Advertising, which is an important sales tool for brands to the masses, may produce lasting impressions of a company and its products. These impressions rely on a consistent message over time to maintain a brand's image. This study examines how Ralph Lauren's advertising images have changed from a country club lifestyle image to urban/hip. In addition, the study examines the increased use of nudity and sexual imagery in Lauren's advertising. The findings were obtained by content analyzing all Ralph Lauren advertisements appearing in Gentlemen's Quarterly magazine from 1980 to 2000 (N=283). The study finds that Ralph Lauren lifestyle images have become more urban/hip, and that Lauren's advertising is utilizing more nudity, sexual interaction, and homoerotic imagery. By examining Ralph Lauren's shifting brand image via its advertising, this study contributes to a greater understanding of the connection between advertising and a company's brand image.

Through historical and content analyses of war coverage, this study qualitatively addresses emotional quality, use of sources, and implied use of technology to better understand the tension between Vietnam and Afghanistan war correspondents and their military counterparts. Early American democracy aspired to give total freedom to its people. But the American military, in its quest to uphold the ideas of democracy, has often challenged the freedom of press clause set forth by the United States Constitution. Since the Vietnam era, the relationship between the military and the media has been plagued by questions of censorship, assertions of falsehood, and threats to national security. But it is the technological advancements in both reporting and combat techniques that have caused a disappearance of the nostalgic war coverage that American correspondents once prospered from. The possibility of returning to journalists' vision of unrestricted press access is all but lost due to such advancements.

Today, both the way a story is told and how long the viewer's attention can be held are often as important as the story itself. This study shows how online media sets new standards for narrative and continues some print traditions. This study focuses on the dialogue between print and online media. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of this dialogue through story length, readability, shovelware and story packaging shows the numerous effects the Internet has had on news media content.

Content analysis of The Dallas Morning News focuses on sources, bylines, photographs, and main characters to determine the quantity and quality of portrayals of women. The study included front pages and main local news pages during one week each from 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, and 1990. Change was charted by year for both sexes. In 1950, few representations of women were included and many were stereotypical. Some stereotyping persisted in 1990, and men outnumbered women more than 3 to 1 as story sources, nearly 3 to 1 in front-page bylines, more than 2 to 1 in photographs, and more than 2 to 1 as main characters. Women still lag behind men, despite feminists' efforts to improve coverage.

Changes of ownership, a seeming lack of interest in history, several deaths, and a fire prompted this study into the history of The Weatherford Democrat. Data for the thesis came from back issues of The Democrat, Ayer Directory of Newspapers and Periodicals, letters from former publishers, and personal observations and experiences of the writer, who worked on the paper 14 years. All but about a dozen years of the back issues are available. The thesis is written in chronological order, dating from the beginning in 1895 to 1967, when the Donrey Media Group gained control, ending local ownership. The Democrat is the survivor of more than 20 newspaper ventures in the city and is still the principal county paper.

This study compared the public relations efforts in three Dallas retirement facilities against suggested standards of professional public relations practitioners to determine which standards each facility utilized. Externally, all three facilities related to the community in an "above average" way, as indicated by their utilization of the twenty-two suggested standards. Internally, two facilities related to residents and staff in a "superior" way, and one facility related in an "average way," as indicated by their utilization of the twenty-two suggested external standards and twenty suggested internal standards. The conclusions drawn from this study are that retirement facility administrators, in general, are not fully aware of the internal and external public relations strategies that could benefit them within the community and with residents.

The once private traditional written diary is shifting to an electronic storytelling tradition. Online diaries or weblogs are a growing phenomenon that scholars have ignored until recently. This qualitative project uses narrative and rhetorical analysis to focus on storytelling themes in weblogs, rituals in storytelling and the similarities and differences from traditional written diaries. In this study, 30 weblogs were chosen from three web domains: livejournal.com, blogger.com and diarest.net. The findings show that weblogs are filled with rich storytelling that emulates many qualities of traditional diaries. In general, weblogs authors are communicating stories online to an interactive mass audience and forming new rituals in a new electronic forum.

This study is a content analysis of the coverage in Time, Newsweek, and U. S. News & World Report on Spiro Agnew from August 13 to October 22, 1973, and is concerned with the use of leaks as determined by analyzing the levels of attribution and the attitudes of the magazines toward leaks. All three magazines used approximately equivalent amounts of material from concealed sources. Time and Newsweek defended the use of leaks; U. S. News & World Report attacked their use. The perils inherent in using information from concealed sources make it necessary to consult as many sources as feasible when following a controversial story.

This problem's investigation deals with gauging the artistic influence, if any, pioneer editorial cartoonist John Knott had on his successors, Ficklen and McClanahan. Information was gathered through interviews and the pages of the Dallas Morning News. Organization is as follows: introduction, biography and art of Knott, biography and art of Ficklen, biography and art of McClanahan, summary and conclusion. The study found minimal artistic influence by Knott on the cartoons of Ficklen and McClanahan. Compared to Knott, Ficklen and McClanahan had different art backgrounds, cartoon styles, personal and political beliefs. Knott's successors admired different artists, drew during a different editorial page emphasis and had more freedom in cartoon selection than Knott did. Neither Ficklen nor McClanahan listed Knott as an artistic influence.

The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether there has been a change in attitude of newspaper editors toward privacy matters. The study examines a 1976 survey of editors on some specific situations involving privacy and compares that survey with one done for this paper in the spring of 1983. The study also seeks to determine whether such factors as circulation size, type of readership and political philosophy have any influence on privacy decisions made by editors. The study shows that there has been a change in attitudes. A chi square test showed that the comparison of the two surveys was significant at .01. Figures gathered to determine influences on privacy decisions were scattered among many categories and too small to be statistically significant.

The study examined China's conduct of its most important overseas propaganda activities in the United States during World War II. The findings showed that the main characteristics of China's propaganda in the United States in the war years included, (a) official propaganda in the United States was operated by the Chinese News Service and its branch offices in several cities; (b) unofficial propaganda involved work by both Americans and Chinese, among them, missionaries, newspapermen, and businessmen who tried to help China for different reasons; (c) both China lobby and Red China lobby, changed people's image about China, either the Nationalists or the Communists; and (d) propaganda toward the overseas Chinese in the United States was to collect donations and stir up patriotism.

The problem of this study was to determine whether any relationship existed between foreign students' cultural and economic backgrounds and their attitudes toward American advertising and advertising media. The major findings of this study were that foreign students had a slightly favorable attitude toward American advertising and spent a great deal of time with American mass media. The stage of economic development of foreign students' home countries and the length of time foreign students stayed in the United States were powerful group predictors of their attitudes toward American advertising.

This study has two purposes: (1) to provide a reference tool--a list of the best books, articles, and audiovisual materials about photojournalism, and (2) to make a general evaluation of available literature. In response to a mail survey, photojournalists and photojournalism educators recommended twenty-four sources of information about photojournalism in twenty subject categories. Respondents believe reading about photojournalism is important in helping professionals do their jobs well. But, they do not think there is enough up-to-date information available. Further, a majority think photojournalism literature is unrealistic, poorly written and designed, and ineffective in preparing students.

This study examined the public relations practices-- the concept, structure, functions, goals and objectives, procedures, and standards of performance--at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. The study concluded that the public relations practices provide an effective, well-organized, well-planned and well-executed program based on formal goals and objectives, definite philosophy and purpose, and criteria for measurement of effectiveness. Although the program has a good sense of direction, it lacks focus, largely because of the mingling of public relations and fund-raising responsibilities in some staff positions and a lack of separate standards of performance for each staff member. Recommendations to strengthen the program include separate and distinct public relations and fund-raising responsibilities in each staff position and standards of performance for each staff member.

The problem of this study was to determine how Chinese students obtain news from home. The study was conducted in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Denton, with 182 respondents from six universities. The study determined that Chinese students obtained Chinese news from Chinese newspapers circulating in the United States. The longer Chinese students remained in the United States, the fewer letters they received from home and the fewer newspapers and clippings their family and friends sent them. The conclusion of the study was that Chinese students read Chinese newspapers because they wish to maintain ties with their hometown and culture. Students stated that Hong Kong local news was their primary item in reading Chinese newspapers.

The study focused on the positive or negative direction shown in 57 articles from ten English-language magazines covering the 1973 military coup in Chile, September 1 to December 31, 1973, inclusive. Magazines chosen were from the fields of news, religion, opinion, and business. Direction was determined by comparing individual thought units within articles against a category table comprising mutually exclusive pairs of thought units. Directional value of each article was determined by positive and negative ratios. Results showed a wide variation in scores, with news magazines adhering most closely to the objective ideal. Recommendations for further study included long-term study of single magazines or classes of magazines for direction, and an expanded mathematical analysis.

In fifty years, Houston Harte guided an organization that grew from one afternoon daily to a chain of nineteen newspapers in six states, and one television station. Much of the civic activity in San Angelo, his hometown, revolved around Harte from 1930 until 1970. He knew many politicians, such as Lyndon Johnson, and was willing to ask their help. Harte's major contributions were retaining Goodfellow Air Force Base's active status, helping San Angelo College attain four-year status, and influencing General Telephone Company of the Southwest to locate its headquarters in San Angelo. His numerous other projects were of lesser magnitude. This study probes Harte's sources of power, examining why he was successful in getting the projects he wanted for his community.

This study evaluates the influence of The Oak Cliff Tribune under the leadership of Ray Zauber, from late 1946 to August, 1978. The study shows the contributions of The Oak Cliff Tribune for the area, its influence within the community and with community leaders, and determines what gives the paper its particular character. The study traces the history and development of the newspaper in four periods, 1903-1946, 1946-1959, 1959-1969, and 1969-1978; and concludes that The Oak Cliff Tribune has had a great effect on the development of Oak Cliff. The sources of data for this study include community leaders, current and former employees of The Oak Cliff Tribune, Ray Zauber, and the newspaper itself.

This study examined the organization, goals and scope of the public relations activity of the First National Bank of Fort Worth, Texas. The study's purpose was to examine the public relations function, department structure, process by which goals and policies are determined, the bank's practice of public relations and the process by which effectiveness is evaluated. The bank satisfactorily met several criteria for public relations effectiveness, but the staff was hampered by a lack of formal goals, philosophy or measurement criteria. The study found the bank's senior management to have a passive attitude toward public relations and to discern it ultimately as a marketing or sales promotion tool. The study recommended establishing formal goals, policies and evaluation criteria.

To determine professional and educational backgrounds of photography teachers in Texas secondary schools, a questionnaire was sent to all eighty-seven. Sixty-five responded. The study found that the majority (a) were not certified to teach industrial arts as required by the state; (b) taught only three classes of photography; (c) did not handle publication photography; (d) had less than the required twelve hours of photography education; (e) had some professional experience; and (f) planned to continue their photography education although their school systems did not require it. The study (a) concluded that students receive a basic, technical education in photography, but the program suffers from lack of money and administrative support; (b) recommended that the state agency reevaluate its approach to and implementation of the program.

This study describes the development of the Interscholastic League Press Conference, its goals, intents, and membership growth from its inception through 1980. The current director and all available past directors of the organization were interviewed and the organization's records researched for insight into the history of the organization. This study concludes that the organization and its directors have influenced the development of high school journalism in the state of Texas through convention sessions, critiques, and judging of newspapers and yearbooks. The organization's founder, DeWitt Reddick, exerted a lifelong influence through his personal involvement and his influencce in the selection of six of his seven successors.

Economic retrenchment, social shifts, and technological changes endanger journalism's democratic role. Journalism education faces parallel threats. I review the state of journalism and education, linking the crisis to society's loss of story, framed philosophically by the Dewey-critical theory split over journalism and power. I explore the potential for renewing journalism and education with Carey's ritual model and Postman's restoration of storytelling. I then summarize existing major academic programs and suggest a new interdisciplinary curriculum for environmental journalism, a specialty well suited to experimental, democracy-centered education. The curriculum uses as pedagogy active and conversational learning and reflection. A graduate introductory course is detailed, followed by additional suggested classes that could form the basis of a graduate certificate program or, with further expansion, a graduate degree concentration.

Condemned prisoners in Texas and most other states are given an opportunity to make a final statement in the last moments before death. An anecdotal review by the author of this study over the last 15 years indicates that condemned prisoners use the opportunity for a variety of purposes. They ask forgiveness, explain themselves, lash out at accusers, rail at the system, read poems, say goodbyes to friends and family, praise God, curse fate - and assert their innocence with their last breaths. The final words also are typically heard by a select group of witnesses, which may include a prisoner's family and friends, victim's relatives, and one or more journalists. What the public knows about a particular condemned person's statement largely depends on what the journalists who witness the executions chose to include in their accounts of executions, the accuracy of their notes, and the completeness of the statements that are recorded on departments of correction websites or records. This paper will examine, through rhetorical and content analyses, the final words of the 355 prisoners who were executed in Texas between 1976 and 2005, identify those who made unequivocal claims of innocence in their final statements, and analyze news …

This study was designed to determine whether black journalists who work at black newspapers in Texas felt the Civil Rights movement had affected their industry. Although black newspapers lost an exclusive market for talent that now must be shared with majority-owned newspapers, this report concludes that the operation of black newspapers virtually was unaffected by the Civil Rights movement. It is recommended that this research serve as a starting point for a continuing examination of black newspapers. It would be particularly beneficial if more information could be gathered from people who have worked at now-defunct black newspapers.