Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

1968

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Journalism

Abstract

A weekly newspaper needs to measure its value to the community it services. It needs to know how highly it is valued in general and how highly it is valued in certain areas. To discover the value of The Sioux Valley News to its readers the Bush Brinton and Newell test was used to measure the public's attitude toward the newspaper. The test was used by the researcher to determine how the newspaper was valued on the particular dimensions it encompasses. It was the objective of the author that through such an investigation it would be possible to determine the attitudes of readers toward The Sioux Valley News. Two studies were conducted a year apart. By using two studies, the author hoped not only to measure the readers' attitudes at two different times, but to note if a change in their attitudes had occurred in that amount of time. The first is referred to as Study A, the second as Study B. Attitudinal dimensions were charted. Attitudinal dimensions are a component of a person's total attitude toward something. Although the reader may have an attitude of favorableness or unfavorableness toward his newspaper, he will also have more intense attitudes, some of which may be more favorable than others. For example, he may be highly favorable toward the newspaper so far as adequacy of news content is concerned, but less favorable toward it on the grounds of political and economic fairness. The dimensions used under this measure of attitudes were: responsibility for accuracy, political and religious fairness, representativeness, independence from pressure, adequacy of news content, check on government, authoritarianism, confidence in leadership on political issues and candidates, responsibility for advertising content, human worth and dignity and general satisfaction. Therefore, the objective of the investigation was to determine if there was a change over a one-year period in the attitudes of the readers as measured by the attitudinal dimensions.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Sioux Valley News (Canton, S.D.)
Newspapers
Community newspapers -- South Dakota

Format

application/pdf

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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