AARP and the Politics of the Obama Election: Tough Times, Tough Choices

The 2008 election and first two years of President Barack Obama’s administration was the context for an analysis of AARP news coverage. This research examined how news coverage was presented in the AARP Bulletin. During the health care debate, AARP often mentioned President Obama over congressional leaders. However, after passage of the law and subsequent election of a new congress, the Republican perspective offered a balance to the president’s agenda. The AARP Bulletin may be an agenda setter on controversial issues. This study explored themes, such as “tough times, tough choices,” which appeared to influence the coverage of political issues

Election 2000: AARP Portrayals of Presidential Candidates and Issues

The 2000 United States presidential election was one of the closest in history, and issues of importance to older Americans such as Social Security, prescription drugs, and taxes were front and center in the national debate. This article examines how AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, portrayed the candidates and issues through its two publications: AARP Bulletin and Modern Maturity. The 2000 United States presidential election was one of the closest in history (Kranish & Johnson, 2000). Additionally, throughout the summer and fall of 2000, poll data suggested a split electorate (Whitman, 2000). Issues of importance to older Americans, such as social security, prescription drugs, and taxes were front and center in the national debate (Benedetto, 2000). The purpose of this article is to examine how AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, portrayed the candidates and issues through its two publications: AARP Bulletin and Modern Maturity. The presidential election cycle is viewed as an important time for public discussion to determine which social issues deserve to be at the top of the political agenda. Often, important issues do not receive adequate media attention in the periods between national elections. Therefore, during a presidential race, it is crucial to observe which social issues are given the most attention. In the case of AARP media, it would be valuable to know whether or not the most widely circulated publications to older people function as an alternative source of information

Broadcast Manager Concern about Newsroom Career Preparation

There is a continuing need to better understand the needs and wants of broadcast general managers and news directors when they hire newsroom employees (Basow & Byrne, 1993; Parcells, 1985). In the Winter 1993 issue of Feedback, a two-state survey found that higher percentages of broadcast general managers saw dedication of newsroom employees as very important, while higher percentages of news directors responded that writing skills and news judgment were very important (Hilt & Lipschultz, p. 18)

Editors’ Note: The Expansion of the Media Literacy Research Agenda

Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education (SIMILE) in 2007 published a range of articles in three specific areas of study: secondary education, visual literacy, and critical examination of media

Graduate Program Assessment of Student Satisfaction: A Method for Merging University and Department Outcomes

This article evaluates a communication graduate program based upon the perceptions of alumni satisfaction. The department\u27s assessment plan was utilized to measure their perceived knowledge of theory and research, as well as feelings about career preparation. The results indicate that assessment measures related to content taught may be linked to perceptions about quality, flexibility and facilities in a graduate program. Educational outcomes will continue to be an important issue for communication educators. It is critical that assessment data be collected, interpreted and used to revise curriculum in order to be responsive to needs. By doing this, communication programs will be more accountable to their constituents

Elderly American and the Internet: E-mail, TV News, and Entertainment Websites

Older Americans, like other groups, vary in their use of the Internet. The participants for this study—elderly computer users from a Midwestern mid-size sample—used e-mail and considered it the most important Internet function. It was common for them to use e-mail with family and friends on a regular, if not daily, basis. When this group of older people did surf the Web, they were more likely to seek information about their special interests rather than visiting mass media sites. They were most likely to use Google.com or Yahoo.com to find sites dealing with weather, health, games, jokes, and entertainment. Additionally, some were interested in online shopping and auctions. The results of this exploratory study suggest the need for radio and television stations\u27 websites to serve as a portal through which elderly users may access information they want and need

Editors’ Note: Media and Information Literacy in Theory and Practice

Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education (SIMILE) has published a wide-range of international articles from across the disciplines. As a collection, they represent the growing influence and importance of media and information literacy

Media & Information Literacy Theory and Research: Thoughts from the Co-editors

An overview of the conceptualization of media studies and information literacy education reveals the importance of analyzing text and visual communication. Beyond simply offering an explanation of mass communication and all of its parts, media and information literacy as an emerging field of study must begin to address the complex interaction between literacy and new media forms. The new co-editors of SIMILE encourage interdisciplinary scholarship, which illuminates new avenues in media and information literacy education

Editors’ Note: SIMILE Progress Report

As Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education (SIMILE) enters its sixth year of publication, the coeditors have identified a number of issues to be addressed in the journal’s development. This editors’ note explores how the field of media and information literacy education has grown in importance. There continues to be a need for both theory-building and empirical research data, which would strengthen conceptualization. SIMILE needs to cultivate a global sense of significance about media and information literacy education issues across many disciplines

Public Radio Listener Data Analysis: Mass Communication Research Course Student Projects

Faculty across the country are becoming increasingly aware of the usefulness of survey data in communication courses (Thorpe, 2000). Perhaps nowhere is this more important than in the quantitatively oriented research skills course (Bolding, 1996), particularly in the development of teaching models (Poindexter, 1998). The purpose of this article is to show how one public radio listener survey was used to instruct undergraduate mass communication students about the research process