Theses and Dissertations

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations by Department "Mass Communications"
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    APOCALYPSE SOON: A NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF BROADCAST COVERAGE OF HAROLD CAMPING’S 2011 APOCALYPSE PREDICTION
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2016-06-20) Word, Kathryn Elizabeth ; Marcellus, Jane ; Bratten, Clare ; Foss, Katie ; Mass Communications
    In reports regarding nontraditional religious organizations, the news media commonly present these groups in a satirical manner. Harold Camping’s May 2011 prediction of a biblical rapture was widely reported and was no exception to this satirical scrutiny. This study examines the television news media coverage of Camping and his prediction. Through narrative analysis, I examine how news reports on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and FOX constructed their narrative of Camping. I examine the narrative scripts that are presented in each news report in order to further understand how television news outlets present Camping, his followers, and the impact of his advertising campaign to the audience. Camping is primarily presented as untrustworthy, foolish, and manipulative toward his followers. Most reports utilized satire either directly through the correspondent or through visual and auditory elements. Each news outlet focused on the spread of information through social media and pop culture, as well as the widespread advertising campaign.
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    Cultural Heritage and the Responsibility of Edifying Black Sacred Music
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2015-04-07) Giles, Henrietta ; Brooks, Dwight ; Bratten, Clare ; Foss, Katie ; Cockrell, Dale ; Mass Communications
    This research explores the role Black sacred music has in Black culture and its historical influence on cultural identity. As a theoretical basis, this study uses cultural identity to examine how African Americans' connection to Black sacred music informs utilization by African Americans. Generational and lifestyle differences have contributed to young people's limited exposure to this music, and some who have a strong relationship with the sacred songs feel its continuance is threatened. Some African American churches seek to limit the inclusion of Black sacred music and opt for more contemporary or progressive styles of worship music. Without exposure, it becomes difficult to know or understand the practices and historical meanings associated with this genre. Diminished performances of Black sacred music also weaken the connection older African Americans may have with the music from religious or cultural experiences that occurred earlier in their lives. This research examines the relationship between African American culture and Black sacred music and how different generations of African Americans interpret its usefulness and historical relevance.
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    Dad, Where Are We Going?: A study of a reality television show in the Chinese media market
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2018) Li, BingNan ; Mass Communications
    Censorship in China controls and constrains Chinese media, including television programs imported from other countries. As such, the reality TV show, Dad, Where Are We Going? was censored by the Chinese government, which forbade it to air after three seasons, except online. The purpose of this thesis is to examine both the program’s content and its audience reception to better understand why it was pulled from the air and then allowed to reappear online, as well as how viewers interpreted the program. Specifically, this study uses a narrative analysis of the third and fourth seasons of Dad, Where Are We Going?, combined with social media analysis of fan posts, to provide insight into censorship issues with this program. This study found that the show helped to redefine traditional gender roles and used a variety of strategic tools to attract its viewers. Furthermore, social media empowered viewers and contributed to the show’s popularity. The implications for this study are: First, the major direction of China’s TV entertainment market is one of cultural osmosis, meaning that the format of adapting another country’s successful television program and mixing it with Chinese social expectations will be repeated because it has proven lucrative; and second, unlike many other forms of voyeuristic reality television entertainment, Dad, Where Are We Going? has had positive and lasting outcomes for both its participants and its viewers, both pre- and post-banning. By analyzing these narratives, this thesis provides further implications for the deeper cultural elements, such as child-parent relationships, child-father relationships, China’s Two-Child policy, and the ethical concerns over the child reality stars’ mental health.
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    Dancing with Myself: Representations of Disability within Glee
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2013-11-01) Levins, Lauren Ann ; Foss, Katie ; Reineke, Jason ; Bratten, Clare ; Mass Communications
    Media have potential to alter people's perceptions towards unfamiliar subjects (Davis, 2006). In the case of disability, danger can occur when representations are inaccurate. Previous research on portrayals of disabilities found a lack of representation and negative depictions overall. This study looked at the first three seasons of the television show Glee. Textual analysis was applied using Hall's Encoding/Decoding, Dyer's stereotyping, social construction theory, and a developed list of stereotypes. This study attempted to answer how people with disabilities were constructed and the perpetuation or challenging of stereotypes on Glee. Resulting topics involved storylines used to depict disabilities, interactions, and disability and agency. Stereotypes were found, but serious topics were also discussed. Implications involve the importance of accurate portrayals, the possibility to learn about disabilities, and the risks of self-stigmatization and negative treatment of disabilities. Further analysis of Glee seasons and comparisons of Glee's depictions to other shows were suggested.
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    Electronic Reading Devices: Are They Hurting or Helping the Print Publishing Industry?
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2014-03-28) Wesley, Savannah Nikkole ; Reineke, Jason ; Asthana, Sanjay ; Quarles, Jan ; Mass Communications
    With ever-evolving and emerging technology making an impact on today's society, examining how this technology affects mass media is essential. This study attempts to delve into an emerging media - electronic reading devices - and research how they are changing the publishing industry by looking into the arenas of newspaper, magazine, and book publishing as well as at consumers of print media on a larger scale. Through conducting a survey of around 250 participants, this study looks into consumers' ideas of preference and attitude toward reading habits involving electronic reading devices as well as thoughts about the longevity of the traditional print publishing industry. The research findings include information that points to positive correlations in preference and attitude toward using electronic devices amongst owners of the devices as well as positive correlations with men and the idea that printed materials are a thing of the past. Further research in the area of how long owners of electronic reading devices actually spend reading would offer even better insight into this subject of study.
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    Examining News Media References of Mental Illness in the Wake of Mass Shooting Events Occurring in the United States
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2019) Hollibush, Joshua Todd ; Reineke, Jason B. ; Blake, Kenneth ; Foss, Katherine ; Mass Communications
    In the wake of mass shooting events in the United States, it is generally understood that editorially conservative and liberal news media organizations seemingly present conflicting narratives for the occurrences. Liberals often emphasize the need for stricter gun control measures. Conservatives, on the other hand, often blame societal issues, such as mental illness, for mass shootings so as to discourage the public from participating in discussions critical of firearms, even though such arguments run counter to evidence in research literature. Via content analysis, this study examines news media references of mental illness following five recent mass shooting events in the United States (the Pulse nightclub shooting, the Congressional baseball shooting, the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, and the Waffle House shooting) to determine if there are major differences among CNN’s, Fox News’s, and MSNBC’s news coverage that can be connected to political ideology.
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    Family Socioeconomic Status and Personal Media Technology Use
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2015-03-26) Tang, Junyao ; Reineke, Jason ; Lee, Joonghwa ; Blake, Ken ; Mass Communications
    This study presents a survey on whether teenage children's family socioeconomic status is related to the children's mobile phone ownership, tablet ownership, and app use. This study conducts a secondary data analysis which analyzed the total responses of 802 teens and parents survey in 2012. The results suggest that children's family socioeconomic status is related to mobile phone and smart phone ownership, as well as app use. Specifically, teenage children in higher socioeconomic status families are more likely to have a mobile phone, smart phone or a tablet, and are more likely to have downloaded apps than teenage children of lower income parents. Implications of these findings are discussed.
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    From Cure-alls to Calcium Tablets: A Comparative Semiotic Analysis of Advertisements for 19th and 20th Century Patent Medicines and Contemporary Dietary Supplements
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2018-03-29) Albrecht, Karin Anne ; Marcellus, Jane ; Farwell, Tricia ; Foss, Katie ; Mass Communications
    This thesis explores American advertising with a focus on health and medicine. Today, ads are integrated into the fabric of everyday life, subtly (or not-so-subtly) communicating to and about American culture. While advertising may not necessarily create society’s values, advertisements certainly convey existing values, tastes, and beliefs; therefore, the way that advertisers communicate messages regarding health arguably shapes consumers’ conceptions of disease and well-being. This thesis uses semiotic analysis as conceptualized by Roland Barthes and Ferdinand de Saussure, viewing communication as language systems constructed from visual, verbal, material, and immaterial elements. While comparing signs in advertising for 19th and early 20th century patent medicines and contemporary dietary supplements, this analysis explores each historical context including the history of American medicine, American advertising, and changing regulations. It explores the messages within the ads, the signs used to convey those messages, and the broader myths (cultural ideas) that those signs construct. These myths connect health and well-being to power, nature, and the idea of "the good life" in American culture as it has evolved over the past 150 years. While examining these signs within history, significant differences emerged, but also enduring truths that demonstrate how human nature is surprisingly familiar through the decades.
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    GENERATION IRON: “NO, YOU COULDN'T DO WHAT I DO”
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2016-06-22) Calautti, Pietro ; Marcellus, Jane ; Bratten, Clare ; Foss, Katie ; Mass Communications
    This thesis analyzes the 2013 observational documentary film Generation Iron, directed by Vlad Yudin and produced by Edwin Mejia. Methodologically, it employs a textual analysis along with a contextual grounding. The theoretical basis for this analysis is a combination of postmodernism, as described by Jean Baudrillard and Fredric Jameson, as well as Stuart Hall's theories on encoding/decoding as well as representational media. The argument of this thesis is that the documentary Generation Iron represents the muscular male form of the subjects in the film as hyperreal, concealing their inexplicable nature by means of the logic of a simulation, in this case through the use of the opacity of human genetics. It is through this representation that the male body transitions beyond male-ness and into something hyper- or trans-mensch, borrowing and modifying Nietzsche's terminology. This opens up the possibility for further research into not only the questions of male and female embodiment, but also of sexuality.
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    Good versus Evil in the Squared Circle: Foreign and Minority Representations in Professional Wrestling
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2013-12-11) Friedrichs, Jessica ; Reineke, Jason ; Foss, Katherine ; Quarles, Jan ; Mass Communications
    Professional wrestling has remained a very popular form of entertainment through out the history of television. It hosts a unique world of characters that are used to play out scripted athletic contests that revolve around the concept of good versus evil. Previous research has suggested that minority and ethnic characters are predominantly represented as the evil side of the battle. This paper looks at the professional wrestling industry on a larger scale, analyzing the two largest professional wrestling companies in the world to determine if foreign and minority characters are more likely to represent evil, while White and American characters tend to represent the good. Results demonstrate that when looking at the industry as a whole minority characters are not predominantly featured as negative characters, as previous research would suggest. There is, however, a slight indication that foreign characters are still more likely to fall victim to negative representations in professional wrestling.
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    INTELLIGENT OR IDIOT? ONE-WORD DESCRIPTIONS OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES IN THE 2012 GOP PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION AND SECOND-LEVEL AGENDA SETTING
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2013-12-10) Bennett, Aileen Ruth ; Reineke, Jason ; Blake, Kenneth ; Langenbach, Lisa ; Mass Communications
    Agenda-setting theory (McCombs and Shaw, 1972) says that the media are able to influence what individuals think about. Second-level agenda-setting theory (McCombs et al., 1997; McCombs & Reynolds, 2008) extends this concept to examine the salience of specific characteristics, or attributes, of objects depicted in media. This research examines the relationships between media coverage and public opinion data regarding the 2012 GOP primary candidates - Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Ron Paul - and the 2012 general election candidates - Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Public opinion data were collected by the Pew Research Center asking participants to give a one-word description of the candidates, and attributes characterized in terms of ideology, competence, and integrity were selected. Media coverage of these candidates and selected attributes was reviewed for three days before each public opinion poll to determine whether significant relationships exist. Regarding relationships between media coverage and public opinion, significant relationships exist with some attributes and public opinion but not with all attributes. Further, there is evidence of a significant relationship across some attributes. These results are consistent with some other findings of second-level agenda-setting studies. Implications for future research are discussed.
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    LEADING THE WALKING DEAD: PORTRAYALS OF POWER AND AUTHORITY IN THE POST-APOCALYPTIC TELEVISION SHOW
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2016-05-31) Hudgens, Laura ; Foss, Katie ; Marcellus, Jane ; Reineke, Jason ; Mass Communications
    This multi-method analysis examines how power and authority are portrayed through the characters in The Walking Dead. Five seasons of the show were analyzed to determine the characteristics of those in power. Dialogue is important in understanding how the leaders came to power and how they interact with the people in the group who have no authority. The physical characteristics of the leaders were also examined to better understand who was likely to be in a position of power. In the episodes in the sample, leaders fit into a specific demographic. Most who are portrayed as having authority over the others are Caucasian, middle-aged men, though other characters often show equivalent leadership potential. Women are depicted as incompetent leaders and vulnerable, and traditional gender roles are largely maintained. Findings show that male conformity was most prevalent overall, though instances did decrease over the course of five seasons. Instances of female nonconformity increased over time, while female conformity and male nonconformity remained relatively level throughout.
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    Meet The Blockers: A Quantitative Analysis of Ad Blocker Usage
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2016-06-27) Young, Joshua Dale ; Farwell, Tricia ; Blake, Ken ; Asthana, Sanjay ; Mass Communications
    This study seeks to ascertain whether or not previous research on ad annoyance and ad avoidance in traditional media can be applied to ad blocker usage. Although there is extensive research on the negative reactions people have to advertising, viewer annoyance with advertising and viewer avoidance of advertising, scholarly research on ad blocking is quite limited. The researcher explored 3 hypotheses: (H1) Ad blocker use will be highest among younger people, males, and people on the higher end of the socioeconomic spectrum; (H2) greater frequency of Internet use will be positively correlated to ad blocker usage;
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    Mental Illness and the Primetime Medical Drama: Representation in Grey's Anatomy and House M.D.
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2018-04-11) Biddy, Kacey ; Foss, Katherine ; Marcellus, Jane ; Blake, Kenneth ; Mass Communications
    This narrative analysis examines the shows Grey’s Anatomy (2005-present) and House M.D. (2004-2012) in an effort to determine how mental illness is represented in primetime medical dramas. The study examined 20 combined episodes from each series. Results indicate that stereotypical depictions of mental illness were apparent, specifically through the narrative frames of the “aggressive” character, the “dishonest” character and the “dependent” character. Additionally, poor treatment by caregivers and a lack of successful treatment options emerged as common factors. It was concluded that the primetime medical dramas examined reinforce the existing mental illness stigma and perpetuate stigmatizing attitudes resulting in detrimental effects on those living with mental illnesses, including treatment resistance and self-oppression. Opportunities for future research as well as ideas for denouncing mental illness stigma are explored.
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    Message Appeal Effectiveness in Distracted Driving Public Service Announcements
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2015-10-29) Hill, Emily Catherine ; Reineke, Jason ; Blake, Ken ; Foss, Katherine ; Mass Communications
    Message appeal research concerning the effectiveness of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) has yielded inconsistent results across many message subjects. Little research on message appeal effectiveness exists concerning distracted driving PSAs. This study utilized a 2 x 4 factorial design (Question order condition: Distracted driving behavior in pre-test vs. Distracted driving behavior in post-test x Message appeal: Control vs. Empathy vs. Fear vs. Informational) to determine which commonly used message appeal was most effective in changing attitudes and behaviors and whether personal impact or distracted driving behavior had any impact on the messages effectiveness. The study used the Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion (ELM), which describes the processes through which attitudes change, as a theoretical framework. Analyses revealed that the empathy appeal was the only message that created a positive attitude change, in that participants’ acceptance of distracted driving decreased in the post-test. The control appeal resulted in a negative attitude change, in that participants’ acceptance of distracted driving increased in the post-test. There was no significant change in either the fear or informational appeals. These results lend partial support to the ELM.
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    More Than a Bump on the Head: Representations of Concussions in Fictional Television
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2018) Sturm, Michael Taylor ; Mass Communications
    In contemporary times, concussions have increasingly become part of the public dialogue. And yet, head trauma is still grossly underreported. While news discourse has been analyzed in existing literature, entertainment has not been extensively studied. This thesis used a narrative analysis to examine representations of concussions in 20 episodes of fictional American television from 1963-2018. As opposed to news media’s focus on head injuries in sports, most representations did not involve athletics. Instead, characters suffered concussions due to falls, fights, and forceful impact. Overall, four concussion frames were identified: the typical TV concussion, concussions as minor, concussions as humorous devices, and concussions as dangerous. Concussions are often presented as temporary, requiring brief medical treatment, without long-term effects discussed. It was concluded that fictional television portrays concussions in ways that do not always accurately reflect the realities of the injury and that this health messaging may impact the perception of concussions.
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    Occupy Wall Street- Rebels or Patriots: A Test of Framing Theory
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2013-03-29) Pudota, Reshma ; Reineke, Jason ; Quarles, Jan ; Blake, Ken ; Mass Communications
    Previous research indicates that the framing of public demonstrations, in terms of civil liberties or civic dangers, has an impact on public opinion regarding the demonstrators. However, this research has focused predominantly on extreme right-wing groups. Two experiments were conducted to test the effects of media coverage on attitudes towards the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement. The OWS movement was a social movement that started in New York, United States of America, to protest against social and economic inequality. The first experiment's design was post-test only with 3-conditions: a grassroots civic movement frame (GCM), a neutral (NT) frame, and a dangerous civic disorder frame (DCD). Initial analysis indicated unexpected results, but when data were refined to include only participants who passed a manipulation check, those in the GCM condition evaluated OWS most positively, followed by those in the NT condition, with those in the DCD condition evaluating OWS most negatively. Based on those results, a second experiment was conducted with revised stimuli and a pre-test/post-test design. Here, there was not a significant difference in post-test attitudes, but differences in attitude change were statistically significant, positive in the GCM condition, and negative in the DCD condition. Limitations and opportunities for future research are discussed.
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    Opinion Leaders: The Driving Force of Political Discussion in Social Media
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2014-05-23) Chen, Chan ; Reineke, Jason ; Blake, Kenneth ; Farwell, Tricia ; Mass Communications
    Social media, along with the birth of web page based data-mining programs, has provided new opportunities for opinion leadership research. The Chinese people have not only embraced the innovation of social media, but also take advantage of it as a test field for civic participation and political activism. The present study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of opinion leadership via social media when the discussion topic is politics. The results indicated a strong agreement between the opinion leader and followers as well as a reinforcing effect where agreement was later accepted by others. A third step of influence flow was identified where followers became the intermediates between the leader and other users. The notion of opinion leader should be broadened: instead of focusing on media usage, the specialty and expertise of the leader might be the primary source of credibility, which leads to more effective persuasion and influence. Limitations and future direction of the study are also addressed.
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    POLARIZED LENSES: PARTY IDENTIFICATION AND TENNESSEANS' RATINGS OF THE STATE AND NATIONAL ECONOMIES, 2004-2011
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2013-03-29) Culley, Misa Acox ; Blake, Kenneth ; Reineke, Jason ; Pondillo, Bob ; Mass Communications
    Tichenor, Donahue & Olien's (1970) "knowledge gap" hypotheses asserts that members of higher socioeconomic status groups tend to acquire knowledge about public affairs from media at a faster rate than do members of lower socioeconomic status groups. In response, some theorists (Hindman, 2009) are expanding the knowledge gap hypothesis to consider "belief gaps" that pertain to politically contested facts and arise among groups defined more by ideological traits than by socioeconomic ones.
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    Political Satire: Satirical News Affinity and its Relationship with Political Knowledge and Traditional News Media Consumption
    (Middle Tennessee State University, 2015-06-17) Binford, Matthew Thomas ; Reineke, Jason ; Kalwinsky, Robert ; Blake, Ken ; Mass Communications
    In recent years there has been a growing debate about the role satirical news plays in society and whether satirical news use is responsible for increased political knowledge and participation among its audience. Survey data from both the 2010 and 2012 Pew Research Center for the People and the Press’s Biennial Media Consumption Survey is used to test this relationship along with the role satirical news plays in the consumption of more traditional news sources. Going even deeper, this study attempts to determine the extent to which individual’s use of satirical and traditional news media interact to influence political knowledge. Findings suggest that satirical news use significantly increases both overall news enjoyment and knowledge. Additionally, traditional news use seems to moderate the relationship between satirical news use and knowledge, with the relationship appearing highest, but flattest, among heavy users of traditional news and lowest, but more steeply positive, among lighter users of traditional news.