MEASURING THE THIRD-PERSON EFFECT OF NEWS: THE IMPACT OF QUESTION ORDER, CONTRAST AND KNOWLEDGE

This study investigated the extent to which the third-personeffect—the tendency of people to estimate greater impactof media messages on ‘other people’ than on themselves—mightdepend upon question-contrast effects (i.e. self-serving comparisonstriggered by back-to-back questions dealing with effect on othersand oneself), the order of questions, and respondents' levelsof background political knowledge. Two hundred and eighty-sevensubjects participated in two experimental studies involvingquestions about media coverage of President Clinton's possiblerole in the ‘Whitewater Affair’, his alleged frequentpolicy reversals, the O. J. Simpson murder trial, and childmolestation charges against Michael Jackson. Both experimentsresulted in significant third-person effects that did not dependupon having the same respondents answer both questions; meansfor single-question (no contrast) conditions did not differsignificantly from comparable means in two-question (contrast)conditions. No significant main effects of question order wereobserved. In Experiment 1 a significant interaction betweenpolitical knowledge and question order was found, such thata negative relationship between knowledge and perceived impacton oneself emerged when the ‘self’ question followeda question about perceived effects on others. Experiment 2 replicatedthe interaction for two of three news stimuli, and indicatedthat it was not a product of differences in the personal importanceof issues. Implications of these results for understanding thethird-person effect are discussed.     

THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL DESIRABILITY ON PERCEIVED MEDIA IMPACT: IMPLICATIONS FOR THIRD-PERSON PERCEPTIONS

This study examines variations in perceptions of media influencebased on the locus of impact (self vs. other) and the valenceof the message (pro-social vs. anti-social). After reading oneof four versions of rap lyrics either advocating or condemningviolence or misogyny, 406 undergraduates filled out a surveymeasuring the perceived impact of songs with that type of lyricson themselves and on other students. Results replicated previousfindings of a third-person perception for the anti-social messages.Based on an ego-enhancement motivational explanation, it waspredicted that there would be a reverse third-person perceptionfor the pro-social messages. The findings did not support thishypothesis, and for the pro-social message regarding the treatmentof women, a Lraditional third-person perception was found. However,consistent with the ego-defensive motivational explanation,the size of the third-person perception differential was significantlygreater for anti-social than for pro-social messages. Implicationsof these findings for explanations of the third-person perceptionwere discussed.     

'REDEFINITION OF IMAGE': THE IMPACT OF MASS-MEDIATED TERRORISM

The emergence of media-oriented terrorism led several scholarsof modern terrorism to reconceptualize the phenomenon of terrorwithin the framework of symbolic communication theory. However,the success of media-minded terrorists has been studied mainlyby measures of amount of coverage given to terrorist acts andnot by examining the impact of this coverage on public opinion.The present study sets out to examine the effects of media coverageof two terrorist events on the public's attitudes and perceptions.By means of an experimental design, the impact of press andtelevision reports of two terrorist incidents was studied. Thefindings highlight the ‘redefinition of image’ causedby exposure to media reports and relate media functions suchas status-conferral and agenda setting to the specific caseof mass-mediated terrorism.     

FOR THE GOOD OF OTHERS: CENSORSHIP AND THE THIRD-PERSON EFFECT

The third person effect hypothesis, which states that individualsexposed to a mass media messaage will expect the communicationto have a greater effect on others than on themselves, may helpto explain the growing trend in support of media censorship.It is suggested here that overestimating the effect of mediaon others may play an important role in the forces underlyinga willingness to restrict various types of communication. Toexamine this relationship, this study focused on the discrepancybetween perceived media effects on others and self, and itsrelation to pro-censorship attitudes within three major topics:the media in general, violence on television, and pornography.The results of this study support the existence of the third-personeffect in mass communication. The findings also indicate thatas the gap between perceived firstand third-person effects increases,individuals are more likely to manifest pro-censorship attitudes.This relationship remained for all three topics even when avariety of potentially confounding demographic, media use, andattitudinal variables were controlled. The data also suggestthat for pornography the effects gap is related to a willingnessto act in favor of censoring.     

THE IMPACT OF PLANNING ON BUDGETING

No abstract available for this article.     

PART IX: THE LIMITS OF MARKETPLACE SOLUTIONS AND THE NEED FOR COLLABORATION

Abstract

As distance education (DE) and its support needs proliferate, schools of library and information science (LIS) need to address the education of librarians for the provision of DE services. This paper discusses current efforts of LIS programs in this regard, difficulties of establishing curricular units in this area, and steps the profession can take to ensure that education for DE services becomes an integral part of all LIS curricula.     

TV NEWS AND U.S. PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT FOREIGN COUNTRIES: THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE AND ATTENTION

This article assesses the potential for US news coverage offoreign affairs to influence US public opinion about foreigncountries during the latter part of 1989 and early 1990, a timeof dramatic changes in central Europe. The study draws on twosources of data: content analysis of US network news and wireservice coverage of nine countries (West Germany, East Germany,the Soviet Union, Hungary, Poland, Great Britain, France, Japan,and Israel) over a six month period, and a nationally representativesurvey of 1,117 US adults which measured opinions about thesecountries, conducted in early 1990. The study shows that thereis an important relationship between the visibility of foreigncountries in TV news and US public opinion about these countries.TV is more important than newspapers for influencing publicopinion about foreign countries. And attention to foreign affairsnews, rather than simple exposure to news, best predicts generalliking of a country. Finally, attention to television news coveragehad a positive and significant influence on sympathy with Westand East Germany in 1990, even if one had German friends, relativesor ancestors, or had visited Europe.     

THE TATE BRAND: ITS CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CARE AND PRESENTATION OF TATE COLLECTIONS

Abstract

The last 20 years (1984–2004) have seen the development of Tate as a brand which, at the launch of Tate Modern, reached new heights of international awareness. Over the same period the use of the collection has evolved, which has led to changes in conservation practice. Drawing on collection management data, patterns of conservation research and treatment, this paper considers how branding impacts on the care, presentation and perception of Tate paintings and frames.     

GUIDELINES FOR THE SELECTION AND ACQUISITION OF GERONTOLOGICAL MATERIALS

Gerontology is a multidisciplinary field and collection development is dependent on the use of standard library selection tools and special resources. This article gives an overview of selection criteria and sources and is supplemented by a list of suppliers of free or low cost materials on aging.     

IMPACT OF QUESTION ORDER ON THE THIRD-PERSON EFFECT

A nationwide telephone survey in the United States was conductedto investigate the impact of question order on the perceptualand behavioral hypotheses of the third-person effect. The perceptualhypothesis posits that individuals perceive other people tobe more vulnerable than themselves to persuasive media messages,whereas the behavioral hypothesis predicts that perceiving othersas more vulnerable increases support for message restrictions.Key questions included estimated effects of media issues onself, perceived effects on others, and support for restrictionson media content. Four question-order condition (restrictions—others-self,restrictions-self-others, others-self-restrictions, and self—others—restrictions)were tested with three media issues (television violence, televisedtrials, and negative political advertising). In line with pastresearch, the order of the self, others, and restrictions questionsdid not affect the perceptual hypothesis. However, the sequencingof the self, others, and restrictions questions affected supportfor the behavioral hypothesis in some conditions. The resultssuggest that, consistent with a saliency effect, placement ofself and others questions prior to the restrictions questionmight heighten respondents' willingness to endorse restrictionson the media and increase support for the behavioral hypothesis.     

THE IMPACT OF THE PRESENCE OF OTHERS ON A RESPONDENT'S ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

Although interviewers in survey research are usually instructedto interview the respondent alone, third parties are a commonenough occurrence to have a potentially serious impact on responses.This article examines the effect of third parties present (spouses,children, and in general) on a respondent's answers. Data fromthe 1994 General Social Survey were used. Results show that,for married respondents, answers on 15 questions about marriage,sexual matters and miscellaneous items are hardly affected bythe presence of a spouse. Differences on gender role items emergeas spurious when proper controls for differences in family andhousehold structure and organization are entered. Among 13 questionsabout child values, sexual matters concerning youths, and otheritems, answers are mostly not influenced by the presence ofa child. When controls are applied, only one difference emerges:Respondents appear less approving of premarital sex when anolder child (6 years or more) is present. Among 13 items onsex, religion, personal evaluations and evaluations of people,only self-reported health is affected by the presence of thirdparties. Overall, the impact of third parties on survey responsesis fairly rare and mostly small. Most apparent impacts of thepresence of others turn out to be spurious. Though they areof limited extent, third-party effects need to be better understood.Specific steps toward this end are suggested.     

CRITICAL FOUNDATIONS AND DIRECTIONS FOR THE TEACHING OF NEWS JOURNALISM

It sounds like a laudable but vainglorious exercise to want to reconcile the diverse ways of teaching news journalism with each other, to show that they share common grounds, are driven by the same concerns and follow the same directions albeit in their own peculiar ways. Nevertheless, I believe that such reconciliation occurs when we ask what it is we are, as educators, responding to when teaching news journalism. I think we are responding to two things. First, a particular set of foundational questions which, when asked, force us to consider the rationale and purpose of news journalism itself. Second, bringing these considerations to light in the classroom where they can be cast into the setting of students who are actually practising news journalism itself. In this paper I argue that there are three foundational questions to which we, as news journalism educators, should respond and conclude that the classroom is a place where those responses are given dramatic practical expression. It is this process, undertaken in a self-knowing manner, which ultimately unites news journalism education no matter where it is taught.     

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.     

MEDIA COVERAGE OF COCAINE AND ITS IMPACT ON USAGE PATTERNS

Anti-drug efforts in the USA have mainly focused on reducingsupply through interdiction and law enforcement. These effortsnotwithstanding, the perceived availability of cocaine by highschool seniors gradually increased from 1977 to 1991. In theearly 1980s, cocaine use by this group was fairly constant.There was a brief rise from 1983 to 1986 which could be ascribedto the introduction of crack. Then, there was a steady dropfrom 6.7 percent in 1986 to 1.4 percent in 1991 which couldbe explained by the press presenting salient anti-cocaine messagesto high school seniors. The drop was not due to ‘lifestyle’factors like religious commitment or number of hours spent onhomework. The strong influence of persuasive information suggeststhat drug control policy is likely to be more effective whendirected at demand than at supply.