Using Experiments to Understand How Agency Influences Media Effects

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Arceneaux ◽  
Martin Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Media Effects ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Randomized Experiments ◽  
Political Advertisements ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Fresh Perspective ◽  
Political Choices ◽  
Media Choices

Students of public opinion tend to focus on how exposure to political media, such as news coverage and political advertisements, influences the political choices that people make. However, the expansion of news and entertainment choices on television and via the Internet makes the decisions that people make about what to consume from various media outlets a political choice in its own right. While the current day hyperchoice media landscape opens new avenues of research, it also complicates how we should approach, conduct, and interpret this research. More choices means greater ability to choose media content based on one’s political preferences, exacerbating the severity of selection bias and endogeneity inherent in observational studies. Traditional randomized experiments offer compelling ways to obviate these challenges to making valid causal inferences, but at the cost of minimizing the role that agency plays in how people make media choices. Resent research modifies the traditional experimental design for studying media effects in ways that incorporate agency over media content. These modifications require researchers to consider different trade-offs when choosing among different design features, creating both advantages and disadvantages. Nonetheless, this emerging line of research offers a fresh perspective on how people’s media choices shapes their reaction to media content and political decisions.

No trade-offs between news and entertainment: Evidence from online engagement data

2022 ◽  
pp. 146144482110638
Author(s):  
Shengchun Huang ◽  
Tian Yang
Keyword(s):  
Media Content ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Information Distribution ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Online Engagement ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Audience Fragmentation ◽  
Different Content ◽  
Media Choices ◽  
Personal Interests

In today’s high-choice media environment, some scholars are concerned that people selectively consume media content based on personal interests and avoid others, which might lead to audience fragmentation across different content genres. Individually, there might be trade-offs between those genres, especially entertainment versus news. This study analyzed a large user engagement dataset (~40,000 users’ comments) collected from the Chinese information application Toutiao, one of the most popular information distribution platforms in China. The results showed that (1) the commenters were not fragmented between content genres, and (2) the users’ news engagement was positively associated with their entertainment engagement. The findings indicate that the availability of high media choices will not reduce the news engagement of those who have strong interest in entertainment. Instead, news engagement might increase alongside the augmentation of the sum of information engagement. Finally, we discussed the differences between relative news engagement and absolute news engagement.

scholarly journals Objectification of Subjectivity: International Experience in Selection of TV Stimuli in Mass Media Effect Research

2016 ◽  
pp. 8-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yurii Havrylets ◽  
Volodymyr Rizun ◽  
Sergii Tukaiev ◽  
Maksym Khylko
Keyword(s):  
Media Effects ◽  
Basic Material ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
News Content ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Content Selection ◽  
Tv News ◽  
The Media ◽  
Selection Of

The objective of the study was to classify the existing methods of the TV news content selection, and to assess the advantages and shortcomings of each approach. To achieve this goal, the following tasks have been performed: 1) considering the existing approaches to the selection of the TV news content, applied in the media effects studies; 2) summarizing and classifying the approaches used for the selection of the TV news stories for experiments in the media effects studies; 3) analysing the advantages and disadvantages of each technique of the experimental selection of the TV news content. The research was conducted through the use of scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, transition from the abstract to the concrete, and document review. Several criteria were applied to the selection of the studies to be included in the review of methods of the TV news materials selection: 1) only those experimental articles and thesis were selected, in which the TV news was the independent variable, and the reaction of surveyed people was the dependent variable; 2) the articles and theses should include a clear description of the methods of the TV news selection. Results and Conclusions. The TV news content was examined as a basic material for experiments in social communications. Based on the academic publications of the American and European scientists, we elaborated the classification of methods for the media content selection in the media effects studies. Different approaches to the selection of news material were proposed. According to the proposed classification, all methods of the media content selection were divided into the primary methods (pool method) and secondary methods (Self-Assessment Mannequin test; semantic differential method; R. Likert emotion assessment scale; J.B. Haskins scale for the good-bad news assessment). The validity and reliability of these techniques was proved by the studies in the TV news effects.

Microblogging and the News

2014 ◽  
pp. 128-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Wallsten
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Media Effects ◽  
Political Discourse ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Online News ◽  
Political Elites ◽  
Political Leaders

A particularly important question that has yet to be addressed about microblogging is the extent to which tweeting from politicians influences the traditional media's news coverage. This chapter seeks to address this oversight by tracking print, broadcast, and online news mentions of tweets from political elites during the five-and-a-half years since microblogging started. Consistent with previous research into “new media” effects and journalistic sourcing patterns, the authors find that although reporters, pundits, and bloggers are increasingly incorporating tweets into their news discussions, the group of Twitterers who are consistently quoted is small and drawn almost exclusively from the ranks of nationally recognizable political leaders. In addition to contributing to the emerging literature on Twitter, the analysis presented here suggests a new way of conceptualizing influence on the site. Rather than focusing strictly on Twitter-centric measures of message diffusion, the findings of this chapter suggest that researchers should begin to consider the ways that tweets can shape political discourse by spreading beyond the fairly narrow world of microblogging.

scholarly journals Can You Pay for Peace?

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 152-175
Author(s):  
Lila Wade
Keyword(s):  
Peace Operations ◽  
Current Analysis ◽  
Peace Agreement ◽  
Transitional State ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Peace Operation ◽  
Operational Efficacy

Financing mechanisms are central to the operational efficacy of peace operations, yet current analysis of peacebuilding finance is atomistic, focusing on one domain, such as coordination or financing. To address the need for deeper understanding of how financing modalities affect peacebuilding outcomes, this paper identifies the trade-offs and opportunities of different financing schema across the lifespan of a peace operation. In order to parse the linkages between financing and outcomes, this paper examines: (1) control of donor funds within a transitional state; (2) budgeting for coordination and alignment; (3) promoting partnerships and participation through funding modalities; and (4) funding ‘quick impact’ projects to bridge the periods of immediate relief and long-term development. With reference to peacebuilding operations in Liberia after the 2003 Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement, this analysis highlights numerous innovations and experiments in the financing of peace operations, examining the advantages and disadvantages inherent in different approaches.

Challenging the Models of Terrorism Discourse in the News: European and Islamic Values in the French and Italian Press

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 384-413
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Ugolini ◽  
Dario Fanara
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Social Role ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Media Content Analysis ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
The Social ◽  
Terrorism Discourse ◽  
Islamic Values

The aim of this paper is to reflect on the social role of European journalists as they cover the issue of terrorism, which is a potential threat to European society itself. For this purpose, the paper presents the results of a qualitative media content analysis related to the news coverage of the aftermath of three major terrorist attacks. Specifically, the research focuses on the values involved in the coverage of the event rather than on the strict report of what happened. The authors observe that both liberal/‘trustee’ and polarized pluralist/‘advocacy’ models engender a double paradox concerning the interest of citizens in being informed or being protected by news media. Nonetheless, the liberal value of responsibility emerges as fundamental, in order to face and resolve this paradox.

The Influence of Muscle Model Complexity in Musculoskeletal Motion Modeling

1985 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Audu ◽  
D. T. Davy
Keyword(s):  
Control Algorithm ◽  
Complex Model ◽  
Model Complexity ◽  
Model Choice ◽  
Motion Modeling ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Motion Problem ◽  
Motion Studies ◽  
Muscle Models

A comparative study of four different muscle models in a musculoskeletal motion problem is made. The models vary in complexity from the simple input-output model to the more complex model of Hatze [I]. These models are used to solve a minimum time kicking problem using an optimal control algorithm. The results demonstrate the strong influence of the model choice on the various predicted kinematic and kinetic parameters in the problem. The study illustrates some of the advantages and disadvantages involved in trade-offs between model complexity and practicability in musculoskeletal motion studies. The results also illustrate the importance of appropriate detailed parameter estimation studies in the mathematical modeling of the musculoskeletal system.

State-Level Point-of-Sale Tobacco News Coverage and Policy Progression Over a 2-Year Period

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison E. Myers ◽  
Brian G. Southwell ◽  
Kurt M. Ribisl ◽  
Sarah Moreland-Russell ◽  
J. Michael Bowling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Empirical Relationship ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Control Policy ◽  
State Level ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Media Advocacy ◽  
Point Of Sale ◽  
Source Use

Background. Mass media content may play an important role in policy change. However, the empirical relationship between media advocacy efforts and tobacco control policy success has rarely been studied. We examined the extent to which newspaper content characteristics (volume, slant, frame, source, use of evidence, and degree of localization) that have been identified as important in past descriptive studies were associated with policy progression over a 2-year period in the context of point-of-sale (POS) tobacco control. Method. We used regression analyses to test the relationships between newspaper content and policy progression from 2012 to 2014. The dependent variable was the level of implementation of state-level POS tobacco control policies at Time 2. Independent variables were newspaper article characteristics (volume, slant, frame, source, use of evidence, and degree of localization) and were collected via content analysis of the articles. State-level policy environment contextual variables were examined as confounders. Results. Positive, significant bivariate relationships exist between characteristics of news content (e.g., high overall volume, public health source present, local quote and local angle present, and pro–tobacco control slant present) and Time 2 POS score. However, in a multivariate model controlling for other factors, significant relationships did not hold. Discussion. Newspaper coverage can be a marker of POS policy progression. Whether media can influence policy implementation remains an important question. Future work should continue to tease out and confirm the unique characteristics of media content that are most associated with subsequent policy progression, in order to inform media advocacy efforts.

Single-Occupancy Patient Rooms: A Systematic Review of the Literature Since 2006

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Taylor ◽  
Alan J. Card ◽  
Melissa Piatkowski
Keyword(s):  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Complex Adaptive System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Appraisal System ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Individual Outcomes ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Impact

Aim: Our review evaluated both the effects of single-occupancy patient rooms (SPRs) on patient outcomes for hospitalized adults and user opinion related to SPRs. Background: In 2006, a requirement for SPRs in hospitals was instituted in the United States. This systematic literature review evaluates research published since that time to evaluate the impact of SPRs. Methods: The review adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Databases searched included MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus. Supplemental searches were performed. We included studies reporting patient outcomes or user opinion related to SPRs. Appraisal was conducted using a dual appraisal system of evidence levels and methodological quality. Results: Forty-three studies qualified for appraisal. Three were excluded due to methodological quality (no appraisal score). One study was appraised for three individual outcomes (i.e., falls, infections, and user opinion). Eleven studies with low methodological quality scores were not included in the narrative synthesis. Overall, 87% of studies reported advantages associated with SPRs (some a combination of advantages and disadvantages or a combination of advantages and neutral results). Outcomes with the best evidence of benefit include communication, infection control, noise reduction/perceived sleep quality, and preference/perception. Conclusion: SPRs seem to result in more advantages than disadvantages. However, healthcare is a complex adaptive system, and decisions for 100% SPRs should be reviewed alongside related issues, such as necessary workflow modifications, unit configuration and other room layout decisions, patient populations, staffing models, and inherent trade-offs (e.g., the advantages of privacy compared to disadvantage of isolation).

scholarly journals A MULTIPLE CRITERIA FRAMEWORK TO EVALUATE BANK BRANCH POTENTIAL ATTRACTIVENESS

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando A. F. Ferreira ◽  
Ronald W. Spahr ◽  
Sérgio P. Santos ◽  
Paulo M. M. Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Maps ◽  
Multiple Criteria ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Financial Measures ◽  
Bank Branches ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Trade Area ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Remarkable Progress ◽  
The Way

Remarkable progress has occurred over the years in the performance evaluation of bank branches. Even though financial measures are usually considered the most important in assessing branch viability, we posit that insufficient attention has been given to other factors that affect the branches’ potential profitability and attractiveness, such as: location features, trade area characteristics and facilities management. Based on the integrated use of cognitive maps and multiple criteria decision analysis, we propose a framework that adds value to the way that potential attractiveness criteria to assess bank branches are selected and to the way that the trade-offs among those criteria are obtained. This framework is the result of a process involving several directors from the five largest banks operating in Portugal, and follows a constructivist approach. Our findings suggest that the use of cognitive maps systematically identifies previously omitted criteria that may assess potential attractiveness. The use of multiple criteria techniques clarify and add transparency to the way trade-offs are dealt with. Advantages and disadvantages of the proposed framework are also discussed.

scholarly journals Politik Identitas dalam Iklan Politik pada Pemilihan Kepala Daerah Sumatera Utara 2018

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Maghfira Faraidiany ◽  
Heri Kusmanto ◽  
Warjio Warjio
Keyword(s):  
Identity Politics ◽  
Political Advertising ◽  
Political Advertisements ◽  
General Elections ◽  
Political Choices ◽  
North Sumatra

In connection with general elections, the role of political advertising is very important because it is considered to be a political engine for candidates in an effort to show their existence and efforts to attract and gain support during the campaign period. The use of identity in political advertising is used to influence voters' political choices. The 2018 North Sumatra regional election was attended by two pairs of candidates who met the requirements of the KPU. They are Edy Rahmayadi and Musa Rajeck Shah who are familiarly called Ijeck (Eramas) and Djarot Saiful Hidayat and Sihar Sitorus (Djoss). The two candidates played the issue of identity together in their political advertisements. This study aims to explain what identities are used in the candidates' political advertisements. From the results of the study it can also be concluded that the issue of identity politics can still be seen from the advertisements of both pairs of candidates and they also use identity issues to increase support.

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