Public Confidence in Social Institutions and Media Coverage: A Case of Belarus

Social scientists agree that public confidence in social institutions is a crucial element in building democratic society. This is especially true for transitional societies including post-communist countries, because the lack of public confidence in newly emerged democratic institutions can interfere with democratic development. Although different theories explaining public confidence in social institutions were developed, these theories ignored the role that mass media play in building public confidence. The goal of this study is to examine the connection between mass media coverage of social institutions and public confidence in these institutions by conducting content analysis of Belarusian newspapers, reviewing the results of the public opinion polls from Belarus, and exploring the links between coverage of social institutions and trust in them. Four institutions were chosen for this examination: two institutions with high level of confidence representing the state (the President, the military) and two institutions with low level of confidence representing civil society (independent labor unions, opposition political parties). Results showed that there is a noticeable connection between media coverage and public confidence in social institutions. Content analysis demonstrated that the state-run newspapers publish a great number of articles about Belarus President Lukashenko, covering him within the scope of explicitly positive themes. As results of public opinion polls demonstrate, the President enjoys an high level of confidence amongst people who trust state-run Media. On the other hand, independent newspapers present President Lukashenko in a negative different light: he is being depicted as a dictator and an ineffective leader. According to public opinion polls, people who trust the independent media are less confident in the President: more than 42% do have confidence in him. Given that state-run newspapers present the President almost exclusively within positive themes and independent newspapers seldom speak of the President’s achievements, concentrating mostly on his failures and shortcomings, we can see a strong connection between media coverage of the President and levels of public confidence in him. Examining media coverage and public opinion about other social institutions provided similar results, confirming the connection between media coverage and public confidence in this study

An Exploratory Study of the Presence and Direction of Agenda-Setting Effects between Leading U.S. Foreign Policy Think Tanks and U.S. Newspapers

This dissertation explores the roles news media and think tanks play in U.S. foreign policy in an analysis of their possible effects on each other’s agendas. In an analysis of salience of, or attention to, multiple countries over time in coverage from leading U.S. newspapers, The New York Times and Washington Post, and in published online materials from leading U.S. foreign policy think tanks, Brookings Institution and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the research looks at the presence, direction, and strength of agenda-setting effects in the construction of news agendas and attention foci of think tanks. Findings suggest that the relationship between news agenda and agendas of the think tanks is situational, strong when present, highly reciprocal in some cases and unidirectional (either from think tanks to news media content or the other way around) in others. The connection between the agendas of think tanks and the news agenda, as well as the possible impact of think tanks on news media attention to countries, suggest that think tanks should be included in foreign policy agenda-setting models, traditionally limited to policymakers (president and congress), public, and media as active participants. The ability of news media to affect the attention foci of think tanks necessitates consideration of their content in investigating the impact of think tanks

Baker Center Journal of Applied Public Policy, Vol. III No. I

Welcome to the third issue of the Baker Center Journal for Applied PublicPolicy. I am pleased that this issue, as its predecessors, evidences the vibrancy of the Baker Center’s governance and public policy programs and makes a contribution to our collective understanding about a variety of policy issues currently being discussed in America. Relating to our system of governance, Jess Hale Jr. examines a proposal for a uniform state approach to reining in renegade presidential electors and Professor Glenn Reynolds reviews Jack Goldsmith’s book The Terror Presidency: Law and Judgment Inside the Bush Administration. Relating to media and foreign affairs and the role of the media in political life, Dr. Mike Fitzgerald and two of his students provide us with “A Comparative Study of Images Created by Press Coverage of the United States and the Republic of Belarus.” Relating to health policy, Dr. David Mirvis, recently appointed as a Senior Fellow for Health Policy at the Center, explores the public policy implications of viewing health as an engine of economic growth. Relating to energy and environmental policy, Drs. Bruce Tonn and Amy Gibson and Baker Scholars Stephanie Smith and Rachel Tuck explore U.S. Attitudes and Perspectives on National Energy Policy. I am also very pleased that this issue includes a report of an excellent conference – “Formulation of a Bipartisan Energy and Climate Policy: Toward and Open and Transparent Process “- that was co-sponsored by the Baker Center and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. This issue also includes the result ofanother successful collaboration between the Baker and Wilson Centers that focused on “Five Public Policy Ideas for Building Obama’s New Economy.” I look forward to further productive collaborations between the Baker and Wilson Centers. Relating to global security policy, this issue includes a Student Symposium onNational Security. Although the Baker Center Journal has provided an outlet for publication of student scholarship since its inception, I am particularly pleased that the student co-editors - Baker Scholars Elizabeth Wilson Vaughan and Bradford A. Vaughan - took the initiative to expand upon the efforts of their predecessors and to provide us with an expanded set of excellent students essays each of which addresses an important national security policy issue. It is an important part of the Baker Center’s mission to engage UTK students in the political and public policy process, and I applaud our student authors fortheir contributions to this symposium. I hope you find this issue of the Baker Center Journal for Applied Public Policy to be both interesting and thought-provoking and that it will encourage you to participate in America’s unique and wonderful political and policy processes

The point of no return: Belarusian audience refusal to use western broadcast media after exposure to their content

Audiences in Belarus, an authoritarian country, are facing the situation of limited media choices when it comes to socio-economic and political information, which can slow down the process of democratic transformation. With electronic media (radio and television) in the country controlled by the state and independent print media facing numerous impediments from the state, Western media broadcasting in Russian and Belarusian languages (the native languages for the most of the country’s population) can potentially become a valuable source of socio-economic and political news. However, these media do not enjoy high popularity. The purpose of this research is to explore the nature of relationships between Western broadcast media and Belarusian audiences. Using the method of long interview, the study looks at reasons for Belarusian audiences not to return to using Western media once exposed to their news content. Although the participants were mostly talking about their criteria for news content, they also mentioned the associations they had with the outlets themselves. That and the context of Belarusian media market made it possible to infer that issues with the Western media go far beyond their news content

Combatting Negative Stigma and Communication Obstacles for University Counseling Services: A Case Study at Florida Institute of Technology

The increased need for counseling services is evident with the steady rise in mental health conditions in college-aged students. However, a number of factors inhibit students from seeking help. This study argues that mental-health climates need to be assessed on individual campuses in order to improve counseling services outreach tactics. Results of surveys and interviews at Florida Institute of Technology suggest the awareness of mental health services and the availability of counseling staff need improvement. The presence of mental-health stigma and high levels of self-reliance among students would complicate the awareness improvement effort, but several measures could be effective

International Students, Immigration Policy, and Perceived Internal Support: Student Reactions to the ‘Travel Ban’

This study explores international students’ interpretations of the President Trump’s controversial 2017 immigration policies and their university’s response to them. Findings suggest the students’ experiences could be profoundly affected by political rhetoric. While an educational institution could distance itself from the rhetoric and students may be reluctant to terminate their enrollment, their educational experiences, career plans, and recommendations they pass on to potential enrollees may remain unaffected by the university’s efforts. The study highlights the necessity of studying such topics as educational experiences and political communication effects in concord, underscoring the fluidity and interconnectedness of aspects of our lives