Study up for ONA: A guide to making the most from this session
Developing voices: Enriching perspectives, from underserved communities and citizen journalists
With citizen journalism having become a reality, how can we effectively incorporate the voices of regular folks into our news coverage? What are some successful models of engaging interactivity, especially among younger news consumers? Should the mainstream media become as personal and interactive as Flickr and MySpace? And what are the possible pitfalls in all this?
Participants: Jan Schaffer, J-Lab (moderator); Courtney Lowrey, NewWest.net; Mary Lou Fulton, Baktopia.com; Maureen Mann, Deerfield Forum; Manuel Perez, CNN.com
KEY SOURCES and ARTICLES
SAMPLER: AROUND THE ONLINE WORLD
FROM THE ACADEMY
The full versions of these papers, delivered at the August meeting of journalism educators, may be available on the AEJMC site this autumn. You could also contact the authors for more information.
Abandoning Traditional News Media?: Factors Influencing the Time Displacement Effects of Online News • Daekyung Kim and Tom Johnson, Southern Illinois • This study surveys 266 college students to examine which factors, such as reliance, interactive use, motivations, and credibility of online news, predict perceived displacement effects of mainstream, portal news sites, and blogs on traditional news media. The study shows mixed findings and suggests that displacement effects vary by reliance, motivations, and credibility of each online news sites. Discussions about the relationship between online news sites and traditional media are followed.
A Comparison of Media Usage among Racial Groups in the United States • Tien-Tsung Lee, University of Kansas (effective Aug. 2006) and H. Denis Wu, Louisiana State University and Ming Wang and Lingling Zhang, Washington State University • The topic of racial or ethnic differences in media usage has generated a number of studies in the past. Surprisingly, Asian Americans have been neglected by the existing literature, which is a void this research seeks to fill. Using two large national surveys from 2000 and 2004, this study provides an up-to-date report of the media habits of five racial groups in the United Sates.
Media Influences Explored: What High School Students Say About The Power Of Newspapers, Television And Magazines • Tamara M. Cooke Henry, National Center for Education Information • A 2004-2005 survey of 355 Florida and Pennsylvania high school students found that they deny media’s influence in their choice of clothing, snacks and beverages, but acknowledge some media impact with intangible things, like issues. The study also found unequal effects of media on different racial and ethnic groups. Buttressed by focus groups, study results suggest that students need a sophisticated knowledge of media and the skills to navigate their terrain, i.e. “media literacy.”
“Media and Social Divides” Facebook Me!: The Social Divide Between Student and Mainline Newspapers • Fernando Anton, Rut Rey, Eric Abbott and Michael Bugeja, Iowa State University • This study explores the social divide between main line and university newspapers coverage of Facebook, the popular online networking site, using computerized content analysis. A hierarchical cluster and concept mapping procedures identified eight major frames used by student and main line press. Results showed frames dealing with “Sex and Games” and “Relationships” were associated more closely with student newspapers coverage, while “History of Facebook” and “Business of Facebook” were associated with the main line press.
Participatory journalism opportunities on major newspapers’ online sites • Jack Rosenberry, St. John Fisher College • In 2005, ordinary observers of major news events such as the London transit system bombings and U.S. hurricanes became part of the news coverage by supplying firsthand accounts and selfproduced images. An investigation into the opportunities audience members have to engage in participatory news coverage aside from such big events determined that online news operations of major U.S. newspapers are beginning to use devices that open the gates for participatory journalists with some regularity.