Aberration of mind or soul: the role of media in perceptions of mass violence

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 209-222
Author(s):  
Lauren T. Meaux ◽  
Stephanie C. Doran ◽  
Jennifer M. Cox
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
News Media ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Media Consumption ◽  
Mass Violence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Debate ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Violent Acts ◽  
Unexpected Findings

Purpose Unconscious biases against certain groups aid in forming assumptions which may be promulgated in the USA via popular news media linking rare but memorable violent acts with specific groups. However, the relationship between marginalized group association, assumptions regarding the motive for violent acts and individual media consumption has never been directly examined. This study aims to directly examine this relationship. Design/methodology/approach In the present study, individuals read a vignette of a mass shooting in which the perpetrator’s implied religion (i.e. Islam or unknown religion) was manipulated. Participants then indicated their assumptions regarding motive (i.e. terrorism or mental illness) and personal media consumption habits. Findings Contrary to hypotheses, differences in assumed motive based on implied religion were not found; participants were not more likely to associate an assumed Muslim perpetrator with terrorism as a motive or consider the assumed non-Muslim perpetrator to be mentally ill. Originality/value These unexpected findings are discussed in the context of the data-collection period, which coincidentally overlapped with a well-publicized act of domestic terrorism that led to a unique national debate regarding biased news coverage and associations between religion, ethnicity, terrorism and mental illness.

News media and perceptions of police: a state-of-the-art-review

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Graziano
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Television News ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Media Consumption ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Causal Pathways ◽  
Meta Review ◽  
Perceptions Of Police

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the literature examining the role of news media consumption and awareness in shaping public attitudes about police.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive, systematic search of multiple academic databases (e.g. EBSCO Host) was undertaken, supplemented by the use of Google Scholar to search among journals indicated as having cited the articles found in the databases.FindingsA total of 42 studies were identified that met the selection criteria for this meta-review and examined exposure to high-profile incidents involving police, awareness of negative news coverage of police, and/or consumption of specific news mediums (e.g. newspapers). Overall, research supports a relationship between negative perceptions of police and both exposure to high-profile incidents and awareness of negative coverage. Some support for the influence of consuming television news on attitudes exists, but more research is needed on the role of different news sources in shaping perceptions. Future research should also include determining causal pathways and how news about police is selected.Originality/valueThis is the first meta-review of the research examining how news media and attitudes about police are related. This study will provide a useful resource for those researchers wishing to continue to examine different aspects of news media consumption as a predictor of perceptions.

Mental Illness, the Media, and the Moral Politics of Mass Violence

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 766-797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott W. Duxbury ◽  
Laura C. Frizzell ◽  
Sadé L. Lindsay
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Black Men ◽  
News Media ◽  
White Men ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
Mass Violence ◽  
Latino Men ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Moral Politics ◽  
The Media

Objectives: We examine how news media portrays the causes of mass shootings for shooters of different races. Specifically, we explore whether White men are disproportionately framed as mentally ill, and what narratives media tend to invoke when covering mass shootings through the lens of mental illness as opposed to other explanatory frames. Methods: The study examines a unique data set of 433 news documents covering 219 mass shootings between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2015. It analyzes the data using a mixed methods approach, combining logistic regression with content analysis. Results: Quantitative findings show that Whites and Latinos are more likely to have their crime attributed to mental illness than Blacks. Qualitative findings show that rhetoric within these discussions frame White men as sympathetic characters, while Black and Latino men are treated as perpetually violent threats to the public. Conclusions: Results suggest that there is racial variability in how the media assign blame to mass shooters. While Black men and Latinos are cast as violently inclined, White men are treated as victims or sympathetic characters. Results also indicate that there are noteworthy differences in how blame is assigned to Black men and Latinos.

scholarly journals Initial response to COVID-19: a mixed-methods analysis of media and school communications to identify pedagogical implications for remote teaching

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Eutsler ◽  
Pavlo D. Antonenko ◽  
Chrystine Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
School District ◽  
News Media ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Educational Organizations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
K 12 ◽  
National Emergency

Purpose Immediately following the declaration of the national emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA, the purpose of this study was to examine one month of social media, news media, school district websites’ continuity plans and educational affiliate organizations, to unveil K-12 stakeholders’ initial response to K-12 remote teaching. Design/methodology/approach Framed by connectivism theory, the authors used a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design to conduct a systematic content analysis of 43,870 tweets, news media, school district websites’ continuity plans and educational affiliate organizations. Findings Initial responses focused on community lockdown procedures, sustaining education, adapting to a remote lifestyle and political tension. The authors revisited included tweets one week later to measure their connectedness, which revealed that educational organizations, which have the largest number of followers, also have the greatest outreach and visibility. Practical implications Based on the collective decision-making of education stakeholders, the authors provide three remote teaching recommendations and pedagogical implications for sustainable remote teaching practices. Originality/value The authors construct a blueprint from some of the largest school districts, and consequently the COVID-19 hotspots, to broadly examine emergency preparedness and remote instruction plans.

Eén bril, vele visies?

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-50
Author(s):  
Willem Buyens ◽  
Peter Van Aelst
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Economic Issue ◽  
Cultural Issue ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Content Type ◽  
News Reporting ◽  
Content Diversity

Abstract One outlook, many perspectives? Diversity in Flemish news media and the perception of the audience A diverse range of actors and viewpoints can safeguard the quality of news reporting and the distribution of attention to different sides to a story. In this study, we look at the differences in content diversity between the news coverage on two (one socio-economic and one socio-cultural) cases in the Flemish news environment and how these differences translate into perceptions of diversity and bias with the audience. Despite limited differences in content diversity, we find that news items on the sociocultural and socio-economic case highlight different actors. Moreover, news items on the socio-cultural case are more neutral, while the coverage on the socio-economic issue contains more (balanced) viewpoints. These differences in content are largely translated into differences in perception. However, we find that a slight bias in perception of tone in the coverage on the socio-cultural issue is due to personal characteristics and issue-relevant attitudes.

Key messages and message integrity as concepts and metrics in communication evaluation

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 386-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig E. Carroll ◽  
Nell C. Huang-Horowitz ◽  
Brooke Weberling McKeever ◽  
Natalie Williams
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
News Media ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Media Relations ◽  
Social Relevance ◽  
Communication Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Communication Evaluation ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concepts of key messages and key message integrity, and examines their viability for communication management scholars and practitioners in evaluating media relations activities. Key message integrity addresses not only what messages transfer, but also how well. Design/methodology/approach – The authors analyzed 18 nonprofit organizations’ key messages and the messages’ integrity levels using content analysis on one month of their news coverage. In-depth interviews with eight of their media relations practitioners helped validate the concepts and the results. Findings – The authors found five unique categories and functions of key messages: information concerned with dissemination, raison d’être concerned with purpose, categories concerned with positioning, resource management concerned with accounting for resources, and social relevance concerned with legitimacy. Findings also revealed varying levels of transmission and message integrity across the categories. Interviews revealed insights into challenges for communicating organizational key messages to the news media. Originality/value – This study lays the foundation for additional research on key messages and key message integrity as useful metrics for communication management scholars and practitioners.

Dialogic communication and media relations in non-governmental organizations

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seow Ting Lee ◽  
Mallika Hemant Desai
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
News Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Media Relations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Subsidies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to seek to clarify the conceptual building blocks of relationship building between non-governmental groups (NGOs) and news media, which is essential for the development of civil society where dialogue is a product of ongoing communication and relationships. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on an online survey with a sample size of 296 NGOs from India. The data are analyzed with SPSS to test six hypotheses related to dialogic orientation, media relations, relationship quality and the NGOs’ structural characteristics. Findings – The study found that an organization's dialogic orientation has a positive impact on media relations knowledge and strategy but not on the action dimension that focusses on providing information subsidies to journalists. A stronger dialogic orientation is also associated with better organization-media relationships. A stronger engagement in media relations also has a more positive impact on the quality of organization-media relationship. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Research limitations/implications – The findings of this study are limited to a sample of NGOs from India. Future research should address more diverse samples to better understand the dynamics of media relations in NGOs, and how their patterns of media relations, use of information subsidies, culture and media choice shape news coverage and their impact in developing civil society. Originality/value – By approaching media relations from an organizational perspective to investigate media relations in the NGO sector to address an under-researched area, the study is able to draw out the significant relationships between and among three distinct and yet connected conceptual building blocks of public relations.

News media and the racialization of protest: an analysis of Black Lives Matter articles

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 720-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy Leopold ◽  
Myrtle P. Bell
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
News Media ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
New York Times ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Los Angeles Times ◽  
Black Lives Matter

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine coverage of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in seven US-based newspapers to determine whether the protest paradigm, “a pattern of news coverage that expresses disapproval toward protests and dissent,” and other marginalizing techniques are present, and racialized. Design/methodology/approach Relevant articles published during a six-month period of 2014 near the death of Michael Brown were retrieved from the selected outlets, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the St Louis Post-Dispatch. Textual and content analyses were performed. Findings The articles heavily followed the paradigm. An additional characteristic, blame attribution, was also identified. Language of crime, lawlessness, violence, blame for nearby acts of violence, and inflammatory quotes from bystanders and official sources were often present. There was little discussion of key issues associated with the formation of BLM. Research limitations/implications Mainstream outlets rather than social media or alternative outlets were examined. Future research should study coverage of BLM in other outlets. Practical implications Measures to avoid marginalizing protests and racialization of coverage, including increased diversity in the newsroom and monitoring for racialized language are suggested. Social implications Racialization of news and coverage of BLM has widespread negative consequences, such as association of Blacks with criminality that may affect their quality of life. The protest paradigm has the ability to squelch participation in social movements, which have the possibility to bring about needed social change. Originality/value This interdisciplinary paper highlights the important role of mainstream media and news routines in affecting the BLM movement. It uses diversity research to make recommendations for media practitioners to avoid racialization of news.

Share of voices in corporate social responsibility (CSR) news

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-142
Author(s):  
Lisa Tam
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Press Releases ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Press ◽  
Negative Comments ◽  
Building Effects ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Different Sources

Purpose The use of sources in news coverage affects news audience’s perceptions of news events. To extend existing research on inter media agenda-setting and agenda-building effects of CSR-related news, the purpose of this paper is to explore the representation and share of voices in CSR-related news by investigating and comparing the use of sources in press releases and news coverage. Design/methodology/approach This study content-analyzed the 202 CSR-related press releases published by the two electricity providers in Hong Kong and 1,045 news articles related to the press releases over a five-year period. A total of 402 quotes from the press releases and 1,880 quotes from the news coverage were analyzed, including the types of sources cited, the tone of the sources and variations in the use of sources across seven different CSR themes. Findings Although company representatives were quoted the most in both the press releases and news coverage, NGOs, government representatives and industry analysts were the most frequently cited for negative comments in the news coverage. Differences were found between the press releases and news coverage in terms of how frequently different sources were cited, the tone attributed to those sources, and the choice of sources across different CSR themes. Originality/value The findings reflect that corporations are not necessarily the most influential voice in CSR and that other groups also have their views represented in the news media. The representation of these voices differed by CSR themes. Corporations are advised to further explore what and how different voices are represented in the news coverage in relation to their CSR activities and to consider these voices when making decisions about CSR.

scholarly journals The global rise of “fake news” and the threat to democratic elections in the USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
News Media ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Selective Exposure ◽  
Political Campaigns ◽  
Individual Responsibility ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Democratic Elections

Purpose Since the end of 2016, “fake news” has had a clear meaning in the USA. After years of scholarship attempting to define “fake news” and where it fits among the larger schema of media hoaxing and deception, popular culture and even academic studies converged following the 2016 US presidential election to define “fake news” in drastically new ways. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In light of the recent elections in the USA, many fear “fake news” that have gradually become a powerful and sinister force, both in the news media environment as well as in the fair and free elections. The scenario draws into questions how the general public interacts with such outlets, and to what extent and in which ways individual responsibility should govern the interactions with social media. Findings Fake news is a growing threat to democratic elections in the USA and other democracies by relentless targeting of hyper-partisan views, which play to the fears and prejudices of people, in order to influence their voting plans and their behavior. Originality/value Essentially, “fake news” is changing and even distorting how political campaigns are run, ultimately calling into question legitimacy of elections, elected officials and governments. Scholarship has increasingly confirmed social media as an enabler of “fake news,” and continues to project its potentially negative impact on democracy, furthering the already existing practices of partisan selective exposure, as well as heightening the need for individual responsibility.

Is there alignment amongst scientific literature, news media and patient forums regarding topics?: A study of breast and lung cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahereh Dehdarirad ◽  
Jonathan Freer
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
News Media ◽  
News Coverage ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Web Technologies ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Treatment Research

PurposeDuring recent years, web technologies and mass media have become prevalent in the context of medicine and health. Two examples of important web technologies used in health are news media and patient forums. Both have a significant role in shaping patients' perspective and behaviour in relation to health and illness, as well as the way that they might choose or change their treatment. In this paper, the authors investigated the application of web technologies using the data analysis approach. The authors did this analysis from the point of view of topics being discussed and disseminated via patients and journalists in breast and lung cancer. The study also investigated the (dis)alignment amongst these two groups and scientists in terms of topics.Design/methodology/approachThree data sets comprised documents published between 2014 and 2018 obtained from ProQuest and Web of Science Medline databases, alongside data from three major patient forums on breast and lung cancer. The analysis and visualisation in this paper have been done using the udpipe, igraph R packages and VOSviewer.FindingsThe study’s findings showed that in general scientists focussed more on prognosis and treatment of cancer, whereas patients and journalists focussed more on detection, prevention and role of social and emotional support. The only exception was for news coverage of lung cancer where the largest cluster was related to treatment, research in cancer treatment and therapies. However, when comparing coverage by scientists and journalists in terms of treatment, the focus of news articles in both cancer types was mainly on chemotherapy and complimentary therapies. Finally, topics such as lifestyle or pain management were only discussed by breast cancer patients.Originality/valueThe results obtained from this study may provide valuable insights into topics of interest for each group of scientists, journalist and patients as well as (dis)alignment among them in terms of topics. These findings are important as scientific research is heavily dependent on communication, and research does not exist in a bubble. Scientists and journalists can gain insights from patients' experiences and needs, which in turn may help them to have a more holistic and realistic view.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-06-2020-0228

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