Elaine Wittenberg

Embedding Journalists in Military Combat Units: Impact on Newspaper Story Frames and Tone

This investigation probed whether embedded journalist coverage of the first days of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq produced print news coverage that was either more decontextualized inform or more favorable in tone. Embedded news coverage of the first days of Operation “Iraqi Freedom” was compared to nonembedded, so-called “unilateral” coverage; and print coverage of “Iraqi Freedom” was compared with the first days of U.S. ground operations in Operations “Enduring Freedom” and “Desert Storm.” The results indicated that embedded journalists in Operation “Iraqi Freedom” produced news stories that featured more episodic frames, compared to both nonembedded reporters in “Iraqi Freedom” and overall coverage of Operation “Enduring Freedom.” The results also revealed that, compared to nonembedded reporting, embedded print coverage of “Iraqi Freedom” was more favorable in overall tone toward the military and in depiction of individual troops, but this bias did not produce more positive overall coverage compared to recent conflicts.

Cancer Survivorship and Agency Model: Implications for Patient Choice, Decision Making, and Influence

Relative to other types of health communication research (acute care physician-patient communication, communication campaigns, compliance episodes, etc.), investigations of patient communication following the diagnosis of cancer are infrequent. Theoretically driven, empirical research is desperately needed in such postdiagnostic communication processes as survivorship, quality of life, palliative and hospice care, and loss, bereavement, and grief for those millions of people who have been diagnosed with the second leading cause of death in our nation. An organizational model of patient communication is needed that identifies and describes salient issues and processes involved when cancer patients attempt to negotiate the difficult courses of action following the diagnosis of cancer. The cancer survivorship and agency model (CSAM) proposes both general and specific strategies that serve as options for patients seeking to take greater control of the decision-making process related to their treatment and care of cancer. Although seemingly practical in its offering, CSAM is intended to serve as a heuristic springboard for theoretically based, applied communication research focusing exclusively on post diagnostic cancer processes.

Relational progression as a dialectic: Examining turning points in communication among friends

This study claims that relationship development can be viewed as a dialectic. Evidence for this hypothesis is obtained by examining friendships of three different intimacy levels: casual, close, and best friends. Over one-half of the friendships examined exhibited patterns of recalled relational development predicted by viewing development as a dialectic. Five trajectories for friendships were found. The most commonly reported turning points consisted of activities that the friends shared. Few differences were found between casual, close, and best friends; however, number of turning points was negatively related to satisfaction for casual friends. Implications for the conceptualization of relational development and interpersonal communication research are discussed.

The process of relationship development and deterioration: Turning points in friendships that have terminated

This study examines friendships that have ended. Five recalled trajectories for dissolved friendships were found. Certain turning points were generally associated with increases in friendship closeness, while others were associated with decreases in closeness. In addition, gender differences were found for several of the turning points reported. Implications are discussed for interpersonal communication research based on a traditional linear conceptualization of relational development and deterioration.

The Conundrum of the Timing of Counterarguing Effects in Resistance: Strategies to Boost the Persistence of Counterarguing Output

This study examined the timing of counterarguing effects in resistance. Specifically, it investigated the persistence of counterarguing output in resistance across time and explored inoculation message strategies designed to boost the persistence of counterarguing. Results indicated that contrary to what one might expect, the counterarguing output elicited by inoculation treatments was stable across time. The counterarguing output did not increase in the days following treatment, suggesting that inoculation messages require a minimal delay following recipient exposure to elicit counterarguing output, and it proved to be surprisingly robust across time, sustaining itself for much longer periods than early inoculation research had intimated. Also, the results revealed that inoculation-different treatments and reinforcement (booster) messages boost the persistence of the counterarguing output over time. Inoculation-same treatments were initially best in generating counterarguing output, but their effects deteriorated over time. By contrast, inoculation-different messages emerged as being superior in sustaining counterarguing output. Finally, reinforcement messages, administered from five to twenty-one days following inoculation, sustained counterarguing output for as long 44 days.

Embedding Journalists in Military Combat Units: How Embedding Alters Television News Stories

This study compared television news coverage provided by embedded and nonembedded reporters during the first 5 days of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Content analysis was conducted of television news broadcasts about OIF by ABC, CBS, CNN, and NBC to determine whether news reports were different and, if so, how. The results indicated that, compared to nonembedded stories, embedded reports were more favorable in overall tone toward the military and in depiction of individual troops. Also, embedded news stories were structurally different from nonembedded reports: compared to nonembedded stories, embedded reports featured more episodic frames and, as a result, conveyed more positive affect and more positive relational messages.