Publication Date

1989

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Scantlen, Anthony J.

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Journalism

LCSH

Television programs--Illinois--Chicago--Rating; Television broadcasting of news--Illinois--Chicago

Abstract

The goal of this study was to analyze news content in five Chicago television stations' news programs during a sweep ratings period and a non-sweep ratings period. The hypotheses were: (I) The quantity of hard news will change significantly from a sweep period to a non-sweep period. (II) The ratings positions of each station and the share (of audience) will change significantly from a sweep period to a non-sweep period. (Ill) The quantity of soft news will change significantly from a sweep period to a non-sweep period. Two weeks of the year were selected by simple random sampling, one week within the sweep periods and one week within the non-sweep ratings periods. The last nightly television news program was videotaped, Monday through Friday, from CBS/WBBM, NBC/WMAQ, ABC-Cap Cities/WLS, Tribune/WGN and Fox/WFLD. After all newscasts were videotaped, their contents were coded by two individuals. Each item was measured in terms of the total seconds used. Another individual reviewed the coded material to establish coding reliability. The data were tested by the statistical t-test for independent means and z-test for differences in percentages. Generally, support was found for all three hypotheses .

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages 42-44)

Extent

vi, 102 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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