Representations of Race in Television Commercials: A Content Analysis of Prime-Time Advertising

Given the paucity of contemporary examinations of racial/ethnic minority portrayals in television advertisements, this study analyzed the frequency, context, and quality of 2,3 15 speaking characters in a one-week sample of prime-time television commercials. Results reveal different patterns of portrayals when African American, Asian American, Latino, Native American, and White characters are featured in television advertisements. The implications of these images are examined from the perspective of social cognitive theory to provide insights into their possible impact on audience members' self-perceptions.     

Direct and Indirect Aggression on Prime-Time Network Television

This research uses disproportionate exemplar distributions in an attempt to create a spiral of silence effect for a controversial issue. No support is found for exemplars predictably causing a spiral of silence. There is mild evidence that perceived opinion can silence "public display expression." More importantly, opinion is found to predict speaking out, a phenomenon most likely associated with a cultural bias effect.     

Gender Roles on Prime-Time Network Television: Demographics and Behaviors

This study provides an update of gender demographics and behaviors on network prime-time television. While some inequities were found to persist, continued progress seemed to be the norm. Males were found still more physically aggressive, but females more verbally aggressive, especially in comedies-a condition consistent with recent commentary. Also notable was the discrepancy behind the camera, where males predominate and which was found related to on-camera demographics.     

Television Doctors: An Analysis of Physicians in Fictional and Non-Fictional Television Programs

Although fictional television traditionally has portrayed doctors positively, recent fictional programming appears to portray physicians in a less positive manner. It has also been suggested that these images may conflict with depictions of doctors found on non-fictional television. A content analysis conducted here indicates that television's physician portrayals are less positive than they were in 1992, contemporary genres differ in their physician depictions, and television's doctor portrayals do not differ according to sex or race.     

Race and Ethnicity in local Television News: Framing,Story Assignments,and Source Selections

Because local television has become the primary source for news, this study examined race and ethnicity in news stories, story assignments, and source selections. A content analysis of local newscasts found Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans were virtually invisible as anchors, reporters, and subjects in the news. Although African Americans anchored and reported the news in some markets, overall there was segregation in story assignments. Rarely were Latinos, Asian Americans, or Native Americans interviewed as news sources. African Americans were used as news sources more than other racial and ethnic groups when 2 or more people were interviewed.     

Network Revenues and African American Broadcast Television Programs

This article explores factors explaining program cast racial composition on television broadcast network programs. The roles of program type, cast composition, and viewer income on advertising revenue are examined. The analysis of the data yields several key findings. First, there is no bias against African Americans on the part of viewers or television networks when adjusting for viewer income and age. Second, African Americans have lower incomes and show a strong intensity of preference for programming featuring African American cast members. Therefore, despite the absence of bias, the advertiser-supported broadcast market likely produces less than the socially optimal amount of African American programming. This article provides policy recommendations to increase viewer benefits.     

The Portrayal of Race and Crime on Television Network News

A content analysis of television network news was conducted to assess the portrayal of race and criminal behavior. Findings revealed that Whites were more likely than African Americans to appear as perpetrators, victims, and officers. Both African Americans and Whites were more likely to appear as perpetrators than as victims and officers. African American and White law-breakers were represented in a way consistent with their perpetration rates. However, Whites were overrepresented while African Americans were underrepresented as victims of violent crime. Furthermore, Whites were over represented and African Americans were under-represented as police officers. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Extending the Television Brand: An Examination of Why Consumers Use Broadcast Network Web Sites

Framed by the technology acceptance and customer-based brand equity (CBBE) models, this study investigated how audiences intend to use broadcast television network Web sites. Drawing upon the results of a survey (N = 178), this research found that perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment significantly influence intent to use broadcast Web sites. Findings also reveal that CBBE plays a significant role as a mediator between motivations and behavioral intention to use broadcast networks' Web sites. It is concluded that as the medium of television evolves, networks' Web sites should be conduits for sustained brand allegiance and broadcasters should make more strategic use of their Web sites.     

Watch Your Mouth! An Analysis of Profanity Uttered by Children on Prime-Time Television

This study examines the frequency and types of offensive language spoken on prime-time television in 2001, particularly on programs rated acceptable for children and teenagers, and the use of profane language by characters under the age of 21. The findings are compared to similar studies conducted in 1990, 1994, and 1997 to determine whether the use of profanity by child and young adult characters has increased over an 11-year period. Age and content warnings inadequately protect children from profanity. TV-PG programs contain as much off-color language as TV-14 programs, and more coarse language could be found in programs not given an L warning. Further, the earliest hour of prime time, when children are more likely to be viewing, contains significantly more instances of profanity than the time period of 10 to 11 p.m. However, characters under the age of 21 rarely utter profane words, and they are just as infrequently spoken to with such language.     

会诊中国电视--关于中国电视现状及问题的对话

20 0 3年中国电视经历了若干新的探索 ,业界和学界都以“创新”的追求不断推出许多新概念、新名词、新思路、新办法……在这些近乎“轰炸”般的新说法、新做法背后 ,却实实在在地、不可忽略地遮掩着不少新问题、老问题。之所以想推“新” ,除了时代与传媒发展不可阻挡的大势所趋 ,也的确因为这些诸多“问题”困惑着电视人 ,我们认为 ,只有好好对这些问题作一“会诊” ,才可能找到这些问题的“症结” ,才可能进一步对症下药 ,找到解决的路径。为此 ,本刊副主编胡智锋教授与凤凰卫视中文台副台长刘春先生专就中国电视现状及问题作了一番对话 ,希望能引起大家进一步的讨论和探求     

The Bishop and the Gargoyle: A Study of Network-Produced Prime-Time Church-Set Dramatic Old-Time Radio Programs

This research examines dramatic old-time radio programs produced by the networks to identify prime-time shows that focused regularly and principally on ecclesiastics- people in service to the institutional church. Although many such programs appeared on prime-time broad- cast television, this study reveals that only one such program aired in the history of prime-time radio. The article draws a profile of this program, The Bishop and the Gargoyle, looking at how it represents ecclesiastics. The aim is to contribute to an understanding of how popular culture represents the institutional church and its leaders, here adding a review of radio to the existing literature that looks at the church's representation in television and movies. The study also considers why church-set network-produced prime-time programs were so scarce in old-time radio.     

Television and Social Identity: Race Representation as "White" Accommodation

The influence of race representation on White viewers' feelings, perceptions, and opinions is evaluated. Participants indicate more liking for Black as opposed to White commentators. Participants perceive the least similarity between a Black and a White commentator who disagree with each other, but great Similarity between a Black and a White commentator who agree with each other. Results are discussed with respect to aversive or enlightened racism and the accommodation of White identity.     

Race and Gender: An Analysis of the Sources and Reporters in Local Television Coverage of the 2002 Michigan Gubernatorial Campaign

This study examined how race and gender of reporters and community diversity influenced use of women and minority sources in local television coverage of the 2002 governor's race in Michigan. Content analysis of campaign stories broadcasted by four local television stations revealed that women reporters were more likely than their male colleagues to use women and nonpartisan sources such as experts and ordinary citizens. But minority journalists were only slightly more likely to use minority sources and were less likely than nonminorities to use nonpartisan sources.     

娱乐节目与快乐哲学——韩国电视娱乐节目分析

本文通过对韩国电视娱乐节目的分析,探讨娱乐节目在韩国公共文化生活中的意义。韩国娱乐节目以快乐主义为价值取向,以娱乐为本位,显示了后现代文化的某些美学旨趣。作为在传播中生产的文本形式,娱乐节目的价值应置于传播情景中理解。     

The Effects of News and Entertainment on Interpersonal Trust: Political TalkRadio,Newspapers, and Television

In a now-famous article, Robert Putnam traced changes in interpersonal (IP) trust, civic engagement, and political trust in the United States during the past 3 decades. Although trust in government has declined, so have IP trust and civic engagement. Putnam places the blame for the loss of the various components of so-called civic or social capital squarely on television as a medium. We analyze 4 data sets to explain IP trust. Education, newspaper readership, and age are consistent and strong associates of trusting attitudes and behaviors. Reported political talk radio listening and elite electronic news use also are linked to trust. Those high in social trust, however, are not consistently heavier or lighter consumers of television. Putnam's hypothesis, in other words, is not confirmed in these data. Implications, as well as some reasons to continue to entertain the hypothesis, are explored.     

电视新闻专题节目特点及发展趋势探析

本文分析电视新闻专题节目的特点、优势以及存在的不足,探求其发展趋势,并提出建设性意见。     

The Reference Interview as Partnership: An Examination of Librarian,Library User,and Social Interaction

SUMMARY

The reflections penned in this article began as a single paragraph contributed several years ago to Charles Anderson's “The Exchange,” a column in RQ (now Reference & User Services Quarterly) (Anderson, 1995). I elaborated upon the concept through further reflection and augmented the ideas through a literature review. These ideas are meant to spark interest among library school students, new reference librarians, and veteran reference librarians who perhaps need new reason to show up with a positive attitude at that next reference shift. The thesis is that this moment in time within a given reference interview occurs only once, regardless of how many times a librarian has heard the question. We as librarians must always be alert to respond appropriately to the distinct contributions that the given library user brings to that question. In the process, we are equals in that the librarian knows more of the research technique to uncover the appropriate sources, but the library user knows more of what his specific slant on the topic will be. We would be wise to stay diligent, to listen well, and to take nothing for granted. The reference interview then becomes a lively, energetic, and stimulating discussion meant to lead to library research at its best.     

Quality Assessment of Television Programs in Israel: Can Viewers Recognize Production Value?

Television programs' production value is highly regarded by professionals as a crucial dimension of program quality. This study examines the degree to which lay viewers, rather than professionals, are sensitive to television programs' production value as a distinct evaluative dimension, their ability to pass educated judgments on production value, and the impact of these judgments on their overall program appreciation and quality assessment. Based on a large-scale survey of television viewers in Israel, we find that production value makes up a distinct evaluative dimension, indicating that viewers are sensitive to production considerations. Production value assessments also explain television program appreciation and quality evaluations. On the other hand, there are indications that lay viewers are not very good at discerning gradations of production value among different programs and genres. These findings are discussed in the context of the conflicting interests among Israeli program makers and television channel franchisers to cut costs or to invest in the quality and production value of domestically produced programs. Based on the findings, a deliberative procedure is suggested which can accommodate these conflicting interests by combining lay viewers' quality assessments with professionals' more considered and informed judgments.     

News Producers' Pressures on Advertisers: Production of Paid News in Slovenian Television Programs

While media and journalism studies focus on advertising pressures on news producers, media pressures on advertisers are overlooked. The present study is the first to analyze media pressures on advertisers and the ways in which all participants interpret the phenomenon. This study used ethnographic methods to study 10 Slovenian television stations and 10 corporate marketing departments, as well as in-depth interviews with key actors. The research showed that television advertising practitioners and journalists exert pressure on advertisers to pay for news that either promotes products/services or suppresses information that reflects badly on advertisers.