Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-2008

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Communication and Information

Major Professor

Barbara Moore

Committee Members

Benjamin Bates, Dorothy Bowles

Abstract

Podcasting has become something of a buzzword in several different circles from education to entertainment. It is being used as a way to disseminate lectures at major universities. Government officials are using it to broadcast messages to their citizens. It is also a new venue for independent artists and Internet users to generate publicity and to express themselves creatively. Yet, very little research on podcasting has been published.

This thesis explores podcasting, and the differences between the print edition of a national newspaper, The Washington Post, and two of its podcasts by asking: How does the political coverage of the 2008 presidential primary in The Washington Post print edition compare with the coverage in its podcasts? This research question is explored through a pilot study utilizing a content analysis of the 2008 presidential primary campaign coverage beginning in September 1, 2007, though December 31, 2007. The content analysis covered writing style, lead type, number of quotes, and main and secondary focus in each newspaper article and podcast segment. The results of the pilot study found that other than the visual versus audio nature of the two media platforms, there was little difference in how the news organization covered the primaries.

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Communication Commons

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