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This study evaluates which type of news outlets—independent or government aligned—produce higher quality stories in the East African country of Rwanda. A number of quality indicators are discussed in context, and hypotheses are proposed based largely on Scott, Gobetz, and Chanslor’s (2008) investment model. The data come from a global project —the Journalistic Role Performance Project— and specifically from a content analysis of 2,644 news stories published by Rwandan media in 2020. Findings reveal that independent news outlets outperform government-aligned outlets on the majority of quality indicators included in the study, especially in regard to story sourcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Sampling" copyrighted works to create new expression has a rich history in creative culture, particularly in hip-hop music, a genre that values revision and recontextualization. However, courts are mixed on whether sampling should be considered fair use. Many courts have found that sampling harms the original artist's ability to license copyrighted material, thereby diminishing the work's marketability. But some courts recognize that sampling can enhance the market for the original work. The present study explores the tension between these opposing fair use models—what we call the "pure market substitute" and "market enhancement" models—currently percolating in lower courts. Through an analysis of cases involving hip-hop sampling and similar practices, we argue that the "market enhancement" model, which considers cultural and audience characteristics that impact marketability, better serves the goals of copyright law and should be more widely adopted. We further recommend that courts consider three factors when analyzing market impact in fair use sampling cases: provable effects of the sample on the market for the original work, the nature and duration of the original author's market participation, and the similarity between markets for the original and secondary works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nationwide content analysis of television stations showed low levels of investigative journalism quality and quantity. Most stories introduced as "investigative" were not investigative by definition. However, in an accompanying survey, about half of respondents said investigative quality and quantity had recently increased at their stations. Utilizing Shoemaker and Reese's hierarchical model, organizational and social-institutional variables were used to predict investigative production. Stations in competitive markets and stations owned by publicly traded corporations produced more investigative journalism and were more likely to emphasize investigations. Stations emphasizing profit were less likely to emphasize investigative reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mail survey (N = 112) of lead city government reporters at randomly selected television stations in the 210 local designated market areas replicates a 1997 study. The 2014 reporters had a more pessimistic view of station commitment to and valuing of city government reporting than in 1997 study. Among 2014 respondents, older reporters were more pessimistic whereas smaller market reporters were more optimistic, and a majority believes media commitment to covering city government remains generally strong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]