Mark N. Popovich

Newsmagazine Visuals and the 1988 Presidential Election.

The Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates edged out the Democratic candidates in photographic coverage in Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report in this study of 1988 campaign coverage. The study covered the fall campaign and measured 15 attributes of photographs (in addition to the sheer numbers), such as camera angle, whether or not the candidate was smiling or frowning, active or passive, and the manner of dress. The study found evidence that editors attempted to balance coverage between both parties. The Republican edge was not large.

Perceptions of negative stereotypes of older people in magazine advertisements: comparing the perceptions of older adults and college students

ABSTRACT Negative stereotypes not only affect how older people feel about themselves, but also how younger people feel about old age and their prospect of growing old. The research reported in this paper has examined the negative and potentially harmful stereotypes of older people portrayed in magazine advertisements in the United States, as perceived by groups of older and young people. Q-methodology sorts of 40 advertisements with negative images of older people, along with personal interviews, were used to probe older peoples and college students feelings and attitudes about the images. The subjects were placed in four categories: ‘moralists’, ‘objectors’, ‘ageing moralists’ and ‘resentfuls’. Regardless of whether stereotypes were used, the older people liked the advertisements that showed them as being clever, vibrant and having a sense of humour. Neither the older people nor the students liked advertisements that ridiculed or poked fun at older people, or presented them as being out of touch with reality and unattractive. Both groups rated the stereotypes dealing with the real problems associated with ageing as inoffensive. The comparison of the two age groups showed a strong consensus about which images were acceptable and which offensive.

Individual Assessment of Media Writing Student Attitudes: Recasting the Mass Communication Writing Apprehension Measure

Q Methodology was used to recast the Mass Communication Writing Apprehension Measure (MCWAM) created in 1988 and 1992 studies of students. Objectives included assessing the multidimensionality of the MCWAM and the nature of positive and negative attitudes toward writing. Using a pretest, posttest approach, this study produced in-depth information on two factors of students: Optimists/Professionals and Doubters/Pessimists. After a sixteen-week semester, the Optimists/Professionals remained very positive about writing and the relevance of writing skills. By contrast, the Doubters/Pessimists grew even more negative toward the writing experience.

Accredited and Nonaccredited Media Writing Programs Are Stagnant, Resistant to Curricular Reform, and Similar

A journalism programs accreditation status is arguably a factor in institutional reputation and student recruitment. Researchers were interested in exploring any differences in media writing course pedagogy between accredited and nonaccredited journalism programs. A secondary objective was to assess evidence of curriculum innovation in light of emerging issues, such as convergence and cross-platform media writing instruction. A comprehensive national study of media writing instructors revealed that accredited and nonaccredited schools are similar in their approaches to the teaching of media writing, that writing courses are structured similarly, and that faculty qualifications and faculty attitudes toward media writing are very similar. While highlighting the need for continued innovation in the teaching of writing, the study reveals evidence of systemic resistance to curriculum reform, notably in accredited programs, where ACEJMC standards may limit creative educational approaches.

The National Media Writing Faculty Study

One of the objectives of this national media writing faculty study was to compile a contemporary profile of the typical U.S. journalism writing educator. This profile includes demographic data and information on pedagogical attitudes, practices, and resources. A second, more important objective was to search for evidence of an evolving and more integrated paradigm in the teaching of media writing by trying to ascertain whether current media writing instructors consider themselves to be more traditional or progressive in their teaching styles. Having journalism writing instructors indicate their teaching preferences would give some indication of the status and acceptance of more progressive teaching orientations (e.g., writing as process) that were introduced into journalism education literature in the 1980s.