on the Arab Communication Style and Culture: A Comparison to the U.S. • Salma Ghanem, Central Michigan University; Morris Kalliny, Department of Marketing John Cook School of Business Saint Louis University • The paper focuses on the effects of technology on communication in the Middle East. A content analysis of online respondents to articles published in Al Arabiya online indicates a change is taking place. A comparison of those comments to online respondents’ comments to USA Today revealed that differences between Arab communication style and that of the United States still exist.
International Advertising Education: A Research Agenda • Frauke Hachtmann, University of Nebraska-Lincoln • The dominance of the American advertising industry in the global marketplace is reflected by the many advertising curricula in higher education in the United States that are preparing students to compete in a globalized world. However, research about what and how to teach international advertising has been scarce in recent years. The purpose of this paper was to review the relevant literature about international advertising curriculum and pedagogy and to provide a research agenda.
Determining international news coverage in nonelite newspapers: How important are gatekeepers? • Beverly Horvit, University of Missouri; Peter Gade, University of Oklahoma; Elizabeth Lance, University of Missouri School of Journalism • This study examines international news flow in four nonelite U.S. newspapers. Regression models using data from a content analysis of 2,401 stories, paired with variables such as wire coverage, U.S. troop presence and cultural proximity, explain between 55 percent to 88 percent of the variance in international news coverage. Wire coverage is the strongest predictor, and cultural proximity only affects the coverage of the two larger newspapers, the Houston Chronicle and San Jose Mercury News.
A Different Kind of Massive Attack: How the Bulgarian Ultranationalist Party Ataka Engineered Its Political Success Using Digital Media • Elza Ibroscheva, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville • The purpose of this paper is to trace the role of media in securing the success of Ataka, Bulgaria’s most prominent far-right political party, which has found a particularly powerful manifestation in new digital platforms of the Internet and the proliferation of other far-right political formations, such as the Bulgarian National Union (BNU). To accomplish this, the study sets two goals: first, to explore the political and socio-cultural environment which has allowed for the growth of ultra-nationalist rhetoric in Bulgaria, and second, to examine how the media publicity machine, with specific focus on their new media tactics, have contributed to securing popular support for the virtually unfettered expression of ultra-nationalistic ideas. By conducting an in-depth analysis of Ataka’s and BNU’s use of digital media, including websites, online forums, and other social networking tools, the study analyzes the importance of digital media in assisting right wing political platforms in gaining traction with the electorate.
The Girls of Parliament: A Historical Analysis of the Press Coverage of Female Politicians in Bulgaria • Elza Ibroscheva, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; Maria Raicheva-Stover, Washburn University • Using the theoretical thesis of gender mediation, which argues that portrayals of female politicians in the media reflect an ideology that treats male politicians as norm and female politicians as novelty, this study explores to what extent gender mediation is at play in the coverage of female politicians in the Bulgarian press. Given Bulgaria’s unique position as a former communist state, this study aims to discover through a historical qualitative analysis of the press coverage of female politicians during communism, through the post-communist transition and to present date, whether the images and language used to cover women in politics has changed, and if so, in what way. The study found that despite some qualitative differences in the way in which media treated women in politics during the different historical periods, their portrayals remained essentially refracted through the ideological prism of patriarchy, reinforcing the idea that women’s participation in politics is defined and judged by male-dominated norms of behavior and performance.
The Pattern and Determinant Factors of International Television News Flows • Youichi Ito, Akita International University • This is a part of a large-scale international collaborative research on television news in which 17 countries participated. Political, military, and economic power are all important determinants but multiple regression analyses has shown that geographical distance is the most important determinant. It was also found that U.S., U.K., and France enjoy monopolistic privileges in international news flows based on their international mass media including news agencies.
Ego, altruism, and irrelevance: A survey of Bulgaria’s news blog scene • Christopher Karadjov, California State University, Long Beach • The paper provides for the first time an overview of Bulgaria’s news blogs as an alternative to traditional media and proponents of free speech. In addition to examining the existing literature, the study uses in-depth interviews with bloggers to highlight pertinent characteristics of Bulgarian blogosphere. Bloggers’ motivation and perceived influence are scrutinized, and examples are added to illustrate recently featured topics from their blogs. Contrary to expectations, Bulgarian news blogs did not seem to have developed as a mere extension of online discussions on current events but as an independent platform with new participants who defend fiercely their right to free speech. This study also reviews the unexpectedly low popularity of microblogging (such as Tweeter) as a means to deliver news or mobilize audiences.
Documenting Africa: The Life and Death of Kevin Carter and his 1994 Pulitzer-winning photograph • Yung Soo Kim, University of Kentucky; James Kelly, Indiana University • An online survey was conducted to investigate the public and photojournalists’ perceptions of appropriate reactions to the circumstances surrounding Kevin Carter’s photograph of a collapsed Sudanese girl as a vulture awaits her death. Respondents agreed that the picture was newsworthy and accepted the journalistic rationale for making the photograph. The majority indicated that they would have made the photo themselves under similar circumstances, but would have done more to help the girl than did Carter.
Journalists’ Role, Expertise, and Authority in a Transformation of Media and Citizenship in South Korea: An Audience Perspective • Kyun Soo Kim, Grambling State Univ. • The premise of this study is that answering what news users think the journalists are for will offer crucial clues for understanding the meaning of changes in a contemporary news environment and discussing the future of journalism. With this premise in mind, this study first examined how public’s view of the journalists bears on their consumption of news media and citizenships. Then the influence of perceived journalists’ roles on perceived journalism expertise and authority was explored as it can indicate an aspect of external legitimacy of journalism. The study found interesting variances in journalists’ roles perceived by audience depending on their news media use. The study found relationships between both monitorial and informed citizenships and perceived journalists’ roles and at the same time different roles of news media uses in predicting citizenships. Finally this study successfully tested a new journalists’ role of guide and further found its strong influence on perceived journalistic expertise and authority.
Independent, New, or “”Ours””?: Transformation of Russian NTV Channel • Svetlana Kulikova, Georgia State University • In the modern world, neo-authoritarian governments often use the rhetoric of free market economics to justify backward movements from pluralist and diverse media systems to government-controlled systems. This study looks at how the Russian government carefully orchestrated such transformation of NTV, the first truly independent television in the country and the third largest national television network. Using a case study approach and qualitative analysis of newspaper coverage of 2003 NTV managerial crisis, it shows how after the 2001 takeover by a state-controlled oil and gas company GazProm, the editorial policy and content of NTV programs was gradually changed to conform with the government priorities. Given that television reaches 85-90 percent of the Russian population, the majority of which does not have access to Moscow-based independent newspapers, this transformation of the only independent network has irreparable consequences for democracy in Russia.
Influences of Norms and Guilt by Culture: Anti-Secondhand Smoking Context • Hyegyu Lee; Hye-Jin Paek, Michigan State University • This study examined how norm appeals and guilt influence smokers’ behavioral intention and whether and how the influence varies by culture. An online experiment among 310 smoking students in individualist (US) and collectivist (Korea) countries indicated that (1) guilt arousal has a strong and direct impact on behavioral intention, and (2) the impact of guilt on behavioral intention appears stronger among Korean smokers than among US smokers so that the power of guilt overshadows that of norms.
When Consumption Becomes All-Consuming: Comparing “”Stickiness”” from the Business and Social Health Perspectives in China • Constance Milbourne, United International College; Jeffrey Wilkinson • Global internet use continues to rise as do efforts to reach and hold onto online consumers. ‘Stickiness’ is a positive indicator of web site effectiveness reflecting time spent on the site. But published reports suggest that there are increasing numbers of people with various types and forms of so-called ‘internet addiction.’ Public health experts warn that excessive web use and time spent online can have negative repercussions, but the relationship between consumer marketing stickiness and online addiction is not clear. A convenience sample in China is surveyed on web behaviors, time spent online, and possible internet addiction. Results indicate a link between relative frequency engaging in online behaviors and so-called internet addiction. The more “”sticky”” the web becomes, the higher the self-report of behaviors associated with internet addiction. Implications and recommendations for marketers and health experts are presented.
Self Presentation in Online Environments: A study of Indian Muslim Matrimonial Profiles • Smeeta Mishra, Mass Communication Research Center, Jamia University; Matthew Monippally, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad; Krishna Jayakar, College of Communications, Penn State University • This study examines the self presentation practices of Indian Muslim men and women in online matrimonial advertisements. Findings indicate that while Indian Muslims are using the new medium to adhere to traditional cultural and religious values, they are also making critical adjustments to adapt to the medium itself. While men and women claimed to possess different attributes in their profiles drawing upon gender role expectations in Indian society, they were identical in their preference for light skin or what is termed as “”fair complexion”” in Indian English. An overwhelming majority of advertisers claimed to possess desirable skin tones and body types. Few Indian Muslim profiles highlighted external manifestations of religiosity, such as praying five times a day, wearing a hijab or burqa, and observing Ramadan. Further, results of this study also illuminate the influence of South Asian culture on Islamic practice, which is evident in the mention of caste identifications in the online matrimonial profiles.
Elaboration, content preference and framing: Effects of “”Incompetent Authority”” frame in China-made product recall coverage” • Ji Pan • Building on a replication of the test that media frames influence attitude by activating frame-related thoughts in audience, this study examines the role people’s cognitive elaboration and content preferences play in framing effects. Manipulating a New York Times story about Chinese toothpaste recall with reasoning and framing devices from the “”Incompetent Authority”” frame, our experiment found that while readers’ in-depth elaboration on the product safety issue did not moderate framing effects on attitude and causal attribution, those closely following consumer news were able to think more comprehensively after reading the stimulus. Implications for framing theory and U.S. media’s presentations of Chinese products are discussed.
News Accuracy in Switzerland and Italy: A Transatlantic Comparison with the U.S. Press • Colin Porlezza, University of Lugano; Scott Maier, University of Oregon; Stephan Russ-Mohl • Nearly 80 years of accuracy research in the United States has documented that the press frequently errs, but absent is empirical study about news accuracy elsewhere in the world. This study presents an accuracy audit of Swiss and Italian daily regional newspapers. Replicating U.S. research, the study offers a trans-Atlantic perspective of news accuracy. The results show that newspaper inaccuracy – and its corrosive effect on media credibility – transcends national borders and journalism cultures.
Framing Corruption: India’s Three Largest English-Language Newspapers and the Right to Information Act • Jeannine Relly, University of Arizona, School of Journalism; Carol Schwalbe, School of Journalism, University of Arizona • This exploratory study used a content analysis of articles published in India’s three largest English-language newspapers to examine how the press framed corruption in association with the 2005 Right to Information Act. The findings indicate that less than 2 percent of the 281 frames focused on watchdog journalism, suggesting that the English-language dailies in India have not used the freedom of information legislation extensively as an investigative tool to root out corruption.
Exploring Cross-Cultural Value Structure with Smartphone • Dong-Hee Shin, Sungkyunkwan University • This study cross-surveyed smartphone users in the U.S. and Korea to determine the differences of perceived values between the countries. Factors of usability and aesthetic values are combined with theory of reasoned action. Several propositions about the strength of the model’s relationships are made. The motivations of smartphone services were analyzed cross-nationally focusing on the differences in the composition of motives in the two countries. While the results illustrate the importance of both usability and aesthetic values, the two countries show different pattern and set of values. Based on the results of this study, practical implications for cross-cultural strategies in smartphone global markets and theoretical implications for cross-country studies are recommended accordingly.
Community Service: Editor pride and user preference on local newspaper websites • Jane Singer, University of Iowa • As diverse user contributions become prevalent on local newspaper websites, editors are assessing the effect on their own decisions. Through a survey of British editors, this paper examines the overlap between online user preferences, as suggested by assessments of website traffic, and content that the editors identify as their best. The study finds plenty of overlap between the types of stories included on the agendas of editors and users, but a considerable disconnect on specifics.
Edward Jordon’s newspaper, The Watchman, and the Emancipation of Slavery in Jamaica • Roxanne Watson, School of Mass Communications, University of South Florida • In 1832 Jamaica freedmen were still denied the right to vote and hold office and 300,000 slaves remained on the sugar estates. The Watchman and Jamaica Free Press, a newspaper edited by free colored Edward Jordon, played a role in obtaining equal rights for freedmen and emancipation for the slaves. Because of this, the newspaper’s free colored editor, Edward Jordon was indicted and tried for sedition under a statute that carried the death sentence.
American perceptions of China and the Chinese: Do the media matter? • Lars Willnat • This study of perceptions of China and the Chinese people is based on a national online survey conducted in early 2011 with a representative sample of 1,012 adult Americans. The findings suggest Americans have more sophisticated views of China than conventional wisdom might predict. Specifically, the data indicate that American respondents are able to distinguish their views of the Chinese government from those of the Chinese people. The survey also found that Americans have more interest in international news, particularly with respect to China, than is typically assumed. News media exposure was found to be associated with perceptions of China, but not perceptions of Chinese.
Cultural Assumptions about Domestic and Diaspora Publics in Global Public Diplomacy • Rhonda Zaharna, american university • This paper explores the cultural underbelly of public diplomacy by looking at the varying assumptions about the domestic public in global public diplomacy. The US public diplomacy model, currently the dominant perspective, focuses on foreign publics in developing initiatives. The public diplomacy of other countries tends to focus on their domestic publics and even diaspora as key components. The paper surveys different intellectual heritages to develop multi-cultural lenses for viewing public diplomacy around the world.
Covering Terrorism: An Analysis of Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya Web Sites • Lily Zeng, Arkansas State Univ. • This study examines the coverage of terrorism in two leading Arab news Web sites, Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya from September 11, 2009 to September 10, 2010. It finds that the stereotype that “”the terrorist is a Muslim”” continues in terrorism coverage, despite the fact that some terrorists are non-Muslims. However, the two sites manage to send out the message that “”the majority of terrorism victims are Muslims.” In addition, it reveals that too much media focus is placed on disseminating and supporting official positions and decisions, and humanitarian sufferings from terrorism are seldom brought to the attention of the public.
36. From Development Communication to Internet Connectivity: Milestones in United Nations Formulation and Transfer of Communication Policy to Africa (1958-2010) • Lyombe Eko, University of Iowa • This paper analyzed United Nations formulation and transfer of communication policy to Africa since 1958. It was found that the United Nations and its specialized agencies– UNESCO and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)–started formulating and transferring communication policies to Africa at the dawn of independence. UN communication policies emphasized the role of the mass media as catalysts for development. At the turn of the 21st century, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) emphasized reduction of the digital divide between Africa and the rest of the world, and encouraged Internet connectivity as the panacea for the continent’s development problems. However, there was no long-term strategy to localize and use information and communication technologies to produce content in African contexts or languages. Policies aimed at reinventing and localizing Information and Communication Technologies in Africa would facilitate the production of African content and make the Internet relevant in different African contexts.
37. Exploring the potential of wireless technologies to accelerate universal Internet access in Ghana • Ignatius Fosu, University of Arkansas • A qualitative study including in-depth interviews with ISPs explored Internet diffusion in Ghana.Findings suggest that due to Ghana’s inefficient and outdated fixed-line infrastructure, Ghana’s universal Internet access goals might not be achievable through fixed-line technologies. Rather,wireless technologies present great potential and may be more efficient. Policy suggestions to encourage widespread deployment of wireless broadband, expand bandwidth, and encourage infrastructure sharing are offered as potential directions for future research.
Markham Student Paper Competition
The Emergence of Social Media & the Political Crisis in Pakistan • Rauf Arif, The University of Iowa • The following paper is about the emergence of social media in Pakistan. Using a case study of YouTube videos uploaded both by the journalists and non-journalists during the 2007 political crisis in Pakistan, the paper finds that social media are contributing to the promotion of political dialogue in the country. The study finds that the social media have the ability to serve as an alternate media in the absence of traditional sources of news and information. Future researchers interested in new media may find this study helpful to understand how the Internet communication is challenging and transforming political hierarchies in developing countries by empowering individuals to engage in online political dialogue.
The discursive reproduction of Chinese and Japanese national identities: Editorials and opinions of the East China Sea dispute in the China Daily and Daily Yomiuri • Michael Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong • Using a critical discourse analysis approach this study analyzed how national identities and ideologies were discursively constructed and reproduced through editorial and opinion commentaries in two English-language newspapers from China and Japan on an international incident involving the two countries. The first four editorials/opinions on the incident from the China Daily and Daily Yomiuri were analyzed. Findings showed that a variety of discursive strategies and linguistic devices were adopted by the newspapers to present the ‘home’ nation positively and ‘other’ nation negatively. Even though both newspapers are products of globalization and purport to target international and cosmopolitan audiences, the reporting of the East China Sea incident closely adhered to official narratives and discourses of the respective countries.
Media Framing and Terrorism: Analysis of frames in news reports of London bombings and Mumbai attacks • Nivedita Chatterjee, Pennsylvania State University • This study explores the manner in which terrorist activities are framed differently in different media systems to deduce what influences the media to frame these attacks in a particular manner. The study further investigates the differences between the frames – geographical, regional, and religious – that are used by countries such as the United States and United Kingdom, with their similar experiences with and policies for terrorism, and India, a country that has been dealing with sporadic terrorist attacks since its independence. The qualitative textual analysis of articles filed in three news portals, timesofindia.com, nytimes.com and bbc.co.uk regarding two terrorist attacks – July 7, 2005 London bombings and November 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks – revealed that frames used by the media for portraying terrorist activities are subject to influences from the manner in which terrorism is perceived and the terrorism policies employed by the host country.
Globalization in Guyana: An Exploratory Study on Pirated Television • Sally Ann Cruikshank, Ohio University • Guyana is a country greatly influenced by globalization, particularly when it comes to television programming. Approximately 90% of programming shown on Guyanese television is pirated from North America and other regions of the world. Guyana, a former British colony, is the only English-speaking country in South American and is one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere. Guyana is a racially diverse nation, with a population split between people of African and East Indian descent. This study examined the television programming of four Guyanese channels. The programming was analyzed, within the theoretical framework of dependency theory, to determine what socioeconomic status was portrayed in the shows. It further examined the racial make-up of characters in the shows. Results revealed that most of the programming aired on Guyanese television depicted a lifestyle completely out of reach for the average Guyanese. Further, many of the programs featured mainly white characters.
Between politics and market: Chinese media’s framing of Taiwan’s presidential elections in 2004 and 2008 • Ming Dai, University of Missouri, Columbia • The study investigated the variability of media framing of political election to test the conceptual reliability of the generic/issue-specific frames (Han, 2007; Semetko & Valkenburg, 2000). Through a content analysis of major Chinese media’s framing of the presidential elections in 2004 and 2008 in Taiwan, the study tested the validity of four generic and issue-specific frames: game, conflict, military consequences and ideology. Factor analysis and independent t-test were conducted to examine how media’s frames varied according to the changes in political policy and international relations. The results confirmed the conceptual consistency of generic and issue-specific frames over time. The variability of the frames, however, also depended on the interaction of political need and media’s audience orientation.
Same old, same old? A content analysis of the framing of Haiti in the news after the 2010 earthquake in the Jamaica Gleaner & the New York Times • Kay-Anne Darlington, Ohio University • This content analysis outlines the framing of Haiti in the Gleaner and New York Times coverage after the 2010 earthquake. The results confirm continued negative framing of Haiti using frames such as poverty, violence and political instability, thereby facilitating the ‘othering’ of Haiti. While these frames may help readers understand the disaster, they also exacerbate Haiti’s problems by ensuring that readers remain unaware of/unresponsive to the real issues facing Haiti.
Whose Global Publics? Al-Jazeera English’s Network Expansion and North American Media Barriers • Ian Davis, University of Illinois College of Media • The 2011 wave of political change in the Middle-East caught U.S. officials unprepared. Why was boiling regional turmoil so invisible to those in the West? These upheavals revealed blindspots in U.S. public discourse. So, why has Al Jazeera English (AJE) faltered when expanding into North America? This paper tracks the network expansion of AJE from 2006-2010 using newspaper and industry publications to document its organizational globalization as well as the institutional hostility to this growth.
The Politics of Cross-Cultural Discourses: “”Translating”” the AIDS Epidemic to a Western Audience • Estee Fresco, University of Western Ontario • This work undertakes a discourse analysis of excerpts from Stephen Lewis’ book Race Against Time and Stephanie Nolen’s book 28: Stories about AIDS in Africa. It concludes that Lewis’ work maintains and perpetuates the epistemological framework upon which an unequal power relationship between Western and African countries rests while, on the other hand, Nolen’s work challenges this framework. This work contributes to considerations of the Developing World’s role in addressing the AIDS epidemic in Africa by suggesting that we cannot think about the material impact of strategies to fight the AIDS crisis or efforts to educate individuals about this crisis without first considering the impact that the very act of writing and speaking about the crisis can have on the individuals impacted by AIDS.
From Marching to Clicking: How NGOs are Leveraging Digital Tools for Activism in Mexico • Summer Harlow, University of Texas-Austin • This study examines how four activist organizations in Mexico have employed digital communication technologies, exploring how digital tactics are being diffused among these organizations, which dimensions of activism are supported by technologies, what obstacles they face in using technologies, and how they see these tactics as impacting the future of activism in Mexico. Interviews suggest that while the digital divide limits use of these tools, digital tactics still are being diffused, aiding and improving activism.
Transnational Comparative Framing: Suggesting a Model of Approach • Lei Guo, University of Texas at Austin; Avery Holton, University of Texas-Austin; Sun Ho Jeong, University of Texas at Austin • The recent rise in academic attention to transnational comparative media studies highlights the need for a more unified research approach to the field. By analyzing recent cross-national framing studies, this paper exposes gaps in the literature that a Transnational Comparative Framing Model suggested by this paper could help fill. An empirical study is applied to the model to illustrate its ability to provide a cohesive approach to this emerging area of media research.
Framing the Liberation War of Bangladesh in the U.S. and U.K. Media: A Content Analysis of the New York Times and the Times (London) • Mohammad Hossain, Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) • This study examined the framing of the liberation war of Bangladesh in the New York Times and the Times (London). The results suggest that both newspapers used three frames most frequently: military-conflict frame, prognostic frame and human interest frame. Both newspapers published news stories with more neutral tone than positive and negative tones. The New York Times and the Times (London) relied mostly on official sources as the primary sources in publishing news.
Newspaper Visibility of Members of Parliament in Kenya • Kioko Ireri, School of Journalism Indiana University • This research investigates variables that predicted news coverage of 219 Members of Parliament in Kenya by four national newspapers in 2009. The 10 variables examined are: ordinary Member of Parliament, cabinet minister, powerful ministry, parliamentary committee chairmanship, seniority, big tribe identity, major party affiliation, presidential ambition, commenting on contentious issues, and criticizing government. Findings indicate that commenting on contentious issues, criticizing government, being a cabinet minister, being an ordinary MP, holding a powerful cabinet portfolio, and seniority significantly predicted visibility of the parliamentarians. Commenting on controversial issues and major party identification were the strongest and weakest predictors, respectively. Additionally, of the top 10-most visible MPs, eight were cabinet ministers, with seven of them holding powerful ministerial positions.
Cultural Motivations for Imported Television Programs: The Korean Audience Watching U.S. Television Programs • Jennifer Kang, University of Texas at Austin • This study examines the motivations and viewing patterns of the Korean audience watching U.S. programs. It also argues that cultural aspects should be included in the viewing process of imported programs as a motivation. Four out of the five motivation factors were cultural motivations, and the viewing pattern factors tended to be active rather than passive. Results also showed that people who were motivated by the program quality tended to have more active watching habits.
Two-Level Games and the Issue of Ratification in the Global Public Sphere: A Case of Russia-Ukraine Gas Dispute 2008-09 • Anna Klyueva, University of Oklahoma • This study examined the role of international and domestic public opinion in ratification phase of international negotiations. Building on the two-level game theory (Putnam, 1988), the study examined how international and domestic public discourses are interdependent and may influence the issue salience in the media. To illustrate the argument, the study used the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute 2008-09. The results of the study indicated that foreign governments influence both the issue salience and the tone of media coverage.
Globalization in Africa: A 10-Year Critical Literature Review of Communication Scholars’ Research Agenda • Ammina Kothari, School of Journalism – Indiana University • Based on a critical literature review of peer-reviewed scholarship published during the period from 1999 through 2009, I discuss three broad frameworks used by scholars: globalization as an agent of change; globalization as a global force; and globalization as a theoretical construct. My analysis finds that scholars defining globalization as an agent of change generally focus their research on media texts and cultural analyses, in order to highlight how globalization creates hybrid identities and melding of cultures. Scholars who view globalization as a global force, akin to imperialism, take on a more critical stance in their analysis, interrogating the idea of technology as an agent of change and the spread of English language as a conduit for fostering global communities. The third set of scholars who take a theoretical approach towards understanding theories of globalization focus on the disjuncture which currently exists in academia about the lack of a single definition for globalization. I also find that most of the research on globalization is conducted by scholars based in the United States and South Africa. Additionally the geographical scope of scholarship is largely limited to South Africa. I argue that the absence of African scholars and the lack of diversity in the location of research, limits our understanding of the effects of globalization in Africa within the context of communication scholarship.
A Comparative Analysis of Coverage of the 2008 Mumbai Attacks in The New York Times and The Times of India • Elizabeth Lance, University of Missouri School of Journalism • Employing both ethnographic content analysis and institutional analysis of media systems, this paper examines coverage of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks in two elite newspapers, The New York Times and The Times of India. By examining both the specific coverage in each newspaper as well as the broader structure in which that content was produced, this paper offers a comprehensive analysis to better understand the state of rational critical debate in the public sphere and how that informs democratic practices in each country. This paper concludes that The New York Times is better equipped to contribute to rational critical debate, but that even so, it is along a carefully scripted frame.
Globalization as Professionalization: On the Production Side of China’s Journalism • Shi Li, Indiana • Guided by Appadurai’s five “”suffix scapes,”” this paper presents a participant-observation study on China’s journalism production side: a newsroom in Shanghai and a photojournalism workshop in Rizhao. Findings suggest that globalization has an implication on China’s journalism, especially photojournalism production, and that for many working journalists and editors such implication means “professionalization.” The resistance toward professionalization, intriguingly, has both local and global roots, and is revealed through censorship, self-censorship, and over-commercialization, among others things.
Mass Communication Research on China from 2000 to 2010: A Meta-Analysis • Shi Li, Indiana; Shuo Tang, Indiana University Bloomington • This study presents a meta-analysis of mass communication research on China from 2000 to 2010. It reveals patterns in authorship, methodological and theoretical approaches, medium and area of focus, through a content analysis of 159 articles published in 20 major communication journals. Eight frameworks frequently used by communication scholars to study China are identified in a follow-up analytical review. The paper concludes with a discussion on implications of the findings and suggestions for future work.
The story of Qi Shi Ma: Online discussion and community engagement in urban China • Zhengjia Liu, The University of Iowa • This case study discussed the local online forum’s potential of being a public sphere in China, using textual analysis of online discussions about a local affair in the City of Hangzhou. The analysis included 16 news stories from a local newspaper archive and 300 threads with 100 subsequent posts from the online forum hosted by the newspaper. The results showed that the online forum provided the residents with a platform to express their opinions, compared with the newspaper that worked as an organ for the government. On the other hand, the online discussions showed low levels of complexity and rationality. The social media only started to be a public space for expression rather than a public sphere for negotiations.
The Waning Elitism of U.S. Correspondents in Paris Between 1998 and 2010 • Patrick Merle, Texas Tech University • A qualitative study divulged findings from in-depth interviews conducted with U.S. foreign correspondents based in France in 1998 and in 2010. This longitudinal research investigated differences in the socio-demographic profiles as well as journalistic experiences and practices between journalists who covered France at two distinct time periods. Results suggested an overall wading elitism, an erosion of Paris’s news value, as well as the deontological threat posed by the Internet.
Countering Cultural Metanarratives: Anna Politkovskaya’s Chechen War Reporting • Susan Novak, University of Kansas • Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who reported about the Second Chechen War and the innocent Chechen civilians who suffered as a result, was assassinated in 2006. Her journalistic narratives told factual stories, but the Russian people disregarded them while the rest of the world lauded the work. Close textual narrative analysis of Politkovskaya’s stories, looking specifically at the Russian metanarratives her work countered, may help explain why her reporting did not resonate with Russian readers.
Veiled Politics: Legitimating the Burqa Ban in the French Press • Anne Roberts • This paper argues that mediated discourse in the French press contributed significantly to the passage of a law excluding the veil from being worn in public. The discourse in the press made the legislation appear reasonable and necessary because of its association with gender inequality and religious fundamentalism. This media narrative was couched in a defensive employment of laïcité and legitimated the political position by presenting the veil as intolerable and against public social order.
The effect of ICTs on democratic attitudes and behaviors in sub-Saharan Africa • Elizabeth Stoycheff, Ohio State University • Recent political uprisings in the Middle East have communication scholars, journalists and politicians speculating: How do new media technologies influence citizens’ democratic attitudes and behaviors? This paper empirically examines the relationship between two ICTs (Internet and cell phone use) and citizens’ demand for democracy and likelihood to engage in political protest in developing countries. Implications for current political movements are discussed.
Framing Colombia: Problem Definition and Remedy in the New York Times, 1997-2008 • Matt Tedrow, University of Texas at Austin • This study uses framing theory and a content analysis of 794 news items to examine how the New York Times framed Colombia’s internal conflict as well as U.S. military involvement in the country for the years 1997-2008. Research questions asked which groups were depicted as responsible for violence and narcotrafficking, and what rationales were given for U.S. involvement in Colombia. Analysis focused on problem definition and remedy, two important framing functions defined by Entman (2004).
Soap operas as a matchmaker: A cultivation analysis of the effects of South Korean TV dramas’ on Vietnamese women’s marital intentions • Hong Vu, The University of Kansas • This cultivation study examined the effects of South Korean soap operas on Vietnamese female audiences. It also assessed cultivation effects in combination with the Theory of Reasoned Actions. Based on a survey of 439 female viewers, it explicated the link between South Korean soap opera consumption and the emergent phenomenon of transnational marriages involving Vietnamese women and South Korean men. Cultivation effects were confirmed in an international setting. Results also have important real world implications.
The Power of Social Network in China: How Does Microblog Influence the Way of Expression • Linjia Xu, Renmin University of China • Microblogs have provided a means for citizens to express their opinions and hardships to the public and to the Chinese government. When these hardships are dire, the power of online voices can force the government to act quickly and to respond effectively. This study focuses on the influence of microblogs on the relationship between citizens and government. A survey of 495 microbloggers shows that the medium is predominantly used to main using for acquiring information and for following celebrities as opinion leaders. The analysis explored the characteristic way of continuous exposure to public by microblog. The tree-structure of information flow as I modeled made a topic to a hot issue. Netizens are mastering this medium, harnessing the power of the microblog in order to solve their societal problems, choosing this form of action over previous actions such as letters, phone calls, or visits to the high authorities. This paper will show that the relationship between citizens and the Chinese government is fundamentally changing with the rise of new media and the increasing power of microblog.
A Qualitative Analysis of How and Why People Use Social Network Sites: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Korea and the U.S. • Jinnie Yoo, University of Texas-Austin • While participation in social network sites (SNSs) has grown rapidly in recent years and is a highly popular, global phenomenon, only few research examined how the different cultural values and attitudes impact the way people adopt and use this new media platform. Employing qualitative approach, this study attempts to uncover the cross-cultural differences in motivations and behavioral patterns for using SNSs among the Korean and American users. The findings of this study show the explicit differences in the motivations and strategies for using SNSs between Korean and American users, which are supported by the independent and interdependent self-construals theory proposed by Markus and Kitayama (1991). The motivational themes and usage patterns emerged from Korean participants are more other- or relationship-focused, pursuing social/emotional support, while those of Americans are more ego- or self-focused, pertaining to entertainment or information seeking.
International Coverage, Foreign Policy, and National Image: Exploring the Complexities of Media Coverage, Public Opinion, and Presidential Agenda • Cui Zhang, University of Alabama • This study examines the linkage of media coverage of foreign countries, public opinion, and the policy agenda through the lens of both first- and second-level agenda-settings. A triangulation of research methods compared media coverage, public opinion and presidential public papers for 15 foreign countries. Results indicated that agenda-setting effects exist in media agenda, public agenda, and policy agenda regarding foreign countries. Implications of these findings on agenda-setting theory and national image were discussed.
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