Using material collected in the aftermath of the 1967 Detroit ghetto outburst, this study attempts to establish a correlation between the demographic characteristics of a community, its geographic proximity to a large black population, and the manner in which riot-related news was presented in a selection of suburban newspapers. The self-interest of competing groups appears to influence both the selection of "news" and the manner in which it is presented to reading publics.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bauer, R. (1958) "The communicator and the audience." J. of Conflict Resolution2, 1: 76-77.
2.
Breed, W. (1955) "Social control in the news room." Social Forces (May).
3.
Chaffee, S. (1972) "The interpersonal context of mass communication ," in G. Kline and P. Tichenor (eds.) Current Perspectives in Mass Communication Research. Beverly Hills: Sage.
4.
Coleman, J. (1957) Community Conflict. New York : Free Press.
5.
Molotch, H. and M. Lester (1974) "News as purposive behavior: on the strategic use of routine events, accidents, and scandals." Amer. Soc. Rev.39: 101-112.
6.
Warren, D. (1970) "Suburban isolation and race tension." Social Problems17: 324-339.