Professors Earn Grants for Research on Media Influence

Three Penn State professors have been awarded grants worth a total of $7,500 for research projects examining the power of the media. The wide-ranging projects include research on media influence in election campaigns, perceptions of social inequality in India and Korea, and the effectiveness of advertisements aired during the Olympic Games.

Funding for the research grants was provided by the Jimirro Center for the Study of Media Influence at Penn State.

“The diversity of projects supported by this round of grants is a reflection of the Jimirro Center’s mission of examining media influence from a great variety of perspectives,” said Ann Major, director of the Center and associate professor of communications.

Fuyuan Shen, assistant professor of communications, has been awarded $2,500 to examine how exposure to political messages and advertisements will impact voters’ knowledge about and participation in the 2004 federal election. According to Shen, recent research has indicated that election coverage focusing on political strategies, combined with negative advertising by candidates, discourages voters from taking part in elections. Shen seeks to ascertain how media coverage and political ads affect voter participation.

“I am very grateful for the support from the Jimirro Center,” Shen said. “This grant will allow me to apply innovative research methods and measures to investigate media influences during political elections.”

Mary Beth Oliver, associate professor of communications, has been awarded a $2,500 grant to study whether American television shows aired in Korea and India impact viewers’ satisfaction with the quality of their own lives and their perceptions of social inequality with the United States. According to Oliver, people in developing nations who view American television may have a distorted view of the United States. In particular, viewers may misperceive U.S. citizens as wealthier than is actually the case, which could lead to increased materialism and feelings of deprivation and dissatisfaction with their quality of life. Oliver will undertake the study with doctoral candidates Hyeseung Yang and Srividya Ramasubramanian.

“We are delighted to be a recipient of this grant from the Jimirro Center,” Oliver said. “This support will enable us to examine the role of U.S. exported media content on cultivating perceptions and values in other countries. Given increasing globalization, we believe that this is an important and timely issue, and we’re delighted to have the support of the Jimirro Center to help us accomplish research in this area.”

Leslie Jackson Turner, assistant professor of communications, has been awarded a $2,500 grant to study whether businesses that sponsor advertising during the Olympic Games are spending their money wisely.

“Companies spend millions of dollars to advertise during the Olympics,” Turner said. “However, given the tremendous barrage of advertising today’s consumers see every day, businesses need to ask themselves whether the expense of Olympic advertising is justified. Are consumers getting the message?”

Based in the Penn State College of Communications, the Jimirro Center is dedicated to conducting research that examines the influence of the news media on the public. For more information, go to: http://www.comm.psu.edu/jimirro/.

Jimirro Center
contact information:
Ann Marie Major, director
Phone: (814) 863-2370
Email:amm17@psu.edu

More about the Center:
About Jim Jimirro
Board of Directors
Current Research / News