THE AGENDA-SETTING EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL NEWS COVERAGE: AN EXAMINATION OF DIFFERING NEWS FRAMES

The agenda-setting impact of international news was examinedby comparing the coverage of 15 categories of internationalnews in four news media (the New York Times, ABC, CBS, and NBC)with the level of public concern with international problemsas recorded by all 41 Gallup organization's most important problempolls conducted from 1975 to 1990. The findings suggest thatthe way in which international news is framed in news reportsmay determine the magnitude of salience cues. Four categoriesof news coverage demonstrated the strongest agenda-setting influence:international conflicts involving the United States; terrorisminvolving the U.S.; crime/drugs; and military/nuclear arms.Generally, the results support previous findings which concludedthat stories with high degrees of conflict and stories withconcrete presentations (by including Americans in the stories)have the strongest agenda-setting impact. In addition, two newscategories—international trade not involving the UnitedStates, and politics not involving the United States—correlatednegatively with public concern for two of the news media. Thisresult suggests that press coverage, besides increasing publicconcern with certain issues, can also decrease concern. Certaincategories of news, such as stories dealing with internationalpolitics and trade, can give individuals cues that the internationalarena is functioning quite smoothly. These types of internationalnews stories show individuals that international problems arenot really serious problems at all.     

KILLER AND VICTIM ISSUES: ISSUE COMPETITION IN THE AGENDA-SETTING PROCESS OF GERMAN TELEVISION

The capacity of the mass media to cover issues as well as thecapacity of recipients to be concerned about issues is limited.The coverage on and the concern about new issues will consequentlyremove old issues from the agenda of both the mass media andthe general public. The present study investigates two modelsof this process of issue competition. The equal-displacementmodel assumes that a rise of one issue in the media by a givennumber of stories is matched by an equal fall in all other issuessumming up to a similar number of issues. The restructuringmodel assumes that unexpected, surprising or otherwise newsworthyevents create killer issues that move several other issues completelyoff the agenda and leave others untouched. A content analysisof all news shows of the two major TV stations in Germany and53 weekly surveys regarding 16 different issues covering thewhole year 1986 shows that—within the media agenda—therewere no killer issues affecting the coverage of the TV stations.In the public agenda, however, some killer issues could be identified.Coverage of these issues increased public concern about themand decreased concerns about other issues. Consequences of theseresults for agenda-setting theory and for politics are discussed.     

台湾《大学图书馆》创刊五年纵横谈

简要介绍台湾《大学图书馆》创刊背景及刊物运作情况,分析其办刊特色,以期对祖国大陆同业有所参考。     

VALUE-FRAMING ABORTION IN THE UNITED STATES: AN APPLICATION OF MEDIA SYSTEM DEPENDENCY THEORY

This paper is in the tradition of social analysis aimed at creatingframeworks to join mass media and public opinion processes (e.g.Clarke and Evans, 1983; Gamson, 1975; Gitlin, 1980; Hall, 1977;Iyengar and Kinder, 1987; Lang and Lang, 1968, 1983; Lippman,1922; Mollotch and Lester, 1974; Noelle-Neuman, 1974; Paletzand Entman, 1981; Shaw and McCombs, 1977; Turner and Paz, 1986).After a brief review of media system dependency (MSD) theory,we illustrate how it may apply to public opinion processes thatentail contested issue ‘value-frames’ (Ball-Rokeachand Rokeach, 1987). In such cases, the media system is directlyimplicated in the negotiation of legitimacy of opposing positionson an issue. Our illustrative case is the abortion issue asit has been played out in the United States over recent decades(Luker, 1984). We focus upon the respective capacities of pro-and anti-abortion movements to control the value-frame of mediacoverage of the issue (Guthrie, 1989). A value-frame may beconceived as ‘... the main substantive theme of a moralityplay’ (Ball-Rokeach and Tallman, 1979) wherein the distinctionbetween ‘good’ and ‘bad’ hangs in thebalance; in this case, between positions on abortion. We suggestthat change in the value-frame of media coverage and publicdiscourse may be understood, at least in part, as an outcomeof change in contestants' MSD relations.     

THE USE OF AN INFRA-RED IMAGE-CONVERTER FOR THE EXAMINATION OF PANEL PAINTINGS

Abstract

The use of an S-1 response infra-red image-converter for the examination of panel paintings is described. It is shown that satisfactory results maybe obtained with this equipment, which is easy to operate. The examination of underdrawings, retouchings and pentimenti is briefly discussed.     

THE IMPACT OF THE NEWS MEDIA ON PUBLIC OPINION: AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 1987-1988

Ideodynamics is a new mathematical model able to predict timetrends of public opinion based on information in the mass media.Using this model and a new method of computer content analysisapplied to Associated Press stories retrieved from the Nexiselectronic data base, it was possible to forecast actual opinionpoll results for the American Presidential election of 1988with very high accuracy. The average deviation between the computerpredicted values and over 120 measured poll values was 2.7 percent for George Bush versus Michael Dukakis. On election day,the deviation was 2 per cent.     

THE MAGNIFICATION AND MINIMIZATION OF SOCIAL CLEAVAGES BY THE BROADCAST AND NARROWCAST NEWS MEDIA

This paper provides an empirical test of the argument that thebroadcast newsmedia help create a ‘national’ publicopinion and mute localized opinion rooted insociodemographiccharacteristics. Using Canadian data, we provide evidence thatmajor social cleavages are reduced as exposure to the broadcastmedia goes up. However, we also provide evidence that exposureto media directed toward segmented aaudiences exacerbates socialcleavages. We conclude by speculating that public opinion maybecome more polarized around sociodemographic cleavages as narrowcastmedia become more dominant and we suggest that this has implicationsfor the study of media effectsusing survey research.     

THE SCIENTIFIC EXAMINATION OF THE POL YCHROMED SCULPTURE IN THE HERLIN ALTARPIECE

Abstract

An account is given of the examination of the polychromed sculpture in the Hedin altarpiece (1466) in Rothenburg old T. (W Germany). Analytical methods used, such as microscopy, wet chemical analysis, infrared spectrophotometry, thin-layer chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography are briefly described. Criteria for identification are summarized. Pigments identified are azurite, indigo, verdigris, green earth, madder, vermilion, red lead, lead white and carbon black. The binding medium is glue in matt areas. In other parts paints are mostly based on a resinous medium with varying amounts of oil. The materials identified in the applique relief brocades are compared with recipes described in the Liber Illuministarius from Tegernsee. Silver foil is used in producing translucent paint.     

学术信息资源投资评价 -层次分析方法应用

利用信息资源战略投资评估策略来研究学术资源投资评价,本文的方法基于层次分析方法,利用建立的结构模型和有关实际数据得到了较好的评价指标和敏感性分析结果。     

教育信息化进程中的大学图书馆

高等教育的发展影响和决定着大学图书馆的未来。在高等教育的信息化进程中,大学图书馆面临着严峻的挑战,必须重新找准自己的定位,积极主动地参与教育信息化改革,使大学图书馆成为一个为信息化教学和学习化社会服务的充满“人性化”的学习场所。     

THE REPRESENTATION OF THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS IN EUROPEAN NEWS DISCOURSE

Based on semi-structured interviews with journalists in six European countries, this article examines the extent to which the findings of recent literature about the representation of migrants in European media content are reflected in the perceptions of journalists themselves about the way in which migrants are represented in the media discourses produced by their outlets. It finds that the four key findings of the literature were by and large confirmed, namely inaccurate group labelling and designation, negative or victimised representation, under-representation of migrants in quotations, and the scarce reference to a wider European context. Finally, the article discusses media professionals' self-reported awareness about general professional ethics versus diversity-specific ethics, and about the way in which their outlets cover news involving “new” immigrants, i.e. nationals of non-European Union countries residing in the European Union, and examines the differences between media practices and perceptions in “old” and “new” immigration countries.

For a full explanation of the methodology of the research project, please see the introduction in this themed section: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2012.740213.     

PREPARING FOR AN AGE OF PARTICIPATORY NEWS

In a time of declining public trust in news, loss of advertising revenue, and an increasingly participatory, self-expressive and digital media culture, journalism is in the process of rethinking and reinventing itself. In this paper, the authors explore how journalism is preparing itself for an age of participatory news: a time where (some of) the news is gathered, selected, edited and communicated by professionals and amateurs, and by producers and consumers alike. Using materials from case studies of emerging participatory news practices in the Netherlands, Germany, Australia and the United States, the authors conclude with some preliminary recommendations for further research and theorize early explanations for the success or failure of participatory journalism.     

MEDIA COVERAGE AND THE FLOW OF VOTERS IN MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS: THE 1994 NATIONAL ELECTIONS IN HOLLAND AND GERMANY

Positive news is advantageous for a party, but the effects ofnegative news are less obvious, especially in a multiparty system.One possibility is an indecisionmodel in which negative informationwould push voters to the undecided category. An alternativeis a proportional model in which voters would move to otherparties in proportion to their share of the vote. A third scenariowould correspond to a proximity model in which the shift wouldbe to parties holding viewpoints similar to those of the criticizedparty. The three models were tested using the ideodynamic modelor the 1994 elections in the Netherlands and Germany. The explanatoryvariables were content analysis data obtained daily for majorprint and electronic news media. The dependent variable wasweekly survey data of party preferences of voters. The analysisshowed the proportional model to be the least plausible withthe proximity model being promising. Campaign strategists startingfrom the proximity model will both promote negative news aboutother parties and adopt their issue positions.     

MASS MEDIA AND CONSUMERIST VALUES IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

In this study, we report results from parallel cross-sectionsurveys of probability samples from the two largest cities inChina. We pose two questions; What are consumerist value orientationsanchored in Chinese individualism? How is mass media exposurerelated to the emergence of such values? We find three stableconsumerist value orientations: conspicuous consumption, aspirationfor self-actualization, and worshipping Western lifestyles.Those who are younger, better educated, and financially betteroff are the most likely bearers of these values. Further, bearingthese values is related to frequent reading of consumer magazinesand exposure to outdoor advertisements. Placed in the contextof China's on-going economic reforms, we discuss how these resultsindicate the changing social and cultural milieu of China'ssocial transformation, and what their implications are for theprospect of political pluralism in post-Tiananmen China.