Spartan Daily, March 3, 2009

Volume 132, Issue 21https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/10558/thumbnail.jp

Towards more balanced news access? A study on the impact of cost-cutting and Web 2.0 on the mediated public sphere

In order to assess the impact of cost-cutting and digitalization on the expansion or contraction of the mediated public sphere, we developed a quantitative and longitudinal content analysis focused on sourcing practices for foreign news reporting in four Belgian newspapers (1995-2010). The results show little to no shift in the news access of different types of sources. Political sources dominate foreign news output, but ordinary citizens also play a significant role. Although it becomes clear that Belgian journalists often do not explicitly mention their use of news agency copy, recycled news articles or PR material, our findings indicate that concerns about cost-cutting in newsrooms or sanguinity about the democratic potential of Web 2.0 seem fairly exaggerated, at least in the Belgian context

Web Acceptance and Usage Model: A Comparison between Goal-directed and Experiential Web Users

In this paper we analyse the Web acceptance and usage between goal-directed users and experiential users, incorporating intrinsic motives to improve the particular and explanatory TAM value –traditionally related to extrinsic motives-. A field study was conducted to validate measures used to operationalize model variables and to test the hypothesised network of relationships. The data analysis method used was Partial Least Squares (PLS).The empirical results provided strong support for the hypotheses, highlighting the roles of flow, ease of use and usefulness in determining the actual use of the Web among experiential and goal-directed users. In contrast with previous research that suggests that flow would be more likely to occur during experiential activities than goal-directed activities, we found clear evidence of flow for goal-directed activities. In particular the study findings indicate that flow might play a powerfulrole in determining the attitude towards usage,intention to useand, in turn,actual Web use among experiential and goal-directed users

Introduction: looking beyond the walls

In its consideration of the remarkable extent and variety of non-university researchers, this book takes a broader view of ‘knowledge’ and ‘research’ than in the many hot debates about today’s knowledge society, ‘learning age’, or organisation of research. It goes beyond the commonly held image of ‘knowledge’ as something produced and owned by the full-time experts to take a look at those engaged in active knowledge building outside the university walls

Incorporation of conventional animal welfare assessment techniques into organic certification and farming

Providing assurances to consumers on the adherence to certain animal welfare-related standards is an important element of organic and farm assurance schemes. This project has ensured that preliminary welfare assessment protocols developed in a conventional farm assurance system (RSPCA Freedom Food scheme) are available for incorporation into organic (& conventional) certification schemes. The final system (available at www.vetschool.bris.ac.uk/animalwelfare) is an assessment tool that can provide credible (repeatable, valid & feasible) evidence for assessment of compliance with welfare standards in organic and conventional farming systems. For issues identified as causing potential concern the assessor is encouraged to conduct further investigations. This promotes a consistent thorough assessment of relevant resource standards, and where appropriate, management requirements concerning appropriate preventive and corrective action that should be contained within written health plans. Furthermore the assessment tool should enable certification bodies and relevant third parties to monitor the ability of schemes to deliver good welfare outcomes, which is useful for policymakers and consumers wishing to assess the welfare assurance associated with membership of a scheme. Finally it should provide a mechanism for assessing the farm’s own management of health and welfare parameters with their health planning systems which is now a requirement or recommendation of many welfare standards. This should enable farms to both identify their own strengths and weaknesses with respect to welfare and then to monitor any improvements resulting from husbandry changes. This is important as many of the welfare observations also have a significant influence on a farm’s profitability

Checks and Balances: Measuring Checking Accounts' Safety and Transparency

Consumers need safe and transparent checking accounts. "Access to mainstream financial services at an insured institution," notes the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., "provides consumers with a safe place to save, conduct basic financial transactions, build a credit history and access credit on favorable terms, and achieve financial security."Previous research from The Pew Charitable Trusts' financial security portfolio also shows that having a checking account allows consumers to better weather economic storms. In addition, these accounts offer consumers the opportunity to enter the financial mainstream by providing access to a savings account and the potential to apply for and manage more sophisticated products such as credit to purchase a car or home.This report reviews the checking accounts offered by 36 of the nation's 50 largest banks according to their practices in three areas: disclosures, overdrafts, and dispute resolution. The study builds on two previous Pew reports. "Hidden Risks: The Case for Safe and Transparent Checking Accounts," released in April 2011, analyzed more than 250 distinct checking accounts offered by the retail subsidiaries of the 10 largest bank holding companies."Still Risky: An Update on the Safety and Transparency of Checking Accounts," released in May 2012, expanded the research of the April 2011 report to include the 12 largest banks and 12 largest credit unions as determined by domestic deposit volume.This study examines and analyzes the data differently from the first two reports. First, Pew collected the checking account disclosures of the most basic account offered by 36 of the 50 largest U.S. banks based on deposit volume as reported by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. These 36 banks comprise almost 56 percent of domestic deposit volume. Account data from the other 14 banks in the top 50 could not be collected because the information was not available online or by mail. For this report, Pew defined bank "best" and "good" checking account practices based on its previous research in the areas of disclosures, overdraft, and dispute resolution policies and practices

Secure and Prepared Newsletter, October 2, 2007, Vol. 3, no. 17

A bi-weekly newsletter for those involved in the fields of homeland security and/or emergency managemen