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Mass Communications Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

An Experimental Analysis of the Effect of Crisis Response Message Strategies on Consumer Emotions, Perceptual Beliefs and Intended Behavior , Valentina Ahumada

How the Taiwanese podcast Bailingguo News framed the 2019 Hong Kong movement: A framing analysis of the anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill , Yu-Fei Chiu

Advocating for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Study of the NHL’s #HockeyIsForEveryone Campaign on Twitter , Jessica Martinez

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

An Analysis of International Soccer Fans’ Knowledge of Qatar, Perceptions of Qatar’s Country Image, and Intention to Support the 2022 FIFA World Cup , Taleb Al-Adbah

Analysis of Prescription Drug Brand Mentions in Music: Prevalence and Consumer Perceptions , Lisa A. Blake

Elements of Instagram Influencer Posts that Drive Follower Engagement , Yishan Li

Communicating Breast Cancer Awareness: Using the Health Belief Model to Develop Mass Communication Themes to Influence Early Detection Behaviors , Srisai Kamakshi Ramya Harika Pucha

The European Super League (ESL): A Political Economy and Media Framing Analysis , Patrick Sidwell

Inaugural Addresses, Framing Theory, and the Impact on American Perceptions of the Presidency , Kalin Meagan Velez

The Use of Social Media by Leaders in Times of Crisis: 2020–21 United States Election Protests , Cagdas Yuksel

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

The Influence of Hate Speech on TikTok on Chinese College Students , Tengyue Chen

Cultivating Courage: Medical Dramas and Portrayals of Patient Self-Advocacy , Alyssa H. Harrell

The Media Reproduction of Racial Violence: A Content Analysis of News Coverage Following the Death of George Floyd Jr. , Keylon Lovett

Credibility of Spokespersons and E-cigarette Prevention Messages: Elaboration Likelihood Model and The Moderating Role of Perceived Risk , Emmanuel Maduneme

An Examination of COVID-19 Health Behaviors and Public Health Messaging Using the Health Belief Model and Organization-Public Relationship Quality , Aaron L. Nichols

The Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM) and Risk Perceptions of Twitter messages related to COVID-19 , Muhammad E. Rasul

Framing #MeToo movement in China A Content Analysis of China Women’s News Coverage , Wenminzi Wu

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Super Bowl Ads and the Donald Trump Culture War , Jessica Barron

A Case Study on Black Twitter’s Reactions to the Framing of Blacks in Dove’s 2017 Facebook Advertisement , Shereena Farrington

The Roles of Emotional Cues and Purchasing Incentives in WeChat Commerce: A Content Analysis , Xuezhu Hao

People with Parkinson’s and Care Partners of PwPs’ Uncertainty Management Through Information Strategies , Amy Haywood

Asian Male Stereotypes: An Investigation of Current Beliefs About Asian Males and Stereotypes Perpetuated by U.S. Modern Cinema , Noelle Knopp

Developing Design Elements for a Parkinson’s Disease Informative Website: A Social Marketing Approach , Emilie R. Madsen

Evaluation of Native Advertisement though Third Person Effect Theory: An Experimental Design , Inga Nafetvaridze

EPPM and Its Effectiveness in Advertisements of Colorectal Cancer Screening among Young Adults , Anh T. Nguyen

The Role of Threat and Efficacy in Anti-Vaping Ads: A Test of the Extended Parallel Process Model , Ryan Noone

An Experimental Investigation into the Impact of Crisis Response Strategies and Relationship Management in the Pharmaceutical Industry , Nikoletta Pappas

Media Fandom: Social Media Use and Collective Identity in China: A Case Study of Z.Tao’s Weibo Fandom , Mier Sha

'Golden Spike': Examining Atlanta United FC Communications During the Launch of the Team , Maria Tsyruleva

The Role of Influencer Endorsement in Consumer Brand Engagement on Sina Weibo , Xiaofan Wei

One News Event, Three Media Frames , Le Xin

Applying the Situational Theory of Publics to Children's Sex Education in China , Baoyi Zeng

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

The Role of Social Media Journalists in TV News:Their Effects on the Profession and Identity of TV Journalism, the Quality of News, and theAudience Engagement , Yousuf Humiad AL Yousufi

Relationship Management Communications by NHL Teams on Twitter , Kelsey M. Baker

2018 China-United States Trade War: Framing Analysis of Online News Coverage in the United States and China as portrayed by the New York Times and the People’s Daily , Jiangling Huang

The Research on the Determinants of Users' Willingness to Pay for Chinese Paid Sports Model Based on Use and Gratification Theory , Jing Li

Online MMORPG Games in China: Player Motivations and the Mediating Role of Flow , Jiaxin Liu

The Hostile Media Effect and Its Potential Consequences: Examining the Influence of Presumed Influence of International Media Coverage , Zhennan Liu

Womenpreneurs in a Digital Environment: Utilizing Instagram to Build a Personal Brand , Michelle N. Nuñez

Objectification of Women in Bollywood Item Numbers , Zahabia Z. Slatewala

A Research on eSports Users’ Motives and Satisfaction in China The Case of League of Legends , Qianyin Sun

An Analysis of the Language and the Relationship of the President of the USA Related Twitter Accounts toward the National Media , Sait Serif Turhan

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Perception of Kazakhstan in the U.S through the New York Times Coverage , Tursynay Alikhanova

The Influence of Instagram Selfies on Female Millennials’ Appearance Satisfaction , Diliara Bagautdinova

Women’s Body Image in the Media: Fitspiration on Instagram , Brook M. Bryant

Political Talk Shows in Taiwan: First- and Third-Person Effects, Their Attitudinal Antecedents and Consequences , Shou-Chen Hsieh

An Examination of Image Repair Theory and BP’s Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill , William Anthony Korte Jr.

An Analysis of Organ Donation Presentations on Weibo , Shengfei Li

Gender Sexualization in Digital Games: Exploring Female Character Changes in Tomb Raider , Jingjing Liu

Shithole Countries: An Analysis of News Coverage in the U.S. , Murewa O. Olubela

Self-esteem, motivation, and self-enhancement presentation on WeChat , Xiao Qiu

The Portrayal of Women in the Oldest Russian Women’s Magazine “Rabotnitsa” From 1970-2017 , Anastasiia Utiuzh

Cultural Adaptation and Maintenance: Chinese International Students' Use of Facebook and WeChat , Mengni Wang

The Understanding of Absolute Right to Freedom of Expression in the Case of Hate Speech , Qinqin Wang

Body Image, Self-Esteem and Eating Disturbance among Chinese Women: Testing the Tripartite Influence model , Weiwei Wang

I’m Your Fan – Engaging in Celebrity’s Social Media Page with the Mediation of Parasocial Interaction and Parasocial Relationship , Jiahui Zhuang

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Household Food Waste Prevention in Malaysia: An Issue Processes Model Perspective , Syahirah Abd Razak

Countering the Questionable Actions of the CPD and FEC , Brian C. Cole

“You Know Who I Am, Don’t You? I’m the One They’re Writing About in the Newspapers and on TV” , Casey Killen Crane

To Tell the Truth: The Credibility of Cable News Networks In an Era of Increasingly Partisan Political News Coverage , Christopher Jadick

Political Media Bias in the United States: Immigration and the Trump Administration , Bryce Josepher

Social Media Use and Political Participation in China: The Mediating Role of Political Efficacy , Bingyang Liu

Framing Genetically-modified Foods Communication in China: A Content Analysis of News Coverage of People’s Daily and Southern Metropolis , Linqi Lu

Conceptualizing Social Wealth in the Digital Age: A Mixed Methods Approach , Kristina Oliva

The Road to the White House: A Correlational Analysis of Twitter Sentiment and National Polls in the 2016 Election Cycle , Melissa G. Pelletier

Using Green Messages to Cue Recycling Tendencies , Danielle Quichocho

Traversing Privacy Issues on Social Networking Sites Among Kuwaiti Females , Shahad Shihab

Chinese National Identity and Media Framing , Yufeng Tian

Smog Pollution in China: News Framing and Issue-Attention Cycle per the , Yingying Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Corporate Social Responsibility Communication: Beliefs in Motives, First- and Third-Person Effects and Behavioral Consequences , Nianyuan Cheng

Crimean Referendum: Annexation VS Reunification. Framing Analysis of Online News Coverage in Russia and the U.S. , Anna Dedova

Investigating the Determinants of Recycling Behavior in Youth by Using Theory of Planned Behavior. , Tejaswini Gadiraju

Media Perceptions on Sexual Assault on College Campuses , Maggie M. Hall

The Impact of Emojis and Emoticons on Online Consumer Reviews, Perceived Company Response Quality, Brand Relationship, and Purchase Intent. , Jayme Hill Hill

Media Multitasking and Memory: The Role of Message Modalities , Le Nguyen

Cultivating Philanthropy in Community Colleges: A Dual-Model Approach , Rachel Faith Pleasant

Avatar Self-Identification, Self-Esteem, and Perceived Social Capital in the Real World: A Study of World of Warcraft Players and their Avatars , Melissa Watts

The Effects of Mission Statement Design on Behavioral Intention , Jonathan David West

Impact of a Brand Crisis on Nation Branding: An Analysis of Tweets about VW’s Emissions Crisis , Kara Julie Whytas

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Responding to a Rumor: How Crisis Response Strategies Influence Relationship Outcomes , Bo Breuklander

Crisis Communication and Celebrity Scandal: An Experiment on Response Strategies , Leah Champion

Speaking Their Language: Textisms in Today's Communication , Adam Lloyd Drum

Direct-to-Consumer Messaging: A Phenomenological Examination of DTC Best Practices , Nicholas Dominick Fancera

Examining Endorsement and Viewership Effects on the Source Credibility of YouTubers , Stephanie Fred

The Cultivation of Eating Disorders through Instagram , Kendall O'Brien

Online Game Advertising and Chinese College Students: Attitudes, First- and Third-Person Effects , Yan Tang

On the Convergence of Cinema and Theme Parks: Developing a Predictable Model for Creative Design , Ryan Luke Terry

I Threw My Pie for You: Engagement and Loyalty on TV Show Facebook Pages , Tracy M. Wisneski

First- and Third-Person Effects of Alcohol Advertising on Chinese College Students , Dong Xue

Framing Occupy Central: A Content Analysis of Hong Kong, American and British Newspaper Coverage , Mengjiao Yu

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Climate Change, Situational Theory of Problem Solving, and Issue Framing Effects , Michael Eddie Burch

British Cultural Narrative in Winston Churchill's Political Communication , Andres L. Faza

Communication Behavior Study of Support in the Arts Using the Situational Theory of Publics and the Theory of Reasoned Action , Ashleigh Gallant

A Comparison Study on Violent Video Games: Explained by the Gamers Themselves , Christopher John Kneifer

Applying Public Relations Theory to Assess Service-Learning Relationships , Karen Strand

EFFECTS OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, COUNTRY ANIMOSITY AND FOREIGN PRODUCT USAGE EXPERIENCES ON PRODUCT JUDGEMENT: A STUDY OF CHINESE CUSTOMERS , Cong Sui

The Accidental Motivator: Florida's Medicinal Marijuana Ballot Initiative's Impact on the Youth Vote , Robert Winsler

An Examination of Motives, Experiences, and Behaviors of MMORPG Players , Theresa Lynn Woods

Social Media Use During The College Transition , Kevin J. Yurasek

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Media and USF Students' Perception of Terrorism , Mamdoh Suleiman Al-Ameri

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Home > USC Columbia > College of Information and Communications > Journalism & Mass Communications > Journalism & Mass Communications Theses and Dissertations

Journalism & Mass Communications Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

The Impact of Follower-Influencer Relationship Stages on Consumers’ Perceptions and Behavioral Intentions in the Context of Influencer Marketing , Khalid Obaid Alharbi

The Effect of Social Media (Instagram) Use Patterns on The Cultural and Athletic Identity of Black Female Collegiate Athletes’ Body Image Dissatisfaction , Shelbretta Kar’Anna Ball

Contextualizing Search: An Analysis of the Impacts of Construal Level Theory, Mood, and Product Type on Search Engine Activity , Jackson Everitt Carter

Words Evaporate, the Images Remain: Testing Visual Warnings in the Context of Intentions to Vape Among U.S. Adults as an Expansion of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) , Carl Arland Ciccarelli

Risk Propensity in Journalists: An Analysis of Journalists’ Personality Traits and How They Direct Behavior in the Field , Ellen Katherine Dunn

Online Information-Seeking and Cancer Screening Intention: An Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey 2022 , Rachel Aileen Ford

Always on Display: South Carolina Civil Rights Lawyer Matthew J. Perry Jr. Expanding the Civil Sphere Through the Courts and the News Media, 1954-1963 , Christopher G. Frear

Exploring the Agenda-Setting Dynamics Between Traditional Newspapers and Twitter During Mass Shooting Event , Yujin Heo

Extreme Persuasion: Analyzing Meaning Creation and Persuasive Strategies Within Extreme Discourse on Alternative Social Media , Naomi Kathryn Lawrence

Framing Police Brutality: An Analysis of Newspaper Coverage of Walter Scott’s Murder , Shamira S. McCray

Exploring Trustworthiness Issues About Disaster-related Information Generated by Artificial Intelligence , Xin Tao

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

The Effect of Emotional Intensity, Arousal, and Valence On Online Video Ad Sharing , Chang Won Choi

“Power, Poison, Pain & Joy”: Applying a Critical Race Conceptual Model of Implicit Racial Bias to Narratives Framing Blackness in Black Sports Columns, Black Music, and Black Journalism , Christina Lauren Myers

Gatekeeping Blackness: Roles, Relationships, and Pressures of Black Television Journalists at a Time of Racial Reckoning , Denetra Walker

The Binge Viewing Index: Creating and Testing a New Measure , Larry J. Webster Jr.

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Portion of Profit Donations: CSR as Public Relations Strategy and its Relationships with Trust and Purchase Intentions , Branden Dylan Cameron Birmingham

The Role of Sexting in the Development of Romantic Relationships , Max Bretscher

Let’s Be Friends: Examining Consumer Brand Relationships Through the Lens Of Brand Personality, Engagement, and Reciprocal Altruism , Daniel D. Haun

Go with The Flow: Testing the Effects of Emotional Flow on Psychophysiological, Attitudinal, and Behavioral Changes , Chris R. Noland

Brand New: How Visual Context Shapes Initial Response To Logos and Corporate Visual Identity Systems , Robert A. Wertz

Inoculating the Public Against Misinformation: Testing The Effectiveness of “Pre-bunking” Techniques in the Context of Mental Illness and Violence , Nanlan Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Gun Violence and Advocacy Communication , Minhee Choi

The Role of Third-person Perceptions in Predicting the Public’s Support for Electronic Cigarette Advertising Regulations , Joon Kyoung Kim

Conservative Media’s Coverage of Coronavirus on YouTube: A Qualitative Analysis of Media Effects on Consumers , Michael J. Layer

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Problem Chain Recognition Effect and CSR Communication: Examining the Impact of Issue Salience and Proximity on Environmental Communication Behaviors , Nandini Bhalla

The Games Behind the Scenes: Newspaper Framing of Female African American Olympic Athletes , Martin Reece Funderburk

Effectiveness of a Brand’s Paid, Owned, and Earned Media in a Social Media Environment , Anan Wan

Providing Prevention Education About Child Sexual Abuse to Parents: Testing Media Effects on Knowledge, Behavioral Intentions and Outcomes , Jane Long Weatherred

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Creating an Online Social Movement in Socially Conservative Societies: A Case Study of Manshoor Blog Using Frame Alignment Process , Noura Abdullah Al-Duaijani

How S. C. Daily Newspapers Framed the Removal of the Confederate Flag from the State House Grounds in 2015 Through Letters to the Editor and Editorials , Thomas Craig Anderson

Breaking The Silence: Extending Theory To Address The Underutilization Of Mental Health Services Among Chinese Immigrants In The United States , Jo-Yun Queenie Li

Fandom In Politics: Scale Development And Validation , Won-Ki Moon

Fatal Force: A Conversation With Journalists Who Cover Deadly, Highly-Publicized Police Shootings , Denetra Walker

Domestic Extension Of Public Diplomacy: Media Competition For Credibility, Dependency And Activation Of Publics , Yicheng Zhu

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Hydraulic Fracturing In the United States: A Framing Analysis , Kenneth Stephen Cardell Jr.

Network vs. Netflix: A Comparative Content Analysis of Demographics Across Prime-Time Television and Netflix Original Programming , James Corfield

Framing Marijuana: A Study of How us Newspapers Frame Marijuana Legalization Stories and Framing Effects of Marijuana Stories , Hwalbin Kim

The Allure of Isis: Examining the Underlying Mechanisms that Helped the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria , Alexander Luchsinger

International Twitter Comments About 2016 U.S. Presidential Candidates Trump And Clinton: Agenda-Building Analysis In The U.S., U.K., Brazil, Russia, India and China , Jane O’Boyle

Is That Online Review Fake News? How Sponsorship Disclosure Influences Reader Credibility , Mark W. Tatge

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Measuring Strategic Communications , Jeffrey A. Ranta

Public Perceptions Of Genetically Modified Food On Social Media: A Content Analysis Of Youtube Comments On Videos , Nanlan Zhang

Toward A Situational Technology Acceptance Model: Combining the Situational Theory of Problem Solving and Technology Acceptance Model to Promote Mobile Donations for Nonprofit Organizations , Yue Zheng

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Promoting HPV Vaccination for Male Young Adults: Effects of Social Influence , Wan Chi Leung

Redneckaissance: Honey Boo Boo, Tumblr, and the Stereotype of Poor White Trash , Ashley F. Miller

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Conflicted Union: Culture, Economics and European Union Media Policy , Daphney Pernola Barr

Beating Down the Fear: The Civil Sphere and Political Change in South Carolina, 1940-1962 , Sid Bedingfield

The State v. Perry: Comparative Newspaper Coverage of South Carolina's Most Prominent Civil Rights Lawyer , Christopher G. Frear

(MASCOT) NATION: EXAMINING UNIVERSITY ENGAGEMENT ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAMS’ FACEBOOK PAGES , Matthew J. Haught

Innovation Among Georgian Journalism Educators: A Network Analysis Perspective , Ana Keshelashvili

Emotional Bond between the Creator and the Avatar: Changes in Behavioral Intentions to Engage in Alcohol-Related Traffic Risk Behaviors , Hokyung Kim

Handcuffing Speech: Federal Fraud Statutes and the Criminalization of Advertising , Carmen Maye

Social Movements, Media, and Democratization in Georgia , Maia Mikashavidze

Am I in Danger? : Predictors and Behavioral Outcomes of Public Perception of Risk Associated with Food Hazards , Sang-Hwa Oh

Parental Mediation of Adolescent Movie Viewing , Larry James Webster Jr.

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Political Advertising In Kuwait - A Functional Discourse Analysis , Jasem Alqaseer

The Westernization of Advertisements Published In Kuwaiti Newspapers From 1992 to 2012; A Content Analysis , Farah Taleb Alrefai

What Can Reader Comments to News Online Contribute to Engagement and Interactivity? A Quantitative Approach , Brett A. Borton

Exploring a paradigm shift: The New York Times' framing of sub-Saharan Africa in stories of conflict, war and development during the Cold War and post-Cold War eras, 1945-2009 , Zadok Opero Ekimwere

Mental Health On Youtube: Exploring the Potential of Interactive Media to Change Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors About Mental Health , Caroline Belser Foster

That's News to Me: An Exploratory Study of the Uses and Gratifications of Current Events On Social Media of 18-24 Year-Olds , John Vincent Karlis

Making Stewardship Meaningful For Nonprofits: Stakeholder Motivations, Attitudes, Loyalty and Behaviors , Geah N. Pressgrove

An Alternative Path: The Intellectual Legacy of James W. Carey , Matthew Ross

The Corporation in the Marketplace of Ideas: The Law and Economics of Corporate Political Speech , Matthew W. Telleen

Child Sexual Abuse In the Media: Is Institutional Failure to Blame? , Jane Long Weatherred

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

The Relationship Between Facebook Use and Religiosity Among Emerging Adults , Heidi D. Campbell

Attribute Agenda Setting, Attribtue Priming, and The Public's Evaluation of Genetically Modified (GM) Food in South Korea , Soo Yun Kim

What's Mine is Yours: An Exploratory Study of Attitudes and Conceptions About Online Personal Privacy In the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , Patrick Sharbaugh

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

How Journalists Perceive Internal and External Influence: A Qualitative Assessment of Local Television Reporters' Ethical Decision-Making , Beth Eckard Concepcion

Collective Memory of the War In Iraq: An Analysis of Letters to the Editor and Public Opinion Polls, 2003-2008 , Lisa Cash Luedeman

A Framing Analysis and Model of Barack Obama in Political Cartoons , Anthony Palmer

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Breaking Down the Fear' -- John H. Mccray, Accommodationism and theFraming of the Civil Rights Struggle in South Carolina, 1940-1948 , Sid Bedingfield

Do You See What I See?: A Comparative Content Analysis of Iraq War Photographs As Published In the New York Times and the Tehran Times , Garen Cansler

Exploring Intention to Adopt Mobile Tv Services In the U.S.: Toward A New Model With Cognitive-Based and Emotional-Based Constructs , Seoyoon Choi

Media Representations and Implications For Collective Memory: A Grounded Theory Analysis of TV News Broadcasts of Hillary Clinton From 1993-2008 , Mary Elizabeth McLaughlin

Resonance and Elaboration: the Framing Effect of Chinese Product Safety Issue Coverage , Ji Pan

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Mass Communication Thesis

Understanding a Mass Communication thesis is key to excelling in communication studies. It involves in-depth research and analysis of how mass media impacts society. This guide offers a complete overview, providing clear definitions and meanings , along with practical examples. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or academic, this resource will enrich your knowledge of Mass Communication, offering insights into creating impactful theses and harnessing the power of media in contemporary society.

What is Mass Communication Thesis?

A Mass Communication thesis is an extensive research project focusing on various aspects of mass media and its effects on audiences and society. It involves rigorous study and analysis, often culminating in a substantial written work that contributes to the field of Mass Communication. The thesis may explore topics like media influence, communication theories, digital media trends, and the role of media in shaping public opinion. Understanding its definition and meaning is essential for students and researchers delving into the depths of media studies.

20 Mass Communication Thesis Examples

Exploring diverse aspects of Mass Communication, these thesis examples offer insights into the dynamic field, addressing contemporary issues and emerging trends. Each topic is carefully crafted, integrating key concepts like media influence , digital platforms , and audience perception . These examples serve as an excellent starting point for students and researchers aiming to delve into the intricacies of Mass Communication, fostering a deeper understanding of its impact on society and individual behavior.

• How do political campaigns use social media to shape public opinion?
• How have streaming platforms changed audience engagement with television content?
• In what ways do television shows reinforce traditional gender roles?
• How has digital journalism affected the speed and spread of news?
• Which platform is more effective for advertising, traditional media or digital platforms?
• How do celebrity endorsements influence consumer choices in advertising?
• What strategies are effective for crisis communication on social media?
• How do movies shape our perceptions of other cultures?
• What ethical considerations should photojournalists have in conflict zones?
• How do PSAs influence public behavior in health and safety matters?
• In what ways do children’s shows contribute to their learning and development?
• Why have podcasts become a popular medium in recent years?
• How accurately are minorities represented in mainstream media?
• What impact does the spread of fake news have on public trust in media?
• Why is media literacy important for audiences today?
• In what ways do music videos influence youth culture?
• How do online influencers shape consumer behavior?
• How does media coverage affect political processes in democratic societies?
• What impact does user-generated content have on professional journalism?
• How does the globalization of television content promote cross-cultural understanding?

Each of these thesis examples opens a window into understanding the complex and ever-evolving world of Mass Communication, offering fresh perspectives and critical insights.

How to Write Mass Communication Thesis?

Writing a thesis in Mass Communication requires a structured approach and a clear understanding of the subject matter. Here are steps to guide you through the process:

• Choose a Relevant Topic : Select a topic that is both interesting to you and relevant to the field of mass communication . Ensure it has enough scope for research and analysis.
• Conduct Thorough Research : Gather information from credible sources like academic journals, books, and case studies. This will form the foundation of your thesis.
• Develop a Strong Thesis Statement : Your thesis statement should clearly express the main idea of your research. It serves as the guiding framework for your entire thesis.
• Outline Your Thesis : Create an outline to organize your thoughts and structure your thesis. This should include an introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, discussion, and conclusion.
• Write the Literature Review : Review existing literature to provide context and background for your thesis. This should reflect a deep understanding of the subject and its current state.
• Describe Your Methodology : Clearly explain the methods used for data collection and analysis. This could include qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method approaches.
• Analyze and Discuss Findings : Present your data and discuss what it means in the context of your thesis statement. This should be an objective analysis of the results.
• Conclude with Implications : End your thesis with a conclusion that summarizes your findings and discusses their implications in the field of crisis communication and beyond.

Thesis Ideas for Mass Communication

When choosing a topic for your Mass Communication thesis, consider areas that are both contemporary and have a significant impact on society. Here are some ideas:

• The Role of Social Media in Crisis Communication : Analyze how social media platforms are used to manage communications during crises.
• Impact of Fake News on Public Opinion : Explore how misinformation affects public perception and decision-making.
• Media Coverage and Public Perception of Global Pandemics : Investigate how media reporting on events like COVID-19 influences public response and behavior.
• The Evolution of Advertising in the Digital Age : Examine how digital platforms have transformed advertising strategies and consumer engagement.
• The Influence of Mass Media on Political Campaigns : Study how mass media coverage affects the outcomes of political elections or campaigns.
• Ethical Considerations in Journalism : Discuss the ethical dilemmas faced by journalists in the modern media landscape.
• The Effectiveness of Public Service Announcements : Evaluate the impact of PSAs on public awareness and behavior change.
• Cultural Representation in Mass Media : Analyze how different cultures are represented in various media forms and the impact on cultural perception.

In summary, crafting a Mass Communication thesis requires careful selection of a pertinent topic, thorough research, and a structured approach. By following these guidelines and tips, you can effectively communicate your insights and contribute valuable knowledge to the field. Whether exploring crisis communication or other areas, your thesis has the potential to impact and shape the understanding of mass communication dynamics.

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Master of Arts (M.A.) Major in Mass Communication (Thesis Option)

Program overview.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication offers an opportunity for media professionals and recent graduates to expand their education and training within the mass communication field by earning a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree. 

The program is geared toward working professionals with or without a background in mass communication.

Students in the M.A. program take a variety of skills-based and theory courses. The curriculum provides students with the digital and analytic skills needed for the field of mass communication.

Students complete an 18-hour core as well as electives and 6 hours of thesis credits. Students write an academic thesis to graduate. Core courses focus on media writing, digital storytelling, law/ethics, digital media issues, mass communication, theory and research. Electives address a variety of topics such as: human-computer interaction, web design, media design, content management, strategic communication campaigns and crisis communication. Students can earn internship credit and also have the opportunity to study abroad.

Courses are offered face-to-face in the evening, online, or via a hybrid teaching model because a large percentage of students enrolled are working professionals.

The Schools' faculty offices, classrooms, Milab, media labs, and administrative offices are located in historic Old Main.

Financial Assistance

Graduate assistantships are offered with competitive stipends. Having a graduate assistantship also provides an out-of-state tuition waiver. Most assistantships are assigned in May for the fall term, but assistantships may be available for students in the spring.

The School offers limited scholarships for currently enrolled students. Also, the College of Fine Arts and Communication and The Graduate College provide a variety of scholarships for new and returning graduate students. See the various web sites for details.

Application Requirements

The items listed below are required for admission consideration for applicable semesters of entry during the current academic year. Submission instructions, additional details, and changes to admission requirements for semesters other than the current academic year can be found on The Graduate College's website . International students should review the International Admission Documents page for additional requirements.

• completed online application
• $55 nonrefundable application fee

          or

• $90 nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials
• baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university
• official transcripts from  each institution  where course credit was granted
• minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses)
• GRE not required
• resume/CV including information about educational background, work experience, and extracurricular activities
• statement of purpose including a professional narrative discussing how the skills learned in the curriculum featured in the M.A. program will be applied in current or future careers.The statement should be no longer than 500 words in length.
• two letters of recommendation from individuals competent to assess the student’s capacity to pursue graduate education in mass communication. Students who did not major in mass communication as an undergraduate student should submit at least one of the two letters from a professor in the student’s undergraduate major. Students transferring from another institution should submit at least one of the two letters from a professor in the previous institution.

Effective Fall 2023: two samples of multimedia production, writing, or other media materials produced in class, at an internship, or on the job. A link to online materials may be included in a document that is uploaded into the application system. Print documents may just be uploaded.

TOEFL, PTE, or IELTS Scores

Non-native English speakers who do not qualify for an English proficiency waiver:

• official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 100 overall
• official PTE scores required with a 68 overall
• official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 7.0 overall and minimum individual module scores of 6.5

​This program does  not  offer admission if the scores above are not met.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree with a major in Mass Communication requires 33 semester credit hours, including a thesis. All students are required to make a minimum 3.0 GPA in the required courses and a minimum 3.0 GPA in the electives.

Course Requirements

Comprehensive examination requirement.

The comprehensive exam is an oral defense of the thesis produced. Students who fail the oral defense can reschedule to take it again. 

Students who do not successfully complete the requirements for the degree within the timelines specified will be dismissed from the program.

If a student elects to follow the thesis option for the degree, a committee to direct the written thesis will be established. The thesis must demonstrate the student’s capability for research and independent thought. Preparation of the thesis must be in conformity with the  Graduate College Guide to Preparing and Submitting a Thesis or Dissertation .

Thesis Proposal

The student must submit an official  Thesis Proposal Form  and proposal to his or her thesis committee. Thesis proposals vary by department and discipline. Please see your department for proposal guidelines and requirements. After signing the form and obtaining committee members’ signatures, the graduate advisor’s signature if required by the program and the department chair’s signature, the student must submit the Thesis Proposal Form with one copy of the proposal attached to the dean of The Graduate College for approval before proceeding with research on the thesis. If the thesis research involves human subjects, the student must obtain exemption or approval from the Texas State Institutional Review Board prior to submitting the proposal form to The Graduate College. The IRB approval letter should be included with the proposal form. If the thesis research involves vertebrate animals, the proposal form must include the Texas State IACUC approval code. It is recommended that the thesis proposal form be submitted to the dean of The Graduate College by the end of the student’s enrollment in 5399A. Failure to submit the thesis proposal in a timely fashion may result in delayed graduation.

Thesis Committee

The thesis committee must be composed of a minimum of three approved graduate faculty members.

Thesis Enrollment and Credit

The completion of a minimum of six hours of thesis enrollment is required. For a student's initial thesis course enrollment, the student will need to register for thesis course number 5399A.  After that, the student will enroll in thesis B courses, in each subsequent semester until the thesis is defended with the department and approved by The Graduate College. Preliminary discussions regarding the selection of a topic and assignment to a research supervisor will not require enrollment for the thesis course.

Students must be enrolled in thesis credits if they are receiving supervision and/or are using university resources related to their thesis work.  The number of thesis credit hours students enroll in must reflect the amount of work being done on the thesis that semester.  It is the responsibility of the committee chair to ensure that students are making adequate progress toward their degree throughout the thesis process.  Failure to register for the thesis course during a term in which supervision is received may result in postponement of graduation. After initial enrollment in 5399A, the student will continue to enroll in a thesis B course as long as it takes to complete the thesis. Thesis projects are by definition original and individualized projects.  As such, depending on the topic, methodology, and other factors, some projects may take longer than others to complete.  If the thesis requires work beyond the minimum number of thesis credits needed for the degree, the student may enroll in additional thesis credits at the committee chair's discretion. In the rare case when a student has not previously enrolled in thesis and plans to work on and complete the thesis in one term, the student will enroll in both 5399A and 5399B.

The only grades assigned for thesis courses are PR (progress), CR (credit), W (withdrew), and F (failing). If acceptable progress is not being made in a thesis course, the instructor may issue a grade of F. If the student is making acceptable progress, a grade of PR is assigned until the thesis is completed. The minimum number of hours of thesis credit (“CR”) will be awarded only after the thesis has been both approved by The Graduate College and released to Alkek Library.

A student who has selected the thesis option must be registered for the thesis course during the term or Summer I (during the summer, the thesis course runs ten weeks for both sessions) in which the degree will be conferred.

Thesis Deadlines and Approval Process

Thesis deadlines are posted on  The Graduate College  website under "Current Students." The completed thesis must be submitted to the chair of the thesis committee on or before the deadlines listed on The Graduate College website.

The following must be submitted to The Graduate College by the thesis deadline listed on The Graduate College website:

• The Thesis Submission Approval Form bearing original (wet) and/or electronic signatures of the student and all committee members.
• One (1) PDF of the thesis in final form, approved by all committee members, uploaded in the online Vireo submission system.  

After the dean of The Graduate College approves the thesis, Alkek Library will harvest the document from the Vireo submission system for publishing in the Digital Collections database (according to the student's embargo selection).  NOTE: MFA Creative Writing theses will have a permanent embargo and will never be published to Digital Collections.  

While original (wet) signatures are preferred, there may be situations as determined by the chair of the committee in which obtaining original signatures is inefficient or has the potential to delay the student's progress. In those situations, the following methods of signing are acceptable:

• signing and faxing the form
• signing, scanning, and emailing the form
• notifying the department in an email from their university's or institution's email account that the committee chair can sign the form on their behalf
• electronically signing the form using the university's licensed signature platform.

If this process results in more than one document with signatures, all documents need to be submitted to The Graduate College together.

No copies are required to be submitted to Alkek Library. However, the library will bind copies submitted that the student wants bound for personal use. Personal copies are not required to be printed on archival quality paper. The student will take the personal copies to Alkek Library and pay the binding fee for personal copies.

Master's level courses in Mass Communications: MC

Courses Offered

Mass communication (mc).

MC 5199B. Thesis.

This course represents a student’s continuing thesis enrollment. The student continues to enroll in this course until the thesis is submitted for binding. Prerequisite: MC 5399A and completed course work.

MC 5299B. Thesis.

MC 5300. Teaching Techniques in Mass Communication.

This course is an introduction to curriculum, instruction, and assessment methods in the teaching of Mass Communication. It provides an orientation as well as regular in-service training and planned periodic evaluations of instructional responsibilities. This course does not earn graduate degree credit. This course is only open to graduate teaching and instructional assistants.

MC 5301. Mass Media and Society.

A seminar devoted to analysis and discussion of significant contemporary issues in mass communication, including a study of the history of the development of mass communication media. Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5302. Research Methods in Mass Communication.

Investigation of the tools and techniques of both qualitative and quantitative research methods used in the study of mass communication, including surveys, content analysis, experimental designs and case studies.

MC 5303. Theories of Mass Communication.

Examination of the literature of mass communication theory and discussion of theoretical approaches and models.

MC 5304T. Health Communication Campaigns.

Provides an overview of the theory and practice of designing, producing and evaluating health-communication campaigns. Examines persuasive approaches to behavioral change as well as audience, message and channel factors in health-campaign development. Emphasizes communication approaches, including mass media, social networking and new media.

MC 5306B. The Psychology of Social Media.

This course reviews social cognitive theories and research about the way social media users both produce and consume social media messages. It will examine clinical psychological and psychiatric effects that take place among social media users who do not have a clinical diagnosis. Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5306F. Content Analysis.

Content analysis is a systematic way to analyze the content of documented communications, whether they are written, audio/visual or digital. This course will examine the methodological steps involved in conducting a quantitative content analysis, design and execute a content analysis study. Corequisite: MC 5303 or MC5302.

MC 5306H. Foundations For Mass Communication Graduate Studies.

This course will familiarize students with the structure of the mass communication discipline, prominent theorists and historical developments, as well as expose them to the process of research and writing in the discipline of mass communication. Corequisites: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5306I. Collecting, Analyzing and Presenting Data.

This course will introduce students to skills for working with data as well as perspectives from which to think critically about the use of data in contemporary society. It will focus on three stages of working with data: collection, analysis and presentation.

MC 5306J. Mass Media Design.

Study and application of advanced principles of media design including: basic design principles, typography, color, photography, video, and digital media. Students will learn production skills for existing and new media.

MC 5306L. Refugees, Nonprofit Organizations and Strategic Communication.

This course analyzes strategic communication of nonprofit organizations serving refugees and asylum seekers. Students are introduced to organizations that serve these marginalized populations in Texas and to the problems, challenges and opportunities these organizations face. Students will conduct research and produce a project on an issue related to this topic.

MC 5306M. Social Media Strategies, Campaigns and Analytics.

This course will expose students to the principles and strategies behind social media campaigns. It will discuss the interactions, channels, SEO, and social media metrics used to gauge the success of a social media campaign. Students will also examine successful social media case studies. Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5306N. Mass Communication History.

History of Mass Media is a course that examines the development of the American mass media, including advertising and public relations, from 1690 to the present.

MC 5307. Project.

A major communication effort to demonstrate command of the skills necessary to work at advanced levels in mass communication. For example, it may be broadcast documentary, advertising or public relations campaign, or a newspaper series. This course is the master's capstone for those on the professional project track. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

MC 5308. Seminar in Strategic Communication.

This course broadens students' understanding of issues related to advertising and public relations through an integrated communication perspective. Students learn the decision-making process, learn what problems real organizations experience and evaluate how they resolve issues in such areas as client-agency relationships, strategic planning/management and globalization. Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5309. Gender, Race, and Class in the Media.

This course takes a theoretical approach to the study of representations of gender, race, and class in the mass media. A historical overview will be followed by an in-depth look at current conditions. (MULT). Corequisite: MC 5303 or MC 5302 .

MC 5310. Global Media Issues.

This course examines the media systems worldwide in different socioeconomic contexts and studies the patterns of international information flow. The course includes theories governing international communication. Students learn how and why communication takes place between different nations and the impact of this communication on individual nations. (MULT). Corequisite: MC 5303 or MC 5302 .

MC 5311. Independent Study.

Study of a special interest that offers academic or professional improvement and growth in the field of Mass Communication. May be repeated once with different emphasis for additional credit. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

MC 5312. Digital Media Design.

This course instructs students in Web development and design. Students learn Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Stylesheets (CSS) coding and are introduced to graphics and multimedia programs and web development frameworks. The class addresses the history and social implications of creating for the web. Prerequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 either with a grade of "C" or better.

MC 5313. Media Law and Ethics.

Study of laws and regulations as they pertain to media operations and the internal and external codes that guide media behavior. Freedom and responsibilities of the mass media practitioners and institutions will also be explored within the framework of ethical theories. Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5315. Creative Problem Solving in Mass Communication.

This class examines the psychology of creativity and its application in mass communication to media management, broadcasting, advertising, and public relations. Students learn a variety of ideation techniques and structured creative problem solving methods to better understand their own creative thinking process and how to facilitate creative thinking in groups. Corequisite: MC 5303 or MC 5302 .

MC 5316. Digital Media Issues.

This course will examine the role of digital media, including the Internet, Web and mobile technologies. Issues discussed will include social media and cyberculture research, technology diffusion, data journalism, analytics and the effects of digital technologies on society and culture, with a focus on ethics and regulation. Corequisite: MC 5303 or MC 5302 .

MC 5317. Advanced Digital Media.

This course builds on web development skills to create interactive presentations and data visualizations. Students are introduced to advanced programming and data concepts relevant to communicators. Theoretical and practical considerations of emerging technologies to the media industry will be integrated with production techniques. Prerequisite: MC 5312 . Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5318. Media Ethics.

The study of freedom and responsibilities of mass media practitioners and institutions, explored within the framework of ethical theories. Students will learn philosophical constructs as well as contemporary ethicists. Consideration of values, codes of ethics, moral development, professionalism, and institutional constraints as applied to media of information, persuasion and entertainment. Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5319. Mass Media and Politics.

The class will review key literature in the area of mass media and politics. It examines the relationship between the press and the government, as well as how the mass media covers politics at the statewide and national level. Corequisite: MC 5303 or MC 5302 .

MC 5321. Latinos and Media.

An immersion into the study of Latinos, their representations in media, and media oriented to Latinos. The course will require students to engage in in-depth research about Latinos and media issues. (MULT) Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5322. Global Media Strategy in Advertising and Public Relations.

This course provides an in-depth examination of multinational communication organizations, including news media, public relations, and advertising companies. In addition, the course examines organizational roles, impact and strategic functions in a global marketplace. (MULT) Prerequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 either with a grade of "C" or better.

MC 5323. Current Issues in Mass Communication.

This course examines current theoretical and professional issues in mass communication. This course may be repeated once with a different emphasis for credit. Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5324. Media Writing.

This course is designed to impart media writing skills. Students learn information gathering, interviewing skills, and writing techniques pertinent to different media. Students produce content (e.g., stories and digital pieces) that could be published across a wide variety of media outlets.

MC 5326. Strategic Communication Campaigns.

This course is a comprehensive study of strategic communication campaign planning with emphasis on public relations and advertising. Students combine theory and practice to develop, coordinate and evaluate advertising/public relations campaigns for key audiences. Prerequisite: MC 5308 with a grade of "B" or better.

MC 5327. Visual Communication.

This course examines the principles, theories, and language of visual communication, emphasizing the evaluation and use of images in digital mass media. Students will learn about media influences on their perceptions of reality and their behavior, the elements of visual literacy, and multicultural and global perspectives in visual media. Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5328. Digital Story Production.

This course involves discussion, development and analysis of multimedia stories, documentary video, and digital media. Students explore digital media techniques used in writing and producing multimedia stories. They learn visual aspects of storytelling and how to produce digital stories. Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5329. Media Systems in Latin America.

Students analyze media systems Latin America within their historical, cultural and political contexts. The course provides a comparative perspective of the role of the media within the region, their national markets and international Latino market. Students will ground these investigations with theories of international communication and information flow. (MULT) Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5330. Internship in Mass Communication.

Students acquire on-the-job experience in an off-campus media setting where they can apply the skills and knowledge acquired through mass communication graduate course work. Requires 180 hours of work off-campus, a written report, a portfolio of work product, and a supervisor's evaluation. Prerequisite: Departmental and Instructor approval. Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5332. SXTXState Project.

This course involves attendance at and coverage of the South By Southwest Interactive Conference. Students will prepare for the event, attend panels, interview participants and produce digital content about the experience. Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5333. Digital Media Entrepreneurship.

This course explores innovation and creativity associated with digital entrepreneurship. Students will be introduced to important concepts and ideas from thought leaders and innovators at the intersection of media and technology. Students will research and develop their own digital media products. Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5334. Storytelling Across Platforms.

Students learn the tools, channels and techniques available for multimedia storytellers The course introduces new and emerging ways to tell stories, including social media, photo and video platforms, branding and audience engagement, mobile media and data visualization. Prerequisite: MC 5328 . Corequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 .

MC 5335. Code Camp I.

In this course students are immersed in programming concepts relevant to communicators. Students will practice document object model manipulation using appropriate software to create interactive Web projects. Prerequisite: MC 5312 with a grade of "B" or better.

MC 5336. Code Camp II.

In this course students are immersed in data and visualization concepts relevant to communicators. Students will create interactive data visualization projects. Prerequisite: MC 5312 with a grade of "B" or better.

MC 5337. Global Media in the Connected World.

This course critically analyzes the role and use of traditional, digital and social media in a connected world. Students examine the prospects, challenges and applications of global media in areas such as socioeconomic development, political participation, digital divide, strategic communication, global crises and global entertainment. Prerequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 either with a grade of "C" or better.

MC 5338. Ethics and Crisis in Strategic Communication.

In this course students examine strategic communication practices throughout the stages of a crisis and ethical considerations. Special emphasis is placed on the crisis cycle, media relationships, image restoration, ethical responses, and organizational learning. Prerequisite: MC 5308 with a grade of "B" or better.

MC 5339. Managing Digital Content.

This course introduces concepts, skills and processes for working with content management systems. Students learn to assess organizations’ content needs and to develop appropriate content management solutions. Topics covered in this course include user research, information architecture and content strategy. Prerequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 either with a grade of "C" or better.

MC 5340. Media Product Strategy.

This course examines current theoretical and professional issues in mass communication. Specifically, this course provides students with practical knowledge of theories of human-computer interaction, and communication design principles and standards. Prerequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 either with a grade of "C" or better.

MC 5341. Feature Writing.

This course provides an in-depth understanding of the technical expertise, research methods, interviewing skills and narrative techniques pertinent to feature writing. The course also explores how to target a feature story to a specific audience and how to submit feature stories for publication to newspapers and magazines, print and online. Prerequisite: MC 5324 with a grade of "B" or better.

MC 5342. Global Media Systems.

This study abroad course prepares students to think critically and analytically about media systems and functions in different countries with emphasis on the location/s of the study abroad program. The course provides students with practical knowledge and insights gained by visiting media organizations abroad. Prerequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 either with a grade of "C" or better.

MC 5343. Global Strategic Communication Practices.

In this course, students analyze and discuss issues and challenges of contemporary global strategic communication practices and focus on gaining first-hand experience by visiting public relations, advertising and other communication agencies abroad. This course provides professional development and networking opportunities. Prerequisite: MC 5302 or MC 5303 either with a grade of "C" or better.

MC 5344. Data Storytelling in Mass Communication.

In this course students will be introduced to data-related topics and skills that will further their careers in a variety of communications professions. Data visualization and storytelling tools and techniques are covered as related to journalism, advertising and public relations. Prerequisite: MC 5324 with a grade of "C" or better.

MC 5399A. Thesis.

A scholarly study of communication behavior, the purpose of which is to broaden understanding of what mass media do, how they do it, and with what effects. It may be quantitative, historical or rely upon another appropriate methodology. No thesis credit is awarded until student has completed the thesis in MC 5399B . Prerequisite: Completed course work.

MC 5399B. Thesis.

MC 5599B. Thesis.

MC 5999B. Thesis.

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Journalism and Mass Communication, M.A.

Graduate programs in journalism and mass communication are designed for advanced academic preparation in the various fields of mass communication and journalism, and for training in research and teaching.

Students interested in the M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication should refer to one of the two named options:

• Professional M.A. prepares students for careers in news and information production. The program provides a mix of practical communication skills, conceptual knowledge of journalism and mass communication, and an area of specialization (credits in multi-media communication and topic specialization).
• Research M.A. focuses on developing skills in mass communication research and typically leads to enrollment in a doctoral program, including our own PhD in Mass Communications (credits in theory and methods).

Both programs offer flexibility. Students, in consultation with their faculty advisors, select coursework based upon their interests and career goals.

The  Center for Journalism Ethics  advances the ethical standards and practices of democratic journalism through discussion, research, teaching, professional outreach, and newsroom partnerships. Students, faculty, leading journalists and members of the public participate in conferences, workshops, and publications. The center tracks and analyzes ethical issues for all media platforms on its website. The center contributes to the teaching of ethics in the school's curriculum. Students have the opportunity to write for the center's website, cover conferences, and contribute to research.

Founded in 2006, Madison Commons provides news and information from all of Madison’s neighborhoods. It is a collaboration between Madison citizens from every part of the city and faculty and students at SJMC, focusing on coverage of education, food, transportation and neighborhood news. It provides a lab for research on community, civic and public journalism.

The  Mass Communication Research Center  is an interdisciplinary research facility that conducts research into all phases of communication and provides a common meeting ground for scholars with an interest in communication behavior. It also provides an opportunity for graduate students to participate in research programs and to initiate and conduct their own thesis projects.

The  Center for Communication and Democracy  is a research and action project at UW–Madison. The goals of the center are to study how citizens can use new communications technologies to advance democratic discussion and civic participation; to explore the relationships between geographic communities and the emerging world of cyberspace; to explore the structural relations among communications and information markets, the civic sector, and government to find relationships necessary to build and sustain a public sphere in communication that is not dominated by the market, while sustaining economic growth and technological innovation; and to ask what government policies are most appropriate for combining the vibrancy of the market with the common needs of citizens in the sphere of communication.

Qualitative Inquiry and Research Group meetings are devoted to providing feedback on pre-circulated graduate student papers, completed or in-progress. Call for paper proposals are sent out at least twice per year.

The Mass Communication History Center , a part of the Wisconsin Historical Society, provides scholars access to private collections, papers, and various types of unpublished materials relating to the growth of mass communication in the United States and other parts of the world. The Wisconsin Historical Society also has a large collection of bound and microfilm files of American and foreign newspapers.

Students apply to the MA in Journalism and Mass Communication through one of the named options:

• Professional

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid.  Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

Graduate students are eligible for a range of financial support, including teaching assistantships, project assistantships, research assistantships and dissertator scholarships. All applicants (both domestic and international) who are admitted for graduate studies are automatically considered for support. No separate application is required. However, because resources are limited and the number of qualified applicants exceeds the amount of available funds, only a subset of admitted students is guaranteed financial support.

The most common form of financial support for graduate students is teaching assistantships, which are allocated on a long-term guaranteed basis or a short-term yearly basis with no presumption of support the following academic year. Professional track students are considered for scholarships that cover the costs of tuition and most fees. For more information, visit our website .

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Major requirements, named options.

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements , in addition to the program requirements listed below.

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

Required courses.

Select a Named Option for courses required.

A named option is a formally documented sub-major within an academic major program. Named options appear on the transcript with degree conferral.  Students pursuing the MA in Journalism and Mass Communication must select one of the following named options:

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• Journalism and Mass Communication: Professional, M.A.
• Journalism and Mass Communication: Research, M.A.

Students should refer to one of the named options for policy information:

Take advantage of the Graduate School's  professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

Research Track

We offer two research colloquia ( JOURN 901 and LSC 700 ) during the academic year where faculty share their research findings and methods and engage students in lively conversations about how to conduct research. We offer a teaching colloquium ( JOURN 902 ) that explores pedagogical principles and applications that prepares students for teaching careers. Teaching assistantships provide hands-on training.  

Within our research groups and centers, graduate students work side by side with faculty and with each other, allowing the senior students to mentor younger students and for faculty to mentor students who are not their advisees. Our graduate students organize and host an annual day-long conference where they present their research in a series of panels, and they present their research at conferences around the world.

We offer a series of professional development workshops for graduate students with faculty and alumni panelists. The topics include: navigating the academic job market, exploring the non-academic job market, turning a paper into a presentation and how to find funding for research.

Professional Track

Professional track students attend quarterly meetings with industry professionals to learn about  a variety of jobs and build their networks. Required internships allow students to gain real-world experience while in the program and to build their portfolio. Students work with the career advisor and attend the employer presentations and mock interview sessions. Students attend at least one professional conference during their time in the program.

• Attain mastery in an area of the mass communication field.
• Demonstrate understanding of the primary field of study in a historical, social, psychological, cultural or global context.
• Develop professional communication skills related to gathering, assessing, compiling and disseminating information, by selecting and/or utilizing the most appropriate methodologies and practices and the evaluation and synthesis of information.
• Develop in-depth and specialized expertise in a topic of interest. In doing so students will be able to identify sources of information and assemble evidence pertaining to questions in that area.
• Select and/or utilize the most appropriate professional practices.

For a complete faculty/staff directory see this website .

• Requirements
• Professional Development
• Learning Outcomes

Contact Information

Journalism and Mass Communication College of Letters & Science journalism.wisc.edu

Lisa Aarli, Graduate Advisor [email protected] 608-263-4858 School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 5115 Vilas Hall, 821 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706

Michael Wagner, Director of Graduate Studies [email protected] 608-263-3392 School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 5115 Vilas Hall 821 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706

Graduate Program Handbook View Here

Graduate School grad.wisc.edu

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Home > Humanities and Sciences > Communication Studies > Communication Studies ETDs

Communication Studies Theses, Dissertations, and Professional Papers

This collection includes theses, dissertations, and professional papers from the University of Montana Department of Communication Studies. Theses, dissertations, and professional papers from all University of Montana departments and programs may be searched here.

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

COMEDY, CAMARADERIE, AND CONFLICT: USING HUMOR TO DEFUSE DISPUTES AMONG FRIENDS , Sheena A. Bringa

Navigating Toxic Identities Within League of Legends , Jeremy Thomas Miner

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

UNDERSTANDING MEDIA RICHNESS AND SOCIAL PRESENCE: EXPLORING THE IMPACTS OF MEDIA CHANNELS ON INDIVIDUALS’ LEVELS OF LONELINESS, WELL-BEING, AND BELONGING , Ashley M. Arsenault

CANCELING VS. #CANCEL CULTURE: AN ANALYSIS ON THE SURVEILLANCE AND DISCIPLINE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BEHAVIOR THROUGH COMPETING DISCOURSES OF POWER , Julia G. Bezio

DISTAL SIBLING GRIEF: EXPLORING EMOTIONAL AFFECT AND SALIENCE OF LISTENER BEHAVIORS IN STORIES OF SIBLING DEATH , Margaret C. Brock

Is Loss a Laughing Matter?: A Study of Humor Reactions and Benign Violation Theory in the Context of Grief. , Miranda B. Henrich

The Request Is Not Compatible: Competing Frames of Public Lands Discourse in the Lolo Peak Ski Resort Controversy , Philip A. Sharp

Patient Expectations, Satisfaction, and Provider Communication Within the Oncology Experience , Elizabeth Margaret Sholey

Psychological Safety at Amazon: A CCO Approach , Kathryn K. Zyskowski

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Discourse of Renewal: A Qualitative Analysis of the University of Montana’s COVID-19 Crisis Communication , Haley Renae Gabel

Activating Hope: How Functional Support Can Improve Hope in Unemployed Individuals , Rylee P. Walter

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

THE HOME AS A SITE OF FAMILY COMMUNICATED NARRATIVE SENSE-MAKING: GRIEF, MEANING, AND IDENTITY THROUGH “CLEANING OUT THE CLOSET” , Kendyl A. Barney

CRISIS AS A CONSTANT: UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNICATIVE ENACTMENT OF COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE WITHIN THE EXTENSION DISASTER EDUCATION NETWORK (EDEN) , Danielle Maria Farley

FOSTERING COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE IN COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION: EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FOUNDATIONS TRAINING , Shanay L. Healy

Belonging for Dementia Caregivers , Sabrina Singh

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Making the Most of People We Do Not Like: Capitalizing on Negative Feedback , Christopher Edward Anderson

Understanding the Relationship Between Discursive Resources and Risk-Taking Behaviors in Outdoor Adventure Athletes , Mira Ione Cleveland

Service Failure Management in High-End Hospitality Resorts , Hunter A. Dietrich

Fear, Power, & Teeth (2007) , Olivia Hockenbroch

The climate change sublime: Leveraging the immense awe of the planetary threat of climate change , Sean D. Quartz

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Relationship Between Memorable Messages and Identity Construction , Raphaela P. Barros Campbell

Wonder Woman: A Case Study for Critical Media Literacy , Adriana N. Fehrs

Curated Chaos: A Rhetorical Study of Axmen , Rebekah A. McDonald

THE ROLE OF BIPOLAR DISORDER, STIGMA, AND HURTFUL MESSAGES IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS , Callie Parrish

Cruising to be a Board Gamer: Understanding Socialization Relating to Board Gaming and The Dice Tower , Benjamin Wassink

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

STEAMED: EXAMINATIONS OF POWER STRUGGLES ON THE VALUE FORUM , richard E. babb

Beyond the Bike; Identity and Belonging of Free Cycles Members , Caitlyn Lewis

Adherence and Uncertainty Management: A Test Of The Theory Of Motivated Information Management , Ryan Thiel

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Redskins Revisited: Competing Constructions of the Washington Redskins Mascot , Eean Grimshaw

A Qualitative Analysis of Belonging in Communities of Practice: Exploring Transformative Organizational Elements within the Choral Arts , Aubrielle J. Holly

Training the Professoraite of Tomorrow: Implementing the Needs Centered Training Model to Instruct Graduate Teaching Assistants in the use of Teacher Immediacy , Leah R. Johnson

Beyond Blood: Examining the Communicative Challenges of Adoptive Families , Mackensie C. Minniear

Attitudes Toward Execution: The Tragic and Grotesque Framing of Capital Punishment in the News , Katherine Shuy

Knowledge and Resistance: Feminine Style and Signifyin[g] in Michelle Obama’s Public Address , Tracy Valgento

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

BLENDED FRAMEWORK: BILL MCKIBBEN'S USE OF MELODRAMA AND COMEDY IN ENVIRONMENTAL RHETORIC , Megan E. Cullinan

THE INFLUENCE OF MEDICAL DRAMAS ON PATIENT EXPECTATIONS OF PHYSICIAN COMMUNICATION , Kayla M. Fadenrecht

Diabesties: How Diabetic Support on Campus can Alleviate Diabetic Burnout , Kassandra E. Martin

Resisting NSA Surveillance: Glenn Greenwald and the public sphere debate about privacy , Rebecca Rice

Rhetoric, participation, and democracy: The positioning of public hearings under the National Environmental Policy Act , Kevin C. Stone

Socialization and Volunteers: A Training Program for Volunteer Managers , Allison M. Sullivan

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

THIRD PARTY EFFECTS OF AFFECTIONATE COMMUNICATION IN FAMILY SUBSYSTEMS: EXAMINING INFLUENCE ON AFFECTIONATE COMMUNICATION, MENTAL WELL-BEING, AND FAMILY SATISFACTION , Timothy M. Curran

Commodity or Dignity? Nurturing Managers' Courtesy Nurtures Workers' Productivity , Montana Rafferty Moss

"It Was My Job to Keep My Children Safe": Sandra Steingraber and the Parental Rhetoric of Precaution , Mollie Katherine Murphy

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Free Markets: ALEC's Populist Constructions of "the People" in State Politics , Anne Sherwood

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

COMMUNICATIVE CONSTRUCTION OF EXPECTATIONS: AN EXAMINATION OF EXPECTATIONS REGARDING MOTHERS IN NARRATIVE CONSTRUCTION , Jordan A. Allen

Let’s talk about sex: A training program for parents of 4th and 5th grade children , Elizabeth Kay Eickhoff

"You Is The Church": Identity and Identification in Church Leadership , Megan E. Gesler

This land is your land, this land is my land: A qualitative study of tensions in an environmental decision making group , Gabriel Patrick Grelle

The Constitution of Queer Identity in the 1972 APA Panel, "Psychiatry: Friend or Foe to Homosexuals? A Dialogue" , Dustin Vern Edward Schneider

The Effect of Religious Similarity on the Use of Relational Maintenance Strategies in Marriages , Jamie Karen Taylor

Justice, Equality, and SlutWalk: The Rhetoric of Protesting Rape Culture , Dana Whitney Underwood

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Collective Privacy Boundary Turbulence and Facework Strategies: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of South Korea and the United States , Min Kyong Cho

COMMUNICATING ARTIFACTS: AN ANALYSIS OF HOW MUSEUMS COMMUNICATE ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY DURING TIMES OF CONTROVERSY AND FINANCIAL STRAIN , Amanda Renee Cornuke

Communication Apprehension and Perceived Responsiveness , Elise Alexandra Fanney

Improving Patient-Provider Communication in the Health Care context , Charlotte M. Glidden

What They Consider, How They Decide: Best Practices of Technical Experts in Environmental Decision-Making , Cassandra J. Hemphill

Rebuilding Place: Exploring Strategies to Align Place Identity During Relocation , Brigette Renee McKamey

Sarah Palin, Conservative Feminism, and the Politics of Family , Jasmine Rose Zink

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Salud, Dignidad, Justicia: Articulating "Choice" and "Reproductive Justice" for Latinas in the United States , Kathleen Maire de Onis

Environmental Documentary Film: A Contemporary Tool For Social Movement , Rachel Gregg

In The Pink: The (Un)Healthy Complexion of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month , Kira Stacey Jones

Jihad as an Ideograph: Osama bin Laden's rhetorical weapon of choice , Faye Lingarajan

The Heart of the Matter: The Function and Relational Effects of Humor for Cardiovascular Patients , Nicholas Lee Lockwood

Feeling the Burn: A Discursive Analysis of Organizational Burnout in Seasonal Wildland Firefighters , Whitney Eleanor Marie Maphis

Making A Comeback: An Exploration of Nontraditional Students & Identity Support , Jessica Kate McFadden

In the Game of Love, Play by the Rules: Implications of Relationship Rule Consensus over Honesty and Deception in Romantic Relationships , Katlyn Elise Roggensack

Assessing the balance: Burkean frames and Lil' Bush , Elizabeth Anne Sills

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

The Discipline of Identity: Examining the Challenges of Developing Interdisciplinary Identities Within the Science Disciplines , Nicholas Richard Burk

Occupational Therapists: A Study of Managing Multiple Identities , Katherine Elise Lloyd

Discourse, Identity, and Culture in Diverse Organizations: A Study of The Muslim Students Association (University of Montana) , Burhanuddin Bin Omar

The Skinny on Weight Watchers: A Critical Analysis of Weight Watcher's Use of Metaphors , Ashlynn Laura Reynolds-Dyk

You Got the Job, Now What?: An Evaluation of the New Employee Orientation Program at the University of Montana , Shiloh M. A. Sullivan

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Because We Have the Power to Choose: A Critical Analysis of the Rhetorical Strategies Used in Merck's Gardasil Campaign , Brittney Lee Buttweiler

Communicative Strategies Used in the Introduction of Spirituality in the Workplace , Matthew Alan Condon

Cultures in Residence: Intercultural Communication Competence for Residence Life Staff , Bridget Eileen Flaherty

The Influence of Sibling Support on Children's Post-Divorce Adjustment: A Turning Point Analysis , Kimberly Ann Jacobs

TALK ABOUT “HOOKING UP”: HOW COLLEGE STUDENTS‟ ACCOUNTS OF “HOOKING UP” IN SOCIAL NETWORKS INFLUENCES ENGAGING IN RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR , Amanda J. Olson

The Effect of Imagined Interactions on Secret Revelation and Health , Adam Stephens Richards

Teaching Intercultural Communication Competence in the Healthcare Context , Jelena Stojakovic

Quitting versus Not Quitting: The Process and Development of an Assimilation Program Within Opportunity Resources, Inc. , Amanda N. Stovall

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

IMAGES AS A LAYER OF POSITIVE RHETORIC: A VALUES-BASED CASE STUDY EXPLORING THE INTERACTION BETWEEN VISUAL AND VERBAL ELEMENTS FOUND ON A RURAL NATURAL RESOURCES NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WEBSITE , Vailferree Stilwell Brechtel

Relational Transgressions in Romantic Relationships: How Individuals Negotiate the Revelation and Concealment of Transgression Information within the Social Network , Melissa A. Maier

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

THE SOCIALIZATION OF SEASONAL EMPLOYEES , Maria Dawn Blevins

Friends the family you choose (no matter what: An investigation of fictive kin relationships amoung young adults. , Kimberly Anne Clinger

Public relations in nonprofit organizations: A guide to establishing public relations programs in nonprofit settings , Megan Kate Gale

Negotiated Forgiveness in Parent-Child Relationships: Investigating Links to Politeness, Wellness and Sickness , Jennifer Lynn Geist

Developing and Communicating Better Sexual Harassment Policies Through Ethics and Human Rights , Thain Yates Hagan

Managing Multiple Identities: A Qualitative Study of Nurses and Implications for Work-Family Balance , Claire Marie Spanier

BEYOND ORGANIC: DEFINING ALTERNATIVES TO USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC , Jennifer Ann von Sehlen

Theses/Dissertations from 2006 2006

Graduate Teaching Assistant Interpretations and Responses to Student Immediacy Cues , Clair Owen Canfield

Verbal negotiation of affection in romantic relationships , Andrea Ann Richards

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

Art of forgiveness , Carrie Benedict

"We shall fight for the things we have always held nearest our hearts": Rhetorical strategies in the U.S. woman suffrage movement , Stephanie L. Durnford

War on Terror Middle-East peace and a drive around the ranch: The rhetoric of US-Saudi diplomacy in the post-911 period , J. Robert Harper

What do you mean by competence?: A comparison of perceived communication competence among North Americans and Chinese , Chao He

Rhetoric of public interest in an inter-organizational environmental debate: The Fernie mining controversy. , Shelby Jo. Long

Investigation of the initiation of short-term relationships in a vacation setting. , Aneta Milojevic

"It 's the other way around"| Sustainability, promotion, and the shaping of identity in nonprofit arts organizations , Georgi A. Rausch

Child left behind: An examination of comforting strategies goals and outcomes following the death of a child , Kelly R. Rossetto

Profile of the modern smokejumper| A tension-centered lens on identity and identification , Cade Wesley Spaulding

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178 Communication Research Topics For Your Paper

Imagine what the world would be without communication! How would we get along? I guess there would be no sense in existing after all. That is just a tiny snippet of how important communication is in everyday life. Exchanging information is a key component of coexistence as it creates order and a sense of satisfaction in the end.

However, communication as a discipline cuts across all other niches in the academic world. Students from an Engineering course would also take up communication as a unit of study. Students delve into the transmission, representation, reception, and decoding of information communicated to a greater extent.

Situations When You May Need To Write A Communication Paper

Various scenarios call for a communication paper either as an assignment or a research project in college. The communication papers needed for every situation vary in format and outline. Here are some of the cases when communication papers are necessary:

When writing a resume or cover letter In presentations and reports Internal or external communication in a company Writing a thesis statement

When writing communication papers in these different scenarios, students can develop the following aspects:

Understand the various communication phenomena Ability to direct communication messages towards accomplishing individual and organizational goals Understand various types of communication such as rhetoric, interpersonal or organizational

Such an assignment is peculiar because it deals with students’ communication processes. Therefore, the student can easily relate a communication assignment to the real-world environment.

You will have to conduct extensive digging before writing your paper like any other research project. In writing a communication research paper, you will benefit from the importance of communication in general, such as building better relationships and finding the right solutions to various problems.

It takes a lot of time to create a high-quality writing, so you have all the right to ask dissertation writers for hire to help.

Guidelines On Structure And Step By Step Tips On Writing

To have an award-winning communication paper, you need to understand that structure is always at the heart of it all. A great communication paper follows the structure below:

Solid intro : Begin by presenting a captivating introduction by highlighting the facts, questions, or problems that you will explore in the body. The reader should find more than a million reasons to proceed with your essay by reading the first two lines. A strong thesis statement is also necessary for the introduction. An insightful literature review : It shows the theoretical basis of your research project, thus giving it validity. An in-depth literature review will give room for exploration and further research. Main body : This is where we expect to find all your findings, methodological steps, concepts, analyses, and the outcome. Discussion and conclusion : Depending on your professor’s instructions, you can divide this into two parts or put it as one. In either case, this section will consist of the strengths and weaknesses of your research and any future development or improvements. You could also compare the results found in your research with what other authors have discovered.

Provided you have all your facts at hand, a communication research paper will be the easiest you will ever handle in college. Nonetheless, you can order a custom paper from various online writing experts.

If you want to make an impression with your communication research paper, here are some tips to consider:

Select a thought-provoking and captivating research topic Have a working outline with all the arguments and examples/evidence in place Ensure that you exhaust reading all the possible research materials on your topic Such papers are always in the first person except in unique cases

You can review some of the samples on our essay writer to familiarize yourself with the structure and outline of a communication research paper.

Let’s now explore 178 of the hottest communication research topics to ace your project:

Top Interpersonal Communication Research Topics

• Evaluate the different relational patterns of interaction theory
• How to achieve coordinated management of meaning
• Discuss the fundamentals of pedagogical communication
• How does technology relate to interpersonal communication?
• Key constructs of openness and closeness
• Establishing identities in the identity management theory
• Evaluate the contribution of interpersonal communication scholars
• How mental representations influence how people interpret information
• Conceptualizing the process of social interaction
• Discuss the various behavioral interaction patterns among siblings
• Why do individuals modify their communicative behavior?
• Describe why new environments present a challenge for most people to communicate effectively
• The role of eye contact and gestures in interpersonal communication
• Varying effects of nonverbal and verbal acts of interpersonal communication
• Effects of different cultures on interpersonal communication strategies

World-Class Communication Research Topics For College Students

• Understanding the historical research methods in communication
• Discuss the relationship between technology, media, and culture
• Evaluate the various revolutions in human communication
• Discuss the developments made in the invention of human speech and language
• The role of image-making, cinema, and media entertainment in communication
• How to overcome communication barriers among students
• Steps in encouraging participation in meetings
• How employees contribute to the information flow in organizations
• How to evaluate a report based on its findings
• Sources of error during nonverbal communication
• How the media can match the channels of communication to their audience
• Ensuring audience attention during a presentation
• The impact of graphics in communication strategies
• How to interpret non-verbal signals
• Developing communication methods that match a given purpose

Possible Topics For Communication Research

• How to develop realistic communication strategies
• Discuss the economics of finance in communication processes
• How exposure to radio and TV impacts communication
• How to manage controversial issues in communication
• Why speaking with confidence is still difficult for many people
• The effectiveness of communicating with words and body language
• Why defining your purpose is key in any communication process
• Why explanatory communication is more difficult than informative communication
• The place of communication in long-distance relationships
• Communication strategies that influence people
• How to use communication effectively for conflict resolution
• Developing your self-esteem for effective communication
• Effects of redundancy in communication processes
• The place of responsibility in developing communication messages
• How to acquire effective communication skills in college

Latest Communication Topic For Research

• The role of persuasive dialogue in negotiations
• Why everyone must learn proper expression strategies
• Effects of emoji and other characters in enhancing textual conversations
• The role of propaganda in shaping communication tones
• Evaluate the unique political language used in America versus Africa
• The continuing impact of the internet on interpersonal communication
• How images are enhancing communication
• Discuss the effects of gender victimization on communication
• Evaluate the development of modern digital communication
• How to effectively communicate during a war or crisis
• How hacking is transforming communication of encrypted messages
• Effects of stereotyping in developing communication messages
• Is virtual reality ruining effective communication?
• Evaluate language as a barrier in communicating messages
• The role of empathy in communicating to victims of a disaster

Top-Notch Communication Research Paper Topics

• The role of diplomacy in fostering better relations among countries
• Why aided communication may not achieve the intended purpose
• Effects of using a translator in the communication of critical messages
• Evaluate the development of audio-visual devices for communication
• The dangers of failing to notice barriers to communication
• How stigma and prejudice impact effective communication
• Discuss the impact of having a common language in a country
• How social classes affect communication messages
• Factors that hinder communication between fighting political sides
• How to develop strong communication skills in a marketplace
• Why opinions may prevent one from seeing the true picture
• Discuss the role of fantasy and exaggeration in communication
• Differences between oral and verbal messages in conveying information
• The role of attitude and mood in enhancing effective message delivery
• How the media sets the communication pattern of a given society

Highly Rated Mass Communication Research Topics

• Discuss the essence of social media among PR practitioners
• The role of mass media in rebranding a nation
• Challenges to media freedom and their impact on proper communication
• Discuss the effects of news commercialization and their credibility
• How TV advertisements impact children and their development
• Compare and contrast between animation and real-people adverts in mass media
• How the internet affects professionalization in news media
• How mass media messages contribute to the development of religion in Africa
• Evaluate the radio listenership patterns between men and women
• How does mass media contribute to an emerging democracy
• Discuss how the media enlightens the public on issues of concern
• The role of mass media in communicating development messages
• Why mass media is critical before, during, and after elections
• Assess the influence of community radio in remote areas
• How mass media contributes to national integration

Good Communication Research Topics

• What determines consumer preference patterns in the 21 st century?
• Effective communication strategies for creating awareness against drug abuse
• Prospects and challenges of local dialects in communication
• Evaluate the influence of television on public opinion
• Discuss the growing cyberactivism in the digital age
• How social media is contributing to misleading information
• Challenges facing teachers when communicating to pre-school students
• Discuss the impact of information overload on the credibility of information
• Evaluate communication patterns among the youth in the US
• Assess the effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on communication patterns
• How public perception influences communication strategies
• Explain how mothers learn to communicate with and understand their babies at such a tender age
• The role of music in shaping communication models
• How to overcome the challenge of top-down communication in companies
• Management of information on online media for effective use

Business Communication Research Paper Topics

• Discuss the increasing role of influencers on brand marketing
• Why company blogs are essential in attracting new clients
• Evaluate the differences between face to face and virtual business meetings
• The growing popularity of social media in business marketing
• Why every company should have a partner relations department
• Dealing with complaints in a relaxed and useful manner
• Why online project management is the future of business
• Discuss why it is necessary to have company retreats
• Explore the role of digital document sharing in speeding up business communication
• Effects of relying on online communication at the expense of physical meetings
• The role of effective business management in the performance of an organization
• How staff motivation improve the overall working environment
• Discuss the place of corporate social responsibility in a company
• Effective ways of handling crisis in a large company
• Explain why trust is important in any business partnerships

Intercultural Communication Research Topics

• Discuss how Muslims interact with Christians at a social level
• Evaluate the reception of instructions from a man to a woman
• How Americans interact with Africans at the basic level
• Discuss how an American Democrat would associate with a Chinese politician
• Discuss the impact of marginalization in developing communication messages
• How migration and immigration affect communication patterns
• Effects of social stereotyping in communication
• How do Western communication models differ from those of Africa?
• Impact of discriminatory communication messages
• How to organize an effective intergroup come-together
• How the media represents various groups in its communication
• Effects of the growing intercultural norms
• The role of language attitudes in inhibiting effective communication
• Evaluate how ethnographic perspectives affect communication messages
• Why it is difficult to solve intercultural conflicts

Additional Interpersonal Communication Topics For Research Paper

• The role of interpersonal communication in team member satisfaction
• How collaboration and teamwork enhances business success
• Discuss how interpersonal communication enhances problem-solving skills
• The role of trust in interpersonal communication
• Effects of confusion, negativity, and conflicts on interpersonal communication
• How to deal with workplace miscommunication effectively
• The role of personalizing information
• How to improve internal communication channels in a company
• Discuss the role of interests in communication patterns
• Challenges when implementing modern communication solutions
• Evaluate how jargon and inattention make internal communication difficult
• The role of feedback in interpreting messages correctly
• Discuss the influence of environmental factors in communication
• Why miscommunication may result in a disconnect among a group of people
• Discuss the role of skills and knowledge in effective communication among leaders

Interesting Communication Research Topics

• How can effective interpersonal communication be a catalyst for action
• Why a focused and intentional approach is necessary for effective communication
• Discuss why online dating is not successful in most cases
• Evaluate the role of non-verbal communication and customer satisfaction
• Why is it important to have a list of communication networks?
• Effects of lack of personal contact when it comes to communication
• Discuss the various forms of human interactions and their influence on communication
• The role of clear communication during an organizational change process
• Why online communication is not as effective as physical meetings
• Evaluate the roles and issues involved in a nurse-patient communication
• The role of TV shows in determining how people relate to each other in the society
• Effects of the digital divide in communication paradigms
• The relationship between quality leadership and effective communication
• Why is email still not yet an effective communication medium?
• Effects of integrating marketing communication

General Communication Studies Research Topics

• Discuss the differences in body language between male and female
• The role of communication in familiarizing with someone
• How online gaming communication affects one’s interpersonal communication
• Why a leader without proper communication skills may not succeed
• The role of communication in achieving an organization’s vision
• How mobile phone conversations are turning around interpersonal communication
• Discuss the role of different personality types in communication
• Is there a difference between language and communication?
• Discuss how communication in the military is different from that in a normal setting
• Compare and contrast between written and spoken forms of communication
• Why family communication is critical for a peaceful coexistence
• Shortcomings to understanding foreign languages
• Discuss the effectiveness of web-based communication

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15.2 Functions and Theories of Mass Communication

Learning objectives.

• Identify key functions of the mass media.
• Explain how the media functions as a gatekeeper.
• Discuss theories of mass communication, including hypodermic needle theory, media effects, and cultivation theory.

How does mass communication function differently than interpersonal communication? Do we have relationships with media like we have relationships with people? To answer these questions, we can look at some of the characteristics and functions of mass communication. One key characteristic of mass communication is its ability to overcome the physical limitations present in face-to-face communication. The human voice can only travel so far, and buildings and objects limit the amount of people we can communicate with at any time. While one person can engage in public speaking and reach one hundred thousand or so people in one of the world’s largest stadiums, it would be impossible for one person to reach millions without technology.

Another key characteristic of mass communication in relation to other forms of communication is its lack of sensory richness. In short, mass communication draws on fewer sensory channels than face-to-face communication. While smell, taste, and touch can add context to a conversation over a romantic dinner, our interaction with mass media messages rely almost exclusively on sight and sound. Because of this lack of immediacy, mass media messages are also typically more impersonal than face-to-face messages. Actually being in the audience while a musician is performing is different from watching or listening at home. Last, mass media messages involve less interactivity and more delayed feedback than other messages. The majority of messages sent through mass media channels are one way. We don’t have a way to influence an episode of The Walking Dead as we watch it. We could send messages to the show’s producers and hope our feedback is received, or we could yell at the television, but neither is likely to influence the people responsible for sending the message. Although there are some features of communication that are lost when it becomes electronically mediated, mass communication also serves many functions that we have come to depend on and expect.

Functions of Mass Media

The mass media serves several general and many specific functions. In general, the mass media serves information, interpretation, instructive, bonding, and diversion functions:

• Information function. We have a need for information to satisfy curiosity, reduce uncertainty, and better understand how we fit into the world. The amount and availability of information is now overwhelming compared to forty years ago when a few television networks, local radio stations, and newspapers competed to keep us informed. The media saturation has led to increased competition to provide information, which creates the potential for news media outlets, for example, to report information prematurely, inaccurately, or partially.
• Interpretation function. Media outlets interpret messages in more or less explicit and ethical ways. Newspaper editorials have long been explicit interpretations of current events, and now cable television and radio personalities offer social, cultural, and political commentary that is full of subjective interpretations. Although some of them operate in ethical gray areas because they use formats that make them seem like traditional news programs, most are open about their motives.
• Instructive function. Some media outlets exist to cultivate knowledge by teaching instead of just relaying information. Major news networks like CNN and BBC primarily serve the information function, while cable news networks like Fox News and MSNBC serve a mixture of informational and interpretation functions. The in-depth coverage on National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, and the more dramatized but still educational content of the History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, and the Discovery Channel, serve more instructive functions.
• Bonding function. Media outlets can bring people closer together, which serves the bonding function. For example, people who share common values and interests can gather on online forums, and masses of people can be brought together while watching coverage of a tragic event like 9/11 or a deadly tornado outbreak.
• Diversion function. We all use the media to escape our day-to-day lives, to distract us from our upcoming exam, or to help us relax. When we are being distracted, amused, or relaxed, the media is performing the diversion function.

Just as a gate controls the flow of traffic, the media acts as a gatekeeper, allowing some messages to travel through and others not.

Jacqui – Gates – CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The Media as Gatekeeper

In addition to the functions discussed previously, media outlets also serve a gatekeeping function , which means they affect or control the information that is transmitted to their audiences. This function has been analyzed and discussed by mass communication scholars for decades. Overall, the mass media serves four gatekeeping functions: relaying, limiting, expanding, and reinterpreting (Bittner, 1996). In terms of relaying, mass media requires some third party to get a message from one human to the next. Whereas interpersonal communication only requires some channel or sensory route, mass media messages need to “hitch a ride” on an additional channel to be received. For example, a Sports Illustrated cover story that you read at SI.com went through several human “gates,” including a writer, editor, publisher, photographer, and webmaster, as well as one media “gate”—the Internet. We also require more than sensory ability to receive mass media messages. While hearing and/or sight are typically all that’s needed to understand what someone standing in front of you is saying, you’ll need a computer, smartphone, or tablet to pick up that SI.com cover story. In summary, relaying refers to the gatekeeping function of transmitting a message, which usually requires technology and equipment that the media outlet controls and has access to, but we do not. Although we relay messages in other forms of communication such as interpersonal and small group, we are primarily receivers when it comes to mass communication, which makes us depend on the gatekeeper to relay the message.

In terms of the gatekeeping function of limiting, media outlets decide whether or not to pass something along to the media channel so it can be relayed. Because most commercial media space is so limited and expensive, almost every message we receive is edited, which is inherently limiting. A limited message doesn’t necessarily mean the message is bad or manipulated, as editing is a necessity. But a range of forces including time constraints, advertiser pressure, censorship, or personal bias, among others, can influence editing choices. Limiting based on bias or self-interest isn’t necessarily bad as long as those who relay the message don’t claim to be objective. In fact, many people choose to engage with media messages that have been limited to match their own personal views or preferences. This kind of limiting also allows us to have more control over the media messages we receive. For example, niche websites and cable channels allow us to narrow in on already-limited content, so we don’t have to sift through everything on our own.

Gatekeepers also function to expand messages. For example, a blogger may take a story from a more traditional news source and fact check it or do additional research, interview additional sources, and post it on his or her blog. In this case, expanding helps us get more information than we would otherwise so we can be better informed. On the other hand, a gatekeeper who expands a message by falsifying evidence or making up details either to appear more credible or to mislead others is being unethical.

Last, gatekeepers function to reinterpret mass media messages. Reinterpretation is useful when gatekeepers translate a message from something too complex or foreign for us to understand into something meaningful. In the lead-up to the Supreme Court’s June 2012 ruling on President Obama’s health-care-overhaul bill, the media came under scrutiny for not doing a better job of informing the public about the core content and implications of the legislation that had been passed. Given that policy language is difficult for many to understand and that legislation contains many details that may not be important to average people, a concise and lay reinterpretation of the content by the gatekeepers (the media outlets) would have helped the public better understand the bill. Of course, when media outlets reinterpret content to the point that it is untruthful or misleading, they are not ethically fulfilling the gatekeeping function of reinterpretation.

In each of these gatekeeping functions, the media can fulfill or fail to fulfill its role as the “fourth estate” of government—or government “watchdog.” You can read more about this role in the “Getting Critical” box.

“Getting Critical”

The Media as “Watchdog”

While countries like China, North Korea, Syria, and Burma have media systems that are nearly if not totally controlled by the state regime, the media in the United States and many other countries is viewed as the “watchdog” for the government. This watchdog role is intended to keep governments from taking too much power from the people and overstepping their bounds. Central to this role is the notion that the press works independently of the government. The “freedom of the press” as guaranteed by our First-Amendment rights allows the media to act as the eyes and ears of the people. The media is supposed to report information to the public so they can make informed decisions. The media also engages in investigative reporting, which can uncover dangers or corruption that the media can then expose so that the public can demand change.

Of course, this ideal is not always met in practice. Some people have critiqued the media’s ability to fulfill this role, referring to it instead as a lapdog or attack dog. In terms of the lapdog role, the media can become too “cozy” with a politician or other public figure, which might lead it to uncritically report or passively relay information without questioning it. Recent stories about reporters being asked to clear quotes and even whole stories with officials before they can be used in a story drew sharp criticism from other journalists and the public, and some media outlets put an end to that practice. In terms of the attack-dog role, the twenty-four-hour news cycle and constant reporting on public figures has created the kind of atmosphere where reporters may be waiting to pounce on a mistake or error in order to get the scoop and be able to produce a tantalizing story. This has also been called being on “scandal patrol” or “gaffe patrol.” Media scholars have critiqued this practice, saying that too much adversarial or negative reporting leads the public to think poorly of public officials and be more dissatisfied with government. Additionally, they claim that attack-dog reporting makes it more difficult for public officials to do their jobs (Coronel, 2008).

• In what ways do you think the media should function in a democratic society?
• Do you think the media in the United States acts more as a watchdog, lapdog, or attack dog? Give specific examples to support your answer.
• In an age of twenty-four-hour news and instant reporting, do you think politicians’ jobs are made easier or more difficult? Do you think reporters’ jobs are made easier or more difficult? Support your answers.

Theories of Mass Communication

Theories of mass communication have changed dramatically since the early 1900s, largely as a result of quickly changing technology and more sophisticated academic theories and research methods. A quick overview of the state of the media in the early 1900s and in the early 2000s provides some context for how views of the media changed. In the early 1900s, views of mass communication were formed based on people’s observation of the popularity of media and assumptions that something that grew that quickly and was adopted so readily must be good. Many people were optimistic about the mass media’s potential to be a business opportunity, an educator, a watchdog, and an entertainer. For example, businesses and advertisers saw media as a good way to make money, and the educator class saw the media as a way to inform citizens who could then be more active in a democratic society. As World War I and the Depression came around, many saw the media as a way to unite the country in times of hardship. Early scholarship on mass media focused on proving these views through observational and anecdotal evidence rather than scientific inquiry.

Fast forward one hundred years and newspapers are downsizing, consolidating to survive, or closing all together; radio is struggling to stay alive in the digital age; and magazine circulation is decreasing and becoming increasingly more focused on microaudiences. The information function of the news has been criticized and called “infotainment,” and rather than bringing people together, the media has been cited as causing polarization and a decline in civility (Self, Gaylord, & Gaylord, 2009). The extremes at each end of the twentieth century clearly show that the optimistic view of the media changed dramatically. An overview of some of the key theories can help us better understand this change.

Hypodermic Needle and Beyond

In the 1920s, early theories of mass communication were objective, and social-scientific reactions to the largely anecdotal theories that emerged soon after mass media quickly expanded. These scholars believed that media messages had strong effects that were knowable and predictable. Because of this, they theorized that controlling the signs and symbols used in media messages could control how they were received and convey a specific meaning (Self, Gaylord, & Gaylord, 2009).

The hypodermic needle theory of media effects claimed that meaning could be strategically placed into a media message that would then be “injected” into or transmitted to the receiver.

ChrisWaldeck – The Media Needle – CC BY-NC 2.0.

Extending Aristotle’s antiquated linear model of communication that included a speaker, message, and hearer, these early theories claimed that communication moved, or transmitted, an idea from the mind of the speaker through a message and channel to the mind of the listener. To test the theories, researchers wanted to find out how different messages influenced or changed the behavior of the receiver. This led to the development of numerous theories related to media effects. Media businesses were invested in this early strand of research, because data that proved that messages directly affect viewers could be used to persuade businesses to send their messages through the media channel in order to directly influence potential customers.

This early approach to studying media effects was called the hypodermic needle approach or bullet theory and suggested that a sender constructed a message with a particular meaning that was “injected” or “shot” into individuals within the mass audience. This theory is the basis for the transmission model of communication that we discussed in Chapter 1 “Introduction to Communication Studies” . It was assumed that the effects were common to each individual and that the meaning wasn’t altered as it was transferred. Through experiments and surveys, researchers hoped to map the patterns within the human brain so they could connect certain stimuli to certain behaviors. For example, researchers might try to prove that a message announcing that a product is on sale at a reduced price will lead people to buy a product they may not otherwise want or need. As more research was conducted, scholars began to find flaws within this thinking. New theories emerged that didn’t claim such a direct connection between the intent of a message and any single reaction on the part of receivers. Instead, these new theories claimed that meaning could be partially transferred, that patterns may become less predictable as people are exposed to a particular stimulus more often, and that interference at any point in the transmission could change the reaction.

These newer theories incorporated more contextual factors into the view of communication, acknowledging that both sender and receiver interpret messages based on their previous experience. Scholars realized that additional variables such as psychological characteristics and social environment had to be included in the study of mass communication. This approach connects to the interaction model of communication. In order to account for perspective and experience, mass media researchers connected to recently developed theories in perception that emerged from psychology. The concept of the gatekeeper emerged, since, for the first time, the sender of the message (the person or people behind the media) was the focus of research and not just the receiver. The concepts of perceptual bias and filtering also became important, as they explained why some people interpreted or ignored messages while others did not. Theories of primacy and recency, which we discussed in Chapter 9 “Preparing a Speech” , emerged to account for the variation in interpretation based on the order in which a message is received. Last, researchers explored how perceptions of source credibility affect message interpretation and how media messages may affect viewers’ self-esteem. By the 1960s, many researchers in mass communication concluded that the research in the previous twenty years had been naïve and flawed, and they significantly challenged the theory of powerful media effects, putting much more emphasis on individual agency, context, and environment (McQuail, 2010).

The next major turn in mass communication theory occurred only a few years after many scholars had concluded that media had no or only minimal effects (McQuail, 2010). In the 1970s, theories once again positioned media effects as powerful and influential based on additional influences from social psychology. From sociology, mass media researchers began to study the powerful socializing role that the media plays but also acknowledged that audience members take active roles in interpreting media messages. During this time, researchers explored how audience members’ schemata and personalities (concepts we discussed in Chapter 2 “Communication and Perception” ) affect message interpretation. Researchers also focused more on long-term effects and how media messages create opinion climates, structures of belief, and cultural patterns.

In the late 1970s and into the 1980s, a view of media effects as negotiated emerged, which accounts for the sometimes strong and sometimes weak influences of the media. This view sees the media as being most influential in constructing meanings through multiple platforms and representations. For example, the media constructs meanings for people regarding the role of technology in our lives by including certain kinds of technology in television show plots, publishing magazines like Wired , broadcasting news about Microsoft’s latest product, airing advertisements for digital cameras, producing science fiction movies, and so on. Although these messages are diverse and no one person is exposed to all the same messages, the messages are still constructed in some predictable and patterned ways that create a shared social reality. Whether or not the media intends to do this or whether or not we acknowledge that how we think about technology or any other social construct is formed through our exposure to these messages is not especially relevant. Many mass communication scholars now seek to describe, understand, or critique media practices rather than prove or disprove a specific media effect.

More recent media effects theories acknowledge that media messages do affect the receivers but that receivers also have some agency to reject or reinterpret the message.

Sean MacEntee – – CC BY 2.0.

Additionally, mass communication scholars are interested in studying how we, as audience members, still have agency in how these constructions affect our reality, in that we may reject, renegotiate, or reinterpret a given message based on our own experiences. For example, a technology geek and a person living “off the grid” have very different lives and very different views of technology, but because of their exposure to various forms of media that have similar patterns of messages regarding technology, they still have some shared reality and could talk in similar ways about computers, smartphones, and HD television. Given the shift of focus to negotiated meaning and context, this view of mass communication is more in keeping with the transactional model of communication.

Media Effects

Media effects are the intended or unintended consequences of what the mass media does (McQuail, 2010). Many of the key theories in mass communication rest on the assumption that the media has effects on audience members. The degree and type of effect varies depending on the theory. In general, we underestimate the effect that the media has on us, as we tend to think that media messages affect others more than us. This is actually so common that there is a concept for it! The third-party effect is the phenomenon just described of people thinking they are more immune to media influence than others. If this were true, though, would advertisers and public relations professionals spend billions of dollars a year carefully crafting messages aimed at influencing viewers?

There are certain media effects that are fairly obvious and most of us would agree are common (even for ourselves). For example, we change our clothes and our plans because we watch the forecast on the Weather Channel, look up information about a band and sample their music after we see them perform on a television show, or stop eating melons after we hear about a salmonella outbreak. Other effects are more difficult to study and more difficult for people to accept because they are long term and/or more personal. For example, media may influence our personal sense of style, views on sex, perceptions of other races, or values just as our own free will, parents, or friends do. It is difficult, however, to determine in any specific case how much influence the media has on a belief or behavior in proportion to other factors that influence us. Media messages may also affect viewers in ways not intended by the creators of the message. Two media effects that are often discussed are reciprocal and boomerang effects (McQuail, 2010).

The reciprocal effect points to the interactive relationship between the media and the subject being covered. When a person or event gets media attention, it influences the way the person acts or the way the event functions. Media coverage often increases self-consciousness, which affects our actions. It’s similar to the way that we change behavior when we know certain people are around and may be watching us. For example, the Occupy Movement that began on Wall Street in New York City gained some attention from alternative media and people using micromedia platforms like independent bloggers. Once the movement started getting mainstream press attention, the coverage affected the movement. As news of the Occupy movement in New York spread, people in other cities and towns across the country started to form their own protest groups. In this case, media attention caused a movement to spread that may have otherwise remained localized.

The boomerang effect refers to media-induced change that is counter to the desired change. In the world of twenty-four-hour news and constant streams of user-generated material, the effects of gaffes, blunders, or plain old poor decisions are much more difficult to control or contain. Before a group or person can clarify or provide context for what was said, a story could go viral and a media narrative constructed that is impossible to backtrack and very difficult to even control. A recent example of such an effect occurred at the University of Virginia when the governing body of the university forced President Teresa A. Sullivan to resign. The board was not happy with the president’s approach to dealing with the changing financial and technological pressures facing the school and thought ousting her may make room for a president who was more supportive of a corporate model of university governance (Pérez-Peña, 2012). When the story picked up local and then national media coverage, students, faculty, and alumni came together to support Sullivan, and a week later she was reinstated. Instead of the intended effect of changing the direction and priorities for the university, the board’s actions increased support for the president, which will also likely add support to her plans for dealing with the issues.

Cultivation Theory

Cultivation theory is a media effects theory created by George Gerbner that states that media exposure, specifically to television, shapes our social reality by giving us a distorted view on the amount of violence and risk in the world. The theory also states that viewers identify with certain values and identities that are presented as mainstream on television even though they do not actually share those values or identities in their real lives (Griffin, 2009). Drawing on cultivation as it is practiced in farming, Gerbner turned this notion into a powerful metaphor to explain how the media, and television in particular, shapes our social realities. Just as a farmer plants seeds that he or she then cultivates over time to produce a crop, the media plants seeds in our minds and then cultivates them until they grow into our shared social reality.

Cultivation theory states that heavy television viewing cultivates, or grows, certain ways of thinking about the world that are distorted.

Yoshihide Nomura – Watching TV – CC BY-ND 2.0.

Over decades of exploring cultivation theory, Gerbner made several well-supported conclusions that are summarized as follows:

• Prime-time television shows and weekend morning children’s programming have been found to contain consistently high amounts of violence over the past thirty years.
• Older people, children, African Americans, and Latino/as are more likely to be shown as victims of violence than are their young-adult, middle-aged, and/or white counterparts. This disparity is more meaningful when we realize that these groups are also underrepresented (relative to their percentage in the general population) on these shows while their vulnerability to violence is overstated.

The effects of television viewing on our worldview build up over years, but in general, people who are more heavy viewers perceive the world as more dangerous than do light viewers. Gerbner coined the phrase “mean world syndrome,” which refers to the distorted view of the world as more violent and people as more dangerous than they actually are.

• Heavy viewers predict that their odds of being a victim of violence within the next week are 1 in 10, while light viewers predicted 1 in 100. Real crime statistics give a more reliable estimate of 1 in 10,000.
• Heavy viewers fear walking alone on the street more than do light viewers, believing that criminal activity is actually ten times more prevalent than it actually is.
• Heavy viewers believe that more people are involved in law enforcement and that officers draw and use their weapons much more than is actually the case.
• Heavy viewers are generally more suspicious of others and question their motives more than do light viewers (the basis of the mean world syndrome).
• Given that most people on television are portrayed as politically moderate and middle class, heavy viewers are more likely to assume those labels even though heavy users tend to be more working class or poor and more politically conservative than moderate. In short, they begin to view themselves as similar to those they watch on television and consider themselves a part of the mainstream of society even though they are not.

“Getting Competent”

Applying Media Theories

Although most do not get mass public attention, there are many media criticism and analysis organizations that devote much time and resources to observing, studying, and/or commenting on how the media acts in practice, which often involves an implicit evaluation of media theories we have discussed so far, in particular media effects theories. Media outlets and the people who send messages through media outlets (i.e., politicians, spokespeople, and advertisers) are concerned about the effects and effectiveness of their messaging. As we already learned, the pervasive view of media effects today is that media messages do affect people, but that people have some agency in terms of how much or little they identify with or reinterpret a message.

To understand media effects, media criticism organizations do research on audience attitudes and also call on media commentators to give their opinions, which may be more academic and informed or more personal and partisan. In either case, taking some time to engage with these media criticism organizations can allow you to see how they apply mass communication theories and give you more information so you can be a more critical and informed consumer of media. You can find a list of many media criticism organizations at the following link: http://www.world-newspapers.com/media.html . Some of these organizations have a particular political ideology or social/cultural cause that they serve, so be cautious when choosing a source for media criticism to make sure you know what you’re getting. There are also more objective and balanced sources of media criticism. Two of my personal favorites that I engage with every week are CNN’s show Reliable Sources ( http://reliablesources.blogs.cnn.com ) and the public radio show On the Media ( http://www.onthemedia.org ). Reliable Sources even has an implicit reference to reciprocal effects in its show description, stating, “The press is a part of every story it covers.” [1] On the Media ran a story that implicitly connects to cultivation theory, as it critiques some of the media’s coverage of violence and audiences’ seeming desensitization to it (Bernstein 2012).

• Of the “functions of mass media” discussed earlier in the chapter, which functions do media criticism organizations like the ones mentioned here serve? Specifically, give examples of how these organizations fulfill the gatekeeping functions and how they monitor the gatekeeping done by other media sources.
• Since media criticism organizations like Reliable Sources and On the Media are also media sources (one a television show and one a radio show), how might hey be contributing to reciprocal effects?
• Using the links provided, find a substantial article, study, or report that analyzes some media practice such as the covering of a specific event. Apply some aspect of media effects from the chapter to the story. How might media effects theory help us understand the criticism being raised?

Key Takeaways

• The mass media serves information, interpretation, instructive, bonding, and diversion functions.
• As a gatekeeper, the media functions to relay, limit, expand, and reinterpret information.
• The hypodermic needle theory of mass communication suggests that a sender constructs a message with a particular meaning that is “injected” into individuals within a mass audience.
• Theories of media effects explore the intended or unintended effects of what the media does. Theories have claimed strong effects, meaning that media messages can directly and intentionally influence audience members. They have also claimed weak effects, meaning that media messages have no little power over viewers. More recently, theories have claimed negotiated effects, meaning that media messages do affect viewers but that viewers also have some agency to identify with, reject, or reinterpret a message.
• Cultivation theory explores a particular kind of media effect claiming that media exposure, specifically to television, shapes our social reality by giving us a distorted view on the amount of violence and risk in the world.
• Which function of mass media (information, interpretation, instructive, bonding, or diversion) do you think is most important for you and why? Which is most important for society and why?
• What ethical issues are created by the gatekeeping function of the media? What strategies or suggestions do you have for bypassing this function of the media to ensure that you get access to the information you want/need?
• Getting integrated: Discuss media messages that have influenced or would influence you in a professional, academic, personal, and civic context.

Bernstein, B., “The Story of the Times Gory Empire State Shooting Photo,” On the Media , August 24, 2012, accessed September 20, 2012, http://www.onthemedia.org/blogs/on-the-media/2012/aug/24/story-times-gory-empire-state-shooting-photo1 .

Bittner, J. R., Mass Communication , 6th ed. (Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1996), 11.

Coronel, S. S., “The Media as Watchdog,” Harvard-World Bank Workshop, May 19, 2008, accessed September 19, 2012, http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/Conference/Conference%20papers/Coronel%20Watchdog.pdf .

Griffin, E., A First Look at Communication Theory , 7th ed. (Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2009), 352–53.

McQuail, D., McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory , 6th ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2010), 457.

Pérez-Peña, R., “Ousted Head of University Is Reinstated in Virginia,” New York Times , June 26, 2012, accessed November 11, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/education/university-of-virginia-reinstates-ousted-president.html?pagewanted=all .

Self, C. C., Edward L. Gaylord, and Thelma Gaylord, “The Evolution of Mass Communication Theory in the 20th Century,” The Romanian Review of Journalism and Communication 6, no. 3 (2009): 29.

• “About This Show,” CNN Reliable Sources , accessed September 20, 2012, http://reliablesources.blogs.cnn.com . ↵

Communication in the Real World Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Home > Fine Arts and Communications > Communications > Theses and Dissertations

Communications Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Comics About Organs: Social Support and Graphic Medicine in The Awkward Yeti , Jacob Gibb

The National Basketball Association Communications Strategy for the 2019-20 Season Restart , Trevor Dale Jones

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Green Lighting the Altruistic Influencer , Savanna Rebecca Bagley

The Pioneering Efforts of Ellen Larsen: The First Female Sports Information Director at Brigham Young University , Kiana Schlenker

Losing Control to the Controller: MMORPG Video Game Addiction and Mediating Roles of Player Motivations , Abbie Speed

"Social" Movements: A Trend Analysis of the Role of Social Media in Social Movements , Courtney Nelson Stubbs

Sound, Stories, and Psychology: The Perceptions and Motivations of Audiobook Consumption , Ellice K. Tan

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Examining the Effects of Eating Behaviors on Mental Health and Internalization of Weight-Based Messaging , Avery E. Bollinger

Narrative Archetypes and Paratextuality: Analysis of Three Films by Christopher Nolan , Alycia Burnett

How Brazilians Used Media to Cope with the Issues Brought by the COVID-19 Pandemic , Vivian de Melo Campos

Examining the Perceptions of Fake News, Verification, and Notices on Twitter , Brendan Patrick Gwynn

An Eye to the Sky: Describing Characteristics of Weather App Users Through Q Method , Danielle Wardinsky Hallows

Exploring Perceptions of New Media Among the Lakota Nation , Isabelle C. Kramer

Mutants, Sentinels, and Cerebro: Messages About Technology and Society in Science Fiction Films , Paige Marie Lee

Facing the Matter: An Eye-tracking Assessment of Social Media Beauty Filter's Impact on Cosmetic Surgery Normative Beliefs , Camilla Marie Owens

Virtual Advertising in the NBA: How Arousal Level and Visual Attention Alter Brand Recall and Recognition , Caleb H. Porter

"This is the Way": Gender Representation in Disney's The Mandalorian , Brooke Solorio

Nutritional Messaging: To Eat or Not to Eat? , Christina Triptow

The Intersection of Fashion and Politics: A Semiotic Analysis of Vogue Magazine Covers Surrounding Election Seasons , Megan M. Vincent

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Agenda Setting in the Digital Age: The Impact of Mass Media and Social Media on the Topic of Sexual Harassment , Melissa True Gibbs

Linking Exposure to Political Content on Social Media with Political Polarization: The Mediating Role of Anger , Audrey Anne Halversen

Perceptions of the Physically Disabled Influenced by Media Portrayals , Jessica Parcell

Exploring Mentions of Pornography in Popular Television Shows , A. Lucia Pollock

Influence for Change: Consumer Perceptions of Social Media Influencer Engagement in Social Responsibility , Lauren Elizabeth Silva

and : An Ideographic Analysis of , Emily Ann Spackman

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Depictions of Female Body Types in Advertising: How Regional Visual Attention, Body Region Satisfaction, Media Influence, and Drive for Thinness Relate , Dallin Russell Adams

Creating a Long-Term Relationship Between a Museum and its Patrons: Examining Social Media as OPR Tool , Kylie M. Brooks

Asian American Cultural Identity Portrayal on Instagram , Jesse Lau Kristine King

Self-Framing of Women in U.S. Politics on Instagram , Madison Marie Parks

Gender Portrayal in Marvel Cinematic Universe Films: Gender Representation, Moral Alignment, and Rewards for Violence , Kristen Ray

Comparing Binge-Watching Motivations in South Korea and the United States: Westernization of South Korean Entertainment , Sohyun Ribeiro

Comparing Binge-Watching Motivations in South Korea and the United States: Westernization of South Korean Entertainment Media , Sohyun Ribeiro

UsTube -- An Exploration of the Relationship Between YouTube and Influencers , Alex Michie Sanders

UsTube - A Grounded Theory Analysis of the Relationship Between YouTube and Influencers , Alex Michie Sanders

The Roles of Moral Anger, Empathy, and Self-Efficacy in Persuading Prosocial Activism , Erin Lurae Willder

Jumping from Journalism -- Why Broadcast Journalists Leave the Field , Daniel Mark Woodruff

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

The New Face of Business: Comparing Male and Female Gender Stereotypes in Multi-Level Marketing Facebook Posts in India , Hannah Elizabeth Chudleigh

Refugees and Media Framing During the Refugee Crisis , Alyssa Carol Davidson

Way-Finding: A New Approach to Studying Digital Communications , William Daniel Glade

Bridging the Gender Gap: A Journey of Women and Men in Communications Leadership , Steven Bruce Pelham

Deflategate and Image Repair Theory: A Case Study , Erica Alejandra Rivas Cruz

Is Binge Watching Bad for You? Escapism, Stress, Self-Controland Gratifications? , Weipu Wang

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

TV Dads: A Grounded Theory Analysis of Viewer Perceptions of Fathers in Television Dramas , Katherine Ann Barboza

Social Media Use and Its Impact on Relationships and Emotions , Spencer Palmer Christensen

But First, Let Me Take a Selfie: A Content Analysis of Female and Male Celebrity Selfies on Instagram , Maureen Grace Elinzano

Brand Communication Through Social Media Influencers: How Organizations Can Advance Effective Relationships with SMIs in Brazil , Andressa Ferreira Gaertner

Why Can't Zelda Save Herself? How the Damsel in Distress Trope Affects Video Game Players , Jared Capener Hansen

How Are U.S. Startups Using Instagram? An Application of Taylor's Six-Segment Message Strategy Wheel and Analysis of Image Features, Functions, and Appeals , Robert David Jenkins

The Impact of Breakups on Social Media Use Among Digital Natives , HyeJin Kim

A Content Analysis of Relationships and Intimacy in Teen Dramas on Television , Sara Valoise Lamb

A Q-Method Study of Visual Metaphors in Advertising , Mckenzie Joell Madsen

Like and Shout: Brand Loyalty, Framing, and Fan Interactions on the BYU Football Facebook Page , Zachary Anderson Miller

The Impact of Statistical, Research-Based, andNarrative Anti-Pornography Messagingon Psychological Reactance , Alison Rachel Ostler

A Rhetorical Analysis of Campaign Songs in Modern Elections , Lottie Elizabeth Peterson

Nonprofit Public Relationships on Social Media: The Public's Perspective , Brooke Lauren Smith

P300 Event-Related Potentials to a Phoneme Discrimination Task Requiring a Motor Response , Kaitlyn Chelsea Turner

The Emotional Effects of Life Experience on Bilingual Speakers' Nonverbal Communications , Sarah Marie Webb

Perceptual Proficiency Ratings of Obstruent Productions in L2 Learners of English as a Function of Speech Task Type, Word Position, and Listener Expertise , Rachel McPherson Zitting

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Livestrong or Lie Hard: A Pentadic Analysis of Deception and Reputation Management in 'The Armstrong Lie' , Harper D. Anderson

"Sure It's Foreign Music, but It's Not Foreign to Me" Understanding K-Pop's Popularity in the U.S. Using Q Sort , Janice Kim Cho

The Rise of the Listicle: Using Eye-Tracking and Signal Detection Theory to Measure This Growing Phenomenon , Jason Robert Freeman

Tweeting for a Cause: A Content Analysis of Successful Charitable Nonprofits' Publishing Strategies on Twitter , Shaela Annice Hougaard

A Content Analysis of the Portrayal of Refugees in U.S. News Media , Tambi Farouk Issac

Is Video Enjoyment Deeper for Those with ADHD? , Daisy Kristina Milman

Social Aggression in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Primary and General Election Debates , Daniel John Montez

The Post-Revolutionary Roles of Fidel Castro: A Semiotic Analysis of Cuban Political Posters, 1959-1988 , Meghan Elizabeth Payne

When Eyes and Ears Compete: Eye Tracking How Television News Viewers Read and Recall Pull Quote Graphics , Othello Lennox Richards

Natural Disaster Films: A Social Learning and Perceived Realism Perspective , Melissa Seipel

The Right to Be Forgotten: Analyzing Conflicts Between Free Expression and Privacy Rights , Mindy Weston

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

An E-Government Analysis of State Legislatures' Social Media Use , Karen Sue Connell

Social Supers: A Content Analysis of Non-Physical Aggressions in Popular Superhero Movies , Ian Trent Gillespie

That's Disgusting: The Role of Disgust in Nonprofit Marketing Campaigns , Tyler N. King

Examining Stakeholder Relationships in Chinese Public Relations Practice: A Case Study of LinkedIn China and Its Sub-Brand Chitu , Yingying Li

We're Friends Right? Dialogical Strategy Effects in CSR Facebook Posts on Perceived Organizational Trust and Authenticity , Casey J. McDonald

Assessing Diversity Among Corporations in Brazil: An Exploratory Study , Helga Sheyla Pereira

Why Kids Are 'Lovin' It': A Q Methodology Analysis of the Appeal of McDonald's , Erica Nelson Rivera

The Gratification Niches of Traditional and Digital Radio , Don G. Shelline

How Public Relations Firms Do PR for Themselves Through Corporate Social Responsibility , Melissa Elise Steckler

Just Tweet It: Sports Teams' Communication of CSR on Twitter , David Paul Stephan

Standing Ground: Situational Crisis Communication Theory and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Handbook Policy Change , Natalie Marie Tripp

Modeling Children's Organization of Utterances Using Statistical Information from Adult Language Input , Katie Lynn Walker

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

The Role of Documentary Film in the Emerging Social Entrepreneurial Culture , KaRyn Elizabeth Daley

Online Mormon Self-Presentation: Content Analysis of Mormon.org and LDSSingles.com Profiles , Megan Marie Fereday

Exploring LDS Missionary Blogs: How Culture Manifests in Self-Narratives of Foreign Missionaries , Karina Marie Gathu

Where They Least Expect It: Product Placement in Children's Picture Books , Steven John Holiday

#DoINeedSocialMedia: Social Media in Local Political Elections , Brittany K. Karzen

Power Distance in Mormon Culture , Sara Isabel Lee

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Research M.A.

The Research M.A. focuses on developing tools in mass communication research and typically leads to enrollment in a doctoral program. Coursework should provide background and training in an appropriate mixture of communication theory and analytical tools; solid grasp of theory and methods should be evident in the student’s M.A. thesis. The student defends the thesis before a three-person certification committee in an oral examination at the end of the program.

Degree Requirements

• Minimum of 30 graduate credits (courses numbered 300 and above). Students must earn at least 16 credits at UW–Madison.
• Students must maintain a 3.25 cumulative GPA in all graduate work and successfully defend a master’s thesis.

The program must include:

• Two 800- or 900-level courses in journalism and mass communication
• Twelve graduate credits (minimum) in journalism and mass communication
• Six graduate credits (minimum) outside of journalism and mass communication

Suggested Timeline

• Thesis proposal at end of second semester of coursework
• Proposal meeting with committee before research begins
• Defense of thesis at end of fourth semester after admission

Criteria for Satisfactory Progress

• Master’s students must earn a minimum 3.25 cumulative grade point average by the end of the second semester in residence and must maintain that GPA for the duration of the degree program. Grades in courses numbered 300 and above count toward the GPA.
• Master’s students who earn grades of “incomplete” must remove those grades in the semester following their occurrence. A request for a waiver of this rule may be granted in rare cases. Waiver requests should be submitted to the Journalism and Mass Communication Graduate Committee.
• Master’s students must maintain steady progress toward completion of the degree. Full-time master’s students can expect to spend 1.5 to 2 years earning the degree. The time to degree completion varies for part-time students.
• Master’s students must satisfy all  Graduate School degree requirements .

The Review Board

The Journalism and Mass Communication Graduate Committee constitutes the review board for the M.A. degree. The review board is charged with all final decisions as to satisfactory progress. A review of each student’s progress is made at the end of each semester and, in cases where student performance has not met satisfactory progress criteria, a letter is sent to the student and faculty advisor. Students who receive such a letter have a maximum of four weeks to provide a written response concerning any special reasons or circumstances relevant to their failure to meet the satisfactory progress criteria. The Review Board will examine all cases involving lack of satisfactory progress to determine appropriate action. A finding of “unsatisfactory progress” by the Review Board may be grounds for a one-semester probation, suspension of funding (if applicable) or dismissal from the graduate program, at the Review Board’s discretion.

Please review the  M.A. Handbook  for specific policies and procedures.

Graduate School Degree Requirements

M.A. Handbook (PDF)

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What are some of the topics for a thesis in Mass Communications?

Krystle Dodge

Managing Editor

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In this article, we will be covering…

To write or not to write – that is the question. Students contemplating a master’s degree in communications or mass communications generally choose a thesis or no thesis program. One exception is the University of North Carolina’s online Master of Arts in Media and Communication ; students have a mandatory thesis as the final project.

The Master of Science in Communication Studies at Eastern Washington University has four communication specializations: Cultural, Instructional, Organizational, and Technological. All four have two choices; you may select Option A – the thesis or research project. Alternatively, Option B, which consists of a written examination to test your knowledge of the entire program’s material. The former requires an oral exam conducted at least two weeks after submitting the research paper.

For students opting for a thesis or are in a program mandating one, your faculty advisor can help you with a topic. However, an internet search reveals numerous possibilities, many with different areas of concentration. For example, if your degree specializes in journalism, there are relevant topics from which to choose.

Why select a thesis program?

One reason is if you want to conduct research work upon graduation, the thesis is a means to gain experience researching, documenting, organization, and writing an informative paper. Your piece becomes the selection of an original subject upon which you expound using the master’s coursework knowledge. The length can vary from 20,000 to 40,000 words of a quality worthy of publishing. The finished product could be 40 to 80 pages, not including the bibliography. A seemingly daunting task, but you will be assisted early in the process by faculty.

Another reason to consider a thesis is if you plan to pursue a doctorate. Writing a thesis is excellent preparation for the research paper required in the Ph.D. program. The master’s thesis may also impress the admission panel of a doctorate program and increase your chances of acceptance.

Communication Topics

You can start with a statement or a question. As mentioned above, the area of specialization in the master’s degree will influence your choices. The following are examples of concentrations and possible thesis subjects in question (Q) and statement (S) form.

Corporate Communication

• What are the best qualities of effective communicators in the corporate world?
• The importance of corporate Communication for the performance of the organization.

Public Relations

• What is the impact of public relations on local and global communities?
• The evolution of social media’s influence on the public’s perception of current events.
• Is investigative journalism important for mass communication, and how successful is it?
• The impact of technology on journalism
• What is the relationship between successful marketing and Communication?
• Marketing strategies and Communication

Social Media

• How has social media changed the patterns of Communication compared to conventional mass media?
• The effects of social media on political campaigns and dissemination of political views.
• How do communication styles and personality traits affect an organization’s productivity and the public’s perception?
• Theories of Communication on leadership in the corporate world.

To reiterate, the choice of topic will coincide with your specific area of mass communication. The trend for master’s programs in this discipline is to offer multiple specializations. The Master of Arts in Communication at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins University has six:

• Applied Research in Communication
• Public and Media Relations
• Health Communication
• Digital Communication
• Political Communication
• Corporate and Nonprofit Communication

Bucking the trend is the online Master of Arts in Communication (non-thesis) at Arizona State University. The diverse study plan benefits human resource specialists, public relations specialists, corporate and marketing managers, sales personnel, and communication consultants.

As stated in the first paragraph, a thesis choice or not is a personal decision governed by your career and educational goals. Students set on pursuing a doctorate will benefit from the experience of researching and preparing a lengthy paper. Graduates who do not intend to do research work or earning a Ph.D. may forgo the thesis when given a choice.

Perhaps there are other projects equally challenging instead of the rigors of a thesis. The extra time may allow you to take additional courses to enhance your future resume. Before committing, talk to other students and faculty about the pros and cons of a thesis program.

Additional Resources:

30-36 hours doesn’t seem like much. Can I still work while getting my Master’s in Mass Communication?

What areas fall under the umbrella of Mass Media?

Is journalism the best field to pursue after getting a Master’s in Mass Communications?

What interpersonal skills should I possess to be successful in pursuing a mass communications degree?

Easiest Online Master’s Degrees

What Is the Difference Between Corporate Communications and PR?

Are Companies Looking for Something More Than a Social Media Expert When Thinking About Corporate Communications?

What Are Some Typical Courses I Would Take in a Corporate Communications Master’s Program?

What Areas of Writing Should I Focus on to Be Successful in Corporate Communications?

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58 Mass Communication Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best mass communication topic ideas & essay examples, 🔍 most interesting mass communication topics to write about, 🔎 simple & easy mass communication essay titles.

• Movies as a Medium of Mass Communication Over the decades of its development, the phenomenon of a movie has changed significantly, especially with the introduction of new genres and the discovery of new ways of conveying a particular idea visually.
• Communication Theory: Mass Society Theory (MST) Originally, the theory was used in studies by conservative thinkers to explain the declining impact of family and community after the rise of industrial society. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• India Movie Industry as a Medium of Mass Communication India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is therefore charged with the development and regulation of the broadcasting, print, film and other media on behalf of the state.
• Ethical Issues in Mass Communication and Advertising The following are some of the primary ethical issues that mass communication and advertising need to observe in modern society where media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion.
• Telegraph and Its Impacts in Mass Communication The invention of electricity was very instrumental as it led to the discovery of electric telegraphy by William and Charles in the 19th century.
• Global Mass Communication: Web Television The Web TV and IPTV are a powerful enabling force that enables the use of similar ideas in different corners of the world.
• The History of Mass Communication: New Opportunities and Challenges for Society In the history of mass communication, it is possible to distinguish three main stages: ethic-legal paradoxes, techno-legal time-gap, and surveillance society, The new media is characterized by technological changes and changes in ideas and ideals […]
• What is “Two-step Flow”? What Implications Does It Have for Our Understanding of Mass Communication? It should be known that there has been an implication of our understanding of mass communication as a result of this theory based on the fact that it has redefined our predictions on the influence […]
• Global Music: Mass Communication The era of globalization had a dramatic impact not only on the economic development of the countries but also implied cultural exchange while distributing national music around the world.
• Larry King: The Pioneer of Mass Communication The ‘Numbers Guy,’ as he was referred to by callers while hosting the Larry King Show, makes one of the greatest broadcasters in media history despite not having taken a course in mass communication. Larry […]
• Social Media as a Component of Mass Communication The reasons for such a claim are justified and refer to different opportunities that social media and the Internet give their users. During that time, social media helped me to stay aware of the current […]
• E-Media Fast: Mass Communication Theory The level of my media usage had risen to a point that I could not spend a day without the use of any of the media sources.
• Mass Communication Law and Ethics As the hotel employee did not clean up the water out of a fish tank that resulted in an accident, the hotel was to be responsible for that situation.
• The Study of Mass Communication and Popular Culture The contributions of the French sociologist emile Durkheim to the formation of sociology are rather sufficient, as the scientist has studied the ways in which societies could maintain their integrity and coherence in the present […]
• Mass Communication Impact on Modern language Within the frames of another tradition, the impact of mass communication and mass culture on language and mass consciousness is analyzed in a different critical way.
• Mass Media Communication: Personal Analysis Finally, when I do the same in the kitchen in the morning, I am occupied with preparing and eating my breakfast; therefore, television serves as a background and I cannot be focused on the information […]
• Mass Communication and Public Policy One example of the websites that help to exchange ideas but negatively is the In the real sense, there several public interests in conflict when the information about the funding of a politician is disclosed […]
• The Implication of Chaffee and Metzger’s Article “The End of Mass Communication” With the development of computer-based communication technologies, the university should focus on this issue in determining the impact of technological changes on mass communication and the need to change the courses offered at the Lindenwood […]
• Americans: Global Awareness and Mass Communication
• How Technology and Convergence Has Changed the Face of Mass Communication
• Basic Ideas and Theories of Mass Communication
• Bringing Cultural Change Through Mass Communication
• Criteria for Professional Journalism and Mass Communication Programs
• The Uses and Impacts of Mass Communication
• Celebrity Phenomenon in an Era of Mass Communication
• Debating Mass Communication During the Rise and Fall of Broadcasting
• Demystifying Mass Communication Majors Into the Magazine Industry
• Digital History: Leading the Rise of Mass Communication
• How Mass Communication Approach Can Change Into Perspective
• Improving Physical Fitness Through Methods of Mass Communication
• Incorporating Mass Communication, Philosophy, and Sociology in the Education of an Athlete
• Internet Addiction Between Mass Communication and Nursing Students of Segi University
• Language and Mass Communication: Omnivore’s Dilemma
• Mass Communication and Its Effects on the Audience
• Linking Mass Communication and Academic Art
• The Relations Between Mass Communication and Culture
• Mass Communication Between People and Communities
• Relations Between Mass Communication and Social Policies
• The Parallels Between Mass Communication and Graphic Design
• Historical Analysis of Mass Communication During World War II
• The Link Between Mass Communication, Media, and Culture
• Mass Communication, Propaganda, and Persuasion Controlling America
• Relationship With Smartphones: Mass Communication
• Mass Communication Theory and Practice: An Overview
• Social Learning Theory: Are Children Being Corrupted by the Mass Communication Industry?
• Experience in Using Social Media for Mass Communication
• Sustainable Consumption and Mass Communication: A German Experiment
• The African Americans Throughout the History of Mass Communication
• The History and Evolution of Technology and Mass Communication
• Theories, Concepts, and Models in Mass Communication Theory Foundations and Future
• The Uses and Gratifications of Research of Mass Communication
• Understanding and Evaluating Mass Communication Theory
• The Role and Impact of Mass Communication on Sexuality in TV Programs
• Review of the Origin and Evolution of Mass Communication and Technology
• Mass Communication and Technological Advancement in “How Are Media Born”
• Synopsis of Dynamics of Mass Communication
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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13.2: Functions and Theories of Mass Communication

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Learning Objectives

• Identify key functions of the mass media.
• Explain how the media functions as a gatekeeper.
• Discuss theories of mass communication, including hypodermic needle theory, media effects, and cultivation theory.

Functions and Theories of Mass Communication

How does mass communication function differently than interpersonal communication? Do we have relationships with media like we have relationships with people? To answer these questions, we can look at some of the characteristics and functions of mass communication. One key characteristic of mass communication is its ability to overcome the physical limitations present in face-to-face communication. The human voice can only travel so far, and buildings and objects limit the amount of people we can communicate with at any time. While one person can engage in public speaking and reach one hundred thousand or so people in one of the world’s largest stadiums, it would be impossible for one person to reach millions without technology.

Another key characteristic of mass communication in relation to other forms of communication is its lack of sensory richness. In short, mass communication draws on fewer sensory channels than face-to-face communication. While smell, taste, and touch can add context to a conversation over a romantic dinner, our interaction with mass media messages rely almost exclusively on sight and sound. Because of this lack of immediacy, mass media messages are also typically more impersonal than face-to-face messages. Actually being in the audience while a musician is performing is different from watching or listening at home. Last, mass media messages involve less interactivity and more delayed feedback than other messages. The majority of messages sent through mass media channels are one way. We don’t have a way to influence an episode of The Walking Dead as we watch it. We could send messages to the show’s producers and hope our feedback is received, or we could yell at the television, but neither is likely to influence the people responsible for sending the message. Although there are some features of communication that are lost when it becomes electronically mediated, mass communication also serves many functions that we have come to depend on and expect.

Functions of Mass Media

The mass media serves several general and many specific functions. In general, the mass media serves information, interpretation, instructive, bonding, and diversion functions:

• Information function. We have a need for information to satisfy curiosity, reduce uncertainty, and better understand how we fit into the world. The amount and availability of information is now overwhelming compared to forty years ago when a few television networks, local radio stations, and newspapers competed to keep us informed. The media saturation has led to increased competition to provide information, which creates the potential for news media outlets, for example, to report information prematurely, inaccurately, or partially.
• Interpretation function. Media outlets interpret messages in more or less explicit and ethical ways. Newspaper editorials have long been explicit interpretations of current events, and now cable television and radio personalities offer social, cultural, and political commentary that is full of subjective interpretations. Although some of them operate in ethical gray areas because they use formats that make them seem like traditional news programs, most are open about their motives.
• Instructive function. Some media outlets exist to cultivate knowledge by teaching instead of just relaying information. Major news networks like CNN and BBC primarily serve the information function, while cable news networks like Fox News and MSNBC serve a mixture of informational and interpretation functions. The in-depth coverage on National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, and the more dramatized but still educational content of the History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, and the Discovery Channel, serve more instructive functions.
• Bonding function. Media outlets can bring people closer together, which serves the bonding function. For example, people who share common values and interests can gather on online forums, and masses of people can be brought together while watching coverage of a tragic event like 9/11 or a deadly tornado outbreak.
• Diversion function. We all use the media to escape our day-to-day lives, to distract us from our upcoming exam, or to help us relax. When we are being distracted, amused, or relaxed, the media is performing the diversion function.

The Media as Gatekeeper

In addition to the functions discussed previously, media outlets also serve a gatekeeping function, which means they affect or control the information that is transmitted to their audiences. This function has been analyzed and discussed by mass communication scholars for decades. Overall, the mass media serves four gatekeeping functions: relaying, limiting, expanding, and reinterpreting (Bittner, 1996). In terms of relaying, mass media requires some third party to get a message from one human to the next. Whereas interpersonal communication only requires some channel or sensory route, mass media messages need to “hitch a ride” on an additional channel to be received. For example, a Sports Illustrated cover story that you read at SI.com went through several human “gates,” including a writer, editor, publisher, photographer, and webmaster, as well as one media “gate”—the Internet. We also require more than sensory ability to receive mass media messages. While hearing and/or sight are typically all that’s needed to understand what someone standing in front of you is saying, you’ll need a computer, smartphone, or tablet to pick up that SI.com cover story. In summary, relaying refers to the gatekeeping function of transmitting a message, which usually requires technology and equipment that the media outlet controls and has access to, but we do not. Although we relay messages in other forms of communication such as interpersonal and small group, we are primarily receivers when it comes to mass communication, which makes us depend on the gatekeeper to relay the message.

In terms of the gatekeeping function of limiting, media outlets decide whether or not to pass something along to the media channel so it can be relayed. Because most commercial media space is so limited and expensive, almost every message we receive is edited, which is inherently limiting. A limited message doesn’t necessarily mean the message is bad or manipulated, as editing is a necessity. But a range of forces including time constraints, advertiser pressure, censorship, or personal bias, among others, can influence editing choices. Limiting based on bias or self-interest isn’t necessarily bad as long as those who relay the message don’t claim to be objective. In fact, many people choose to engage with media messages that have been limited to match their own personal views or preferences. This kind of limiting also allows us to have more control over the media messages we receive. For example, niche websites and cable channels allow us to narrow in on already-limited content, so we don’t have to sift through everything on our own.

Gatekeepers also function to expand messages. For example, a blogger may take a story from a more traditional news source and fact check it or do additional research, interview additional sources, and post it on his or her blog. In this case, expanding helps us get more information than we would otherwise so we can be better informed. On the other hand, a gatekeeper who expands a message by falsifying evidence or making up details either to appear more credible or to mislead others is being unethical.

Last, gatekeepers function to reinterpret mass media messages. Reinterpretation is useful when gatekeepers translate a message from something too complex or foreign for us to understand into something meaningful. In the lead-up to the Supreme Court’s June 2012 ruling on President Obama’s health-care-overhaul bill, the media came under scrutiny for not doing a better job of informing the public about the core content and implications of the legislation that had been passed. Given that policy language is difficult for many to understand and that legislation contains many details that may not be important to average people, a concise and lay reinterpretation of the content by the gatekeepers (the media outlets) would have helped the public better understand the bill. Of course, when media outlets reinterpret content to the point that it is untruthful or misleading, they are not ethically fulfilling the gatekeeping function of reinterpretation.

In each of these gatekeeping functions, the media can fulfill or fail to fulfill its role as the “fourth estate” of government—or government “watchdog.” You can read more about this role in the “Getting Critical” box.

“Getting Critical”: The Media as “Watchdog”

While countries like China, North Korea, Syria, and Burma have media systems that are nearly if not totally controlled by the state regime, the media in the United States and many other countries is viewed as the “watchdog” for the government. This watchdog role is intended to keep governments from taking too much power from the people and overstepping their bounds. Central to this role is the notion that the press works independently of the government. The “freedom of the press” as guaranteed by our First-Amendment rights allows the media to act as the eyes and ears of the people. The media is supposed to report information to the public so they can make informed decisions. The media also engages in investigative reporting, which can uncover dangers or corruption that the media can then expose so that the public can demand change.

Of course, this ideal is not always met in practice. Some people have critiqued the media’s ability to fulfill this role, referring to it instead as a lapdog or attack dog. In terms of the lapdog role, the media can become too “cozy” with a politician or other public figure, which might lead it to uncritically report or passively relay information without questioning it. Recent stories about reporters being asked to clear quotes and even whole stories with officials before they can be used in a story drew sharp criticism from other journalists and the public, and some media outlets put an end to that practice. In terms of the attack-dog role, the twenty-four-hour news cycle and constant reporting on public figures has created the kind of atmosphere where reporters may be waiting to pounce on a mistake or error in order to get the scoop and be able to produce a tantalizing story. This has also been called being on “scandal patrol” or “gaffe patrol.” Media scholars have critiqued this practice, saying that too much adversarial or negative reporting leads the public to think poorly of public officials and be more dissatisfied with government. Additionally, they claim that attack-dog reporting makes it more difficult for public officials to do their jobs (Coronel, 2008).

• In what ways do you think the media should function in a democratic society?
• Do you think the media in the United States acts more as a watchdog, lapdog, or attack dog? Give specific examples to support your answer.
• In an age of twenty-four-hour news and instant reporting, do you think politicians’ jobs are made easier or more difficult? Do you think reporters’ jobs are made easier or more difficult? Support your answers.

Theories of Mass Communication

Theories of mass communication have changed dramatically since the early 1900s, largely as a result of quickly changing technology and more sophisticated academic theories and research methods. A quick overview of the state of the media in the early 1900s and in the early 2000s provides some context for how views of the media changed. In the early 1900s, views of mass communication were formed based on people’s observation of the popularity of media and assumptions that something that grew that quickly and was adopted so readily must be good. Many people were optimistic about the mass media’s potential to be a business opportunity, an educator, a watchdog, and an entertainer. For example, businesses and advertisers saw media as a good way to make money, and the educator class saw the media as a way to inform citizens who could then be more active in a democratic society. As World War I and the Depression came around, many saw the media as a way to unite the country in times of hardship. Early scholarship on mass media focused on proving these views through observational and anecdotal evidence rather than scientific inquiry.

Fast forward one hundred years and newspapers are downsizing, consolidating to survive, or closing all together; radio is struggling to stay alive in the digital age; and magazine circulation is decreasing and becoming increasingly more focused on microaudiences. The information function of the news has been criticized and called “infotainment,” and rather than bringing people together, the media has been cited as causing polarization and a decline in civility (Self, Gaylord, & Gaylord, 2009). The extremes at each end of the twentieth century clearly show that the optimistic view of the media changed dramatically. An overview of some of the key theories can help us better understand this change.

Hypodermic Needle and Beyond

In the 1920s, early theories of mass communication were objective, and social-scientific reactions to the largely anecdotal theories that emerged soon after mass media quickly expanded. These scholars believed that media messages had strong effects that were knowable and predictable. Because of this, they theorized that controlling the signs and symbols used in media messages could control how they were received and convey a specific meaning (Self, Gaylord, & Gaylord, 2009).

Extending Aristotle’s antiquated linear model of communication that included a speaker, message, and hearer, these early theories claimed that communication moved, or transmitted, an idea from the mind of the speaker through a message and channel to the mind of the listener. To test the theories, researchers wanted to find out how different messages influenced or changed the behavior of the receiver. This led to the development of numerous theories related to media effects. Media businesses were invested in this early strand of research, because data that proved that messages directly affect viewers could be used to persuade businesses to send their messages through the media channel in order to directly influence potential customers.

This early approach to studying media effects was called the hypodermic needle approach or bullet theory and suggested that a sender constructed a message with a particular meaning that was “injected” or “shot” into individuals within the mass audience. This theory is the basis for the transmission model of communication that we discussed in Chapter 1 “Introduction to Communication Studies”. It was assumed that the effects were common to each individual and that the meaning wasn’t altered as it was transferred. Through experiments and surveys, researchers hoped to map the patterns within the human brain so they could connect certain stimuli to certain behaviors. For example, researchers might try to prove that a message announcing that a product is on sale at a reduced price will lead people to buy a product they may not otherwise want or need. As more research was conducted, scholars began to find flaws within this thinking. New theories emerged that didn’t claim such a direct connection between the intent of a message and any single reaction on the part of receivers. Instead, these new theories claimed that meaning could be partially transferred, that patterns may become less predictable as people are exposed to a particular stimulus more often, and that interference at any point in the transmission could change the reaction.

These newer theories incorporated more contextual factors into the view of communication, acknowledging that both sender and receiver interpret messages based on their previous experience. Scholars realized that additional variables such as psychological characteristics and social environment had to be included in the study of mass communication. This approach connects to the interaction model of communication. In order to account for perspective and experience, mass media researchers connected to recently developed theories in perception that emerged from psychology. The concept of the gatekeeper emerged, since, for the first time, the sender of the message (the person or people behind the media) was the focus of research and not just the receiver. The concepts of perceptual bias and filtering also became important, as they explained why some people interpreted or ignored messages while others did not. Theories of primacy and recency, which we discussed in Chapter 9 “Preparing a Speech”, emerged to account for the variation in interpretation based on the order in which a message is received. Last, researchers explored how perceptions of source credibility affect message interpretation and how media messages may affect viewers’ self-esteem. By the 1960s, many researchers in mass communication concluded that the research in the previous twenty years had been naïve and flawed, and they significantly challenged the theory of powerful media effects, putting much more emphasis on individual agency, context, and environment (McQuail, 2010).

The next major turn in mass communication theory occurred only a few years after many scholars had concluded that media had no or only minimal effects (McQuail, 2010). In the 1970s, theories once again positioned media effects as powerful and influential based on additional influences from social psychology. From sociology, mass media researchers began to study the powerful socializing role that the media plays but also acknowledged that audience members take active roles in interpreting media messages. During this time, researchers explored how audience members’ schemata and personalities (concepts we discussed in Chapter 2 “Communication and Perception”) affect message interpretation. Researchers also focused more on long-term effects and how media messages create opinion climates, structures of belief, and cultural patterns.

In the late 1970s and into the 1980s, a view of media effects as negotiated emerged, which accounts for the sometimes strong and sometimes weak influences of the media. This view sees the media as being most influential in constructing meanings through multiple platforms and representations. For example, the media constructs meanings for people regarding the role of technology in our lives by including certain kinds of technology in television show plots, publishing magazines like Wired , broadcasting news about Microsoft’s latest product, airing advertisements for digital cameras, producing science fiction movies, and so on. Although these messages are diverse and no one person is exposed to all the same messages, the messages are still constructed in some predictable and patterned ways that create a shared social reality. Whether or not the media intends to do this or whether or not we acknowledge that how we think about technology or any other social construct is formed through our exposure to these messages is not especially relevant. Many mass communication scholars now seek to describe, understand, or critique media practices rather than prove or disprove a specific media effect.

Additionally, mass communication scholars are interested in studying how we, as audience members, still have agency in how these constructions affect our reality, in that we may reject, renegotiate, or reinterpret a given message based on our own experiences. For example, a technology geek and a person living “off the grid” have very different lives and very different views of technology, but because of their exposure to various forms of media that have similar patterns of messages regarding technology, they still have some shared reality and could talk in similar ways about computers, smartphones, and HD television. Given the shift of focus to negotiated meaning and context, this view of mass communication is more in keeping with the transactional model of communication.

Media Effects

Media effects are the intended or unintended consequences of what the mass media does (McQuail, 2010). Many of the key theories in mass communication rest on the assumption that the media has effects on audience members. The degree and type of effect varies depending on the theory. In general, we underestimate the effect that the media has on us, as we tend to think that media messages affect others more than us. This is actually so common that there is a concept for it! The third-party effect is the phenomenon just described of people thinking they are more immune to media influence than others. If this were true, though, would advertisers and public relations professionals spend billions of dollars a year carefully crafting messages aimed at influencing viewers?

There are certain media effects that are fairly obvious and most of us would agree are common (even for ourselves). For example, we change our clothes and our plans because we watch the forecast on the Weather Channel, look up information about a band and sample their music after we see them perform on a television show, or stop eating melons after we hear about a salmonella outbreak. Other effects are more difficult to study and more difficult for people to accept because they are long term and/or more personal. For example, media may influence our personal sense of style, views on sex, perceptions of other races, or values just as our own free will, parents, or friends do. It is difficult, however, to determine in any specific case how much influence the media has on a belief or behavior in proportion to other factors that influence us. Media messages may also affect viewers in ways not intended by the creators of the message. Two media effects that are often discussed are reciprocal and boomerang effects (McQuail, 2010).

The reciprocal effect points to the interactive relationship between the media and the subject being covered. When a person or event gets media attention, it influences the way the person acts or the way the event functions. Media coverage often increases self-consciousness, which affects our actions. It’s similar to the way that we change behavior when we know certain people are around and may be watching us. For example, the Occupy Movement that began on Wall Street in New York City gained some attention from alternative media and people using micromedia platforms like independent bloggers. Once the movement started getting mainstream press attention, the coverage affected the movement. As news of the Occupy movement in New York spread, people in other cities and towns across the country started to form their own protest groups. In this case, media attention caused a movement to spread that may have otherwise remained localized.

The boomerang effect refers to media-induced change that is counter to the desired change. In the world of twenty-four-hour news and constant streams of user-generated material, the effects of gaffes, blunders, or plain old poor decisions are much more difficult to control or contain. Before a group or person can clarify or provide context for what was said, a story could go viral and a media narrative constructed that is impossible to backtrack and very difficult to even control. A recent example of such an effect occurred at the University of Virginia when the governing body of the university forced President Teresa A. Sullivan to resign. The board was not happy with the president’s approach to dealing with the changing financial and technological pressures facing the school and thought ousting her may make room for a president who was more supportive of a corporate model of university governance (Pérez-Peña, 2012). When the story picked up local and then national media coverage, students, faculty, and alumni came together to support Sullivan, and a week later she was reinstated. Instead of the intended effect of changing the direction and priorities for the university, the board’s actions increased support for the president, which will also likely add support to her plans for dealing with the issues.

Cultivation Theory

Cultivation theory is a media effects theory created by George Gerbner that states that media exposure, specifically to television, shapes our social reality by giving us a distorted view on the amount of violence and risk in the world. The theory also states that viewers identify with certain values and identities that are presented as mainstream on television even though they do not actually share those values or identities in their real lives (Griffin, 2009). Drawing on cultivation as it is practiced in farming, Gerbner turned this notion into a powerful metaphor to explain how the media, and television in particular, shapes our social realities. Just as a farmer plants seeds that he or she then cultivates over time to produce a crop, the media plants seeds in our minds and then cultivates them until they grow into our shared social reality.

Over decades of exploring cultivation theory, Gerbner made several well-supported conclusions that are summarized as follows:

• Prime-time television shows and weekend morning children’s programming have been found to contain consistently high amounts of violence over the past thirty years.
• Older people, children, African Americans, and Latino/as are more likely to be shown as victims of violence than are their young-adult, middle-aged, and/or white counterparts. This disparity is more meaningful when we realize that these groups are also underrepresented (relative to their percentage in the general population) on these shows while their vulnerability to violence is overstated.
• Heavy viewers predict that their odds of being a victim of violence within the next week are 1 in 10, while light viewers predicted 1 in 100. Real crime statistics give a more reliable estimate of 1 in 10,000.
• Heavy viewers fear walking alone on the street more than do light viewers, believing that criminal activity is actually ten times more prevalent than it actually is.
• Heavy viewers believe that more people are involved in law enforcement and that officers draw and use their weapons much more than is actually the case.
• Heavy viewers are generally more suspicious of others and question their motives more than do light viewers (the basis of the mean world syndrome).
• Given that most people on television are portrayed as politically moderate and middle class, heavy viewers are more likely to assume those labels even though heavy users tend to be more working class or poor and more politically conservative than moderate. In short, they begin to view themselves as similar to those they watch on television and consider themselves a part of the mainstream of society even though they are not.

“Getting Competent”: Applying Media Theories

Although most do not get mass public attention, there are many media criticism and analysis organizations that devote much time and resources to observing, studying, and/or commenting on how the media acts in practice, which often involves an implicit evaluation of media theories we have discussed so far, in particular media effects theories. Media outlets and the people who send messages through media outlets (i.e., politicians, spokespeople, and advertisers) are concerned about the effects and effectiveness of their messaging. As we already learned, the pervasive view of media effects today is that media messages do affect people, but that people have some agency in terms of how much or little they identify with or reinterpret a message.

To understand media effects, media criticism organizations do research on audience attitudes and also call on media commentators to give their opinions, which may be more academic and informed or more personal and partisan. In either case, taking some time to engage with these media criticism organizations can allow you to see how they apply mass communication theories and give you more information so you can be a more critical and informed consumer of media. You can find a list of many media criticism organizations on World-Newspapers.com  (www.world-newspapers.com/media.html). Some of these organizations have a particular political ideology or social/cultural cause that they serve, so be cautious when choosing a source for media criticism to make sure you know what you’re getting. There are also more objective and balanced sources of media criticism. Two of my personal favorites that I engage with every week are CNN’s show Reliable Sources (www.cnn.com/shows/reliable-sources) and the public radio show On the Media (www.onthemedia.org). Reliable Sources even has an implicit reference to reciprocal effects in its show description, stating, “The press is a part of every story it covers.” [1] On the Media ran a story that implicitly connects to cultivation theory, as it critiques some of the media’s coverage of violence and audiences’ seeming desensitization to it (Bernstein 2012).

• Of the “functions of mass media” discussed earlier in the chapter, which functions do media criticism organizations like the ones mentioned here serve? Specifically, give examples of how these organizations fulfill the gatekeeping functions and how they monitor the gatekeeping done by other media sources.
• Since media criticism organizations like Reliable Sources and On the Media are also media sources (one a television show and one a radio show), how might hey be contributing to reciprocal effects?
• Using the links provided, find a substantial article, study, or report that analyzes some media practice such as the covering of a specific event. Apply some aspect of media effects from the chapter to the story. How might media effects theory help us understand the criticism being raised?

Key Takeaways

• The mass media serves information, interpretation, instructive, bonding, and diversion functions.
• As a gatekeeper, the media functions to relay, limit, expand, and reinterpret information.
• The hypodermic needle theory of mass communication suggests that a sender constructs a message with a particular meaning that is “injected” into individuals within a mass audience.
• Theories of media effects explore the intended or unintended effects of what the media does. Theories have claimed strong effects, meaning that media messages can directly and intentionally influence audience members. They have also claimed weak effects, meaning that media messages have no little power over viewers. More recently, theories have claimed negotiated effects, meaning that media messages do affect viewers but that viewers also have some agency to identify with, reject, or reinterpret a message.
• Cultivation theory explores a particular kind of media effect claiming that media exposure, specifically to television, shapes our social reality by giving us a distorted view on the amount of violence and risk in the world.
• Which function of mass media (information, interpretation, instructive, bonding, or diversion) do you think is most important for you and why? Which is most important for society and why?
• What ethical issues are created by the gatekeeping function of the media? What strategies or suggestions do you have for bypassing this function of the media to ensure that you get access to the information you want/need?
• Getting integrated: Discuss media messages that have influenced or would influence you in a professional, academic, personal, and civic context.

Bernstein, B., “The Story of the Times Gory Empire State Shooting Photo,” On the Media , August 24, 2012, accessed September 20, 2012, www.onthemedia.org/blogs/on-t.hooting-photo1.

Bittner, J. R., Mass Communication , 6th ed. (Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1996), 11.

Coronel, S. S., “The Media as Watchdog,” Harvard-World Bank Workshop, May 19, 2008, accessed September 19, 2012, www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorri.20Watchdog.pdf.

Griffin, E., A First Look at Communication Theory , 7th ed. (Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2009), 352–53.

McQuail, D., McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory , 6th ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2010), 457.

Pérez-Peña, R., “Ousted Head of University Is Reinstated in Virginia,” New York Times , June 26, 2012, accessed November 11, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/education/university-of-virginia-reinstates-ousted-president.html?pagewanted=all .

Self, C. C., Edward L. Gaylord, and Thelma Gaylord, “The Evolution of Mass Communication Theory in the 20th Century,” The Romanian Review of Journalism and Communication 6, no. 3 (2009): 29.

• “About This Show,” CNN Reliable Sources , accessed September 20, 2012, http://reliablesources.blogs.cnn.com . ↵

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College of journalism and mass communications: theses.

Robo-Ump: A Study of the Prospective Impact of Automated Strike Zone Use in Major League Baseball Games from the Perspective of Broadcasters and Media , Bob Greene

Florida’s Public Records Law: Its Role in a Tragedy During Hurricane Irma , Patrick Sheehan

The Globalization of Journalism Ethics: Exploring Feasibility and Value in a Globalized World , Sherine Mansour

Taking a stand by kneeling: An analysis of national anthem protest coverage , Vincent Pena

This Machine Kills Fascists: Music, Speech and War , Robert J. Crisler

HOW FEMALE ONLINE BUSINESSES AND BRANDS ARE USING INSTAGRAM STORIES , Hannah N. VanDerslice

Life Beyond the Like: Uses & Gratifications of Sharing Business Facebook Page Content , Sara M. Nash

Crisis Communication in an International Organization: An Investigation of the BBC’s Reputation in the Aftermath of the Savile Scandal , Stephanie P. Shipp

THE IMPACT OF FOOD MANUFACTURERS’ RECALL NOTIFICATIONS ON THE TONE OF NEWSPAPER COVERAGE , Monique L. Farmer

The Diminishing Role of the Ombudsman in American Journalism , Wade B. Hilligoss

Tough Talk, Tear Gas, Tragedy: The Fight to Frame One Day's Events in Ecuador , Ralph Kurtenbach

EXPLAINING THE TREND TOWARD ENGLISH-LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING IN HISPANIC-AMERICAN TELEVISION: WHY NOW? , Elizabeth L. Levine

News Goes Native: An Examination of Online Media's Disclosure Practices for Sponsored Content , Joseph Dean Moore

A Qualitative Study of the Effectiveness of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Journalism Program for Preparing Students for the Workplace , Sarah Anne Carter Rosenbaum

An Examination of University Speech Codes’ Constitutionality and Their Impact on High-Level Discourse , Benjamin Welch

FROM THE INSIDE: A Professional Project Comparing How the Insurance Industry and Mass Media Portray the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , Erin Andersen

Behaviorism's Impact on Advertising: Then and Now , Abigail Bartholomew

A Professional Project Surveying Student-Run Advertising and Public Relations Agencies at Institutions with ACEJMC Accredited Programs , Allison M. Busch

Is There a Future Audience for Small Market Broadcast Television News? , David W. Madsen

Yolanda Barco's Impact on the Cable Television Industry , Piper L. Peteet-Kilgore

Meet Them Where They Gather: An Analysis of NASA’s Communications Approach for the 21st Century , Amanda D. Stein

See You Later, Aggregator: How Hot News Misappropriation Deters Aggregators Without Overprotecting Facts , Wern Ai Tan

The Collection of Media by U.S. Senators: A Preliminary Study , Richard L. Willis

From Red Fears to Red Power: The Story of the Newspaper Coverage of Wounded Knee 1890 and Wounded Knee 1973 , Kevin Abourezk

CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS TRADE ADVERTISING DURING THE DECEMBER 2007–JUNE 2009 RECESSION , Bridgid Agosta

Faith As News: A Christian Clergy Perspective on News Media Coverage of Religion , John Baker

MUSICIAN BLOGGERS: THE IMPACT OF NICHE BLOGGERS ON BUSINESS , Charles Craine

The Impact of Reporter Gender on Print News Coverage of the 2008 Dole-Hagan U.S. Senate Race in North Carolina , Courtney Hunt Munther

College Football Twitter Communities: The Husker Twitter Community During the 2012 Capital One Bowl , Kelly D. Mosier

BLIND TRUSTS AS A MODEL FOR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM , Perry Andrew Pirsch

GREETED LIKE LIBERATORS: MEDIA, METAPHOR, AND MYTH IN THE RHETORICAL CONSTRUCTION OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM , Charles Franklin Bisbee

Why Anonymous Sources Are Used: Inside the Different Situations Calling for Reporter-Source Confidentiality , Erich Eisenach

A Matter of Seconds: An Interpretive Study on Media Reporting of Life-threatened Children , James M. Kavanaugh

Does Trust Really Matter? A Quantitative Study of College Students' Trust and Use of News Media , Soo Hui Lee

THE PUBLIC SERVICE ROLE OF THE LOCAL PENSACOLA MASS MEDIA DURING HURRICANE IVAN , Chad D. Morehead

Floyd Gibbons: A Journalistic Force of Nature in Early 20th Century America , Andrew J. Nelson

"The Gifted Pen": The Journalism Career of Susette La Flesche Tibbles (1854-1903) , Erin E. Pedigo

PRINT vs. ONLINE JOURNALISM: ARE BELIEVABILITY AND ACCURACY AFFECTED BY WHERE READERS FIND INFORMATION? , Burton Speakman

Identifying Barriers and Incentives Related to Attending the Performing Arts: An Examination of First Year College Students , Laura J. Sweet

MARINERS ALL ACCESS : AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE ROLE OF A PRODUCER AT ROOT SPORTS TM , Carrie S. Tachiyama

An iPhone in a Haystack: The Uses and Gratifications Behind Farmers Using Twitter , Sarah Van Dalsem

The University of Nebraska at Omaha's Criss Library Mobile Resources: A Study of User's Preferences , Teonne A. Wright

Commenting on Cannabis: Testing News Fragmentation Using Reader Comments on California's Proposition 19 , John D. Beecham

News Consumption Habits of Students at the University of Nebraska , Ford G. Clark

Student Perceptions of Digital Textbooks in a College Nursing Program , Alan D. Eno

An Ardent Flame: Witness to Distant Suffering, Human Rights and Unworthy Victims in the Coverage by The New York Times and Two Journals of the Religious Left of the 1980s Civil Wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua , Charles A. Flowerday

Female Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of the Portrayal of Women in Advertising , Virginia M. Johnson

The Wired World: A Primer on Electronic Research, Wikipedia, Social Networking Sites, and Web Journalism , Ryan F. Love

Edward R. Murrow: His Life, Legacy and Ethical Influence , Howard Lester Rose

Study of Convergence in Nebraska Newspapers , Kathryn L. Schindler

USER MOTIVATION: LIKABILITY AND USABILITY OF AN AGRICULTURAL WEB SITE , Vishal Singh

COMMUNICATING ETHNICITY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF CONSTRUCTED IDENTITY , Laura L. Pierson

The Ignored Disease: The AIDS Epidemic 1981-1987 , Heather L. Graff and Heather Graff Bloom

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Communication; Mass communication; Technical communication'

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Vigil, Stephanie Ann. "What changes await local TV news due to changes in technology?" Thesis, Gonzaga University, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1551909.

Over the years, local television news stations across the nation have seen a dramatic decrease in viewership. Much like newspapers, fewer people are relying on television news for several reasons. Two of the biggest culprits are the age of new technology and social media. These two factors alone have reprogrammed people's daily habits, changing the landscape of television news viewership and resulting in uncertain times at local television news stations. Few studies have been done on the future of local television news. Of the studies that have been conducted, it is clear to see that local news is still relevant even in times of change, uncertainty and evolution, but can it make enough of a profit to survive? The million dollar question TV executives are trying to answer is: How will local TV news stations stay afloat in these uncharted waters? In an attempt to answer this question, qualitative research in the form of ethnography and interview was conducted. The findings in this study reveal television news stations must stay on the cutting edge of technology in order to engage their viewers. They must also think of creative ways to generate revenue besides the traditional way of advertising. Without healthy news ratings, local television news organizations are forced to lower their advertising rates to those seeking to spend money on commercial time. This, in turn, has resulted in a loss of millions of dollars a year for TV stations. The end result will be evident to both stations and viewers. The future of local television news and the direct impact to viewers is discussed.

Sun, Weimei. "Using the mixed-method approach to examine telepresence outside the lab." Master's thesis, Temple University Libraries, 2015. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/347014.

Marse, Michael Eugene, and Nicholas Negroponte. "A metaphoric cluster analysis of the rhetoric of digital technology." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2005. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2928.

Booth, Stephanie. "Characteristics of an Optical Communication Link for Mars Utilizing a Modulated Retro-Reflector." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1505407909979898.

Poland, Bailey. "The Impact of Sexist Rhetoric on Women's Participation in News Comments Sections." University of Findlay / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=findlay1494247181482129.

McMillen, Suzanne R. "Threads of Deliberation: A Textual Analysis of Online News Comments." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1368025601.

Sledzik, Christopher Steele. "PR and Online Branding Corporate Perceptions in a Digital Space: Branding Goodyear Engineered Products in the Automotive Aftermarket Online." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1334608828.

Zhang, Chenjie. "Why do We Choose This App? A Comparison of Mobile Application Adoption Between Chinese and US College Students." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1529856226667762.

Cochran, Pamela A. "Q Code, Text, and Signs: A Study of the Social Semiotic Significance of QSL Cards." University of Findlay / OhioLINK, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=findlay1484321999467252.

Silvestro, John Joseph. "Changing the Conversation: A Case Study of Professional, Public Writers Composing Amidst Circulation." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1499423603925559.

Rosen, Michael Alan. "Affective Design in Technical Communication." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2005. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/2469.

McClure, Ashley. "Humanizing Technical Communication With Metaphor." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2009. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/3228.

Howard, Laura. "Technical Communication Strategies in Marketing." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1304622588.

Damschroder, Carrie Marie. "A Technical Communication Internship with a Technical Communication Consulting Company: Write on the Edge, Inc." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2003. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1059763908.

Newbold, Curtis Robert. "Teaching Creativity in Technical Communication Curricula." DigitalCommons@USU, 2008. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/4.

Sepulveda, David. "DEVELOPING TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION PEDAGOGY FOR NONNATIVE TECHNICAL GRADUATE STUDENTS." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2005. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/2866.

Morton, Thomas A. "Mass communication, interpersonal communication, and health risk perception : reconsidering the impersonal impact hypothesis from a communication perspective /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2005. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18683.pdf.

Carabelli, Jason Robert. "Disciplinarity, Crisis, and Opportunity in Technical Communication." Scholar Commons, 2013. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/4650.

Wardell, Erika A. "Gender composition of online technical communication collaborations." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2011. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/4719.

Roberts, David. "The Ethos of Humor in Technical Communication." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2013. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/5840.

Kerby, Audrey J. "Practicing Technical Communication in a Clinical Laboratory." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1133552003.

Pagano, Jennifer Hoolhorst. "The evolution of Sunset Magazine's cooking department: The accommodation of men's and women's cooking in the 1930s." Scholarly Commons, 2019. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/3575.

Verzosa, Hurley Elise. "Toward a Pedagogy of Visual Communication as Critical Practice in Professional and Technical Communication." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/297050.

Katirayi, Beverly A. Jensen. "Oral public communication in the Iranian immigrant community, toward reconceptualization of mass communication /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/6158.

Shrensky, Ruth, and n/a. "The ontology of communication: a reconcepualisation of the nature of communication through a critique of mass media public communication campaigns." University of Canberra. Communication, 1997. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20050601.163735.

Sherrill, John T. "Makers| Technical communication in post-industrial participatory communities." Thesis, Purdue University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1585424.

In the past few decades, web technologies and increasingly accessible digital fabrication technologies such as 3D printers and laser cutters have made it easier for individuals and communities to create complex material objects at home. As a result, communities of individuals who make things outside formal institutions, known as maker communities, have combined traditional crafts and technical knowledge with digital tools and web technologies in new ways. This thesis analyzes maker communities as post-industrial participatory design communities and examines them as participatory spaces where technical communication occurs between individuals with varying levels of expertise and sometimes drastically different knowledges. Ultimately, this thesis asks what technical communicators can learn from maker communities about international post-industrial economies and the future of technical communication.

This thesis explores how the emergence of interdisciplinary maker communities is rooted in earlier open source movements and the web, how open source principles change when applied to material development processes, how makerspaces and maker faires function as sites that bring together makers in development, and how maker communities serve as examples of post-industrial configurations of participatory communities.

Through participating in and analyzing maker communities, I suggest that participatory communities are a fundamental component of post-industrial development processes, and that technical communicators are well equipped to deal with the socio-cultural, rhetorical, and technological challenges such communities face. Furthermore, drawing on Liza Potts' theory of Experience Architecture, I suggest that technical communicators will continue to act as guides in decision making processes and as creators of communities, while also creating systems that enable greater exchange of information across platforms and communities, in both physical and digital realms.

Brkich, Carrie. "Using narrative to improve reflection in technical communication." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2011. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/4859.

Horner, Lewis R. "Communication and consumer confidence the roles of mass media, interpersonal communication, and local context /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1229213595.

Basso, Jeremy J. "The Dynamics of Student-to-Student Interpersonal Communication Motives and Communication Styles in Asynchronous Higher Education Environments." Thesis, Union Institute and University, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10797861.

This research study examines the dynamics of student-to-student interpersonal mediated communication motives within asynchronous discussion forums. The objective is to determine the interpersonal mediated communication motives and communicator style of students enrolled in fully asynchronous community college courses with the intention to supplement, enhance, and refine the existing research in online education through the application of relevant theories and methods from the field of communication studies. Specifically, the study seeks to determine students' communication motives for consensus-building and agonistic oriented purposes. A mixed methods approach has been utilized through the implementation of a 5-point Likert scale survey, comprised of forty questions, which was provided towards the end of a traditional 16 week semester to 125 students enrolled in five fully asynchronous courses. In an attempt to discover whether students respond to their classmates' asynchronous discussion forum posts for consensus-building motives or for purposes of engaging in agonistic confrontations, a discourse analysis of various forum responses was performed after completion of the asynchronous courses. Previous studies of community building within asynchronous contexts and interpersonal communication motives research suggest that students enrolled in fully asynchronous courses will engage in student-to-student interpersonal mediated communication for the purpose of pleasure, affection, inclusion, control, companionship, habit, receiving information, participation and functional purposes. Through the implementation of the 5-point Likert-scale survey, I discovered six interpersonal mediated communication motives (inclusion, participation, affection, receiving information, functional and pleasure) of student-to-student responses within fully asynchronous discussion forums and four communicator styles (friendly, attentive, communicator image and impression leaving). The findings from the discourse analysis overwhelmingly revealed that the student-to-student interpersonal mediated communication motive for responding to discussion forum posts was most frequently correlated with the students' rationale for consensus-building as opposed to exhibiting a rationale for agonistic pluralism.

Key words: interpersonal mediated communication motives, communicator styles, asynchronous discussion forums, higher education, consensus-building, agonistic confrontation.

Cordova, Hugo. "The NFL| The cultural stage for a shifting American landscape." Thesis, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1600512.

The National Football League is more than just the most popular sports league in America. Dominant American discourses that surround American patriotism and popular culture have a parallel in the NFL. This parallel is due to the fact that football is a game uniquely rooted and structured like war. Additionally, many products of the American neo-liberal era are flourishing on the NFL stage. These products include: corporatism, commercialization, consumer culture, and aggressive competition. The violent nature of the game invites notions of militarism and war that fit seamlessly with the game’s identity. Militarism, being a symbol that protects the nation, fits perfectly with an American civil religion that is largely devoted to Reagan’s ideal redemptive America. The NFL, through active and skillful branding, has meshed its identity with foundational aspects of American identity. Now the NFL has to navigate through the popular and traditional logics that are ingrained in American society while maintaining their business.

Lambert, Maria T. "Attack of the Mommy Mafia| Examining The Honest Company's Use of Coombs' SCCT Strategies." Thesis, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1593182.

A crisis can threaten the existence of an organization, and in this social media age, information is spread at lightning-fast speeds forcing crisis communication managers to work quickly to quell any unflattering press. Companies in crisis situations attempt to mitigate damage and repair reputations using crisis communication strategies, such as Coombs’ Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT). This thesis explored social media as a crisis communication channel for these strategies, by studying an organizational crisis that played out almost entirely on social media, through the lens of SCCT.

This thesis used six statements made by The Honest Company during a 2013 crisis where stakeholders accused the company of bullying a working mother over trademark rights. The company’s crisis communication messages were retrieved, and by using discourse analysis the messages were examined through the guidelines of the SCCT model, which allowed categorization of the messages according to SCCT, analysis of their effectiveness, and the defining of SCCT challenges in analyzing this organizational conflict aggrandized through social media.

This study found that even though The Honest Company did not strictly adhere to SCCT’s guidelines, it was able to flourish and surpass consumer expectations after the crisis ended. The examination of this crisis offered insight into SCCT’s lack of clarity and direction concerning its crisis types, strategies, and guidelines. It also offered suggestions for more specific crisis types and the expansion of crisis types for SCCT.

Craighead, Britney Nicole. "The Dynamics of Rewards and Punishments in Video Games| A Content Analysis." Thesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10159655.

In recent years, concerns over video game addiction have increased. Both individual factors (such as impulsivity and reward sensitivity) and content features in video games (such as reward and punishment features) play a role in the development of video game addiction. In the current study, a content analysis coding procedure is developed in order to categorize the reinforcement schedules of three existing commercial video games from three different genres. Our findings indicate that the reward features in the game The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot resembles a partial reinforcement schedule while the reward features in the games Team Fortress 2 and Destination Sol resemble a continuous reinforcement schedule. This key finding demonstrates that the reward content features in commercial video games can be classified along a theoretically meaningful dimensions put forth by Operant Conditioning Theory. Furthermore, in this study we pilot tested several outcome measures related to video game addiction that will be crucial to our conceptualization of video game addiction in the future including a measure of playing time, game enjoyment, trait impulsivity, a measure of behavioral impulsivity, and the game addiction scale. We found that the video game with a partial reinforcement schedule was significantly more enjoyable than the video games with a continuous reinforcement schedule.

McClure, Samantha. "Brand Engagement in Relation to the Elements of Uses and Gratifications Theory through Participation in Virtual Brand Communities on Pinterest." Thesis, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10163337.

Many advertising, marketing, and communication professionals look for ways to increase consumers’ engagements with their brands. In doing so many have begun to use social networking sites, such as Pinterest. Consumers can engage with brands through participation in these sites. Through this brand engagement, businesses can hope for positive customer satisfaction towards their specific brand, which can lead to the development of brand attachments. The purpose of this study was to show the association between brand engagement and the elements of uses and gratifications theory, specifically through the use of the virtual brand community of Pinterest. Statistical tests were conducted to determine the relationship between individual and multiple elements of the uses and gratifications theory and brand engagement.

Boyes, Maria. "A decent writer: professional environmental communication among environmental managers." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/37949.

Vlisides, James C. "Rendering the Other: Ideologies of the Neo-Oriental in World of Warcraft." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1363105916.

Zhang, Yuejiao. "DEFINING WORKPLACE INFORMATION FLUENCY SKILLS FOR TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION STUDENTS." Doctoral diss., University of Central Florida, 2010. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/2828.

Byrum, Sabrina Freeman. "A Technical Communication Internship with WIL Research Laboratories, Inc." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1144284140.

Knost, Kathryn Marie. "Report on a Technical Communication Internship with Towers Perrin." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1217259721.

Virtaluoto, J. (Jenni). "Technical communication as an activity system: a practitioner’s perspective." Doctoral thesis, Oulun yliopisto, 2015. http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9789526209371.

Warren, Jessica L. "Report on a MTSC Internship at Seapine Software." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1345734453.

Peyronnin, Edgar U. "The digital preservation of research at Colorado State University| A case study of three departments." Thesis, Colorado State University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3746127.

Rosselot-Merritt, Jeremy W. "Technical Communication as a Rhetorical Enterprise: A Technical Writing Internship at E-Technologies Group." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1323838177.

Lee, Jayeon Janey. "The Effects of Journalists' Social Media Activities on Audience Perceptions of Journalists and their News Products." Thesis, The Ohio State University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3734622.

Social media have recently emerged as one of the primary information sources in the U.S. Journalists and news organizations have been keen on establishing a presence within digital social networks in order to utilize this new channel to build and maintain an audience. However, little is known about the practical implications of social media engagement by journalists for audience perceptions of news.

The present dissertation attempts to investigate 1) the influences of journalists' social media activities, self-disclosure and interaction with other users, on audience perceptions of the journalists; 2) if the perceptions serve as an important mediator between the social media activities and audience perceptions of the journalists'; news products; and, 3) if and how the direct and indirect effects of journalists'; social media activities are moderated by audiences'; individual differences in journalism orientation (IJO), which refers to which journalism norm audience members lean toward: engagement (public journalism norm) or detachment (objective journalism norm). Given that journalism is in a state of flux between traditional detached approaches and newer attached perspectives, these are important questions to be addressed relative to journalism in new media environments.

An experiment with multiple message stimuli was conducted in the context of a journalist's Facebook profile, and college students' perceptions of the journalist and his news product were measured via an online questionnaire. All perceptions were examined on both personal (e.g., attractiveness) and professional (e.g., objectivity and competence) dimensions.

The results provided empirical evidence that, 1) when it comes to journalists, engaging in such common social media activities as self-disclosure and interaction can significantly harm journalists in terms of their perceived competence although the same behaviors can improve perceptions of their personality. Results on the perceived objectivity dimension were mixed such that objectivity was positively influenced by interactive behaviors whereas it was negatively influenced by self-disclosure via social media; 2) Audience perceptions of journalists, formed based on their social media activities, tended to transfer to their impressions of the journalists' news products, demonstrating that the indirect effects of journalists' self-disclosures and interactions via social media on audience perceptions of their news products were mediated through audience perceptions of the journalists in terms of personality and competence although this mediation relationship was not evident in the case of journalists' self-disclosing activities and the professional-dimension perceptions; 3) These influences of journalists' social media activities were moderated by audiences'; individual journalism orientation such that the impacts of journalists'; self-disclosure on the journalists' personal and professional images (in both objectivity and competence) were in general stronger for the audiences oriented to an objective journalism norm, indicating that those with an objective orientation tend to react more sensitively to journalists' unconventional behaviors.

This set of results revealed that journalists' conforming to social media norms and acting like ordinary social media users could make not only the journalists but also their news products look personally attractive and friendly, but professionally less competent. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Luke, Brittany D. "Brand Recall of Advertisements on Twitch.tv." Thesis, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2019. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10813253.

Abdullah, Tawfiq O. "A Content Analysis of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's Campaign Speeches and Framing of the 2016 Presidential Election." Thesis, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2019. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=13420149.

The study investigated the existence of some generic and non-generic media frames in the campaign speeches of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton using content analysis. The comparison of the two political actors in their usage of frames in their campaign speeches revealed that Donald Trump exploited economic consequence, conflict, morality, attribution of responsibility, and negative campaign frames more than Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton did not socially exclude any minority group within and outside the United States of America. Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are equal in their utilization of the human interest frame, positive campaign, and mixed campaign. If campaign speeches were moderators of candidates’ electoral victory, negative campaign is, therefore, a facilitating factor in affecting voters' behavior considering the success of Trump in the polls. Nevertheless, the commonness of mixed campaign to both the political candidates indicates that a discrete use of any of the generic frames by political actors and communicators may not be a certainty for changing voters’ behavior. Instead, scholars and professionals should treat frames as discretional communication tools applicable and dependent on the context of a social environment in which many factors exist and determine the choice of frames in communicating between the speech actors and the audiences.

Gautreaux, Ryan J. "Framing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act| A Content Analysis of Democratic and Republican Twitter Feeds." Thesis, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10163326.

This study examines the portrayal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (PPACA) based on the Twitter feeds of Democratic and Republican leaders. This innovative thesis provides a clear depiction of how divisive and unprecedented political cyberwarfare has unfolded within the realm of computer-mediated communications. This study also uses an original approach in its capability of identifying the political combatants of a divisive topic. This is also the first content analysis of its kind by bringing data analysis to the concepts of Entman and Kuypers, focusing on problem/solution and cause/effect rhetoric that confirms framing as a powerful political weapon. This research combines all of the above concepts and applies them to one of the most popular and current social media sites as a basis of analysis. This research also proves the value of politicians’ personal Twitter accounts when studying the general framing strategies of the respective parties.

Nover, Scott. "Netflix vs. the World| A Study of Competitive Trends in the Modern American TV Industry." Thesis, The George Washington University, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10823909.

The TV industry is a competitive marketplace with rapidly realigning powers and players, fueled by an environment of intense conglomeration and consolidation. The present study focuses on three facets of this industry that are inextricably related to competition: (1) government rules, regulations, and policies; (2) the role of TV content production; and, (3) the role of consumer behavior and preference. Further, it explores the technology behind TV, as television distribution is intrinsic to the future of the industry.

ALshammari, Musaed. "How Kuwaiti College Students in the United States Use and Perceive Electronic News Media| A Case Study." Thesis, Arkansas State University, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10977267.

The purpose of this study was to formulate a preliminary conceptual perception about how Kuwaiti college students in the United States use and perceive electronic media. This qualitative study has sought to recognize the utilization habits and perception of Kuwaiti college students in the USA toward electronic media. The study examines the reasons for the high degree of dependency on electronic media by Kuwaiti students in the USA and the most significant features and properties that are available by electronic media, which attract youth attention. This research conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a sample of 15 Kuwaiti college students in the United States. It was concluded that Kuwaiti college students are the major users of recent technology and pioneers of electronic and social media. It also seeks for future investigations to understand whether the demographic characteristics of Kuwaiti college students are affecting their media utilization habits.

Hanford, Nicholas A. "Moments of Play| Uncovering the Performances of Videogame Play." Thesis, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10682415.

Videogames are complex media objects that require significant input from the player for their enjoyment. The multiple experiences and outcomes that can emerge when an individual plays a game present difficult methodological challenges for games researchers. This dissertation proposes two complementary methods for studying this complexity: temporal data collection and situational analysis . These help delineate both how players acquire knowledge from a game system and use their previous knowledges in future videogame experiences by focusing on the moment-to-moment decisions and actions that the player takes in a given situations. In addition to providing a way to investigate player skill and knowledge of a system over time, this method also provides a way to understand how the meanings that players and scholars make from games develop over the course of their play.

By expanding on previous definitions of the repertoire —the sets of skills and knowledges that player rely on in overcoming a game’s challenges—, I develop models for how knowledge is acquired, incorporated, and utilized over the course of an individual game and different game genres. These models developed through the individual situations that occurred in my analysis of these games and show how knowledges and skills develop not only within a single game, but are translatable from game to game. I developed the concept of a technique to provide a means for scholars and designers to understand how an individual’s performance is practiced and evolves as they learn more about the game system and come to grow comfortable with particular actions. The second performance model developed in this dissertation, the play style , describes the general ways that a player approaches a game and how different goals, both internal and external, can effect how knowledge and skills are used.

Lastly, through the temporal data collection and situational analysis methods, I am able to further elucidate the roles that luck plays in videogames—an undertheorized arena of gameplay experience. I provide three distinct ways that scholars can discuss the experience of luck and how it intersects with the repertoires of skill that a player develops: designed chance mechanics, glitches, and botches. Designed chance mechanics are the elements of a videogame that provide randomness to the game system and must be understood and responded to appropriately by the player in order for their success. Glitches are aberrations in the software or hardware that can develop unexpectedly through player action. Lastly, a botch , adapted from the world of professional wrestling, provides a model for understanding how feelings of luck emerge from unexpected situations that are not intelligible within the repertoires of player knowledge. With these concepts, I have provided the field of game studies a comprehensive method for discussing the forms of luck that emerge from the player’s subjective experience, the system’s designed uncertainty, and mixtures of the two. By offering models of performance and consideration of a largely overlooked concept like luck, I provide a nuanced look into the complicated development of skill that occurs in the performance of videogame play.

Shepard, Joseph C. "This is not a cage match." Thesis, Gonzaga University, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10118312.

During the 2016 presidential election season, Senator Ted Cruz’s use of social media to promote his campaign and build up a grassroots following was masterful. This case study explores Cruz’s digital outreach efforts in the shadow of GOP rival Donald Trump’s commanding use of traditional earned media. This case study views the Cruz campaign’s digital outreach strategy through the lens of the Agenda Setting theory of communication, which seeks to explain the mass media’s ability to influence what the important issues are to the public, and through the reverse agenda setting effect, meaning if the airtime is unavailable through traditional means, the opportunity to create their own media space is open to anyone that needs it, and their own agenda will be established for the digital audience.