The mass media have the potential to be powerful friends or foes in promoting breastfeeding. The media could help by putting the issue of breastfeeding on policy agendas and by framing breastfeeding as healthy and normative for baby and mother. Currently, however, it looks as if the media are more often contributing to perceptions that breastfeeding is difficult for mothers and potentially dangerous for babies. This paper presents a brief overview of research on the media and breastfeeding, some insights into the market forces and human psychological factors that may play into media representations of breastfeeding, and strategies to help breastfeeding advocates work more effectively with the media.
This study comparatively analyzed college student Facebook pages in Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. to determine the similarities and differences in how students representing different cultures use Facebook to stay connected with their various groups of 'friends,' and engage in identity construction. A total 246 Facebook pages were analyzed, and results generally supported the notion that self-disclosure varied by culture. For example, Facebook profiles of Middle Eastern students in Qatar and Egypt reflect the more conservative norms in those two countries. Student Facebook pages in Egypt were much more politically oriented, while American pages focused more on social life and personal activities.
The United States is in the midst of an historical moment of heightened awareness and division regarding the experiences of people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. Activism around social justice, equality, and identity is transforming society, media, and campuses. In this super-charged climate and context, the stakes involved in courses that examine the interplay between race, gender, and media are high. Diversity initiatives have been a formal part of the accrediting process for journalism programs since the 1980s, and race, gender, and media courses are elective or required in many programs. This article, based on in-depth interviews with 11 seasoned instructors – many of whom had careers in the media professions before turning to the classroom – finds that these instructors contest the value of traditional objectivity in upper-level journalism courses, but they have not thoroughly embraced advocacy, either. Instructor race and gender identity, student body diversity, as well as instructor rank, all have an impact on the instructors’ perception of vulnerability or freedom to teach this sensitive material. Instructors of these courses experience individual, interpersonal, and structural tensions regarding the objectivity/advocacy balance in their classrooms. Since individual-level tensions may be a sign of healthy introspection, resolution may not be necessary. Suggestions for managing interpersonal tensions specific to race, gender, and media classrooms are offered. It is also recommended that the inherent structural tensions are taken into account in promotion and tenure decisions.
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