Department of Communication (CIS), General

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Browsing Department of Communication (CIS), General by Author "Armstrong, Cory"

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    Conflict on campus: examining multiple levels of influence on investigative journalism in student newspapers
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2019) Heath, William Lamar; Lowrey, Wilson; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Community media is the media that is most immediate, as well as the media that is most trusted. In student media, journalists serve specialized communities in settings that can prove to be training grounds for the future of journalism. This research examined whether traditional measures that have been used in the study of communities — structural pluralism and social capital — can be applied to conflict-oriented role conceptions and role enactments of individuals working for student newspapers. The survey used a mixed-method approach, by surveying advisers and student editors to ask about social capital at multiple levels, and to ask which traditional journalistic role conceptions they believe are most important for journalists. The research then used a quantitative content analysis of the newspapers identified in the survey to analyze the stories for the presence or absence of conflict and investigation in the local news. Municipal structural pluralism emerged as a significant predictor of conflict reporting. Social capital between individuals working in student media and their administration negatively predicted conflict reporting, but social capital variables yielded little else that was statistically significant. Results indicated that level of pluralism of the school had no effect on the likelihood that campus media will embrace conflict roles or conflict reporting. Results also suggested that when student media are produced in in less pluralistic municipal communities (typically smaller towns), and where higher levels of social capital are reported, there is less likely to be an atmosphere in which student newspapers and those working for the papers embrace the reporting of conflict and investigation.
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    Does locality predict sport fandom?: an examination of local, non-local, and distant nba fans in the United States and China
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2021) Guo, Sitong; Billings, Andrew; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    With the development of globalization and the aid of technology, geographical boundaries have become less salient in various aspects of modern society, including sport. Plenty of professional sports leagues have made global plans to expand their business to overseas markets, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) has stood at the forefront of this expansion process. Using an online survey, the current study examines the differences between NBA local fans (American fans who like the local NBA team), non-local fans (American fans who like the non-local NBA team), and distant fans (Chinese NBA fans) in terms of their (1) team identification (2) player identification, (3) fanship, (4) fandom, (5) motivation for sport consumption, and (6) fan behavior. Results showed that distant fans reported higher scores in player identification, fandom, most motives and fan behaviors, suggesting that in general, distant fans (Chinese fans) tend to obtain a higher level of connection with NBA compared with local and non-local fans (both are American fans). Findings also uncovered the similarity of loyal fans’ attitudes and behaviors regardless of their geographical location; however, locality could predict a big difference among casual fans. This study emerges as one of the first studies to analyze sport fans via a lens of locality, especially comparing non-local fans and distant fans. Theoretical and applied ramifications are both outlined, along with a call for increased scholarly attention for this locality influence within sport business.
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    A field theory analysis of sports journalists’ coverage of social justice protests in sports
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2019) Broussard, Ryan Mark; Lowrey, Wilson; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Sports journalists have historically been anathema to covering socio-political issues related to sports, even as some high-profile athletes have crossed that boundary from sports to socio-political issues. But that is changing as new generations of sports reporters come into the profession with more professional development and education in journalism practices and ethics than previous generations. Using a mixed-method approach of content analysis and semi-structured qualitative interviews and employing Bourdieu’s field theory as the theoretical prism through which to view their responses, this exploratory study aims to better understand why and how sports reporters cover socio-political issues related to sports. Results indicated that a number of factors play into whether sports reporters cover socio-political issues related to sports, such as having the time and resources to properly report on those complex issues, wanting to be seen as more than a sports reporter, and having reporters in other beats who can jump in when the story veers into fields outside of sports. The respondents also identified four story types—“humanity” stories, investigative “deep dives,” off-the-field issues, and “hot takes”—that are used to cover socio-political issues, with each story type having its own factors, contexts, and conditions as to whether that story type will be used on socio-political issues.