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Latest Issues
MEDIA TENOR TAKES OVER OPERATIONS OF MEDIACHANNEL.ORG
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Agenda Setting and Stock Market
MEDIA TENOR continuously analyzes opinion leading international business media, including Barrons, Financial Times and Wall Street Journal. Based on the analysts quoted in these publications, a virtual fund was created and stocked with 100,000 Euro on October 1st, 2006. As of June 30th, 2007, this fund had a value of 159,000 Euro.
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Consumer Confidence Index follows media ratings
New York, 25 June, Agenda Setting effect allows to predict Consumer Confidence Index. Media Tenor’s latest findings for January 2004 - April 2006 underline a direct correlation between consumer confidence and media coverage of the economy.
Consumer Confidence Index trends in the US trail behind media ratings of the economy by around one month, an on-going comparative study of the two economic indicators by Media Tenor Research Institute shows.
In its analysis, Media Tenor monitored media coverage of the economy on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX evening news. Applying a scientific and verifiable methodology, Media Tenor’s research took into account all statements, forecasts and prognoses of the US economy, including assessments of business sentiments, investment and employment prospects.
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Image of the Middle East suffers from negative news
Iraq is still one of the most covered countries by international media, topping the bill in foreign news coverage in the US and Arab countries. But with terrorism and warfare being the topics most associated with the troubled Middle East country, the audiences in none of those countries can understand the development in this country since the end of the war.
A Media Tenor analysis of news reports by international news media in the US, the Middle East, Germany and South Africa shows that media attention in Iraq reached a peak in January 2005, at the time of its first free elections. Coverage was relatively lower during the rest of 2005 and the first quarter of 2006, although way ahead of media coverage received by any country in the Middle East.
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International comparison of TV news coverage of Iraq
Dresden/Bonn. A new study by Media Tenor, the Bonn media research institute, shows how strongly the TV news coverage of events in Iraq in different countries is influenced by the political climate in those countries. The study, entitled “Framing the War on Terror and Iraq: A Cross- National Perspective,” will be presented to academics and communications experts from around the world on June 19, 2006, in Dresden, at the annual conference of the International Communication Association (ICA). For the study, which was created in cooperation with Emory University (Atlanta, GA), Media Tenor analyzed the TV news coverage of the war in Iraq in March and April of 2003 in Germany, Great Britain, the U.S., the Czech Republic, South Africa and on Qatar’s Al Jazeera.
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Corporate Agenda Setting: Media Coverage and Corporate Reputation
Accounting scandals such as the Enron debacle or governance scandals like Volkswagen’s have put higher pressure on the companies’ corporate reputation. Since then, journalists and – going by the agenda-setting theory – the public have been watching them more closely. The adaptation of that theory to business and company coverage has only played a minor role, although Media Tenor analyses on the interdependency of analyst quotes on the one hand and share price movements on the other do suggest a correlation. The following analysis looks at the effects of media coverage on company images and shows that even a weak media presence can jeopardize corporate reputation.
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Does media image of the country influence tourism?
Media Image of Israel improved significantly over the last three years and consequently more German tourist are thinking Israel a good travel destination. According to Israel’s Central Bureau of statistics, tourist arrivals in Israel increased in 2004 and especially in the first quarter of 2005. Why are people again finding Israel a good travel destination? One of the reasons may be the improvement in the country’s media image in recent years. Media Tenor research institute has analysed German opinion leading media from 1998 to 2005 and came upon an interesting result. In 1999 and 2000 reportage on crisis and terror represented only 20% of the reporting on Israel. In the same years German tourist arrivals in Israel was the highest registered in the last seven years. The situation changed in 2001 when Ariel Sharon came to government. TV journalists changed the topic structure of their reportage, focusing instead on critical aspects while ignoring stories they formerly found newsworthy under the previous government. As many as 80% of all 2002 reports on Israel focused on terror attacks, bombs and suicide-bombers. It cannot come as a surprise then that viewers, who are entirely dependent on media coverage and can not assess the situation in Israel for themselves, abstained from what they must have perceived as a perilous journey. Tourist arrivals in Israel in 2002 fell by 78% when compared to 2000.
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Vast discrepancy in coverage between the tsunami (Dec ?04) and the earthquake (Oct ?05)
There was a perceptible difference between the coverage on the tsunami that hit South-East Asia in December 2004 and the earthquake that hit Pakistan in October 2005. The tsunami received far more extensive coverage in all countries analyzed in both television and print media.
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The media coverage of the UN in Germany, South Africa and the U.S.
A Study conducted by Media Tenor in the U.S., Germany and South Africa shows that the coverage of the UN has been inconsistent in volume, poor in the variety of issues that were reported on, and, in the case of the U.S. media, increasingly negative in tone over the course of the last few months. Last May in New York, before an audience of professors and researchers attending the International Communication Association Conference, Shashi Tharoor, the Undersecretary General for Communications and Public Information of the UN, made very clear that he is aware of the challenges the UN faces in its communication with the public and the media. Not only is the UN working to restore its image, which has been tarnished by scandals in the last year, but it is also aiming to increase public awareness of its programs and to shorten the distance between the UN and communities worldwide.
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Nuclear energy continues to be a controversial issue in the media
Before the German parliamentary elections in 2002, the governing coalition of the Green Party and the Social Democrats counted the exit from nuclear energy among its greatest achievements. The socalled “nuclear consensus” brought calm to the German populace, which had been weary of nuclear energy ever since the meltdown of a reactor in Chernobyl in 1986. Even the country’s large energy providers gave in to the popular consensus. Nuclear technology has consequently not received much attention in German media in recent years. As an analysis by Media Tenor Research Institute of Bonn, Germany, shows, nuclear energy remained far below the public awareness threshold in terms of the volume of coverage it received, with no more than 50 reports per quarter. But earlier this year there was increased public debate about the presence of micro particles in the air and in anticipation of the coming change in the country’s leadership, the issue of nuclear energy has slowly begun to garner more attention again. However, the negative tone of the coverage can only serve to mobilize the opponents of nuclear energy. Beginning with the second quarter of 2004, media reports of nuclear energy have been increasingly negative in tone. It should thus hardly come as a surprise that, according to a recent poll by Emnid, 70% of Germans continue to support the country’s exit from nuclear energy.
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Media presence and rating of Dow Jones companies 2004/2005
Bad news seems to be good for U.S. opinion leading media that are intent on using corporate malfeasance or a change in corporate leadership as the main factor in their news-selection process. This was apparent in the first half of 2004 as well as 2005.
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Why the coverage on politics and business has become an image problem for US brands
US brands in crisis: In December 2004, two studies by renowned market research companies raised attention by confi rming a drop in the approval ratings of McDonalds, Ford & Co. among consumers in Europe and Asia. Especially the “GMI World Poll” underlined the connection between the consumers’ critical view on US foreign policy and an increasingly negative attitude towards American brands. From the Agenda Setting point of view, the public view on the Bush administration is perfectly understandable: Graph 1 illustrates the correlation between German television news coverage on the US government and the increasingly negative polling results throughout the past three years. But Media Tenor data also show that this kind of “framing” through political news coverage is not necessary to explain the bad image many US companies have. Business journalists of the opinion forming media in Germany contribute much more directly to their negative appearance.
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Television?s Power in Shaping Public Opinion
One thing can be observed more and more frequently in poll results: There is a relatively quick progression of ups and downs in the political climate in favor of one party or against another. This is due to the declining number of supporters of Germany’s big parties. Politically unaffiliated voters are no longer making their decisions based on long-standing traditions, but as a reaction to current political events. One day, the scandal around donations leads to a dip in public opinion for the CDU, the next day the excess of five million unemployed sinks the SPD in opinion polls.
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Media image of the top Ten German Companies in opinion-leading U.S. media
Aside from carmakers and financial institutions, German companies were a rare sight in U.S. media during the first four months of 2005, according to an analysis by media research firm Media Tenor of Bonn, Germany. Even large corporations like Siemens and Deutsche Telekom were not able to build a sustainable media presence. Bertelsmann, ranking fifth, received some media attention – however, the news were not always good. In January, reports on pending court proceedings significantly impaired the company’s overall media image.
Deutsche Bank, which has been harshly criticized in German media, received near-balanced media coverage in the U.S. This is in keeping with an overall trend toward more favorable media coverage of business in U.S. media. “We have been observing this trend for several years in our analysis. Unlike in Germany, there is little discussion of the viability of capitalism as a whole in U.S. media, which only serves to broaden the difference in the media coverage in the two countries,“ explains Matthias Vollbracht, Media Tenor’s Head of Economic Research. For this report, Media Tenor analyzed 27,641 passages on companies and executives in eight U.S. media between January 1 and April 30, 2005.
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International media image of U.S. once again suffers
President George W. Bush’s trip to Europe had a positive effect on the international media image of the U.S., but it waned quickly. In March, as they had prior to February, media in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, presented the U.S. in a predominantly negative tone. The prevailing negative public sentiment in Germany toward the U.S. and the president in particular is thus also unlikely to change. The polling institute ipsos found that German respondents’ negative opinion toward the U.S. exceeded their negative opinion of France by a factor of six. In the same poll, conducted 18 months ago, they gave President Bush a negative 2.7 rating on a scale between negative 5 and plus 5, while the French president received a plus 1.5 rating. “Only one month of positive reporting on the U.S. related to the Bush visit to Europe is not enough to change the general climate,” says Markus Rettich, head of political research at the International Media Tenor Institute, based in Bonn, Germany.
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Consumer confidence likely to lose more ground in May
New York, April 28, 2005. Consumer confidence fell in April and is likely to continue to fall over the next month. Media Tenor found a direct correlation between consumer confidence and media coverage of the economy. After eleven years of continuous media analysis, Media Tenor’s research shows a strong correlation between how the media portrays the state of the economy to the general public and public perception of the overall situation of a country’s economy. Media Tenor started to do research on this issue in Germany and has since successfully expanded the scope of inquiry to other countries, such as the U.K., South Africa, the Czech Republic and the U.S.
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Women missing in business media
New York, 28 April 2005. With the success of Condoleezza Rice and other women working in Congress and in President Bush's cabinet, women have also appeared at the center of political news coverage more frequently. However, when it comes to business coverage, women are all but invisible. In the Wall Street Journal, the total share of coverage of female protagonists did not exceed 11% in the last 15 months.
The overall share of coverage of women in U.S. media increased by a small margin in the first quarter of 2005, compared to 2004. Media Tenor Institute analyzed the news coverage in seven opinion-leading media between January, 2004, and March, 2005, and noted each time any individual was mentioned for at least five lines (print media) or for five seconds (TV news).
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Labour is losing ground
Current opinion polls say that Labour is still in the lead, but the government is losing ground: Last Week the Tories were rated better than Labour for the first time since the beginning of March. Media Tenor’s analysis of five TV newscasts and one Sunday paper shows that TV news in particular covered Michael Howard and the Conservative Party in a slightly more negative tone, with overall more positive reporting on BBC’s “Newsnight.” The news coverage of the Tories was particularly positive in the contest of domestic security and immigration enforcement.
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Blair?s waning media star allows for tense election
The coverage of Tony Blair and his opponent Michael Howard in the BBC headline news (News at Six & News at Ten) indicates a narrow race in the upcoming election of the lower houses on May the fifth, as was found by a recent study of the BBC News by the independent media research institute Media Tenor. Blair’s media image was dramatically damaged due to the foundering of his Anti-Terror laws at the end of March. While Blair was criticised around issues of home affairs during the first three months of this year, compared to his opponent, he is trusted upon in issues such as economics and social politics. Even though Blair’s image is showing a downward turn, it certainly is not to say that Howard can present himself as the clear favourite compared to the current Prime Minister.
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How scandals affect companies with little media coverage
Throughout the past three years AIG received only a limited amount of coverage in opinion-leading U.S. media. The main source of media attention was the publication of financial results. Therefore the reputation of the company was not fully controlled. As the crisis hit the surface, their image was badly damaged.
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Germans worried about unemployment
Media reporting on the job market has rapidly increased in Germany over the last four months and as a result the public has been worrying more about the rising unemployment. Media Tenor Research Institute compared media coverage of the job market in German opinion-leading media with the ZDF (German TV) Political Barometer Poll, conducted monthly since October 2004. Media Tenor analyzed all reports concerning unemployment in 36 German media between October 2004 and March 2005 and then compared the media coverage with the public opinion research.
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Perception of industries depends on media image
New York. The perception of industries depends greatly on what people read in the media or see on evening news broadcasts, according to a comparison of Media Tenor's media analysis with research from Gallup. Media Tenor analyzed all reports on companies from various industries on the evening news broadcasts of NBC, ABC, CBS and in Newsweek between January and August 2004 and compared the ratings of the different industries with their public perception.
Of all industries, the IT industry, along with the automobile and airline industries, received the most positive coverage in the media in the first seven months of 2004. The airline industry also received the best ratings in Gallup's 'Business and Industry Sector Rating'-poll in August of 2004, with 60% positive responses.
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Joschka Fisher loses his media image to Christian Wulff
Thanks to the visa affair, Joschka Fisher can’t rely on the media anymore. The new favourite of the month is the Prime Minister of Niedersachsen, Chr istian Wulff. Until recently very popular in the media, foreign minister Joschka Fisher received the worst media image in February from among all politicians. The prevalence of negative reporting represented 19,2%. On the other hand, Christian Wulff experiences an increase in positive reporting to become the centre of media attention. Lots of hope was put in him and he was also presented as a possible candidate for a chancellor. A comparison of the rating of all the reports showed that the CDU candidate, Christian Wulff received a total 16,4% positive prevalence. In February 2004, the prevalence of rating on Mr. Wulff was as low as -28,1%. Joschka Fisher’s media image was even worse that the reporting on German Chancellor Gerhard Schr?der, who is usually at the centre of media attention. Trailing behind fisher’s negative media image were Wolfgang Clement (-13,2%), Hans Eichel (-12,5%) und J?rgen Trittin (-12,2%).
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Did Bush visit cause a positive change in reporting or was it just a temporary trend?
Over the past decade the Anti-American attitude rapidly increased not only in the Muslim world but in all continents including Europe. The world fears and resents the unrivalled power that the U.S has amassed and become more suspicious of U.S motives. The visit of President Bush causes a positive change in the media reporting but for how long? Is the U.S on the way to restoring its trust in Europe?
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Agenda Setting in the U.S job market
Media Tenor compared the media reporting on the job market in the U.S media with the poll conducted by Gallup Organisation. Gallup asked people how they feel about the job situation in America today. The poll was focused on whether it is now a good time or a bad time to find a quality job. Media Tenor compiled the data concerning the situation on the job market including information such as statements, forecasts and prognoses on number of vacancies, rising/decreasing unemployment, the overall situation in the job market etc. and compared the rating of media reports in Newsweek, Time and ABC, NBC, CBS TV news with the poll answers. The study observed that the people’s perception of the reality reflects the media reporting.
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Media Tenor portfolio surpassed the EuroStoxx50-index over 6 months
One of the Media Tenor activities is to search for correlations between reporting in the media on one side and the impact of this information on the share price selected companies.
Media Tenor analysis all the analyst information and quotes related to stock markets and on the basic of this data create its own portfolio. Data are collected from the opinion leading financial newspapers such as WSJE, Financial Times, B?rsen Zeitung, Handelsblatt. One of the relevance criteria is a minimum of 40 statements a week on DAX, MDAX or Euro Stoxx50. Media Tenor is creating its portfolio only from the stocks related data which were quoted more positively than negatively by analyst and journalist at the same time. The positive stocks will be bought and the ones with the negative rating will be excluded from the sample portfolio. Media Tenor buys the stocks every Thursday per closing call and sells the following Monday.
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Spitzer impact was highest in the U.S, banks failed to achieve a trustworthy
Media Tenor research institute conducted the study on U.S opinion leading media on investigations and settlements with regard to the financial industry. This study analyzed the data from 01.01.2004 – 31.12.2004 in 23 U.S. media outlets. All together 79,341 passages on banks, financial services providers, Funds, insurance companies were analysed.
Investigations and settlements are an inherent part of the coverage of the financial industry in 2005. The investigations into various practices of the financial industry started with the burst of the “New Economy” bubble. Investigations by governmental authorities, regulatory bodies or general attorneys in the first phase focused on conflicts of interests within the banking sector (e.g. analysts), followed by trading practices in the investment fund industry. Most recently, Spitzer has focused on the insurance industries’ relations with its brokers and non-traditional forms of ins urance products.
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Media analysis beats economic research
Once again Media Tenor has predicted an increase in the Ifo-Index before the Ifo-Institute announced that its business climate index rose to 96.4 in January from 96.2 in December. In contrast, the majority of analysts estimated that the Ifo-Index would decrease.
The monthly forecast from the independent media research institute is based on the evaluation of leading media indicators such as investments, incoming orders and even general suggestions on the economic development. "Given the high volatility of expectations, entrepreneurs take a close look at the information and climate given in opinion-leading media when asked about their own assessments of business development. Media Tenor takes this into account by analyzing the media both before and while the ifo-questionaire is sent out," explained Matthias Vollbracht, head of economic research at Media Tenor. "The positive trend in the beginning of the year in opinion-leading media has assured that business professionals will enjoy slightly more optimistic expectations for the year 2005."
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Consumer Confidence Index reflects the TV News on economic development
New York, April 28, 2005. Consumer confidence fell in April and is likely to continue to fall over the next month. Media Tenor found a direct correlation between consumer confidence and media coverage of the economy. After eleven years of continuous media analysis, Media Tenor’s research shows a strong correlation between how the media portrays the state of the economy to the general public and public perception of the overall situation of a country’s economy. Media Tenor started to do research on this issue in Germany and has since successfully expanded the scope of inquiry to other countries, such as the U.K., South Africa, the Czech Republic and the U.S.
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Media as a consumer indicator
Die Arbeit von Julia Sophie W?rsdorfer beinhaltet eine theoretische und empirische Analyse zur Hypothese ?ber einen Einfl u? der Konsumentenstimmung auf den privaten Verbrauch (gesamtdeutscher Datensatz, 1995-2002). In diesem Zusammenhang wird ein neuer, potentieller Indikator der Verbraucherstimmung, der sog. „Medienindikator” vorgestellt, welcher aus Daten zur „Medien-Berichterstattung” (s.u.) gewonnen wird. ?ber die Einbeziehung dieser Medienvariable in eine Standard-Konsumfunktion wird gleichzeitig untersucht, ob ein Einfl u? der Medien auf das Konsumverhalten nachweisbar ist. Im Folgenden werden einige relevante Passagen der Arbeit knapp zusammengefa?t.
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Catastrophe with high media presence must occur to realize a change
Media Tenor compares reporting on the Tsunami disaster with the SARS epidemic in April/May two years ago. The Tsunami, triggered by the world’s most powerful earthquake in 40 years, has killed upwards of 160,000 people in Asia and Africa; more than half of the deaths were on Sumatra. Our analysis includes affected countries such as Germany, USA and South Africa. In Germany more than 1,000 tourists are missing and 60 are confirmed dead. Coverage of the Tsunami in Germany was featured in 49,7% of all TV news reports. Germany has made one of the largest donations, which reached 8,25 USD per capita. Reporting in the U.S. followed a similar pattern; the Tsunami was featured in 48,1% of TV news coverage on ABC, NBC and CBS. Two thousand Americans are missing and 35 are confirmed dead. The U.S has donated 1,19 dollars per capita. South Africa didn’t have as many victims and did not focus on the disaster as much as the other countries mentioned. South Africa has reported 11 people dead and 7 missing. The Tsunami was featured in 24,7% of TV news reports.
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One third of the US public portrayed negatively
A Media Tenor study on the coverage of ethnic and racial groups shows that leading US media distorts the image of American society to the general public and thus reinforce old stereotypes with a lack of diversity in reporting.
The analysis focused on reports with a specifi c US ethnic and/or racial group as the main protagonist in TV national network news, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and Time Magazine. The results show an unbalanced portrait of society with minorities playing secondary roles in news stories, while white Americans lead most of the political and economic events.
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Is the low presence of the European election a result of a low EU media image?
The European elections present a welcome opportunity for journalists to lament the decline of support for the European Union in the 25 member countries. Especially in Germany, the approval ratings for EU membership have declined from the early 90s. But the media contributed strongly to this development. By focusing on the executive branch and framing the Union in the context of national politics, media coverage accelerates the devaluation of the ideal of European unifi cation.
On June 13 came the moment of truth for Europe. Just 43.5% of Germans voted in the European elections, less than 1999, when 45.2% of German voters bothered to go to the ballot box – well below the European average in both years. Interestingly, the three-month Eurobarometer poll showed more interest. According to the Spring of 2004 edition, 36% of Germans have a positive attitude towards the European Union. Only 19% take a negative stance. Even more interesting, 45% of the respondents think that Germany has more advantages than disadvantages from EU membership. Obviously it is – for the time – not politically correct to publicly voice opposition of the EU.
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German Media Effects on Tourism in Egypt
In November 1997 the Luxor incident leaves 71 dead out of 60 were tourist coming from Germany, Japan and Switzerland. The incident came two months after nine German tourists and an Egyptian driver were killed when a tour bus was firebombed outside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The incident took place at the Deir al-Bahri temple, also known as Hatshepsut, in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile. The popular archaeological site is located 300 miles (500 km) south of Cairo.
Attacks by Moslem militants have killed at least 34 international tourists in the past five years. Overall about 1,100 people have been killed since 1992, when extremists launched a campaign aimed at ousting President Hosni Mubarak.
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Fear in Germany has Decreased
The R+V insurance poll of 2004 shows that in comparison to 2003, overall fear within the German public has decreased. The issues that worry Germans most are: that daily life will become more expensive, that the economy situation will get worse and that unemployment will continue to rise. According to the study, the fear index of the R+V insurance poll reached a record number in 2003 and since then has slightly decreased. Issues evoking public fear correspond with Media Tenor data analysis.
The most frequent fear, the increase of living costs, is not a common topic in the media. This fear seems to be a result of growing unemployment, negative coverage and forecasts of the general economic situation. Media Tenor data predicts a decrease in the R+V fear index in 2005.
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Investor Relations - Agenda Setting in the Funds Industry
EURO STOXX 50
Analysts' ratings are crucial to the share prices of listed companies and to investor satisfaction. Monitoring these quotations in the global business media enables everyone to judge (eliminate on)on the impact of the media on shareholder‘s behavior. In this context there is a new trend which began in summer 2004 whereas reports on funds increase. At least within the german media, a globalisation has come into effect since german funds no longer seem to be those with the biggest media awareness.
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Election 2004 - Make or Break
Iraq and Security, Media draws voter attention to Security and Iraq
According to Media Tenor’s content analysis of network news and Fox’s Special Report with Brit Hume, coverage in the last week prior to Election Day focused greatly on security and Iraq, bringing those issues to the forefront of the voting public’s minds. Health care, which had been another prominent policy issue since the debates, was almost completely cut off the news agenda. In the last three days prior to Election Day, CBS and FOX overall were clearly more critical on Kerry than on Bush while NBC rated Kerry more positive than Bush. ABC was largely balanced in covering the candidates. Overall, TV news coverage on Bush was particularly positive when presenting opinion poll results.
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Stereotypical reporting on terror harms Israel?s economy
One-sided reporting by foreign media has in.icted serious .nancial damages upon Israel’s economy since September 2000: The losses incurred by industry and tourism since the outbreak of the “Al Aqsa Intifada” amount to an estimated seven billion Euro (8.9 billion Dollar) according to the National Bank of Israel. The fact that many investors and tourists stay away is primarily due to the media’s one-dimensional portrayal of Israel as a war-torn country.
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Media, Evil and Society
Media use and its impacts on crime perception, sentencing attitudes and crime policy.
In democratic societies, crime policy and its management by parliaments and ministries largely depends on trends in crime. If, over a prolonged period, the media report strong upward trends in the number of crimes committed and if the public debate on crime focuses on spectacular, serious crimes, policymakers come under heavy pressure to increase statutory punishments and tighten the rules of procedure for criminal prosecutions1. The courts in turn feel duty bound to hand out tougher sentences2 – passed in the name of the people, their judgements are meant to reflect public opinion3. The question thus arises as to whether long periods of either dwindling or stable crime figures allow policymakers and the courts to soften punishments for specific offences and to place, for example, the notion of offender-victim compensation and offender resocialisation at the forefront.
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Breaking the agenda-cutting phenomenon
US media's coverage of the Democrats and its individual presidential candidates: January - July 2003
Until very recently, before the onset of the war against terrorism in Afghanistan and later Iraq, the thought of an actual challenge to a second term in office for US President George W Bush was almost unthinkable. Yet a ‘terrible week’ in August (to quote Republican party members) that saw the bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad, as well as another suicide bombing in Jerusalem, politically damaged Bush’s trump card – foreign (peace-keeping) affairs, more than ever thought. To steer clear of the issue, Bush chose to focus on US forestation and salmon quotas during his recent tour of the western states. But the power blackout, forcing everyday life to a standstill, raised questions about the vulnerability of the US to further terrorist attacks, clearly showing that the domestic affairs of the United States are in dire need of some attention. The population needs some serious convincing about the wellbeing of their own safety and infrastructure.
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Government image crisis: don't blame the BBC
Coverage of the British government and Prime Minister Tony Blair in BBC and ITV evening news 1-7/2003
The the claim that row between the government and BBC has only just begun. It is not only the result of Andrew Gilligan’s the government communications director, Alistair Campbell, had personally interfered with a secret services dossier on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. Accor-ding to an article by BBC chairman Gavyn Davies in the DAILY TELEGRAPH, ”BBC News was under constant attack from poli-ticians”, during the Iraq war, ”for running a news agenda which they believed was opposed to the government’s case for war”.
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Forgotten Wars
Coverage of wars and conflicts in Africa in International TV News programes
In their annual report of 2002, Human rights watchdog Amnesty International said that September 11 had deepened divisions amongst people and nations. It has certainly changed the patterns in the way media report about global conflicts and events. Up to the 1990’s various academic news flow studies established that news value was determined by certain ‘gatekeeping factors’ and that these factors were predominantly in control of western news agencies, particularly the United States. In 1965, Galtung & Ruge established the model of selective gatekeeping, which primarily dealt with factors that determined the selection and alteration of certain events, amongst them intensity (where matters of ‘national interest’ get higher priority than matters of regular level of significance’), cultural proximity (the closer the event to the culture and interest of the target audience, the more likely the selection) as well as continuity (once an event has been declared ‘newsworthy,’ it is more likely to sustain in the media and push other issues off the agenda). In 1995, US scholars Robert Stevenson and Isabelle Sreberny- Mohammadi came to the conclusion that although the US was still dominating news as a news superpower, other regions, including Africa, were starting to participate in a previously north-west oriented and geographically divided news flow.
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