USC

University of Southern California
Annenberg School for Communication


Research

Research Design

Geo-Ethnic Media (Print and Electronic)

Databases From Telephone Survey

  1. Lists of different types of organizations identified by respondents
    Respondents to the telephone survey were asked if they belonged to any of 4 different types of organizations:
    1. neighborhood/homeowner
    2. sport/recreational
    3. cultural/ethnic/religious
    4. political/educational

    If they belonged, they were asked to name 2 specific organizations for each type.
  2. Extent to which organizational membership is encouraged by geo-ethnic media and vice versa as indicated by responses to the telephone survey
  3. Other resident-organization connections

Census of Geo-Ethnic Media Available in Study Areas

Members of the research team go into each study area to pick up copies of print media targeted to the ethnic group we are studying in the area. Many of these media are not listed in major media directories (e.g., freebies and tabloids). We consult directories for electronic media that may be received in a study area.

Media Producer Interviews Database

To date, telephone interviews have been conducted with the producers of print media in each study area, a total of 156 interviews. The primary types of information that we obtain from these interviews are:

  1. Media Profile (type, history, circulation, frequency of publication, readership, staff size, reach, sources of revenue, distribution, subscription base, etc.)
  2. Production and editorial goals
  3. Commitment to coverage of local or neighborhood news
  4. Perceived roles in the community

Content Analysis of Geo-Ethnic Print Media: New Immigrant Areas (In Progress)

The major variables that will be assessed in this content analysis are:

  1. Profile (type, size, topics, sources, significance, and ethnic relevance of news stories, etc)
  2. Coverage of local neighborhood news relative to coverage of larger geographic spaces, including the country of origin
  3. Health news coverage (extent, type, etc.)
  4. Child and domestic abuse (not traditionally associated with health concerns)
  5. Thoroughness of coverage and quality of information