Search

This paper evaluates the logic underlying various criticisms of statistical significance testing and makes specific recommendations for scientific and editorial practice that might better increase the knowledge base. Reliance on the traditional hypothesis testing model has led to a major bias against nonsignificant results and to misinterpretation of significant results. A finding of statistical significance does not mean that the null hypothesis is false, since there are many factors affecting statistical significance such as sample size and the measurement reliability of the data. Furthermore, statistical significance alone does not permit evaluation of the importance of a finding. An effect size statistic, such as eta-squared, is more appropriate for this purpose, and editors of scholarly publications should encourage routine reporting of effect sizes. Greater reporting of nonsignificant results should also be encouraged, accompanied by power analyses to estimate Type II error. Nonsignificant results can be meaningful if the study's power to detect an effect was high. Finally, the paper emphasizes the crucial role of replication in separating true effects from Type I errors. The paper integrates analyses and criticisms of statistical practice from a variety of sources--77 references are included. (LPG)

A study was conducted to determine how minority news executives, assistant managing editors or higher, had gotten started on their newspaper careers, what their experiences had been as minorities in the newsroom, and what suggestions they had for improving the population of minority newsroom executives. Subjects, 42 minority news executives whose names were obtained from the membership lists of national minority journalists' professional associations, responded to a survey that asked about issues of race and retention. Specifically, respondents discussed the degree of racism they had encountered in their careers and were asked to elaborate on how race figured into hiring, job assignments, and advancement. Findings included the following: (1) 85.7% said they had found a great deal or some racism at the newspapers where they had worked; (2) four respondents--three females and one male--said they had found sexism to be an even greater barrier than race; (3) two-thirds of the respondents said that they felt pressure as a result of not being white in a white industry; (4) 83% of respondents said they knew of minority co-workers who had left the newspaper industry, 38% of whom identified race as an issue behind the departure; (5) one-quarter felt that racist attitudes were a reflection of the communities and society in which those newsrooms were located; and (6) 83% of respondents said they had found colleagues to be generally supportive throughout their careers, and 74% said management had been supportive. (Three tables of data are included.) (MS)

More letters to the editor are being written to daily newspapers than ever before, and more of them are being published in ever-expanding letters columns. However, many letters go unpublished because of the letter's unsuitability, lack of space, or the writer's view having already been expressed. A study examined--by combining the methods of survey and content analysis--who the "unpublished" letter writers are, how they compare to the "published" writers, whether the same people are consistently getting their letters published and other people are consistently getting their letters rejected, and the editing process. The study looked at the letters received at a daily newspaper (circulation above 100,000) in a one-month period. The analysis consisted of 335 letters; 240 were"published" and 95 were "rejected." The survey consisted of a questionnaire to which 269 of the letter writers responded. Findings showed: (1) letters to the editors are written by a group of people above the norm in education, income, age, and community stability; (2) a majority believe that the open forum is not a good gauge of general opinion; (3) published writers were more likely than the unpublished ones to write letters opposing something in the newspaper; (4) published writers tended to write based on some expertise more than the unpublished letter writers; and (5) those whose letters were rejected tended to be more likely to submit a cathartic letter. (Ten tables of data and 29 notes are included.) (MS)

Although much is known about how governments and major media organizations stand on some world press problems, some important actors in the debate--small- and medium-size newspapers in the United States--have been ignored. The editors of these newspapers are gatekeepers who, like their counterparts on large elite newspapers, play a fundamental role in determining the images of the world which their readers receive. To measure "typical" American editors' views of what are the most important problems facing the world press, editorial staffs of 31 small- and 30 medium-size daily newspapers and 38 state newspapers (largest daily newspaper in the state) answered questionnaires (an overall response rate of 66%). Findings indicate that the editors on these newspapers regarded government pressure on the press, such as governmental controls, closings of newspapers, and gags on the press, as a major problem. Other problems which emerged from the analysis but which were not seen as important included development-related problems, coverage of the Third World, and professional needs of the newspaper industry. Results also suggest that the concerns of the world press problems among the editors of small- and medium-size daily newspapers may not be greatly different from the concerns of the large, elite press. (Thirty notes and three tables are included.) (MS)

To provide a better understanding of the depictions of countries by the news media, it is necessary to determine whether similar portraits are presented in all types of reporting or whether there are different, or even contradictory, portrayals of foreign countries within individual newspapers considered nationally influential. A study examined the images presented of the governments of El Salvador and Nicaragua in four U.S. elite newspapers during 1983, primarily focusing on the frequency and direction of mention. Content analysis was used in an attempt to discern whether an overall image of a foreign country is a reasonable manifestation of how that country is presented in mass media, or whether such an overall measure is too broad. Results indicated considerable differences between the images presented by domestic and foreign reporters, probably due to the differences in the informational sources they consult and quote in their reports rather than any overt bias. In addition, findings suggest that there is a relationship between the policy position of the U.S. Government toward the governments of El Salvador and Nicaragua and the type of coverage those two governments receive in the elite press of the United States. (Five tables and 44 notes are appended.) (MS)

The editorial pages can be seen as fertile territory for examining female journalists' attitudes and behavior toward topics traditionally considered "women's." To study the numbers, characteristics, attitudes on several women's issues, and behavior in relationship to several women's issues, first a mailing list was compiled from the "1986 Editor and Publisher International Year Book" and the membership list of the National Conference of Editorial Writers. Then, subjects, 120 women (from a group of 192 originally contacted) who provided usable returns, responded to a 50-question survey divided into four sections: "Your Job Responsibilities,""Career Path,""Women's Issues," and "Information about You." Results showed that (1) despite their higher numbers in management and entry level positions on daily newspapers, women are not making significant progress on editorial page staffs; (2) newspapers employing the respondents had generally run editorials on the two selected issues of this study--child care and pay equity--and the majority of the women indicated satisfaction with the consideration of the topics on their editorial pages; (3) the majority of women had written an editorial on child care, a vast majority supported expansion of private care facilities, and a majority supported expansion of governmental facilities; and (4) respondents overwhelmingly noted that the hiring of women on editorial page staffs was either "very important" or "important." (Four tables of data and 36 notes are included.) (MS)

Since gatekeepers have the ability to inform the public about international affairs, it is important to understand gatekeepers' news values and perceptions of the role of the press in society. A study hypothesized that these problems could be subsumed under two dimensions, freedom of the press and development. In a mail survey, subjects, 118 United States and 17 Latin American editors, evaluated the importance of a list of world press problems. Results showed (1) both the United States and Latin American editors believed that a press free of government pressure was important; (2) Latin American editors were more supportive of the developmental concept of the press than the United States editors; and (3) United States and Latin American editors showed no differences in their evaluations of news coverage of and by developing nations. Results suggest that despite the possibility that the two groups of editors would interpret the developmental concept differently, there was a surprising degree of agreement. (Two tables of data are included, and 66 references are appended.) (MS)

To discover if editors' perceptions of audience opinions had changed and to determine the accuracy of editors' predictions regarding readers' reactions to using videotex, a 1987 study repeated a 1976 survey of Associated Press managing editors, and compared the responses with the original survey results. Surveys were sent to 302 Associated Press managing editors of daily newspapers (with a 48% response rate), and included an explanation about and photograph of videotex. Editors responded to statements about readers' problems in accessing, reading, and finding satisfaction in electronic news delivery. In addition, the survey was uploaded into 117 different areas of CompuServe Information Services, the largest videotex service in the United States. Videotex reader respondents were videotex users in a non-experimental, non-laboratory situation with a variety of interests and reasons for using videotex services. Results suggested that editors have become more negative about audience members' ability to use videotex for news. More editors in 1987 than in 1976 saw videotex as a problem for readers to use, and all of the items were perceived as problems by more editors than readers. Results showed that editors in 1976 were more accurate than current editors at perceiving audience reactions to videotex. In general, videotex was not a problem for readers. (Two tables of data are included, and 31 references are appended.) (MM)

Responsible editors avoid printing falsehoods, but the public sometimes demands that rumors be covered in the press. One example of such rumors and the way editors deal with them is the "Mutilated Boy." The "Mutilated Boy" rumor has been circulating for decades and involves a brutal attack upon a small boy in a public rest room. The "crime" is almost always presented as racially motivated, making it even more sensational. A number of newspapers in areas where this rumor has surfaced printed editorials denouncing the story as false. Media critics tend to advocate simply ignoring such rumors, however, fearing that readers might notice only that an account of the story was published and not that it was being denounced. This presents a dilemma for newspaper editors, who are often accused of "covering up" if they ignore a rumor, but fear that acknowledging a rumor will only serve to fuel it. Experts seem unable to agree on the socially responsible course of action for editors faced with a persistent rumor, suggesting the need for further research. (A bibliography and 50 endnotes are included.) (AEW)

Teachers and their students can benefit from examining the role of professional editors and their response to writing. The editor's role lies primarily in giving service to the writer, the reader, the publishing house, and the power of the written word. Editors like Harold Ross and Max Perkins have evoked the trust of many writers by making sure that each author's ideas were accurately communicated in the text. Saxe Commins excelled at realizing the possibilities in each manuscript he encountered, while Harold Ross viewed his work as a collaborative activity with the author. Among others, Jonathan Galassi and Burroughs Mitchell have commented on editors' dual responsibilities to the writer and the publishing staff. How editors react to these dual pressures has a great impact on what eventually gets into print. Joyce Carol Oates excels in fostering and showcasing many writers' talents. Richard McGuire has asserted that the editor can best reconcile these various roles by simultaneously being faithful to one's own mind and to the mind of the text and, in essence, reading "like a regular citizen." Scott Berg's book "Max Perkins: Editor of Genius" provides an excellent example of this editorial approach. (JD)

The editor of the 'Handbook of Research on Social Studies Teaching and Learning" outlines the reasoning behind and the anticipated content of the handbook. The volume discusses the following topics: audience; scope; style; dimensions of social studies; teachers; students; contexts of social studies education; subject and objectives components; components of instruction; social studies and other curriculum areas; and international perspectives. An appendix outlines the sections and chapters of the handbook. (DB)