Identifier

etd-07082005-164140

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Mass Communication

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

This content analysis was designed to examine, in a single longitudinal study, trends in the quantity and kinds of world news coverage in selected U.S. newspapers during times of relative peace. Using complementary proportion and absolute-item frequencies, two constructed weeks in 1927, 1947, 1977, and 1997 in three newspapers, 168 issues in all, were analyzed. The findings indicate that the percentage of foreign news coverage compared to non-foreign coverage in the three newspapers actually increased between 1927 and 1997. The amount of foreign coverage spiked in 1947 and then started to decline. But even with the decline, coverage by proportion in 1997 was still significantly higher than in 1927. On the other hand, a negative relationship was found in front-page foreign coverage in the three newspapers comparing 1927 with 1977 and 1997. A positive relationship was found in front-page coverage for 1947. Results for front-page coverage were significant for 1947 and 1977.

Date

2005

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

John M. Hamilton

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.2764

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