Degree Discipline

The Oak Cliff Tribune Under the Leadership of Ray Zauber (open access)

The Oak Cliff Tribune Under the Leadership of Ray Zauber

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.
Date: August 1980
Creator: Babb, Judith Killen
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Readership Study Assessing the Value of Internal and External Publications Received by Credit Union Managers in Texas (open access)

A Readership Study Assessing the Value of Internal and External Publications Received by Credit Union Managers in Texas

The problem of this study was to determine which publications available to Texas credit union managers are selected for reading and on what bases these choices are made. The study considered independent publications and those within the credit union industry. Survey respondents were Texas credit union managers. The study found that managers depend heavily on the two publications of the state trade association, two to three publications of the national trade association, and the state regulatory agency newsletter in cases of state-chartered credit unions. Independent publications function as secondary information sources. It was recommended that the Texas Credit Union League combine its two publications and that the Credit Union National Association consider combining publications.
Date: December 1980
Creator: Haisten, Marilyn
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of Public Relations Practices of the First National Bank of Fort Worth (open access)

A Study of Public Relations Practices of the First National Bank of Fort Worth

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.
Date: August 1980
Creator: McCorstin, Allen
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of the Professional and Educational Backgrounds of the Photography Teachers in the Texas Secondary Schools (open access)

A Study of the Professional and Educational Backgrounds of the Photography Teachers in the Texas Secondary Schools

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.
Date: August 1978
Creator: Cloer, Theresa Udd
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of United States Network Television News Coverage of Sub-Sahara Africa Before and After the 1975-76 Angola Conflict (open access)

A Comparison of United States Network Television News Coverage of Sub-Sahara Africa Before and After the 1975-76 Angola Conflict

The proposition that American network television news coverage of sub-Sahara Africa increased substantially after the 1975-76 Angola conflict is examined in this study of the responsiveness of television to changing news values at the international level. News coverage for two thirty-month periods before and after the Angola conflict is compared using data derived from the Television News Index and Abstracts. The study finds that network news coverage of sub-Sahara Africa increased from 0.36 per cent of total news time before the Angola conflict to 4.46 per cent after, indicating that network news coverage is a reflection of the intensity of United States government activity at the international level.
Date: May 1981
Creator: Ilegbodu, Fred O.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Interscholastic League Press Conference: A History, 1924-1980 (open access)

The Interscholastic League Press Conference: A History, 1924-1980

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.
Date: August 1981
Creator: Komandosky, Susan White
System: The UNT Digital Library
Analysis and Evaluation of the Role of Public Relations in Leasing Dallas Petroleum Center (open access)

Analysis and Evaluation of the Role of Public Relations in Leasing Dallas Petroleum Center

The problem in this study was to discover if the public relations program of the Dallas Petroleum Center was useful in leasing and if the program played a significant role in a leasing increase. The study was carried out by describing the development of the building project, by analyzing the planning and execution of the public relations program, by testing the program's effectiveness, and by drawing conclusions about the program and by making recommendations for this specific program and for office leasing in general. The effectiveness of the program was tested by questionnaires and interviews. The public relations program proved to be an effective tool in leasing office space; and a similar program was recommended for other buildings.
Date: May 1977
Creator: Ainsworth, Doris Stewart
System: The UNT Digital Library
Environmental journalism curriculum as an imperative of democracy: A philosophical exploration. (open access)

Environmental journalism curriculum as an imperative of democracy: A philosophical exploration.

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.
Date: August 2007
Creator: Loftis, Randy Lee
System: The UNT Digital Library
Dead Men Talking: Content Analysis of Prisoners' Last Words, Innocence Claims and News Coverage from Texas' Death Row (open access)

Dead Men Talking: Content Analysis of Prisoners' Last Words, Innocence Claims and News Coverage from Texas' Death Row

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 …
Date: August 2006
Creator: Malone, Dan F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Evaluation of the Views of Black Journalists Working at Black Newspapers Concerning the Effects of the Civil Rights Movement on Their Black Newspapers from 1960 to 1985 (open access)

An Evaluation of the Views of Black Journalists Working at Black Newspapers Concerning the Effects of the Civil Rights Movement on Their Black Newspapers from 1960 to 1985

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.
Date: August 1985
Creator: Parson, Rita L. B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Influence of Al Panzera Upon Sports Photography at Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Newspapers (open access)

The Influence of Al Panzera Upon Sports Photography at Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Newspapers

This problem's investigation deals with the influence of sports photographer Al Panzera upon staff photographers at four major metropolitan newspapers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Information was gathered through interviews, periodicals, and the pages of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The study found Panzera to be influential in varying degrees upon all photographers interviewed. He proved most influential with beginners, especially in the 1940's and 1950's. He influenced advanced photographers to a limited extent. Areas of influence included his techniques, abilities, personality, and tenure with Star-Telegram.
Date: August 1979
Creator: Wilhite, Ben W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ray P. Holland, Editor and Conservationist (open access)

Ray P. Holland, Editor and Conservationist

The problem involved in this study was to determine the success or failure of the use of the editorial in achieving a goal, specifically, editorials by Ray P. Holland in favor of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929 and the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act of 1934. Editorials from the Bulletin of the American Game Protective Association and Field and Stream were classified into categories to show an editorial position over a selected time period. Material from the permanent collection of the Holland library at Wesleyan University and family information was used to record a biography of Holland's achievements. The study shows that Holland's contributions in journalism will stand as a benchmark to ensuing generations of journalists who seek to realize their goals through the proper use of the editorial.
Date: May 1977
Creator: Holland, Linda R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Critical Evaluation of Selected Public Relations Functions of the Dallas Police Department Public Information Office (open access)

A Critical Evaluation of Selected Public Relations Functions of the Dallas Police Department Public Information Office

The problem of this study was to determine how well the public information office of the Dallas Police Department performed in three public relations areas: staff consultation, employee communication, and press relations. Interviews were conducted with the command staff of the Dallas Police Department and with nine mass media representatives who had regular contact with both the police department and the public information office. Their answers were compared with public relations principles taken from literature in both the general public relations and the police public relations fields to see if the public information office was succeeding or failing in performing its staff-consultation, employee-communication, and press-relations functions.
Date: August 1973
Creator: Hilbig, John E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Journalism Education: a Survey of CIty Editors' Attitudes (open access)

Journalism Education: a Survey of CIty Editors' Attitudes

This study determined attitudes held by metropolitan city editors in Texas toward current journalism instruction in colleges and universities. An open-ended questionnaire was mailed to city editors of newspapers in Texas with circulation over 50,000.
Date: August 1973
Creator: McAda, Judith C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Exposure to and Attitudes Toward the Mass Media of Students at Sam Houston High School (open access)

Exposure to and Attitudes Toward the Mass Media of Students at Sam Houston High School

This study was concerned with determining the amount of exposure high school students have to mass media and their attitudes toward news. The purposes of this study were to find how much time high school students devote to newspapers, radio, television, and magazines for entertainment and information, to discover which publications or channels students are most interested in and why; to find out specifically what young people read, listen to, and watch; to discover how most of them get their news information; and to determine positive and negative feelings toward media news.
Date: August 1973
Creator: Davis, Lina Jean
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ethical Decision Making in the Indian Mediascape: Reporters and Their Stories (open access)

Ethical Decision Making in the Indian Mediascape: Reporters and Their Stories

Hundreds of reporters gather and interpret news for four English-language newspapers in India's second-largest urban area Kolkata, West Bengal's state capital, which is home to over 4 million people. Journalists from The Statesman, The Telegraph-Kolkata, The Hindustan Times and The Times of India discuss how they collect their stories in Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, and many other languages and write them in English targeting a small but emerging middle-class audience. Whether these articles focus on people-centric urban planning, armed vigilantes in community disputes, dowry death cases, or celebrity culture, all of the reporting involves cultural and ethical challenges. Using semi-structured interviewing and qualitative theme analysis, this study explores how gender, class, and religion affect the decision-making practices of 21 journalists working in Kolkata.
Date: May 2009
Creator: Spencer, Patricia Elizabeth
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Newspapers And The Adoption Of Technological Innovations (open access)

U.S. Newspapers And The Adoption Of Technological Innovations

In order to survive in a hyper-competitive media marketplace, managers must constantly evaluate new technologies and their potential impact on the industry. Using theories on innovation management in organization, this study examined the processes used by managers at daily newspaper in the U.S. during the time period of 1992-2005 to plan for publishing content online. Fourteen subjects, all of whom held management positions during this time, were interviewed at length about their experiences. Their responses reveal that the processes were generally haphazard. This was a result of several factors, some of which were external to the newspaper industry, and others which were cultural, internal forces. Despite a general level of disorganization in the processes, the responses do identify some practices that can be used as blueprints for media organizations that wish to rethink their approach to potentially disruptive technologies.
Date: December 2011
Creator: Kemp, Jacob
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of Thirty Newspaper-in-the-classroom Programs (open access)

A Study of Thirty Newspaper-in-the-classroom Programs

This study looks at thirty of the largest Newspaper in the Classroom (NIC) programs being operated in the United States. The researcher employed the questionnaire survey method to achieve quantitative and qualitative results.
Date: August 1973
Creator: Warrick, Shirley Malinda
System: The UNT Digital Library
Sepia (open access)

Sepia

This study of Sepia magazine was researched as a historical project in order to trace the progress of a twenty-five-year-old Negro publication begun as a sensational news sheet and expanded to a pictoral, entertaining magazine aimed at the middle-class black.
Date: May 1973
Creator: Ponder, Janace Pope
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of Subject-matter Content and Source of Photographs on Three Small-city and Three Metropolitan Texas Daily Newspapers (open access)

A Study of Subject-matter Content and Source of Photographs on Three Small-city and Three Metropolitan Texas Daily Newspapers

This study was concerned with the subject-matter content and source of photographs at three small-city and three metropolitan Texas newspapers. An analysis was conducted over a fourteen-day period at six daily newspapers: The Dallas Morning News, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Houston Chronicle, The Sherman Democrat, The Paris News, and The Midland Reporter-Telegram.
Date: August 1973
Creator: Hamric, Roy D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Still on the Sidelines: the Female Experience in Sports Media (open access)

Still on the Sidelines: the Female Experience in Sports Media

This qualitative study aims to analyze the lived reality of women working in sports media today. Through systematic analysis of 12 in-depth interviews, the findings of this study suggest that the adoption of technological advancements in news media and all associated outlets have created a leveling effect for women due to the demand for highly skilled individuals who can handle the digital demand of modern news production. This study suggests that longtime gender disparities in sports media are experiencing a bit of a reprieve due to the massive digital audience and the need for professionals who can deliver information quickly and efficiently and with accuracy. However, the persistent symbolic annihilation of women as well as hegemonic hiring practices that emphasize aesthetic appeal have created a difficult path for women to move off the sidelines and into roles with more creative and analytical breadth, even with a rapidly increasing demand for jobs in the media industry.
Date: December 2014
Creator: Blankenship, Sara K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Freedom of the Press in Thailand (open access)

Freedom of the Press in Thailand

Freedom of the press in Thailand fluctuates greatly, depending upon the government in each period. Newspapers have been suppressed since the monarchy political system was changed to democracy in 1932. Several kinds of suppression were imposed in each period which showed that the country, in reality, was under a military dictatorship. This study is a summary of the government control of the press since 1932. The study was divided into five chapters, including the introduction, background of the press and politics in Thailand, style and characteristics of Thai newspapers, government control from 1932 to 1963, and the conclusions and recommendations for further study.
Date: December 1976
Creator: Sangchan, Dangtoi
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Press and Alger Hiss (open access)

The Press and Alger Hiss

This study examines and analyzes the treatment accorded Alger Hiss by the American press from August 3, 1948, to January 25, 1950. Information sources included the forty-one newspaper articles submitted by Hiss's attorneys in their motion for a change of venue at the second trial, and those sections of books, newspapers, and magazine articles relative to the press's coverage of the case. Six chapters cover the changing press image of Hiss, newspaper articles submitted in evidence, and the relationships of Richard M. Nixon and Whittaker Chambers to the press. The study analyzes historically the differing attitudes toward Hiss and concludes that since the press reflected the nation's fears that its leaders had Communist ties, press coverage of the case lessened Hiss's chances for a fair trial.
Date: December 1975
Creator: Russell, Jessica
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of Change on Television News: A Comparison of the 10:00 p.m. News of the Dallas-Fort Worth Network Affiliates (open access)

The Effects of Change on Television News: A Comparison of the 10:00 p.m. News of the Dallas-Fort Worth Network Affiliates

The study determines and evaluates changes in the 10:00 p.m. newscasts of the Dallas-Fort Worth network affiliates following personnel and ownership changes, and a reduction in length of one station's newscast. Scripts and audio recordings of the newscasts were collected during four-week periods before and after the changes. The data were analyzed and supplemented with interviews conducted with the stations' news directors and producers. Conclusions drawn were that ownership changes had more impact on the presentation of the news than on its content, changes in anchormen and producers had more effect on presentation than on content, and a reduction in news time caused changes in the content of a television newscast.
Date: August 1976
Creator: Sparks, John Henry
System: The UNT Digital Library