The picture of health? Message standardization and recall of televised AIDS public service announcements

The results of The Picture of Health demonstrate that differences exist between African Americans and Non Hispanic Whites in recall of verbal and visual themes of televised AIDS public service announcements. These differences are anchored in a complex relationship among emotions, attitudes, and opinions about the place of science and technology in society, and the “how we say it” elements used to create an individual PSA. The data suggest that effective healthcare communication campaigns require a focused thematic strategy, tactically organized to different combinations of “how we say it” elements to communicate effectively with a diverse, active audience.T.N. Walters is Assistant Professor of Journalism, Northeast Louisiana University. Lynne M. Walters, Marilyn Kern-Foxworth, and Susanna Hornig Priest are Associate Professors of Journalism, Texas A & M University.     

Negative connotations in the use of the term “public relations” in the print media

A taxonomy of the connotative meanings of the term “public relations” was developed using 100 articles chosen from the popular press that yielded 254 uses of the term. Eight categories evolved: public relations used correctly, public relations as a corrupter of the channels of communication, public relations as a corrupter of the democratic process, public relations as sleight of hand, public relations and winners and losers, public relations misused as a synonym, and public relations used as an identifier. Less than 5 percent of the citings were judged to use the term correctly; 37 percent were negative, and only 17 percent were positive.Henderson is an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.     

Product placements as public relations: an exploratory study of the role of the public relations firm

This article reports the results of a survey of 106 public relations firms concerning their level of involvement with product placements as part of their public relations strategies. The findings of this research suggest that public relations practitioners are active players in choosing whether to use product placements to enhance a client’s product or service. Results also indicate that practitioners are more knowledgeable about product placements than previously believed and that they are more enthusiastic about the future of product placements than their advertising counterparts.Carol J. Pardun is an assistant professor of public relations and advertising at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Kathy Brittain McKee is an associate professor of journalism at Berry College in Rome, Georgia.     

Generic frame building in the 2008 Austrian elections

Media critics repeatedly refer to the adversarial and trivializing nature of contemporary political journalism, whereas the role of political public relations in the formation of these aspects of public political discourse is widely neglected. To gain empirical insight into the formation of negativity, dramatization, game- and conflict-centeredness in campaign communication in the 2008 Austrian elections, this study introduces a biaxial matrix localizing levels of confrontation (negativity and conflict) and entertainment (game and drama). The analysis rests on the comparative investigation of generic frames in political parties’ PR and the media, and the examination of underlying frame building processes. The role of journalism and political public relations in shaping campaign communication is investigated by utilizing concerted content analyses of newspaper and TV news coverage and party press releases. The study finds that Austrian party and media communication can be predominantly categorized as antagonistic substance, characterized by high levels of confrontation (negativity and conflict) and lower levels of entertainment (game and drama). The empirical investigation outlines that conflict and negativity are prevalent features of the electoral communication of Austrian parties and the media likewise, whereby party press releases are even more marked by confrontation and entertainment framing than the subsequent media coverage. In addition, the media are not the principal and exclusive sponsors of confrontation and entertainment in electoral communication; rather, they even moderately decrease conflict and drama as compared to the impulses set by political PR.     

Transparency and strategic promotion: How court press releases facilitate judicial agenda-building in Germany

Press releases disseminate selected information and promote particular issues. Although several courts regularly publish press releases on decisions, it is unclear which policy issues are more likely to be promoted by courts. This study argues that courts publish press releases to increase transparency and promote politically contested issues strategically. Using original data on the German Federal Constitutional Court, it assesses the role of press releases for judicial agenda-setting. Policy issues in 7114 court decisions between 1998 and 2019 were coded through supervised text classification. The results show that the press releases cover a greater range of policy issues than the Court’s decisions. They are more likely to be published for decisions that deal with politically contested issues. This study contributes to the policy agenda literature by adding a new case, the German Federal Constitutional Court, and court press releases as a new perspective.     

Constructing press releases, constructing quotations: A case study

This paper reports on empirical research into how press releases are being constructed. It starts from previous discourse-analytic work which has pointed to the 'preformulated' nature of press releases: in particular, it has been shown that through a number of metapragmatic features press releases can easily be copied by journalists in their own news reporting. In this paper we set out to subject one of these features, viz. pseudo-quotations (or so-called constructed direct speech), to a further empirical study, in which we scrutinize the process of constructing the press releases. We propose a detailed analysis of this process by combining ethnographic fieldwork with some of the methodology of cognitive psychology, including think-aloud protocols and on-line registration of the writing process. On the basis of this case study it is concluded that the design and functions of quotations in press releases are more complex than has been assumed so far. In addition, our preliminary results indicate that the combination of methods that we propose in this paper provides a sound starting point for both quantitative and qualitative analysis, allowing for a detailed analysis and interpretation of how press releases are being constructed.     

A content analysis of BP's press releases dealing with crisis

This study aims to analyze what kinds of frames have been used in British Petroleum's (BP's) press releases, which dealt with the Gulf oil spill crisis that occurred in April 2010. A content analysis was conducted to explore the different frames used by BP in its press releases to deal with the crisis. The main and sub themes are also analyzed through a content analysis of press releases. This study attempts to examine BP's crisis communication strategy through press release usage by closely analyzing the frames and themes that were used. This study found that BP attempted to update the public on what the company was doing to resolve the oil spill crisis, and that they made every effort to manage the crisis by using the company's official update frame. In addition, by using the social responsibility frame, BP aimed to show the public that they had intentions of taking responsibility for the oil spill. Finally, BP used a minimal number of defensive frames as a way of showing the public that they did not want to flee from the responsibility of the oil spill crisis.     

Influence of advertising on acceptance of press releases

To analyze the influence of advertising on the acceptance of press releases, this study examined two national and two local newspapers. The results of this study show that journalists and editors partially consider advertisers while selecting press releases. Specifically, local newspapers give more consideration to advertisers than national newspapers. However, when journalists and editors select press releases, they consider not only advertisers but the newsworthiness of the press releases.     

Identities under construction: professional journalism in a phase of destabilization

Is journalism going through ‘de-professionalization’ or is it just entering a new phase – taking a different shape? And what is the meaning of professional ideals such as scrutiny and autonomy in these processes? My article aims at analysing those matters, focusing on the case of Swedish journalists. Empirical support is drawn from a national survey conducted four times since 1989 on the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Gothenburg University. Questions about journalists’ perceptions of various ideals offer excellent opportunities to explore possible homogenization vs. fragmentation, as well as what the attitudinal dimensions actually say about the professional content of Swedish journalism. The results are analysed by the conceptualization of Bourdieu's field theory, along with current professional theory, and point at a possible separation of professional levels: where a few ideals constitute an all-embracing umbrella of professional ideology, while the flora of attitudes below is more diverse and dependent on factors of organization, gender and age. The professional ideals may furthermore be regarded as a form of cultural capital, used as legitimizing tools in journalism's struggle for maintaining status quo. The main conclusion is that journalism is not de-professionalizing on an ideological level, but going through a re-formation. Traditional journalistic ideals have attained increasing support over time and the efforts to fix professional boundaries are fierce. This does not mean that the democratic functions of journalism should not be guarded: as the ideals start taking discursive shapes, they are also increasingly bound to clash with praxis.     

Plagiarism and the Web

TechNotes is a new occasional column in the Journal of Social Work Education designed to bring to readers’ attention new developments in technology of relevance to social work education. In this first column, Robert F. Vernon, associate professor, School of Social Work, Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis, Shirley Bigna, assistant director, Krannert Memorial Library, University of Indianapolis, and Marshall L. Smith, professor, Social Work Department, Rochester Institute of Technology, describe technology that can help educators to deal with plagiarism.     

Gambling: The shaping of an opinion

Examining historical and contemporary writings, the authors show that many of the negative arguments about gambling spring from selfish interests in the business and political sectors. The stigma associated with gambling turns out to be a method of preventing competition from gambling, and leads to misguided social policies.The authors are, respectively, associate professor of economics at the Business School of the University of Montreal (HEC), and professor of economics in the department of economics of the University of Montreal. The paper draws on our recently published bookGambling and Speculation (Cambridge University Press, 1990), as well as on events that took place since we finished writing it. We thank Loto-Québec for its financial support.     

The Press and the Financial Crisis: A Review of the Literature

In recent years, a growing amount of scholarly interest has focused on the nature of the business/financial press and how it covers key economic events. Some of the literature examines the failings of the business press and its focus on narrow, short‐term events instead of analytical writing that educates the public about macroeconomics, including long‐term trends. Other studies have looked at how these tendencies affected press coverage before and during the 2008 financial crisis. As would be expected, the crisis caused an increase in writing about the business/financial press. Initially, the scholarship examined whether the media should have seen the crisis coming and questioned why journalists hadn't done a better job covering it. Other scholars, however, looked at the nature of the coverage itself vis‐à‐vis a larger discussion of how economic issues are framed. Much of the debate mirrored points made in previous analyses on the shortcomings of the business and financial press. They argue that more – or more accurate – information necessarily changes outcomes and tend to make normative judgements about the quality of journalism coverage studied.     

BELIEVABILITY AND THE PRESS

This study looks at believability ratings assigned to 39 newsorganizations and news personalities by a nationally representativesample of 2,104 adult men and women. The data provide threemajor findings about the believability of the American press,all of which, at least in part, tend to be at odds with muchof the conventional wisdom and some of the contemporary researchdealing with the credibility of the news media. First, the overwhelmingmajority of the general public believes most of what it hears,sees, or reads in the nation's press. Second, perceived "believability"of the news media is not closely related to those politicaland demographic variables that typically divide public opinionin America. Third, the public does "group" the news media interms of "believability," but the groupings do not equate withthe dichotomy usually drawn between television and print journalism.     

Media relations and the Internet: how Fortune 500 company web sites assist journalists in news gathering

A content analysis of all 2001 Fortune 500 Company Web sites was conducted to determine how corporations are using the Web to meet the informational needs of journalists. Analyses revealed that the majority of Web sites do not have dedicated press rooms where media content is centralized. In press rooms, news releases, executive biographies and executive photographs are the most commonly included materials. Statistical analyses suggest that higher-ranking companies more often provide press rooms and materials in press rooms than lower-ranking companies.     

"The Greatest Day That Our City Has Ever Seen": Moody,Medill, and Chicago's Gilded Age Revival

This article is a historical analysis of the Gilded Age press and its reaction to evangelist D. L. Moody in late-19th-century Chicago. The complex interplay between Moody and the press is helpful in understanding how publicity can play a major role in revivalism and facilitating religious fervor. This research describes how the values of the Gilded Age created a situation in which religion, economics, and journalism merged in ways that facilitated religious spectacle and revivalism. Issues uncovered by this research are relevant to contemporary research on news coverage of religion.     

Levels of analysis,theoretical orientations and degrees of abstraction

This article suggests that what often appear to be fundamental conflicts of opinion among sociologists regarding appropriate levels of analysis and theoretical orientations are much less problematic when considered in terms of differences in degrees of abstraction. The critical factor in the compatibility of various levels of analysis and theoretical orientation is the use of degrees of abstraction by the researcher. The impact of this issue on sociological knowledge and some of its applications are examined. Pat Lauderdale is professor of justice and adjunct professor of law at Arizona State University and is completing a book on social conflict and disputes. Steven D. McLaughlin is the director of Battelle’s Health and Populations Research Center in Seattle and presently is conducting research on adolescent fertility and educational attainment. Annamarie Oliverio has completed graduate work in political science and criminology at Simon Fraser University and currently is working on her doctoral dissertation at Arizona State University.     

E-releases: A view from linguistic pragmatics

In this contribution we present the results of preliminary linguistic pragmatic research on the impact of the Internet on press releases. Focusing on the preformulated nature of press releases, we propose a pilot study of two selected websites: the American Internet News Bureau (INB) and Belga direct, an on-line press release service of the Belgian news agency Belga. It is shown how a mix of virtual enthographic and discourse-analytic research methods can help shed new light on recent developments in the field of PR.     

Anticipating or Precipitating Crisis? Health Agencies May Not be Heeding Best Practice Advice in Avian Flu Press Releases

Precrisis information disseminated by public health information officers (PIOs) will play a critical role in preparing and safeguarding publics amidst a possible avian flu pandemic. This article analyzes avian flu press releases issued by leading health agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization, to reveal their purposes and the nature of organizational response constructed therein. Results of this analysis indicate important considerations for practitioners may not manifest in the press releases they issued: The threat was not localized; outlets for publics to contact for more information were not always present, and there was inconsistency in how avian flu was referenced. There was a steady increase in the volume of releases since 2004, and PIOs generally seemed to recognize the importance of partnerships and timeliness in pandemic preparedness. Examining the possible pandemic flu situation may yield a more thorough understanding of audience psychology and behavior during health crises as well as enhance the salience of crisis communication models for public health emergencies when public safety is of utmost concern.     

Fat in the Fire? Science,the News Media,and the “Obesity Epidemic”2

In recent years, the “obesity epidemic” has emerged as a putative public health crisis. This article examines the interconnected role of medical science and news reporting in shaping the way obesity is framed as a social problem. Drawing on a sample of scientific publications on weight and health, and press releases and news reporting on these publications, we compare and contrast social problem frames in medical science and news reporting. We find substantial overlap in science and news reporting, but the news media do dramatize more than the studies on which they are reporting and are more likely than the original science to highlight individual blame for weight. This is partly due to the news media’s tendency to report more heavily on the most alarmist and individual‐blaming scientific studies. We find some evidence that press releases also shape which articles receive media coverage and how they are framed.     

Multiple Dimensions of Cigarette Smoking and Responsiveness to Cigarette Price Changes in Taiwan

This study investigates how smokers respond to both short- and long-run changes in the price of cigarettes in multiple dimensions of smoking behavior. Using a sample of males from a national longitudinal survey in Taiwan, we estimated the demand for cigarettes under both short- and long-run specifications using a quality-purged price index. We found a modest short-run price elasticity of demand for cigarettes and a long-run elasticity of demand that did not significantly exceed the short-run elasticity. We also found that smokers responded to higher cigarette prices by smoking each cigarette more fully without changing their choices of tar and nicotine content to compensate for reduced cigarette consumption.