Changes in news use on the front pages of the American daily newspaper, 1986-1993

Journalism and Mass Communication Quaterly

Volumn 74, Issue 4, 1997, Pages 826-838

  Bridges, Janet A ^a   Bridges, Lamar W ^a  

^a NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

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EID: 0006797346     PISSN: 10776990     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/107769909707400411     Document Type: Article

References (51)

1. For a summary of problems and developments, see Stephen Lacy, "Commentary: Ideas for Prospering in a Changing Market," Newspaper Research Journal 13 (summer 1992): 85-94.
2. See F. Dennis Hale, "The Response of Newspaper Circulation in the 1980s to Economic and Other Community Demographics" (paper presented at the annual meeting of AEJMC, Kansas City, MO, 1993). Newspaper Association of America (NAA) data show that circulation figures for daily newspapers fluctuated from 62.2 million to 62.8 million during the 1980s, but dropped to 59.8 million in 1993. Most of the loss was in evening newspapers, still the dominant group. NAA, '94 Facts about Newspapers (DC: NAA, 1994), 3.
3. See F. Dennis Hale, "The Response of Newspaper Circulation in the 1980s to Economic and Other Community Demographics" (paper presented at the annual meeting of AEJMC, Kansas City, MO, 1993). Newspaper Association of America (NAA) data show that circulation figures for daily newspapers fluctuated from 62.2 million to 62.8 million during the 1980s, but dropped to 59.8 million in 1993. Most of the loss was in evening newspapers, still the dominant group. NAA, '94 Facts about Newspapers (DC: NAA, 1994), 3.
4. For example, Phoenix lost its evening newspaper, and in Milwaukee, the Journal and Sentinel now publish as one newspaper. The Dallas Times Herald (December 1991) and the Little Rock Arkansas Gazette (October 1991) folded, as did dailies in several other major American cities. NAA data for 1993 show that the number of daily newspapers has declined from 1,676 in 1985 to 1,556 in 1993. NAA, '94 Facts, 2.
5. NAA figures indicate that the proportion of American adults reading weekday newspapers has steadily declined from 64 percent in 1985 to 61.7 percent in 1993, even though the actual number of readers has increased. While the number of male readers increased from 53.7 thousand in 1985 to 57.1 thousand in 1993, the increase in women readers was much less, from 55.1 to 57.6 thousand. Figures for 1993 were slightly lower than 1992. An age breakdown of readers shows the percentage of readers under 65 steadily declining with age of the potential reader. NAA, '94 Facts, 7-8. Newsweek reported that readers between the ages of 30 and 44 dropped from 75 percent in 1972 to 45 percent in 1989. Joshua Hammer, "Pages and Pages of Pain: Newspapers Struggle with an Ad Slump - and an Alarming Falloff of Readers," Newsweek, 27 May 1991, 39, 41.
6. NAA figures indicate that the proportion of American adults reading weekday newspapers has steadily declined from 64 percent in 1985 to 61.7 percent in 1993, even though the actual number of readers has increased. While the number of male readers increased from 53.7 thousand in 1985 to 57.1 thousand in 1993, the increase in women readers was much less, from 55.1 to 57.6 thousand. Figures for 1993 were slightly lower than 1992. An age breakdown of readers shows the percentage of readers under 65 steadily declining with age of the potential reader. NAA, '94 Facts, 7-8. Newsweek reported that readers between the ages of 30 and 44 dropped from 75 percent in 1972 to 45 percent in 1989. Joshua Hammer, "Pages and Pages of Pain: Newspapers Struggle with an Ad Slump - and an Alarming Falloff of Readers," Newsweek, 27 May 1991, 39, 41.
7. George Garneau, "Reaching 'at risk' and 'potential' readers: New study identifies two groups critical to the future of newspapers; shows how content, format changes can win them over," Editor & Publisher, 4 May 1991,14,110. Cobb-Walgren's findings suggest that the children of nonreaders will probably be nonreaders.Cathy J. Cobb-Walgren, "Why Teenagers Do Not 'Read All About It,'" Journalism Quarterly 67 (summer 1990): 340-47.
8. George Garneau, "Reaching 'at risk' and 'potential' readers: New study identifies two groups critical to the future of newspapers; shows how content, format changes can win them over," Editor & Publisher, 4 May 1991,14,110. Cobb-Walgren's findings suggest that the children of nonreaders will probably be nonreaders.Cathy J. Cobb-Walgren, "Why Teenagers Do Not 'Read All About It,'" Journalism Quarterly 67 (summer 1990): 340-47.
9. John Morton, "Growth of Electronic Media Has Made Newspapers Better," Newspaper Research Journal 14 (spring 1993): 18-22.
10. The July 1993 Guild Reporter said an improved economy was slowly being reflected in the newspaper industry, but national advertisers were not returning to the medium. "Big Profits Return to U.S. Newspapers," The Guild Reporter, 14 July 1993, 4-5.
11. Robert H. Giles, "Change Shapes Trends in Newspaper Management," Newspaper Research Journal 14 (spring 1993): 32-39.
12. Jules A. Tewlow, "Electronic Innovations Liberate Newsgatherers," Newspaper Research Journal 14 (spring 1993): 23-31. Also see Pamela M. Terrell, "Art: Newspapers' Historically Gray Pages Have Come Alive with an Explosion of Color and Graphics, Many of Them Computer-Assisted," presstime, February 1989, 20-27. Data from the 1994 NAA report (the study presented here examined newspapers published in 1993) showed that more than 150 newspapers provided free interactive voice services and more than 500 U.S. newspapers offered 900-number or other pay telephone services for accessing various databases. A few newspapers ("more than 25") offered FAX delivery of specialized information (e.g., stock reports), and several offered Videotext data. More than 140 dailies had on-line access to the full text of their newspapers. (NAA, '94 Facts, 26. A report on the 1992 study is in Penny Pagano, "Newspapers and the Baby Bells Face Off on New-Age Electronics," The Guild Reporter, 3 April 1992, 4-5.) A joint study by the ANPA (now NAA) and The Bakersfield Californian in 1991 reported that more than 60 percent of the respondents were already conducting some pagination or electronic composition, and that half indicated a move to full automation within five years. However, this trend is not necessarily followed in data-gathering. Brooks and Yang found in 1992 that computer-assisted reporting is being conducted almost exclusively by large newspapers. (Rosalind C. Truitt, "Pagination Answers Shed Light," presstime, July 1991,56-57. The study surveyed newspapers with circulations of 25,000 and greater. The response rate was 32 percent.)
13. Jules A. Tewlow, "Electronic Innovations Liberate Newsgatherers," Newspaper Research Journal 14 (spring 1993): 23-31. Also see Pamela M. Terrell, "Art: Newspapers' Historically Gray Pages Have Come Alive with an Explosion of Color and Graphics, Many of Them Computer-Assisted," presstime, February 1989, 20-27. Data from the 1994 NAA report (the study presented here examined newspapers published in 1993) showed that more than 150 newspapers provided free interactive voice services and more than 500 U.S. newspapers offered 900-number or other pay telephone services for accessing various databases. A few newspapers ("more than 25") offered FAX delivery of specialized information (e.g., stock reports), and several offered Videotext data. More than 140 dailies had on-line access to the full text of their newspapers. (NAA, '94 Facts, 26. A report on the 1992 study is in Penny Pagano, "Newspapers and the Baby Bells Face Off on New-Age Electronics," The Guild Reporter, 3 April 1992, 4-5.) A joint study by the ANPA (now NAA) and The Bakersfield Californian in 1991 reported that more than 60 percent of the respondents were already conducting some pagination or electronic composition, and that half indicated a move to full automation within five years. However, this trend is not necessarily followed in data-gathering. Brooks and Yang found in 1992 that computer-assisted reporting is being conducted almost exclusively by large newspapers. (Rosalind C. Truitt, "Pagination Answers Shed Light," presstime, July 1991,56-57. The study surveyed newspapers with circulations of 25,000 and greater. The response rate was 32 percent.)
14. Jules A. Tewlow, "Electronic Innovations Liberate Newsgatherers," Newspaper Research Journal 14 (spring 1993): 23-31. Also see Pamela M. Terrell, "Art: Newspapers' Historically Gray Pages Have Come Alive with an Explosion of Color and Graphics, Many of Them Computer-Assisted," presstime, February 1989, 20-27. Data from the 1994 NAA report (the study presented here examined newspapers published in 1993) showed that more than 150 newspapers provided free interactive voice services and more than 500 U.S. newspapers offered 900-number or other pay telephone services for accessing various databases. A few newspapers ("more than 25") offered FAX delivery of specialized information (e.g., stock reports), and several offered Videotext data. More than 140 dailies had on-line access to the full text of their newspapers. (NAA, '94 Facts, 26. A report on the 1992 study is in Penny Pagano, "Newspapers and the Baby Bells Face Off on New-Age Electronics," The Guild Reporter, 3 April 1992, 4-5.) A joint study by the ANPA (now NAA) and The Bakersfield Californian in 1991 reported that more than 60 percent of the respondents were already conducting some pagination or electronic composition, and that half indicated a move to full automation within five years. However, this trend is not necessarily followed in data-gathering. Brooks and Yang found in 1992 that computer-assisted reporting is being conducted almost exclusively by large newspapers. (Rosalind C. Truitt, "Pagination Answers Shed Light," presstime, July 1991,56-57. The study surveyed newspapers with circulations of 25,000 and greater. The response rate was 32 percent.)
15. Jules A. Tewlow, "Electronic Innovations Liberate Newsgatherers," Newspaper Research Journal 14 (spring 1993): 23-31. Also see Pamela M. Terrell, "Art: Newspapers' Historically Gray Pages Have Come Alive with an Explosion of Color and Graphics, Many of Them Computer-Assisted," presstime, February 1989, 20-27. Data from the 1994 NAA report (the study presented here examined newspapers published in 1993) showed that more than 150 newspapers provided free interactive voice services and more than 500 U.S. newspapers offered 900-number or other pay telephone services for accessing various databases. A few newspapers ("more than 25") offered FAX delivery of specialized information (e.g., stock reports), and several offered Videotext data. More than 140 dailies had on-line access to the full text of their newspapers. (NAA, '94 Facts, 26. A report on the 1992 study is in Penny Pagano, "Newspapers and the Baby Bells Face Off on New-Age Electronics," The Guild Reporter, 3 April 1992, 4-5.) A joint study by the ANPA (now NAA) and The Bakersfield Californian in 1991 reported that more than 60 percent of the respondents were already conducting some pagination or electronic composition, and that half indicated a move to full automation within five years. However, this trend is not necessarily followed in data-gathering. Brooks and Yang found in 1992 that computer-assisted reporting is being conducted almost exclusively by large newspapers. (Rosalind C. Truitt, "Pagination Answers Shed Light," presstime, July 1991,56-57. The study surveyed newspapers with circulations of 25,000 and greater. The response rate was 32 percent.)
16. "Reader involvement is the key to successful election coverage," Editorially Speaking, January 1993, 1. The entire issue is devoted to the 1992 presidential campaign. Newsweek cites examples of individual newspapers that have changed their presentation to attract younger readers. Hammer, "Pages and Pages," 41. Knight Ridder's 25 / 43 project in Boca Raton, FL, was an attempt to attract readers in this age group (between 25 and 43).
17. "Reader involvement is the key to successful election coverage," Editorially Speaking, January 1993, 1. The entire issue is devoted to the 1992 presidential campaign. Newsweek cites examples of individual newspapers that have changed their presentation to attract younger readers. Hammer, "Pages and Pages," 41. Knight Ridder's 25 / 43 project in Boca Raton, FL, was an attempt to attract readers in this age group (between 25 and 43).
18. Jack Fuller, "TV and Radio Give Folks the Breaking News: So My Paper Answers the Questions that our Electronic Rivals Raise - and Readers are Responding," ASNE Bulletin, July/August 1992, 18-19.
19. Guido H. Stempel III, "Where People Really Get Most of Their News," Newspaper Research Journal 12 (fall 1991): 2-9.
20. Janet A. Bridges, "News Use on the Front Pages of the American Daily," Journalism Quarterly 66 (summer 1989): 332-37.
21. Randal A. Beam, "How Perceived Environmental Uncertainty Influences the Marketing Orientation of U.S. Daily Newspapers," Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 73 (summer 1996): 285-303. Beam asked editors to indicate how much reader research had influenced decisions about publishing the nineteen categories.
22. George Albert Gladney, "How Editors and Readers Rank and Rate the Importance of Eighteen Traditional Standards of Newspaper Excellence," Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 73 (summer 1996): 319-31.
23. Jean Gaddy Wilson and Iris Igawa, "Strategy No. 11: 'Expand News Coverage,'" presstime, November 1991, 45-46.
24. Dennis M. Corrigan, "Value Coding Consensus in Front Page News Leads," Journalism Quarterly 67 (winter 1990): 653-62; Ann E. Reisner, "The News Conference: How Daily Newspaper Editors Construct the Front Page," Journalism Quarterly 69 (winter 1992): 971-86; Jack Fuller, News Values: Ideas for an Information Age (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996), 7.
25. Dennis M. Corrigan, "Value Coding Consensus in Front Page News Leads," Journalism Quarterly 67 (winter 1990): 653-62; Ann E. Reisner, "The News Conference: How Daily Newspaper Editors Construct the Front Page," Journalism Quarterly 69 (winter 1992): 971-86; Jack Fuller, News Values: Ideas for an Information Age (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996), 7.
26. Dennis M. Corrigan, "Value Coding Consensus in Front Page News Leads," Journalism Quarterly 67 (winter 1990): 653-62; Ann E. Reisner, "The News Conference: How Daily Newspaper Editors Construct the Front Page," Journalism Quarterly 69 (winter 1992): 971-86; Jack Fuller, News Values: Ideas for an Information Age (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996), 7.
27. Bruce Garrison, "Electronic Editing Systems and Their Impact on News Decision Making," Newspaper Research Journal 3 (January 1982): 43-53; William R. Lindley, "From Hot Type to Video Screens: Editors Evaluate New Technology," Journalism Quarterly 65 (summer 1988): 485-89.
28. Bruce Garrison, "Electronic Editing Systems and Their Impact on News Decision Making," Newspaper Research Journal 3 (January 1982): 43-53; William R. Lindley, "From Hot Type to Video Screens: Editors Evaluate New Technology," Journalism Quarterly 65 (summer 1988): 485-89.
29. In 1986, only one other study had determined news preferences with an actual analysis of a national set of daily newspapers; other studies relied on hypothetical situations. (See Bridges, "News Use," 333.)
30. As noted above Corrigan found prominence most frequently in the four newspapers, vitality/conflict second, and timeliness third. Proximity was fourth, appearing in one-fourth of the story leads, and significance (comparable to impact) was fifth, also present in about one-fourth of the leads. (Corrigan, "Value Coding Concensus.")
31. Bridges, "News Use."
32. The 101 dailies were from thirty-seven states and included two dualstate newspapers (which theoretically increased the number of states represented to thirty-nine). Publication times were evening, 67 percent; morning, 30 percent; and all-day, 3 percent.
33. Udell said newspapers from 1976 to 1988 grew at a rate that "exceeded the economy." (Jon G. Udell, "Recent and Future Economic Status of U.S. Newspapers," Journalism Quarterly 67 [summer 1990]: 331-39.)
34. Mark Fitzgerald, "1990-in-Review: A Year of Retrenchment: Newspa" per Industry Wonders about its Future as a Second Straight Year of Economic Downturn Comes to a Close," Editor & Publisher, 5 January 1991, 9-11, 79-80, 82-3. See Petersen's reference to Garneau's 1992 Editor & Publisher analysis. Barbara K. Petersen, "The Managerial Benefits of Understanding Organizational Culture," in Readings in Media Management, ed. Stephen Lacy, Ardyth B. Sohn, and Robert H. Giles (Columbia, SC: AEJMC, 1992), 125.
35. Mark Fitzgerald, "1990-in-Review: A Year of Retrenchment: Newspa" per Industry Wonders about its Future as a Second Straight Year of Economic Downturn Comes to a Close," Editor & Publisher, 5 January 1991, 9-11, 79-80, 82-3. See Petersen's reference to Garneau's 1992 Editor & Publisher analysis. Barbara K. Petersen, "The Managerial Benefits of Understanding Organizational Culture," in Readings in Media Management, ed. Stephen Lacy, Ardyth B. Sohn, and Robert H. Giles (Columbia, SC: AEJMC, 1992), 125.
36. This study adapts the researchers' procedures, but not the time frame. Riffe, Aust, and Lacy have recommended one constructed week for estimating the number of local stories for six-months' publication and concluded that the constructed week was more efficient than either simple random or consecutive-day samplingmethods. Daniel Riffe, Charles F. Aust, and Stephen R. Lacy, "The Effectiveness of Random, Consecutive Day and Constructed Week Sampling in Newspaper Content Analysis," Journalism Quarterly 70 (spring 1993): 133-39.
37. Guido H. Stempel III, "Content Analysis," in Research Methods in Mass Communication, 2d ed., ed. Guido H. Stempel III and Bruce H. Westley (Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice Hall, 1989), 124-36.
38. The composite week in 1986 was from the four weeks between 17 February through 14 March.
39. News attributes are only one accepted categorization of newspaper content. For a discussion of other methods, see Stephen Lacy and Todd F. Simon, "Newspaper Demand," in The Economics and Regulation of United States Newspapers (Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing, 1993), 32-35, and Janet A. Bridges, "An Exploratory Investigation of the Relationship between the Daily-Newspaper Gatekeeper's Perceptions of the Function of the News Media and the Gatekeeper's Handling of News" (Ph.D. diss., Michigan State University, 1987), 58-67. Reisner's conversational analysis of editors' news conferences found that editors used the term "conflict" and referred to "known names" (prominence as a news value) and to local impact. Berkowitz and Beach examined conflict and proximity as part of their study of news sources. (Reisner, "The News Conference"; Dan Berkowitz and Douglas W. Beach, "News Sources and News Context: The Effect of Routine News, Conflict and Proximity," Journalism Quarterly 70 (spring 1993): 4-12.
40. News attributes are only one accepted categorization of newspaper content. For a discussion of other methods, see Stephen Lacy and Todd F. Simon, "Newspaper Demand," in The Economics and Regulation of United States Newspapers (Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing, 1993), 32-35, and Janet A. Bridges, "An Exploratory Investigation of the Relationship between the Daily-Newspaper Gatekeeper's Perceptions of the Function of the News Media and the Gatekeeper's Handling of News" (Ph.D. diss., Michigan State University, 1987), 58-67. Reisner's conversational analysis of editors' news conferences found that editors used the term "conflict" and referred to "known names" (prominence as a news value) and to local impact. Berkowitz and Beach examined conflict and proximity as part of their study of news sources. (Reisner, "The News Conference"; Dan Berkowitz and Douglas W. Beach, "News Sources and News Context: The Effect of Routine News, Conflict and Proximity," Journalism Quarterly 70 (spring 1993): 4-12.
41. News attributes are only one accepted categorization of newspaper content. For a discussion of other methods, see Stephen Lacy and Todd F. Simon, "Newspaper Demand," in The Economics and Regulation of United States Newspapers (Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing, 1993), 32-35, and Janet A. Bridges, "An Exploratory Investigation of the Relationship between the Daily-Newspaper Gatekeeper's Perceptions of the Function of the News Media and the Gatekeeper's Handling of News" (Ph.D. diss., Michigan State University, 1987), 58-67. Reisner's conversational analysis of editors' news conferences found that editors used the term "conflict" and referred to "known names" (prominence as a news value) and to local impact. Berkowitz and Beach examined conflict and proximity as part of their study of news sources. (Reisner, "The News Conference"; Dan Berkowitz and Douglas W. Beach, "News Sources and News Context: The Effect of Routine News, Conflict and Proximity," Journalism Quarterly 70 (spring 1993): 4-12.
42. News attributes are only one accepted categorization of newspaper content. For a discussion of other methods, see Stephen Lacy and Todd F. Simon, "Newspaper Demand," in The Economics and Regulation of United States Newspapers (Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing, 1993), 32-35, and Janet A. Bridges, "An Exploratory Investigation of the Relationship between the Daily-Newspaper Gatekeeper's Perceptions of the Function of the News Media and the Gatekeeper's Handling of News" (Ph.D. diss., Michigan State University, 1987), 58-67. Reisner's conversational analysis of editors' news conferences found that editors used the term "conflict" and referred to "known names" (prominence as a news value) and to local impact. Berkowitz and Beach examined conflict and proximity as part of their study of news sources. (Reisner, "The News Conference"; Dan Berkowitz and Douglas W. Beach, "News Sources and News Context: The Effect of Routine News, Conflict and Proximity," Journalism Quarterly 70 (spring 1993): 4-12.
43. Original definitions of the attributes relied heavily on definitions printed by Atwood and by Buckalew and on discussions in reporting textbooks. L. Erwin Atwood, "How Newsmen and Readers Perceive Each Others' Story Preferences," Journalism Quarterly 47 (summer 1970): 296-302; James K. Buckalew, "News Elements and Selection by Television News Editors," Journal of Broadcasting 14 (winter 1969-70): 47-54. Notable textbook discussions were in Michael Ryan and James W. Tankard Jr., Basic News Reporting (Palo Alto: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1977); The Missouri Group: Brian S. Brooks, George Kennedy, Daryl R. Moen, and Don Ranly, News Reporting and Writing (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1985); Ralph S. Izard, HughM. Culbertson and Donald A. Lambert, Fundamentals of News Reporting, 2d ed. (Dubuque: Kendall / Hunt Publishing Co., 1973). Full working definitions are available from the authors. Quoted material in the general definitions are credited as follows: proximity and prominence, Ryan and Tankard, 105-106; impact, magnitude, conflict and oddity, Atwood, 299.
44. Original definitions of the attributes relied heavily on definitions printed by Atwood and by Buckalew and on discussions in reporting textbooks. L. Erwin Atwood, "How Newsmen and Readers Perceive Each Others' Story Preferences," Journalism Quarterly 47 (summer 1970): 296-302; James K. Buckalew, "News Elements and Selection by Television News Editors," Journal of Broadcasting 14 (winter 1969-70): 47-54. Notable textbook discussions were in Michael Ryan and James W. Tankard Jr., Basic News Reporting (Palo Alto: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1977); The Missouri Group: Brian S. Brooks, George Kennedy, Daryl R. Moen, and Don Ranly, News Reporting and Writing (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1985); Ralph S. Izard, HughM. Culbertson and Donald A. Lambert, Fundamentals of News Reporting, 2d ed. (Dubuque: Kendall / Hunt Publishing Co., 1973). Full working definitions are available from the authors. Quoted material in the general definitions are credited as follows: proximity and prominence, Ryan and Tankard, 105-106; impact, magnitude, conflict and oddity, Atwood, 299.
45. Original definitions of the attributes relied heavily on definitions printed by Atwood and by Buckalew and on discussions in reporting textbooks. L. Erwin Atwood, "How Newsmen and Readers Perceive Each Others' Story Preferences," Journalism Quarterly 47 (summer 1970): 296-302; James K. Buckalew, "News Elements and Selection by Television News Editors," Journal of Broadcasting 14 (winter 1969-70): 47-54. Notable textbook discussions were in Michael Ryan and James W. Tankard Jr., Basic News Reporting (Palo Alto: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1977); The Missouri Group: Brian S. Brooks, George Kennedy, Daryl R. Moen, and Don Ranly, News Reporting and Writing (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1985); Ralph S. Izard, HughM. Culbertson and Donald A. Lambert, Fundamentals of News Reporting, 2d ed. (Dubuque: Kendall / Hunt Publishing Co., 1973). Full working definitions are available from the authors. Quoted material in the general definitions are credited as follows: proximity and prominence, Ryan and Tankard, 105-106; impact, magnitude, conflict and oddity, Atwood, 299.
46. Original definitions of the attributes relied heavily on definitions printed by Atwood and by Buckalew and on discussions in reporting textbooks. L. Erwin Atwood, "How Newsmen and Readers Perceive Each Others' Story Preferences," Journalism Quarterly 47 (summer 1970): 296-302; James K. Buckalew, "News Elements and Selection by Television News Editors," Journal of Broadcasting 14 (winter 1969-70): 47-54. Notable textbook discussions were in Michael Ryan and James W. Tankard Jr., Basic News Reporting (Palo Alto: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1977); The Missouri Group: Brian S. Brooks, George Kennedy, Daryl R. Moen, and Don Ranly, News Reporting and Writing (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1985); Ralph S. Izard, HughM. Culbertson and Donald A. Lambert, Fundamentals of News Reporting, 2d ed. (Dubuque: Kendall / Hunt Publishing Co., 1973). Full working definitions are available from the authors. Quoted material in the general definitions are credited as follows: proximity and prominence, Ryan and Tankard, 105-106; impact, magnitude, conflict and oddity, Atwood, 299.
47. Original definitions of the attributes relied heavily on definitions printed by Atwood and by Buckalew and on discussions in reporting textbooks. L. Erwin Atwood, "How Newsmen and Readers Perceive Each Others' Story Preferences," Journalism Quarterly 47 (summer 1970): 296-302; James K. Buckalew, "News Elements and Selection by Television News Editors," Journal of Broadcasting 14 (winter 1969-70): 47-54. Notable textbook discussions were in Michael Ryan and James W. Tankard Jr., Basic News Reporting (Palo Alto: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1977); The Missouri Group: Brian S. Brooks, George Kennedy, Daryl R. Moen, and Don Ranly, News Reporting and Writing (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1985); Ralph S. Izard, HughM. Culbertson and Donald A. Lambert, Fundamentals of News Reporting, 2d ed. (Dubuque: Kendall / Hunt Publishing Co., 1973). Full working definitions are available from the authors. Quoted material in the general definitions are credited as follows: proximity and prominence, Ryan and Tankard, 105-106; impact, magnitude, conflict and oddity, Atwood, 299.
48. Procedures for coding the original 1986 attributes had been refined through pretesting. These same procedures were followed with the 1993 dailies. Detailed description of the procedures for selecting the composite week may be obtained from the authors.
49. Fuller, "TV and Radio," 19; Reisner, "The News Conference."
50. Fuller, "TV and Radio," 19; Reisner, "The News Conference."
51. Wilson and Igawa, "Strategy No. 11."