Mass Communication Research Research Articles

The Chaffee principle: the most likely effect of communication … is further communication

ABSTRACT Steven Chaffee stated that ‘the most likely “effect” of communication…is further communication' (p. 72). The present study asks to what extent this offering, referred to as ‘The Chaffee Principle,’ is realized in extant communication research. A manual content analysis of two top-tier communication journals (N = 2,040) offers an assessment of empirical attention to a variety of communicative acts in mass, interpersonal, and mediated-interpersonal communication research, as well as across subfields, contexts, methods, and time. The analysis finds that communication-to-communication effect sizes (r = .28) largely surpass those found in more dominant areas, and yet receive relatively scant attention in the communication literature. A call is made for a more systematic study of The Chaffee Principle to advance communication research.

Dark knowledges and uneven connections: transnational experimental practices of surveillance and imitation among Cold War empires

ABSTRACT This article looks at the transnational and transsystemic spread of a particular Cold War knowledge regime characterized by (neo-)positivistic premises for the calculation and prediction of human action, attitudes and behaviour, as well as its practical use for matters of propaganda and surveillance. The article analyses, thereby, moments of imperial imitation. It focuses on the scientific and state actors of newly emerging experimental spaces and methods, including their shortcomings and dark spots, that accompanied mutual surveillance practices and inter-imperial exchange circuits. Consequently, Cold War empires are analysed as entities that brought into being scientific but also social, economic and political laboratories. The aim of this article is therefore to place scientific exchanges and practices in the fields of sociology, mass communication and public opinion research within the framework of entangled histories of empire. These histories, however, will also be situated against the complex conflations with and paradoxical relations to the global and local (dis)orders, ruptures, alliances and networks of the Cold War. Empirically, the interest of this article lies in tracing the exchanges, taking place under the watchful eye of their respective secret services, of Polish sociologists and social psychologists with their Soviet and US-American colleagues in the late 1950s to 1970s.

Journal of Advanced Research in Journalism and Mass Communication

Journal of Advanced Research in Journalism and Mass Communication

The Dark Green Book That Transformed a Field: Reflections on the Legacy of Kline and Tichenor

This article traces the five-decade legacy of a classic volume, Current Perspectives in Mass Communication Research, edited by Kline and Tichenor, published in 1972. After charting the epistemological origins of the book, the paper describes the particular confluence of factors—conceptual, university-based, interpersonal, and the forging of a propitious professional relationship between the book’s co-editor and Sage Publications—that explain the provenance and critical impact of the book. The paper notes the contributions, shortcomings, and strengths of the 1972 volume, reflecting on the unique role the book played in the development of journalism and mass communication research.

What Do They Say? Authors of Articles in Predatory Journalism and Mass Communication Journals Speak

Journalism and mass communication (J&MC) research examines crucial issues in democratic and undemocratic societies, such as freedom of expression, misinformation and disinformation, government regulation of communications, defamation and invasion of privacy, media technologies and economics, and journalists’ professional practices. Unethical scholarship practices may weaken societal and public policy goals of fair, independent, and accurate reporting and transparent governance. This case study analyses how one predatory J&MC journal recruits authors to submit their work and why some scholars succumb to such invitations. This research contributes to both the growing scholarship about predatory publishing practices and to further understanding of how such journals deceptively exploit authors willing to pay for publication without the traditional peer review and editing. This study uses probability sampling of authors who published 504 articles in the journal between 2011 and 2021 to seek their participation in a survey and interviews. Most authors are from developing countries, but others are from the developed world, including faculty at top-tier research institutions. Surprisingly, some published in this journal despite knowing its predatory nature. In such instances, they might benefit from a lack of policies at their universities discouraging publication in predatory journals and may receive benefits from those institutions. Some authors regretted publishing in the journal, especially if they were unaware of its predatory character, because it deprived them of an opportunity to disseminate that research in legitimate academic venues. There are significant societal and political implications as well.

Exploring Media Versus Public Agenda: The Case of Pakistan

Media bridges the gap between people and events that may be inaccessible, such as war zones or distant locations, and keeps the public well-informed about important news. As observed by Walter Lipmann, a pioneer in mass communication research, people rely on the media for information, forming their perception of the world based on the information provided. Five extensively covered national issues have been analyzed in the light of agenda setting theory to measure the media audience relationship. From May 2020 to October 2020, the researchers chosen readers of two prominent Urdu Dailies the Jung and Express for content analysis. To measure the audience agenda a survey has been conducted. The results of the study demonstrate meaningful effects, significant, moderate, and low correlations between +.95 to +.14. There is not significant difference in setting the agenda on five issues between both the newspapers. The results show that the agenda setting theory is validated the outcome of the study.

Advancing comparative studies in political communication research: What factors explain the transformation of media systems?

Hallin and Mancini's Comparing Media Systems has provided Mass Communication research with valuable tools to compare media settings from a transnational viewpoint. However, most recent contributions around media systems theory focus on suggesting new dimensions or variables to update the three models presented in the authors’ book, leaving behind the discussion concerning the factors galvanizing the transformation processes. We then ask: What factors explain the transformation of media systems? Through a literature review and the discussion of an extensive array of examples from different countries, our essay formulates new insights to refine a crucial concept in media studies. We examine material, institutional, and cultural logics of change to point out how the described transformations might unfold at different paces in particular social systems. By resorting to the idea of “critical junctures,” our essay illustrates how supposedly isolated shifts in the media systems can have unexpected impacts.

Media Psychophysiology and Strategic Communications: A Scientific Paradigm for Advancing Theory and Research Grounded in Evolutionary Psychology

ABSTRACT Researchers working in the discipline of Strategic Communications can significantly enrich strategic communication by grounding theorizing in evolutionary psychology. This opportunity can be more fully realized through the application of a rigorous scientific paradigm for strategic communication that conceptualizes human brain processes as well as the attitudes and behaviors produced by brain activity through the lens of evolutionary psychology. The importance of scientific paradigms in mass communication research has been outlined before. Many of these ideas seem to apply to strategic communication research as well. We present media psychophysiology as a theoretically rigorous and practically valuable scientific paradigm for advancing the application of evolutionary psychology and the mind sciences in the strategic communication discipline. This article reviews the necessity of a newer scientific paradigm for strategic communication research, overviews the media psychophysiology paradigm, and provides recommendations for applying evolutionary theory and the media psychophysiology paradigm to advancing mind-science-based strategic communication research and theory.

The Versatility of Intersectionality in Journalism and Mass Communication Research

The Versatility of Intersectionality in Journalism and Mass Communication Research

Efficacy constructs in media use and effects: organizing and appraising the literature

ABSTRACT Efficacy constructs play central roles in health, political, computer-mediated, environmental, and mass communication research. In this review, we sought to organize and evaluate the efficacy concepts that have accumulated in media effects scholarship. First, we characterize how media effects researchers have studied efficacy constructs, both as perceptions and as message features. We discuss key conceptual and methodological issues for each efficacy construct. Second, we offer a conceptual matrix that puts prominent efficacy constructs in conversation with one another. We conclude with recommendations for media scholars studying efficacy. Ultimately, our review underscores the need for greater clarity and consistency in the study of efficacy as a predictor, outcome, mechanism, and moderator of media use and exposure.

NEW SOUTH AFRICA AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS FLOW

The democratization developments in Africa during the 19905 (and not the least in South Africa) offered new opportunities for researchers in the field of news flow studies. Since the 19505, a number of studies have been undertaken internationally, but relatively few comparative studies were done in Africa since 1990. The end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall demand not only new cartographic and conceptual maps, but also new news media maps, espeially of Africa. In this article, a broad question is posed: "How does South African mass media portray South Africa and the rest of the world in the 19905 through the process of international news coverage?' This article deals with some possible answers to this question as it pertains to specific newspapers and broadcast news in the country. The general goal was to provide answers to some of the questions set out in the international project on Global NewsFlow in the 1990s for the period 3-9 and 17-23 September 1995. Aspects such as main news topics,main news events, datelines and sources of international news were, amongst others, addressed. This article is based on papers presented as part of an international research) to the International Communication Association, Chicago, USA, 23-27 May 1996; the 20th International Association for Mass Communication Research Conference, Sydney, Australia, 18- 22 August, 1996; and an international symposium on 'Culture, Communication, and Development,organized (inter alia) by the Unit for Social Communication at the Human Sciences Research Council, and the World Commission on Culture and Development of Unesco, HSRC Building, Pretoria, 29-31 August 1996.

Ideas Of Eurasia In The Historical And Media Context Of Traditional Media

The article is devoted to the media vector of development of the Eurasian integration, the informa- tion space of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), since one of the tasks of the EEU is to provide the CIS countries with complete information about the goals and objectives of the Eurasian project, since for a generation that grew up in conditions of independence, this idea should be clarified. Given the fact that the foundation of the EEU was laid in the 20th century, there is currently no comprehensive picture of the development of the integration process in the informational aspect in the post-Soviet space and, in particular, in Kazakhstan. In this article, the authors will try to fill this gap. The purpose of the study is to analyze the current stage of development of Eurasian integration in the media context. The research methods are: historical, complex analysis, theory and concept of the development of integration in the Eurasian space. The scientific significance of the study lies in the fact that for the first time the development of the concept of “Eurasia”, Eurasian integration in historical and modern aspects is covered through the prism of the media context, the development of the information space in Kazakhstan, on the example of mass communication materials and research centers of Eurasia in the CIS countries. The creation and develop- ment of Eurasian centers, projects, media sites, portals, mass media, conferences, round tables, active cooperation, mutual exchange of experience, knowledge, ideas – all this contributes to strengthening integration in Eurasia. The results and conclusions of the article will be of practical importance in the further study of the Eurasian processes, better coverage of integration issues in the region. Key words: media, Eurasian integration, Eurasian centers, Eurasian Economic Union.

Media Choice in Times of Uncertainty <br/>—Media Richness Theory in Context of Media Choice in Times of Political and Economic Crisis

What drives the audience’s choice of media is one of the most studied topics in mass communication research. Both academia and field professionals benefit from the studies that cast light on this fundamental issue. However, there is a lack of attention to interdisciplinary approaches. The purpose of this study is to implement Media Richness Theory (MRT), rarely used in mass communication research to address the issues, which otherwise would remain unexplained since none of the existing mass communication theories combine factors such as a crisis situation, visual richness of media content and media choice of audience simultaneously. Findings of multivariate analysis of variances applied to survey data from the European Social Survey support the researchers’ hypotheses that during the political and economic crisis in Greece, the assumptions of MRT explained the changes in audience’s behavior towards a decrease in visually “lean” in favor of using visually “rich” media.

Foundations of Theory in PRC History: Mass Communications Research, Political Culture, and the Values Paradigm

AbstractThis article describes the US origins of the field of PRC history. It argues that research on PRC history is widely derived from an approach to knowledge that predates area studies: the theory that societies can be controlled and changed through the transformation of human cognition—referred to as “public opinion,” “values,” “culture,” “political culture,” “tradition,” or “belief”—by nonviolent means. The author calls this approach to knowledge the values paradigm. A separate, but related argument is that this paradigm has proven more important than the availability or content of new sources in determining how PRC history has been written. The aim behind these arguments is twofold: to highlight the intellectual debt (or burden) that links PRC history, via area studies, to policy science; and to elucidate other ways of guiding research in place of the increasingly exhausted values paradigm–based approach. The conclusions they lead to are that historical and social scientific explanations of political change in China have become intellectually dependent on the abstraction of mass consciousness, and that this abstraction has been used to obscure the endemic violence of Maoism.

From Hey, you there! to Got you: re-materializing the encoding/decoding model in the computationally mediated city

ABSTRACT For European media studies, Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model epitomizes the transition from the mass communication research paradigm to the cultural one in the 1970s. Given its canonical status, Hall’s model offers an apt point of reference for reflecting on the challenges that cultural media studies itself faces today—after more than a decade into the turn to materiality in social theory. My suggestion is that the pervasively computed contemporary city provides a strategic context for media scholars in discussing the theoretical relevance of the encoding/decoding model, as well as semiotic models more generally, in terms of the ongoing paradigm shift.

Who Are the “Masses” in Mass Communication Research? Exploring Participants’ Demographic Characteristics Between 2000 and 2014

Demographics may influence the results and implications of mass communication research. Yet, there is a dearth of studies exploring the extent to which research in the field reports participants’ demographics and the composition of its study samples. This content analysis takes an identity theory and ecological systems theory approach to examine participants’ demographic characteristics in all mass communication studies conducted in the U.S. and published in six peer-reviewed journals from 2000 to 2014 (N = 1,278). According to our census, three-fourths of the studies reported gender, two-thirds reported age, two-fifths reported race/ethnicity and one-third reported education. While the reporting of demographics improved during the 15-year period, participants continued to be mostly educated, young, White women. In light of these findings, our theoretical framework contends that many of these studies may paint an incomplete picture of the role media play in the lives of the U.S. users and audiences. Furthermore, reporting of participants’ demographics as well as sample composition differed by research methods and subdisciplines, thus revealing a lack of standard protocols across the discipline. Findings from this study encourage researchers to systematically record, report and analyze participant demographics, as well as to take into account participants’ heterogeneity within these demographic groups.

Who is Julia? Teaching audience analysis through the concept of audience persona

Audience analysis is essential for creating successful messages across communication fields. The audience persona is an effective tool for understanding the characteristics and needs of a target audience. Through this unit activity, students experience the process of persona development, build skills in data collection and analysis, and gain in-depth understanding of a specific audience in preparation for subsequent messaging assignments. Courses Strategic Communication, Public Relations, Content Marketing, Advertising, Public Speaking, Mass Communication, Social Media Communication, Mass Communication Research Methods. Objectives Through this unit activity, students will be able to (1) apply the principles of audience persona development, (2) build skills in data collection and analysis, and (3) gain in-depth understanding of a core audience group as the basis for crafting effective messages

Challenges and Opportunities for the Future of Media and Mass Communication Theory and Research: Positionality, Integrative Research, and Public Scholarship

In this essay I intend to tell a story of media studies and mass communication research as a field, based on the work of the late Denis McQuail – and that of editing the new edition of his seminal handbook McQuail’s Media and Mass Communication Theory (McQuail & Deuze, 2020). Using McQuail’s historical storytelling method, I specifically look at the challenge for the field in the context of a global pandemic alongside an infodemic, at a time when the whole world faces the consequences of recurrent lockdowns, social distancing measures, and institutional pressures to stay at home. Media studies and (mass) communication research, while having a distinct narrative, as a field has only just begun to articulate its relevance to society – we have only just started to tell our story. Using developments in understanding the self as a research tool, the implementation of integrative research designs, and calls for engaged and public scholarship, the paper outlines challenges and opportunities for what we can do with our field.

Review: The Irresistible World of Tawaifs: History, Imagination, and a Web of Stories Tawaifnama, by Saba Dewan

Book Review| June 01 2021 Review: The Irresistible World of Tawaifs: History, Imagination, and a Web of Stories Tawaifnama, by Saba Dewan Tawaifnama, by Saba Dewan. New Delhi: Westland Publications, 2019. 600 pages. $29.53 cloth. $16.49 paperback. $8.49 ebook. Shohini Ghosh Shohini Ghosh Shohini Ghosh is Professor in the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre at Jamia Millia Islamia Central University. Correspondence to: Shohini Ghosh, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia Central University, Jamia Nagar, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Marg, New Delhi 110025, India. Email: sghosh1@jmi.ac.in. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Departures in Critical Qualitative Research (2021) 10 (2): 101–106. https://doi.org/10.1525/dcqr.2021.10.2.101 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Shohini Ghosh; Review: The Irresistible World of Tawaifs: History, Imagination, and a Web of Stories Tawaifnama, by Saba Dewan. Departures in Critical Qualitative Research 1 June 2021; 10 (2): 101–106. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/dcqr.2021.10.2.101 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentDepartures in Critical Qualitative Research Search Tawaifnama, by documentary filmmaker Saba Dewan, is an intricately woven web of stories about tawaifs (courtesans), the elite professional performers and entertainers who were custodians of Hindustani classical music and dance. An influential cultural force until the middle of the 20th century, tawaifs enjoyed considerable stature, wealth, and property, as well as the support of wealthy patrons. Trained in music, dance, languages, and the erotic arts, tawaifs were also the lovers of their patrons. The unusual sexual lives of tawaifs made them outliers who were placed firmly on the margins of “respectable” society. While tawaifs often bore the children of their wealthy patrons, thereby becoming an extension of their families, they were denied the legitimacy and social standing that the wives and their children enjoyed. On the other hand, the tawaif was an influential figure in the life of the patron, and when she bore his children, she had... You do not currently have access to this content.

The Lost Doctrine:Suggestion Theoryin Early Media Effects Research

This monograph examines the history of the “suggestion doctrine,” a theory of communicative influence that arose in social psychology at the turn of the 20th century and was applied to the study of media effects before World War II. During that period, suggestion theory was one of the foremost psychological explanations of opinion change and a dominant theory of media influence. Despite its long prominence in early social science and media studies, the doctrine has been largely ignored in contemporary histories of mass communication research. Although writers debate the origins and nature of early media effects scholarship, few of the contending parties address the role of the suggestion doctrine, and those who do offer but a passing reference. My purpose here, therefore, is to recover an important but forgotten part of the intellectual history of the field.