Perceived media bias and third person effect: Comparisons of Americans,Korean Americans,and Koreans in the United States

The current study examined the third person effect (TPE) in relation to media coverage of the shooting incident at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (i.e., Virginia Tech.) in April of 2007. TPE refers to tendency to perceive that media coverage influences others (i.e., the third persons) to a greater extent than self (i.e., the first person). Three groups (non-Korean Americans, Korean Americans, and Koreans living in the United States) were compared with one another for their perceptions of media coverage. Specifically, this study investigated how much individuals perceived media to influence themselves versus the American public and the Korean American public. Additionally, the current study examined the extent to which individuals’ focus on the shooter and their perceptions of media bias were related to TPE. The results showed support for TPE in terms of media coverage resulting in negative feelings toward Korean Americans and Koreans. As individuals focused more on the shooter and also perceived greater media bias against Korean Americans, they thought that the media coverage of the incident would be more likely to influence the American public to have negative feelings about Koreans and Korean Americans.     

Mutualism in the world: Ignorance, inequalities and market pressures

Anyone engaged on research who tries to get to know, evaluate and describe the mutual benefit movement in its worldwide context always comes up against the differences in terminology and in constitutions, as well as the disparate nature and unreliability of the financial statements: an international maze in which the observer is completely lost. In spite of the real efforts of the Association internationale de la mutualité (International Association of Mutual Benefit Societies — AIM), the European Community, the International Social Security Association (ISSA), the Institute of International Social Cooperation (ICOSI) and of universities, the history, assessment and evolution — both recent and comparative — of the mutual benefit movement remain largely "terra incognita".     

Agenda Setting,Public Opinion,and the Issue of Immigration Reform*

Objective. Agenda‐setting theory is used to motivate hypotheses about how media coverage of immigration influences public perceptions of its importance. The authors seek to offer a more complete explanation of public opinion on immigration by exploring differences in the effects of immigration news in border and nonborder states. Method. This article employs content analyses of newspaper coverage of immigration and Gallup public opinion data over a 12‐month period (January–December 2006). Respondents' identification of immigration as a “Most Important Problem” is modeled as a conditional relationship between border state/nonborder state residence and media coverage, ethnic context, and individual‐level demographics. Results. Media attention to immigration is greater in border states than in nonborder states; as a result, residents of border states are more likely to identify immigration as a most important problem than are residents of nonborder states. Conclusions. The analyses point to the importance of geography and news coverage in explanations of public opinion on immigration.     

Local newspapers,House members,and source usage

Political communication scholarship has established the standard operating procedures for national media sourcing of government and politicians. The literature shows a strong reliance by the news media on official and national-level news sources that support the status quo. This paper investigates the less known subject of local newspaper sourcing practices on local House members. House members rely on the local media to communication with constituents but we have little insight into who provides the source material for coverage. Results show that local papers often parallel the national political media by depending on official and nonlocal sources for reporting ostensibly local political angles. Further, members’ press releases, papers’ size, and presence of a Washington bureau help explain local papers’ sourcing practices.     

Media coverage of corporate malfeasance in the oil industry

Due to space, time and resource constraints, all potential news events cannot be reported in the media. This article examines the “reasonableness” of media coverage of the violations of the 25 largest U.S. oil firms on network news, in newsmagazines and in The Wall Street Journal. The size of firm, violation record of firm, and perceiced seriousness of offense are empirically assessed as alternative explanations of media coverage. Findings suggest that the perceived seriousness of oil-firm violations most adequately accounts for coverage across all media sources. However, the media source was determined to have a definite impact on the nature of the media coverage of corporate illegality.     

Media Images of the Poor

This article provides a comprehensive overview of research that has examined the content and prevalence of stereotypic media images of the poor. Research examining televised images and print media are reviewed. An analysis of media framing as well as classist, racist, and sexist imagery is provided. Additionally, to assess media depictions of the poor in the wake of welfare reform, 412 newspaper articles about poverty and welfare published during a 3-month period in 1999 were content analyzed. Although most articles were neutral in tone and portrayed the difficulties facing welfare recipients and the poor sympathetically, they did little to contextualize poverty or illuminate its causes. These findings are discussed in terms of their context and political function.     

Scaling the Socioeconomic Ladder: Low-Income Women's Perceptions of Class Status and Opportunity

This study examined how 69 low-income women enrolled in an educational training program perceived social class and upward mobility. Participants identified their social class during childhood, their current status, and their anticipated post graduate status. Beliefs about income inequality and attributions for wealth and poverty were also assessed. Respondents expected to achieve middle class status and perceived higher education as a route to upward mobility, although the accessibility of post-secondary programs was questioned. Consistent with previous research involving low-income groups ( Bullock, 1999 ; Kluegel & Smith, 1986 ), structural attributions for poverty and wealth were favored over individualistic causes. Also, respondents perceived income inequality as unjust. The construction of class identity and implications for class-based mobilization are discussed .

It [the American dream] means the opportunity to go as far in life as your abilities will take you. Anyone in America can aspire to be a doctor, a teacher, a police officer or even, as Oprah said, a President. But you can't get any of those important jobs if you don't have the opportunity to acquire the skills you need … . And that's why I believe that the key to the American Dream is education.
—————Former President George Herbert Walker Bush, 1997

     

Rural population and social security in Brazil: An analysis with emphasis on constitutional changes

This paper analyses the situation of the Brazilian rural population with respect to social insurance and social assistance at two points in time: 1988 and 1998. The 1988 Constitution defined new rules with regard to eligibility conditions and benefit values for the rural population. But it was only in July 1991, with Law 8213, that these changes were implemented. We compare — by gender and individual age — activity rates and probability of receiving benefits, before and after the changes in legislation. We also compare, at these two points in time, family structure and the importance of the income of older people in the family budget. The analysis makes clear the positive impact brought by the legislation on the coverage and per capita family income of those families with older members in rural Brazil, bringing about some degree of poverty alleviation, as well as bridging the gender gap with respect to access to benefits. In contrast to what occurs in other Latin American countries, nowadays the Brazilian rural population has almost universal access to social security benefits, not only at family level but also in individual terms.     

Covering the birth of a nation: The rise of Saudi Arabia in The London Times, 1927–1937

Saudi Arabia is considered as one of the most conservative countries in the world with regards to the role of religion in shaping national politics. We use a history of Saudi Arabia and British imperialist policy to contextualize the framing of religion in news coverage of Saudi Arabia in The London Times between 1927 and 1937 to uncover themes that were available to British readers before and after recognizing Saudi Arabia as a nation on September 23, 1932. We found that religious fundamentalism was part of this coverage, providing one potential media framework for understanding Saudi Arabia that is consistent with current coverage and discussions. We also found instances of favorable framing of events and individuals, which seemed to intensify after Saudi Arabia's recognition as a nation.     

Media coverage and issue visibility: State legislative responses to school bullying

Dealing with the schoolyard bully is an age-old problem; however, legislators have only recently tackled it at the state level. This study examines the adoption of anti-bullying policies from the policy diffusion and innovation perspective with an emphasis on the role of print media coverage. The study contributes to the policy diffusion literature by examining both national and local media coverage as conduits for diffusion and adds to the expanding views of the diffusion process beyond the traditional geographic proximity argument. Further, it provides the first examination of an emerging policy area important to education policy scholars. The findings show issue saliency via national media coverage drives policy adoption beyond any geographic proximity.     

Linking Community Initiatives to National Institutions: Ghana

The ILO has developed an innovative concept of global solidarity for social security — the Global Social Trust — which supports the development of national social protection systems through international financing. The concept is ready to be tested nationally and the present paper proposes a pilot project for Ghana. The paper considers the virtues and weaknesses of developing-country social security healthcare systems and community-based voluntary insurance schemes, their lack of informal sector coverage on the one hand and their financial disequilibria on the other. It outlines the socio-economic and macro-policy context of Ghana and the current health policy environment. It argues for a fusion of the social health insurance and mutual health organization concepts in Ghana, thus linking community initiatives to national institutions, enhancing coverage and the quality of services for all. The paper outlines a basic model that could apply to Ghana, its organizational structure, practical functioning, financing arrangements and expected outputs. In particular it seeks to develop a model for the cross-subsidization of insurance premiums for the poor. It describes a concept that would combine local ownership initiatives with national responsibility and financing, arguing for a truly interrelated network of social protection. The authors welcome feedback and comments from the wider social security audience.     

"心"的"形而上学"--论心理学哲学的理论根基、内容与功能

"心理学哲学"涉及关于心理学的本体论和方法论等诸多方面的问题。对这些问题的回答,构成各自心理学体系或研究取向具有学术生长力的前提预设和理论逻辑。在此意义上,"心理学哲学"的理论功能在于它能够帮助心理学完成真切的自我体察和自我反思,并依此发展和建构具体的心理学实践。     

Media,fear, and nuclear energy: A case study

Although electricity generation technologies and safety have improved gradually over time, nuclear power, including generation facilities and waste repositories, are seemingly stigmatized in American culture. Contemporary literature has considered the impact of widely broadcasting nuclear accidents and how media coverage might alter public risk perceptions and in turn, U.S. nuclear policy. This paper discusses the vacillation of public support in recent decades and its ties to both media and scientific reporting. The analysis identifies how media coverage of accidents at Chernobyl, Three-Mile Island, and Fukushima overwhelmed scientific claims of safety and security in nuclear energy production. Additionally, the discussion considers how to bridge the information gap between scientists, citizens, and policymakers through increased knowledge dissemination. Finally, the implications of improved scientific communication in democratic policymaking processes are discussed.     

News media and the Muslim identity after the Christchurch mosque massacres

ABSTRACT

This article discusses news about Muslims via one researcher’s social media news feeds after the Christchurch tragedy. Using intercultural and Islamic communication theories, the contents of several news stories are analysed for their contribution to the Muslim person’s identity. Findings reveal four main categories: Muslim women and hijab; religion and terrorism; media, government, democracy and the politics of oppression; and representation of the Muslim voice. Substantial news content also depicts peace, love and forgiveness in its presentation of the human angle in New Zealand media. There is a significant shift from the negative othering rhetoric of international media to an inclusive national approach in the tone of the New Zealand press. However, Muslim narratives reveal that structural discrimination and systemic oppression do exist and pose safety and identity challenges. While news continues to divide and unite people depending on the press agenda, their depictions of Islam and Muslims have potentially major influences and serious consequences on the Muslim person’s identity within the local and global Muslim communities.     

Insights From Cult Survivors Regarding Group Support

Correspondence to Nicole Durocher, 62 Canter Blvd., Nepean, Ontario, K2G 2M5, Canada. Summary Reports of numerous types of cults have increased and have beenreceiving considerable media coverage over the last ten years(Singer and Lalich, 1995). Cult activity is now prevalent inmany countries of the world. The article offers insights fortherapists and other professionals who come into contact withcult survivors. It emphasizes that, when dealing with cult survivors,one has to be sensitive to their needs and to reshape one'stherapeutic approach accordingly. The article examines post-cultadjustments and the role a support group can play in fosteringrecovery from cult abuse. Findings were obtained from a qualitativestudy that obtained first-hand data from survivors on theircult involvement and their post-cult recovery. Particular emphasiswas placed on their involvement with an ex-member's supportgroup in Montreal. The group called itself the Ex-Members Societysupport group, although it was more of a self-help group. Ex-cultmembers shared their experiences and, through their interactionand mutual support, they were able to recover from cult abuseand re-integrate into mainstream society. Gazda (1989) makesthe distinction between what constitutes a self-help group ascompared to a support group. By definition, self-help groupsare ‘groups in which members assume primary responsibilityfor the organization, functioning, and leadership of the group’(Gazda, 1989, p. 237). The professional acts as an advocate-mediatorto observe the group, identify conflicts, clarify alternativesfor resolution, and negotiate compromises acceptable for allof those who are involved in the group. On occasion, a professionalwould co-lead the group with an ex-member acting as an observer,guide and consultant; however, the onus was on members to benefitfrom each other's support and to help each other in the recoveryprocess. The researcher had never been a member of the ex-member'ssupport group. Four cult survivors who had participated in thegroup were individually interviewed. Two of the participantswere then interviewed together. A person-centered theoreticalframework was employed to orient the study to listen to thevoices of the cult survivors with empathy and understanding.The findings indicated that a support group for cult survivorscannot operate in an undiffrentiated manner from other supportgroups. To be effective, it must take care not to resemble acult in any way. It has to be sensitive to the special needsof each ex-cult member and to the particular context of thecult from which they exited.     

The proximity filter: the effect of distance on media coverage of the Christchurch mosque attacks

ABSTRACT

The intense media coverage in New Zealand and Australia of the Christchurch mosque attacks exhibited significant disparity in editorial decision-making between the two countries. This research interrogates the different approaches taken in newsrooms and how these differences were manifested in broadcasts and publications. New Zealand media were focused largely on empathetic coverage of victims and resisted the alleged gunman's attempts to publicise his cause while their Australian counterparts showed no such reluctance and ran extended coverage of the alleged perpetrator, along with material ruled objectionable in New Zealand. It finds the editorial focus in each case exhibits the effect of proximity, identified in literature on empirical ethical decision-making as a factor in applied ethicality. The authors conclude that a proximity filter was used by New Zealand media who identified the victims as part of their own community, but the events of 15 March 2019 were seen as ‘foreign’ by Australian journalists who used perceived distance as justification for extremely graphic content.     

Unemployment and Labour Market Policies: Some Lessons from West Germany

The author points out that West Germany has had low inflation, high industrial efficiency, and good vocational training, but has not escaped rising levels of unemployment. After an analysis of employment trends in Germany since 1945 there is a review of varying government policies in public expenditure and in dealing with unemployment. The author relates demographic trends to employment patterns, and refers to such phenomena as the "dormant labour force", concluding that unemployment will remain high. He reviews the effects of social security benefits and of job creation schemes. He concludes that none of the well-known remedies for unemployment have proved effective in themselves but that short-term job creation schemes are very much a "second-best". He concludes that industrial efficiency — though essential — is not enough in itself and that conquering inflation or providing youth training are shown by the German example to be only a partial help and not a solution to improving employment prospects.     

Child Protection and the Media: Lessons from the Last Three Decades

Summary During the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, sensationalist coverage ofa series of celebrated child abuse scandals in England and Walesresulted in the repeated vilification in the mass media of thosechild welfare agencies deemed culpable for the deaths of thechildren involved. This paper explores the contribution of themedia to the creation of the climate of fear, blame and mistrustwhich seems to have become endemic within the field of childprotection. It suggests that damaging distortions have beenintroduced into the child protection system as a result of thedefensive responses of the relevant authorities at both nationaland local level to the media onslaught. A more strategic approachto understanding and managing media coverage of this difficultfield is outlined.     

Home and away: the residential care, education and control of children in historical and political context

Children — particularly adolescent boys — may be placed residentially by a variety of agencies in Britain, and there is a strong tradition among the upper middle classes of boarding at private fee-paying schools. The number of children involved, however, is diminishing, though this is as much caused by shorter stays as fewer admissions. The factors influencing this decline in residence vary from sector to sector. However, the emergence of viable alternatives to residence and the increased readiness of potential customers to exercise choice in the placement of their children is a common thread.