scholarly journals Attribute salience (Public Diplomacy) (see also issue attributes)

Author(s):  
Sarah Marschlich

The variable “attribute salience” is described as the characteristics of a given issue that is portrayed in media coverage or other communication channels. It is generally measured in addition to issue salience and issue valence in order to analyze media portrayals of events, actors, or public discourses. Attribute salience is often measured in order to explore how particular issues are presented (instead of which in general), thereby contributing to second-level agenda-setting effects (McCombs et al., 1997).   Field of application/theoretical foundation: Attribute salience is analyzed across different subfields of communication and media research, including the field of public diplomacy. In public diplomacy research, scholars measure attribute salience in the context of political communication or the representation of countries in the news media as well as on social media. Researchers embed the concept of attribute salience or issue attributes mainly in agenda-setting theory (McCombs & Shaw, 1972), analyzing it as an independent variable to derive with implications of news media coverage on audiences’ evaluations of certain issues.   References/combination with other methods of data collection: When it comes to analyses on attribute salience in the context of issues and its link to public perceptions, a mixed-method study design incorporating content analysis in combination with surveys is used to validate attribute salience.   Example study: Zhang et al. (2018)   Information on Zhang et al., 2018 Authors: Zhang et al. Research question/reseach interest: Effects of agenda-building of Chinese state-sponsored media on news media coverage in Taiwan and Singapore during Hong Kong Protest Object of analysis: Newspaper (several English newspapers and newswires published in China, Singapore, and Taiwan; not explicated) Time frame of analysis: 1 May 2014 to 30 April 2015   Information about Variable Level of analysis: Articel Values: (1) Substantive issue attributes (frame): (a) Conflict (b) Cooperation (c) Problem definition (d) Proposed solution to the problem (e) Responsibility attribution (f) Human interest (g) Consequences and outcomes (h) Morality and motivation to take actions   (2) Affective issue attributes (tone): (a) Negative (b) Neutral or mixed (c) Positive (d) N/A. Scales: Nominal Reliability: Cohen‘s kapp = 0.76   References McCombs, M. E., & Shaw, D. L. (1972). The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media. Public Opinion Quarterly, 36(2), 176–187. McCombs, M. E., Llamas, J. P., Lopez-Escobar, E., & Rey, F. (1997). Candidate Images in Spanish Elections: Second-Level Agenda-Setting Effects. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 74(4), 703–717. Zhang, T., Khalitova, L., Myslik, B., Mohr, T. L., Kim, J. Y., & Kiousis, S. (2018). Comparing Chinese state-sponsored media’s agenda-building influence on Taiwan and Singapore media during the 2014 Hong Kong Protest. Chinese Journal of Communication, 11(1), 66–87.

Author(s):  
Sarah Marschlich

The variable “issue salience” refers to visibility or prominence of a given topic or theme occurring in the news coverage and is used to explore first-level agenda-setting (McCombs & Shaw, 1972). In addition to actor salience and valence, issue salience is analyzed to describe and explore the news coverage on different events and public debates. Mostly, issue salience is measured as the number of mentioning a particular issue, topic, or theme.   Field of application/theoretical foundation: Issue salience is analyzed using content analysis across different subfields of communication and media research, including the field of public diplomacy. In public diplomacy research, scholars measure issue salience in the context of governmental communication on their official channels online and offline or the representation of countries in social or mass media. Researchers embed the concept of issue salience primarily in agenda-setting theory (McCombs & Shaw, 1972), analyzing it as an independent variable from which to derive implications of news media coverage on audiences’ perceptions on a certain object or examining the relationship between issue salience in the media and the public agenda.   References/combination with other methods of data collection: When it comes to analyses on issue salience and its link to public perceptions, a mixed-method study design incorporating content analysis in combination with surveys is used to validate issue salience.   Exampe study: Zhou et al., 2013   Information about Zhou et al., 2013 Authors: Zhang et al. Research question/reseach interest: Comparison between news coverage on Great Britain (in terms of themes) in U.S.-American and Chinese news media during the Olympic Games 2012 RQ: What were the most salient themes in British, U.S., and Chinese media when they covered the opening ceremony of the London Olympics? Object of analysis: Newspaper (30 media outlets across three countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, not explicated) Time frame of analysis: 24 July 2012 to 12 August 2012   Information about variable Varible name/definition: Media coverage salience:  Number of mentions given to a particular theme Level of analysis: Story Values: (1) Countryside (e.g., emphasis of British natural beauty and scenic sites) (2) Creativity (e.g., focus on British creative sector, such as arts, film, and literature) (3) Entrepreneurship (e.g., portrayals on entrepreneurs and investors, or global investment) (4) Green (e.g., emphasis on Great Britain’s sustainability and environmental protections efforts) (5) Heritage (e.g., focus on British royalty, museums, and historic landmarks) (6) Innovation (e.g., discussion of science and technology in Great Britain) (7) Knowledge (e.g., portrayals of research and development at British universities) (8) Music (e.g., mentions of British and music artists) (9) Shopping (e.g., emphasis on British shopping venues such as London as shopping city) (10) Sport (e.g., emphasis on sporting events or athletes, such as David Beckham) (11) Technology (e.g., focus on digital media, e-commerce, and IT services in Great Britain) Scales: Nominal Reliability: Krippendorf’s alpha = .90   References McCombs, M. E., & Shaw, D. L. (1972). The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media. Public Opinion Quarterly, 36(2), 176–187. Zhou, S., Shen, B., Zhang, C., & Zhong, X. (2013). Creating a Competitive Identity: Public Diplomacy in the London Olympics and Media Portrayal. Mass Communication & Society, 16(6), 869–887.


Author(s):  
Marcus Maurer

Political agenda setting is the part of agenda-setting research that refers to the influence of the media agenda on the agenda of political actors. More precisely, the central question of political agenda-setting research is whether political actors adopt the issue agenda of the news media in various aspects ranging from communicating about issues that are prominently discussed in the news media to prioritizing issues from the news media agenda in political decision making. Although such effects have been studied under different labels (agenda building, policy agenda setting) for several decades, research in this field has recently increased significantly based on a new theoretical model introducing the term political agenda setting. Studies based on that model usually find effects of media coverage on the attention political actors pay to various issues, but at the same time point to a number of contingent conditions. First, as found in research on public agenda setting, there is an influence of characteristics of news media (e.g., television news vs. print media) and issues (e.g., obtrusive vs. unobtrusive issues). Second, there is an influence of characteristics of the political context (e.g., government vs. oppositional parties) and characteristics of individual politicians (e.g., generalists vs. specialists). Third, the findings of studies on the political agenda-setting effect differ, depending on which aspects of the political agenda are under examination (e.g., social media messages vs. political decision making).


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2874
Author(s):  
Amy Fitzgerald ◽  
Jennifer Halliday ◽  
Daniel Heath

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is an emerging technology used for understanding ecosystems, environmental change, and stressors. Cellular and extracellular DNA are collected from environmental samples instead of individual wildlife animals, and as such eDNA comes with associated logistical and ethical benefits. It is increasingly being used, yet to date public knowledge and perceptions of eDNA have not been explored. Given that most of the public gathers scientific information from news media sources, this is a logical first place to start. This paper reports on a framing and agenda-setting analysis of news media coverage of eDNA in Canada and the United States from 2000 to 2020. The findings indicate that eDNA is being framed as an emerging and powerful tool, although questions regarding its validity and reliability are raised vis-à-vis identifying the presence of invasive species. Less than half of the news articles analyzed address broader social or ethical issues in relation to eDNA, and the majority focus on the potential financial impacts of eDNA findings on development projects and business interests. The potential ethical advantages of non-lethal sampling methods used via eDNA sampling are not addressed, nor are the potential ethical issues raised by its potential use in bioprospecting, indicating that the current state of agenda setting regarding eDNA in these newspapers is focused on economic impacts, to the exclusion of potential ethical issues. This unfolding news coverage will likely be key to understanding public perceptions of this novel technology.


Author(s):  
Inge Hutagalung

In general, media coverage can have a strong influence on the reputation of a cultural heritage. Media coverage often has an effect on a cultural heritage’s reputation when ‘good’ or ‘bad’ news is reported.This amplifying effect has often been studied through the lens of agenda setting theory. The hypothesis behind the theory is that the frequency with the media report on an issue determines that issues’ salience in the minds of the general public. In other words, the media may not be successful often time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about. The news media ‘set’ the public agenda.Since people cannot possibly attend no to every little detail about the cultural heritage around them, setting in communication is important because it helps shape the perspectives through which people see all cultural heritage in the world.In generating good news coverage about a cultural heritage, communicating with the media is one of important activities that should be maintained between communication professionals (in cultural heritage) with journalists. Keywords: media coverage, agenda setting, framing news


Author(s):  
Gwendolin Gurr ◽  
Julia Metag

In order to identify interpretative patterns in the media coverage of technology, researches apply the variable risk and benefit framing. Risk and Benefit Framing is being measured differently; some studies use one variable, other studies use several variables to measure it. Either way, the variable is used to investigate to what extent either risks or benefits dominate the discourse and thus whether a positive or negative impression of a technology is given. In addition, it is analyzed how benefits and risks are portrayed, for example with regards to specificity and magnitude (Strekalova 2015) or how the ratio of risks and benefits changes over time or differs among different media (Donk, Metag, Kohring, & Marcinkowski 2012).   Field of application/theoretical foundation: The variable risk and benefit framing is often based on Entman’s framing approach, which is frequently applied in quantitative content analyses on various topics. In media content analyses, the framing concept, however, is understood and applied differently, which is the case also for the analysis of technology coverage. In addition to risk and benefit frames, thematic or issue frames are applied including risks and/or benefits as possible frames among others (e.g. Weaver et al. 2009). Yet, some analyses are based on the assumption that a frame is a specific, unique pattern of a text composed of several elements (Kohring & Matthes 2002; Matthes & Kohring 2008). These elements are (a) problem definition, (b) causal attribution of responsibility, (c) moral judgment of the protagonists and their actions, and (d) treatment recommendations (Entman 1993, p. 52). Following this inductive approach, these elements are coded as single variables. After coding, frames are identified statistically by testing for relational patterns between the frame elements (Kohring & Matthes 2002; Matthes & Kohring 2008).   References/combination with other methods of data collection: In media effects research, it can be of interest whether the frames analyzed in the media coverage are recognized by recipients and how they affect their attitudes towards a topic, which can be tested by means of surveys or experiments among recipients.   Example studies: Strekalova (2015); Donk et al. (2012)   Information on Strekalova, 2015 Authors: Yulia A. Strekalova Research question/research interest: “How do elite and regional U.S. newspapers cover nanomedicine? How was the news about nanomedicine framed by the U.S. newspapers?” Object of analysis: U.S. newspapers (3 national quality newspapers: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal; 3 regional newspapers: Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Houston Chronicle) Time frame of analysis: 1990-September 30, 2013   Information on Donk et al., 2012 Authors: André Donk, Julia Metag, Matthias Kohring, Frank Marcinkowski Research question/research interest: The framing of nanotechnology in German print media Object of analysis: 9 German daily newspapers and weekly magazines (Financial Times Deutschland, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, Süddeutsche Zeitung, taz, Die Welt, Focus, Der Spiegel, die Zeit) Time frame of analysis: 2000 bis 2008 Codebook: placed at disposal   Information about variable   Authors Variable name/definition Level of analysis Values   Scale level   Reliability Strekalova (2015) Risk and Benefit Frames (in addition: magnitude and specificity of risks and benefits)   article   benefits only risks only benefits and risks no benefits or risks nominal intercoder reliability: .86 (range: .72-.95)   Donk, Metag, Kohring & Marcinkowski (2012) Nanotechnology Frames: variables with frequency ≥5% for 7 categories representing 4 frame elements Categories for frame element “problem definition”: Main topic Evaluation of benefits Evaluation of risks Variables “main topic”: Scientific research medical implementation implementation in information and communication technology (ICT) economy overview of nanotechnology Variables “Evaluation of benefits”: medical benefits scientific benefits economic benefits Variables “Evaluation of risks”: Medical risks Categories for frame element “Causal attribution of responsibility”: Protagonist responsible for benefits Protagonist responsible for risks Variables “Protagonist responsible for benefits”: Scientist economic protagonist nanotechnology Variables “Protagonist responsible for risks”: Nanotechnology Category for frame element “Moral judgement”: Evaluation of nanotechnology Variables: Positive evaluation/acceptance negative evaluation/acceptance Category for frame element “Treatment recommendation”: Call for regulation/support Prospects Variables: Risk regulation Prospects Positive prospects article   nominal R = .87 Pi = .79     References Strekalova, Yulia A. (2015): Informing Dissemination Research. In: Science Communication 37(2), 151–172. Donk, André; Metag, Julia; Kohring, Matthias; Marcinkowski, Frank (2012): Framing Emerging Technologies. In: Science Communication 34(1), 5–29.    Further References Entman, R. M. (1993). Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43, 51­58. Kohring, M., & Matthes, J. (2002). The face(t)s of biotech in the nineties: How the German press framed modern biotechnology. Public Understanding of Science, 11, 143­154. Matthes, J., &, Kohring, M. (2008). The content analysis of media frames: Toward improving reliability and validity. Journal of Communication, 58, 258­279.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
pp. 1665-1683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy J. Golan ◽  
Ilan Manor ◽  
Phillip Arceneaux

Mediated public diplomacy literature examines the engagement of foreign audiences by governments via mediated channels. To date, scholars have examined the competitive contest between global rivals in promoting and contesting one another’s frames as reflected in global news media coverage. Recognizing the meaningful impact of social media platforms, along with the global rise of government-sponsored media organizations, the current study builds on previous mediated public diplomacy scholarship by expanding the scope of the literature beyond the earned media perspective to also include paid, shared, and owned media. The article presents a revised definition of the term mediated public diplomacy along with a case study of government to foreign stakeholder engagement via the social media platform, Twitter.


2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 340-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trent Seltzer ◽  
Stephen W. Dittmore

This study used second-level agenda-setting and agenda-building theory as a framework for investigating media coverage of the NFL Network carriage dispute and how NFL and cable operators attempted to frame this issue via their respective public relations efforts. National, regional, and trade media stories over a 2-year period were content analyzed along with corporate press releases. Results indicated that the NFL and cable operators in particular were framed negatively in media coverage. However, the percentage of positive media stories was much higher for the NFL than for the cable operators. The findings suggest that initially the NFL was more effective in having its messages resonate with the media than were the cable operators. As the issue evolved over time and fans were faced with the prospect of missing key games, the media framing of the debate shifted the blame from the cable companies to both cable operators and the NFL.


Author(s):  
Moreno Mancosu ◽  
Antonella Seddone ◽  
Giuliano Bobba

Abstract The effects of news coverage on political attitudes in election campaigns have been widely studied in academic research. In particular, a fertile branch of the literature investigated the impact of news media negativity on turnout. To date, however, findings are mixed, precluding to state a clear relationship. This paper aims to shed a light on this topic by testing whether negative coverage may affect voters' turnout and to what extent. It approaches this research question by accounting for two different dimensions, controlling whether the interplay of media negativity (press and TV coverage) with the type of election (first- vs. second-order elections) has an impact on citizens' propensity to turnout. We test our hypotheses by taking Italy as a case study because it offers a combination of systemic and media characteristics that allows addressing properly the topic. We rely on four datasets covering the 2018 Italian general elections and the 2019 European Parliament Elections in Italy, respectively, with opinion data (2018 ITANES survey and 2019 ITANES-University of Milan survey) and two datasets measuring media negativity by means of a human content analysis carried out on media coverage during the 7 weeks before the election days (2018 and 2019 ITEM data). Our findings show that individual exposure to negative coverage leads to an increase in turnout mainly to the detriment of indecision. This pattern holds both in first- and second-order elections.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Moy ◽  
David Tewksbury ◽  
Eike Mark Rinke

Today's news media exert a host of influences over individuals' attitudes, cognitions, and behaviors. This entry provides an overview of three widely studied theories and mechanisms of influence: agenda‐setting, which occurs when increased media coverage of an issue leads to increased perceptions of salience of that issue; priming, the process by which the salience of an idea becomes the basis for judgment and evaluation; and framing, a set of processes by which news content is created and shapes individuals' perceptions and behaviors. [Publication of this chapter on SocArXiv courtesy of John Wiley and Sons, Inc.]


Author(s):  
Gwendolin Gurr ◽  
Julia Metag

Analyzing which actors or sources are cited in the news media coverage allows for carving out different perspectives that are represented in the media coverage. Studies thus analyze which types of actors are cited by journalists to what extent. In technology coverage, actors from the domain of science, politics, NGOs, industry and citizens are often mentioned.   Field of application/theoretical foundation: The analysis of the representation of actors is based on the assumption that journalists choose actors as sources purposefully and thereby attribute relevance to them. Those actors cited in the journalistic coverage have more opportunities to present their arguments and are thus more visible in the public discourse. Actors are also analyzed within framing analysis (Entman, 1993) and analyses of discourses in various domains.   Example studies: Metag & Marcinkowski (2014); Nisbet & Lewenstein (2002)   Information on Metag & Marcinkowski, 2014 Authors: Julia Metag, Frank Marcinkowski Research question/research interest: “Does the concept of a journalistic negativity bias apply to the media coverage of nanotechnology?” Object of analysis: German speaking daily newspapers: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Tagesanzeiger, Standard, Presse Time frame of analysis: 2000-2009   Information on Nisbet & Lewenstein, 2002 Authors: Matthew C. Nisbet, Bruce V. Lewenstein Research question/research interest: trends in media coverage of biotechnology Object of analysis: New York Times and Newsweek Time frame of analysis: 1970-1999    Information about variable   Authors Variable name/definition Level of analysis Values Scale level Reliability Metag & Marcinkowski (2014) the three most prominent actors cited   article   scientists economic actors journalists nominal N/A Nisbet & Lewenstein (2002) featured actors (up to 2 actors per article) article government affiliated general (the public, the media) science or medicine industry other interests (in addition: further subcategories) nominal intercoder reliability for two groups (Team A: r = .43; Team B: r = 48)   References Entman, R. M. (1993). Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43, 51­58. Metag, Julia; Marcinkowski, Frank (2014): Technophobia towards emerging technologies? A comparative analysis of the media coverage of nanotechnology in Austria, Switzerland and Germany. In: Journalism 15(4), 463-481. Nisbet, Matthew C.; Lewenstein, Bruce V. (2002): Biotechnology and the American Media. The Policy Process and the Elite Press, 1970 to 1999. In: Science Communication 23 (4), 359–391.


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