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The News Quality Index: An Instrument for Assessing Local TV News.

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Title: The News Quality Index: An Instrument for Assessing Local TV News.
Language: English
Authors: Roberts, Churchill L., Dickson, Sandra H.
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 29
Publication Date: 1983
Document Type: Reports - Research
Speeches/Meeting Papers
Descriptors: Attitude Measures, College Students, Content Analysis, News Reporting, Programing (Broadcast), Rating Scales, Television Research, Television Viewing
Abstract: To assess the quality of local news programs, a News Quality Index was develped for a study that consisted of three parts: a content analysis of local television news, an audience analysis of the kinds of news stories that are most important, and an outside the market viewer analysis of the way in which anchors for news, sports, and weather are perceived. A recording was made during the week of May 24-28, 1982 of the half-hour, early evening newscasts of the three network affiliates in the Mobile, Alabama-Pensacola, Florida market. One videotape for each station, with three minutes of news anchor reporting followed by three minutes of sports anchor reporting and three minutes of weather reporting, were presented to 37 students from a vocational school and community college outside the Mobile-Pensacola viewing area. Results showed that only one measure, the average number of minutes of commercials, revealed significant differences across stations. Concerning the technical quality of the newscast, analysis showed that the station that scored highest in the rankings contained more techniques per video tape recordings, more slides and stills accompanying the news anchor reporting, and a greater amount of video accompanying the sports reporter. Audience preferences revealed almost no relationship or a negative one between audience ratings of the relative importance of different kinds of news stories and the station's attention to these stories. Four categories were ranked as important in determining news quality, in the following order: news substance, technical quality, the association between public preference for news stories and the amount of time stations devoted to them, and the ratings of news, sports, and weather anchors. (HOD)
Entry Date: 1983
Accession Number: ED229775
Database: ERIC
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  Data: The News Quality Index: An Instrument for Assessing Local TV News.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Roberts%2C+Churchill+L%2E%22">Roberts, Churchill L.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dickson%2C+Sandra+H%2E%22">Dickson, Sandra H.</searchLink>
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  Data: 29
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 1983
– Name: TypeDocument
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  Data: Reports - Research<br />Speeches/Meeting Papers
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitude+Measures%22">Attitude Measures</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Content+Analysis%22">Content Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22News+Reporting%22">News Reporting</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Programing+%28Broadcast%29%22">Programing (Broadcast)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rating+Scales%22">Rating Scales</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Television+Research%22">Television Research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Television+Viewing%22">Television Viewing</searchLink>
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  Data: To assess the quality of local news programs, a News Quality Index was develped for a study that consisted of three parts: a content analysis of local television news, an audience analysis of the kinds of news stories that are most important, and an outside the market viewer analysis of the way in which anchors for news, sports, and weather are perceived. A recording was made during the week of May 24-28, 1982 of the half-hour, early evening newscasts of the three network affiliates in the Mobile, Alabama-Pensacola, Florida market. One videotape for each station, with three minutes of news anchor reporting followed by three minutes of sports anchor reporting and three minutes of weather reporting, were presented to 37 students from a vocational school and community college outside the Mobile-Pensacola viewing area. Results showed that only one measure, the average number of minutes of commercials, revealed significant differences across stations. Concerning the technical quality of the newscast, analysis showed that the station that scored highest in the rankings contained more techniques per video tape recordings, more slides and stills accompanying the news anchor reporting, and a greater amount of video accompanying the sports reporter. Audience preferences revealed almost no relationship or a negative one between audience ratings of the relative importance of different kinds of news stories and the station's attention to these stories. Four categories were ranked as important in determining news quality, in the following order: news substance, technical quality, the association between public preference for news stories and the amount of time stations devoted to them, and the ratings of news, sports, and weather anchors. (HOD)
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  Data: 1983
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 29
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Attitude Measures
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Content Analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: News Reporting
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Programing (Broadcast)
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      – SubjectFull: Rating Scales
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      – SubjectFull: Television Research
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      – SubjectFull: Television Viewing
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      – TitleFull: The News Quality Index: An Instrument for Assessing Local TV News.
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              Y: 1983
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