This study builds on our understanding of how visual journalism is used with environmental reporting to create a sense of place and understanding. Although most American photojournalism tends to favor close-up photos with people, environmental coverage leans opposite: sweeping landscape photos devoid of people. However, our content analysis of wire and non-wire environmental photos on U.S. newspaper front pages shows support that person-focused feature imagery is being used more, though mostly at an informational level.
Podcasting is a well-established medium with a rapidly growing audience but no established ethical standards or professional practices across a wide variety of genres. Through a representative national survey of American internet users ( n = 1,025), this research examined how much podcast listeners ( n = 529) trust podcasts as a source of news and how they evaluate their journalistic merit. Podcast listeners trust podcasts less than most other sources of information, with the exception of online news and satirical news programs. And though listeners agree that podcasting is a form of journalism, a way to stay informed about news and current events, and a valuable source of information, they’re more skeptical of podcasts when comparing them to traditional news sources of information. Age is the only demographic category that predicts listening frequency.
Bloggers have long been seen as challenges to journalistic authority. This study focuses specifically on professional travel bloggers and their own self-understandings of what it means to be a professional. Is this understanding distinct from the professional structures that guide journalism? How might these different self-understandings impact the knowledge produced by each group of media workers? The implications of this project are particularly important given that people rely on travel media to help construct their own understandings of distant locations. It is crucial to understand the epistemic foundations of that location-based knowledge. Findings from this purposive survey sample indicate that travel bloggers’ specialized knowledge comes largely in the form of self-marketing and creating a recognizable brand. In keeping with previous findings from blog content analyses, showcasing authenticity is also seen as crucial for blogging success.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been growing concerns about conspiracy theories across the globe. Especially in the United States, conspiratorial narratives have been promoted by political figures and moved to public discourse from the fringe, shaping public opinion and hampering preventive measures. This study examines a host of political and communicative factors that might contribute to Americans’ belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories and how such belief is associated with attitudes toward mask-wearing. Findings from a U.S. national two-wave panel survey showed that support for Donald Trump was the strongest predictor of conspiracy beliefs. Populism, trust in scientific institutions, conservative media use, and social media use predicted such beliefs as well. We also found a negative relationship between conspiracy beliefs and mask-wearing attitudes, suggesting that conspiracy beliefs might threaten public health by hindering preventive behavior. The implications of these findings are discussed.
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