Visual Agenda-Setting After 9/11: Individuals' Emotions,Image Recall,and Concern With Terrorism

A path analysis model was tested that predicted emotional responses to the terrorist attack of 9/11 would influence individuals' visual recall of 9/11 images. Both visual recall and individuals' emotions, in turn, would influence concerns about terrorism. Based on responses from a phone survey conducted 2 months after the terrorist attack, the total number of visuals recalled by individuals and the emotions of sorrow and shock fit the model better than other variables. If individuals reacted to the 9/11 attack with sorrow or shock, they stored several images in their long-term memories, especially the emotional images of people jumping from buildings and depictions of dead bodies. In turn, the total number of images recalled and the ability to recall images of Palestinians dancing or cheering in the streets and of corpses increased respondents' level of concern with terrorism. Concern with terrorism also was influenced by the emotional reactions of respondents to 9/11.     

Show the Truth and Let the Audience Decide: A Web-Based Survey Showing Support among Viewers of Al-Jazeera for Use of Graphic Imagery

This survey examines how viewers of Al-Jazeera perceive the network's presentation of graphic and war-related visuals and whether the viewers perceive that the TV channel provides visual information they cannot find in national Arab media, CNN, and other Western media. Nearly 9 in 10 respondents supported the use of graphic imagery saying watching those visuals was a good decision for them and that the network provides a unique source of visual information. Further, attitudes toward press freedom and media reliance correlated with support for graphic visuals after controlling for demographic variables.     

Gatecheckers at the Visual News Stream

Over the past 65 years, scholars have reframed the original model of gatekeeping to reflect the changing dynamics of news creation, distribution, and curation. In recent years, communication technologies have opened digital news gates to a proliferation of images captured by professionals and amateurs alike. Anyone with a camera or cell phone can shoot and distribute photographs and videos on the internet. Social media facilitates audience-to-audience sharing through tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vine, and Snapchat. This stream of visuals, along with the ease with which citizen journalists, bloggers, and tweeters can create and publish content, has changed the gatekeeping process. Few scholars, however, have addressed the impact that visuals have on the gatekeeping model, which was developed using text and broadcast stories. To address the changing role of the visual journalist and the audience, the authors conducted two studies. First, qualitative elite interviews with key visual decision-makers in Europe and the US provided questions for further exploration in the second study—an online cross-sectional survey of visual journalists who belong to three leading US organizations. The questions in this quantitative survey were also influenced by Shoemaker and Reese's hierarchy of influences and Bennett's multigated model. Findings indicate changes in the way visual journalists conceptualize their role and that of the audience. Based on these changes, this article proposes a new model of visual gatekeeping—the twenty-first-century visual news stream where “gatecheckers” select, verify, and curate visuals but no longer solely control their distribution the way traditional gatekeepers did.     

All About Whom? Stock Photos,Interactive Narratives and How News About Governmental Surveillance Is Visualized

A two-stage analysis examined visuals in news related to governmental surveillance, finding that just as surveillance has shifted from visual evidence to dataveillance, journalism is shifting its notion of visual evidence from photojournalism to journalistic data representations. First, a card sort analysis of news visuals was conducted on two news sites before and after Edward Snowden's document leak in June 2013. The news images remained relatively consistent, relying heavily on accessible official and stock photography sources. Second, a review of The Guardian's contemporaneous “NSA Files: Decoded” multimedia package found personalized, data-rich visual storytelling techniques. Between the two approaches is a vast difference in how surveillance is represented and made accessible, with implications for the visual coverage of other challenging news topics.     

Really Social Disaster: An Examination of Photo Sharing on Twitter During the #SCFlood

In the open marketplace of visuals where the most valued photographs “rise to the top” via tweets, likes, and retweets rather than being dictated by professionals, the study of what makes an image go really social is merited. One occurrence during which professional photojournalism and nonprofessional photography truly coexist, intermingle, and blur is that of a natural disaster. A body of research exists that has examined the visual framing of disasters, but none has addressed how these differently framed photos go social online or by whom. In this study, 1,078 Twitter photos shared by professional media outlets and nonprofessional tweeters were examined to see what portrayals of photos are elevated in the network. Established frames and new frames were examined: depictions of people, emotional hierarchy, novelty, victims, ordinary people, uniforms, emergency professionals, valence, pragmatic, human interest, and political. The results add empirical evidence to the different ways that professional members of media and other visual sharers understand, visually communicate, and react to disaster and add to the visual framing literature an element of really social visual framing.     

Effects of threatening visuals and announcer differences on responses to televised alcohol warnings

This study examined threatening background visuals and voice-over differences in televised alcohol warnings. Participants ( N v = v 401) viewed four television adwarning pairs embedded in sports programming. Between-subjects conditions included a threatening visual behind the warning, a non-threatening visual, a plain background, and a no-warning control. Use of a male or female announcer, each using a relatively warm or imperative voice quality, were manipulated within-subject factors. Outcomes included knowledge, cognitive responses regarding warning content and presentation, and perceptions of the risk of the product (beer) shown in the ad. All warnings increased post-test knowledge of alcohol risks relative to control; the largest increase resulted when warnings were accompanied by the threatening visual. Threatening visuals also increased positive thought elaborations about the warning message content and presentation. However, the threatening visuals did not reliably impact perceived risk of beer use, suggesting that threatening visuals influenced responses and knowledge by increasing attention to the warning rather than by increasing perceived threat. These findings are consistent with the EPPM's proposed initial threat appraisal mechanism (Witte, 1992), and further suggest that threatening visuals serve as a heuristic cue motivating increased processing of message content (see Eagly & Chaiken, 1993), rather than an influence via a peripheral route as suggested by the ELM (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). Interactions between drinking level and announcer gender and vocal quality variables were also found, but contributed only trivially to explained variance.     

Do Pictures Tell a Different Story? A multimodal frame analysis of the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict

Pictures play an ever-increasing role in the public’s understanding of mediated events. However, many studies show that visuals remain an understudied field, especially when it comes to multimodal approaches. This remains an important issue in today’s media environment, where visuals and their interaction with textual contents are becoming increasingly important carriers of meaning. The following paper presents results from a multimodal quantitative content analysis of the online coverage of the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, wherein an innovative comparative approach to visual and textual frames was applied. We examine the existing frames, identify patterns of visual and textual frame co-occurrence and describe changes of the applied multimodal framing. Overall, a sample of 150 texts and 219 pictures was coded. The study shows that the applied visual and textual frames initially correspond with each other thematically. During the course of the conflict, however, the provided textual and visual framing divert increasingly. While the textual mode more or less upholds its original framing of the events, the visual level intensifies the framing strategy it has adopted since the escalation of the conflict began. As a result, textual coverage focuses more on negotiations and solutions, whereas images become increasingly graphic.     

Attention-Getting and Comprehension-Raising Attributes in Visuals in Dutch and American,Public and Private Television News about Violence

This content analysis of 251 Dutch and American, public and private, television newscasts draws on empirical research to measure whether elements of visuals, identified in other studies as aiding in recall, are used in news about violence. A literature review on the contributions of visuals to television news learning pointed to a paradox: although getting attention is necessary for comprehension, over-emphasizing attention attributes may impede comprehension. This study concludes that although visuals from public broadcasters contain more elements identified as increasing the comprehensibility of a news item, visuals primarily have attention- gaining attributes, regardless of country or broadcast system.     

Memorable messages as guides to self-assessment of behavior: an initial investigation

An investigation of memorable messages as guides to behavior from a Control Theory perspective was conducted. Respondents were asked to recall behaviors that either exceeded or violated their personal expectations for themselves, then to recall the memorable messages that came to mind when self-assessing these behaviors. This method uses the self-assessment of prior behavior as the entry point to a feedback loop. Control Theory predicts that within the feedback loop behaviors should be compared with internal principles that come from memorable messages. This comparison should result in either a positively or negatively valenced evaluation of the behavior if it either exceeds or violates personal standards represented as internal principles. The findings include the categories of behaviors that exceeded or violated personal expectations, the co-participants and the site of the behaviors, the memorable messages, and the sources and the timing of the memorable messages that were recalled during the comparison process. In addition, significant relationships of association were found between the behaviors, their valence, and the memorable messages associated with the self-assessment of behaviors. Thus, it was possible to examine the comparison process of any of the seven classes of behaviors that were found in terms of the memorable messages that respondents recalled when self-assessing these behaviors.     

INSIGHT Telling and Showing: The Intersection of Visual Communication Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Strategies in STEM

Decades of research in (oral) communication across the curriculum can provide a firm foundation for many forms of communication, but the related research focused on discipline-specific visual modalities is sparse. For this pilot investigation, we interviewed 12 faculty members across STEM fields about how students are asked to use visual communication within a course and what kind of visual communication instruction or guidance they are given. The results provide an empirically supported investigation into the perception of the value of visuals in STEM, how students in STEM disciplines learn how to create and use visuals, and how this instruction is accomplished through communities of practice. Based on these results, we argue that it is not enough to teach students discipline-specific writing and oral skills with a quick nod to visuals, but instead there should be special attention devoted to unique pedagogical strategies in teaching visual communication construction.     

Red Media,Blue Media,and Purple Media: News Repertoires in the Colorful Media Landscape

This study extends past research on news repertoires by examining how individuals combine news exposure across an array of media platforms and content. Results from a national survey reveal 6 distinct news repertoires. While some respondents have clear ideologically driven repertoires, others have repertoires that are best described as medium-centric. A closer look at socio-demographic factors and participation levels among the 6 news repertoires are also explored. Results shed light on the democratic implications of the high-choice media landscape and research on news exposure and effects.     

Barometer for Beauty: How Cosmetic Surgery Websites Define and Visualize “What Is Beautiful”

The present study investigated visuals on cosmetic surgery websites to better understand how these sites depict ideal beauty. The content analysis of 90 cosmetic surgery websites found most sites used general photos and more than half used 10 or more before-and-after photos. Women outnumbered men in general photographs but not in before-and-after photographs. Brunette men and women significantly outnumbered blondes. However, there were significantly more men with dark-colored eyes, while women were significantly more likely to have light-colored eyes. Implications are discussed.     

Visual Propaganda in the Age of Social Media: An Empirical Analysis of Twitter Images During the 2012 Israeli–Hamas Conflict

This study analyzed images posted to Twitter by the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas' Alqassam Brigades during the November 2012 Gaza conflict to understand aspects of visual propaganda in the age of social media and online social networking. Content analysis was conducted to identify themes and frames prominently appearing in a total of 243 Twitter images posted by the two sides during a two-month period. Resistance and unity were the most prominent themes in the images posted by Israel and causalities of civilians and resistance were most prominent in Hamas-posted images. The majority of the Israeli images featured the analytical propaganda frame whereas the emotional propaganda frame was dominant in Hamas images.     

“They Took It Down”: Exploring Determinants of Visual Reporting in the Toppling of the Saddam Statue in National and International Newspapers

This cross-national research examines the visual framing of the toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue. It explores the influences of competing contextual variables and newspaper attributes on frequency and overall tone of photographs. The results of examinations of the coverage in 43 newspapers of 30 countries suggest one important difference across newspapers involved the number of photographs each newspaper published. Further, findings indicate U.S. newspapers overall ran more visuals depicting a victory/liberation frame than newspapers from coalition and non-coalition countries.     

Empirical examination of the theory of disaster marathon: A case study of the local television coverage following the 2014 Ludian,China earthquake

Disaster marathon was proposed by media communication scholars to differentiate the genre of disaster television broadcasting from media events. However, its theoretical framework is limited by its omission of findings from disaster social science literature, and its lack of examinations of marathons of domestic natural disasters. Using the August 2014 Yunnan (China) Television Station broadcast The Special Report on the August 3 Earthquake in Ludian, Yunnan, we conduct a qualitative content analysis to empirically examine the disaster marathon concept for natural disasters. During the content analysis, three themes emerge: authorities’ command and control, the involvement of armed forces, and convergence of social support. Our case study findings contradict the disaster marathon conceptualization and conclude that the local television coverage following a natural disaster can also be performed as a series of conventional media events and is consistent with the established disaster coverage literature.     

An exploration of female offenders’ memorable messages from probation and parole officers on the self-assessment of behavior from a control theory perspective

Guided by control theory, this study examines memorable messages that women on probation and parole receive from their probation and parole agents. Women interviewed for the study were asked to report a memorable message they received from an agent, and to describe situations if/when the message came to mind in three contexts likely to emerge from a control theory perspective: when they did something of which they were proud, when they stopped themselves from doing something they would later regret, and when they did something of which they were not proud. The types of memorable messages and the reactions to these messages within the three contexts were coded, and differences between women on probation versus parole were examined. Overall, a greater proportion of women on parole recalled memorable messages, and the most frequently reported type of memorable message was behavioral advice. Women reported that the message helped them do things of which they were proud, such as engaging in routine activities and fulfilling goals; helped them to not give into urges that could lead to further negative sanctions or feelings of regret; and came to mind when they relapsed. Practical implications of the findings for training are presented.     

Journal article mining: the scholarly publishers' perspective

The essence of text mining and data mining is that a machine and software are used for content analysis of large digital corpora. The Publishing Research Consortium commissioned a study on content mining of scholarly journal articles with 29 expert interviews and an international survey among publishers. The main results are: (i) content mining developments appear to be accelerating with more applications in more areas; (ii) third‐party demand for content mining is widespread but still at low levels of frequency; (iii) publishers' permissions for content mining are quite liberal, especially for research‐driven mining requests; (iv) half of the publisher respondents undertake mining of their own content; and (v) content mining is on the rise – publishers and third parties both report an increase in planned mining activities. As content mining of journal articles spreads and intensifies, cross‐publisher solutions can better help facilitate content mining. The study investigated the interest and willingness of publishers to support a set of different solutions, from one shared content mining platform to commonly agreed access terms for mining and standardization of mining‐friendly content formats.     

Discovering Differences in the Nature of Verbal and Visual Messages

Objective: Students will identify several unique characteristics of verbal vs. visual messages, including the superior ability of language to communicate objective, factual, philosophical content in past, present, and future terms; and the superior ability of visual images to communicate social-emotional meaning and concrete information limited in time to the present

Courses: This activity could be useful in any class that includes units on the nature of verbal and nonverbal messages, such as a basic survey course, communication theory, media literacy, language and communication, and verbal and nonverbal communication

A version of this assignment was presented at the 2004 Central States Communication Association Convention, Cleveland, Ohio     

Using the Web to Snowball Discussants of Survey Respondents

Research has shown that the study of interpersonal communication is severely limited by relying on information provided by main respondents only and by not interviewing their discussants. This study presents an experiment (N?=?684, random selection) that tests three different approaches for snowballing discussants in a web-based survey by varying both the type of invitation sent to the discussants and the level of privacy protection. The major challenge is to obtain contact information on discussants from main respondents while discussants are willing to participate in surveys. Results show no major differences between the different methods of snowballing discussants. Implications and suggestions for future survey research are discussed.     

She Poses,He Performs: A Visual Content Analysis of Male and Female Professional Athlete Facebook Profile Photos

Using branding theory and a content analysis of the visual components of male and female professional athlete Facebook profile photos, this study suggests that hegemonic gender portrayals persist in visual representations of athletes. Female athletes were more likely to pose for photos and smile while male athletes were more likely to look away from the camera and be in motion. Athletes most often were visually represented in their uniforms, while sexualized visual portrayals of athletes of either gender were not affirmed in this study.