Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1982

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Communication

Major Professor

Jack B. Haskins

Committee Members

Darrel Holt, Herbert Howard, Malcolm McInnis

Abstract

This thesis is part of a larger research program motivated by recent concerns about a possibly serious and growing "bad news" problem and the lack of a systematic method for analyzing the bad-good dimension of news. The study was partially financed by a research grant from the National Association of Broadcasters. Its primary purpose was to develop a systematic method for content analysis of broadcast news. After development, the method was used to analyze radio and television news output in one metropolitan area in the spring of 1981.

Coding forms and instructions had earlier been developed for a seven-step "News Morbidity Scale" and for some 37 additional news item, program and station variables believed to be related to news morbidity for both radio and TV. Additional visual variables were developed and coded for the television study. A visual prominence score was developed to reflect the amount and type of visual attention-getting techniques that accompanied each news item.

Procedures were also developed for defining and sampling the news content universe, program monitoring and recording, and the transfer of data from tape cassettes to coding forms for computer and hand tabulation. These procedures for radio and television news analysis are available to other investigators.

This baseline study of one metropolitan area (Knoxville, Tennessee in spring, 1981, covering noon, 6:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 11:00 p.m., and sign-off television newscasts) produced the following results:

(1) Bad news dominated television newscasts, accounting for about 60% of the news items. Good news comprised 39% and neutral news 1%.

(2) The most negative news television station had the highest market rating for the time period studied. However, the negativity/market share relationship did not hold for other stations.

(3) Four statistically significant correlates of the bad-good dimension were identified. In this geographical area during this period:

· By newscast position, negative news dominated by the * largest percent in the "first item" category. Negative news also ranked high as a choice for the first third of the newscast. The percentage of items rated as negative decreased with the position in the news cast.

· Negative news items dominated by the largest percentage in placement after non-news items within the newscasts. Negative news also dominated in placement before non-news, but was not often chosen for placement between two non-news items.

· High visual prominence scores (based on the station's use of visual attention-getting techniques such as slides and films) correlated positively with the bad-news rating of the item. Extremely negative-rated stories received extremely high overall visual prominence scores.

· Bad news items were often accompanied by slides. Stories accompanied by two or three slides were almost always negative.

In terms of newscast placement and visual aids, negativism in the news was thus given greater prominence.

Several other variables were related to bad news output, though not statistically significant.

Network news was generally more negative than local news.

The most negative network newscasts were presented by NBC, followed by CBS, with ABC as the least negative.

By stations, WBIR (the CBS affiliate) presented the most negative news followed by WTVK (the NBC affiliate). WATE (the ABC affiliate) had the least negative news.

The most negative news was broadcast on noon newscasts, 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. newscasts were next, and 11:00 p.m. and sign-off newscasts were least negative.

The most negative news day of the week was Monday, and the least negative news day was Sunday.

The fourth week of the month was the most negative, and the first week was the least negative (the second and third weeks respectively were the second and third most negative of the month).

Negative news tended to have greater visual prominence by the addition of visual attention-getting techniques such as picture, film, or package story accompaniment. In fact, stories with extremely high visual treatment such as "double-package stories," "triple-slide stories," and "live coverage of stories" were almost exclusively bad news items.

These methods and findings may be used as the basis for more investigations into the possible "hypernegative news" problem in broadcast and print media.

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