MA in Journalism and Public Relations

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A radio documentary on “body image representation of women in the media
(Griffith College, 2023) Chijuka-Etiaka, Yvonne Anwulikamma
Social media and traditional media can negatively and positively impact the body image of women. The unrealistic standard of beauty affects women's lives as they are plagued with dissatisfaction with their bodies, and in the same vein, it also encourages fit and healthy living amongst women. Every day, women of all ages, shapes, sizes and colors are often faced with all sorts of challenges including comments and remarks about their bodies. In addition, many women find it difficult to source for what is deemed as appropriate clothing for their body types particularly because This radio documentary explores the world of social media and the role it has played in contributing positively and negatively to the way women are portrayed in the media space. This documentary is set to take the listener on a journey as they will hear from a variety of professionals ranging from, a Clinical Psychotherapist/TEDx Public Speaker, Five Professional Models from Vogue on YouTube, Two Aesthetics surgeons from ‘Fault Lines’ YouTube audio clips, a Feminist, and a male Social Media User. As stated above, this supporting documentation will review several kinds of relevant research conducted previously by top scholars about this subject. It will also explain the technical and creative journey that led to the final publication of the documentary “Body Image representation of women in the media”. It will also critically analyze and examine in detail the ways the media, particularly social media, can influence the portrayal of women and their bodies in society.
A study to examine the role of social media within public relations.
(Griffith College, 2019) O'Neill, Elaine
Social media quickly became popular since its introduction over a decade ago. It was quickly adapted into society and has changed how we act and interact with others. Not only has it changed how we interact as individuals it has changed how businesses and consumers interact with each other. It has provided a new tool for public relations practitioners to communicate directly with their audiences. However, as social media is a relatively new tool for businesses it is important to examine how and why it is used within companies. This study set out to examine what the role of social media is within public relations by examining how companies used their social media accounts, what content they posted and examining the opinions and uses of social media among public relations professionals. The research questions addressed in this study are: 1. What is the role of social media within public relations? 2. Is the pattern of social media use consistent across these different businesses and participants? 3. Is third party media coverage and ‘word of mouth’ communication still important to companies and consumers? The study followed a mixed methods approach combining both qualitative and quantitative research. To collect this data an online analysis (content and engagement) of three companies social media accounts was conducted followed by two interviews with public relations and communications professionals and a further survey among seven other public relations and communications professionals. The results of this research indicated that social media is used within public relations for relationship building, two-way communication, reputation management, content control and word of mouth communication.
An Analysis of Suicide Reporting in Three in Print Daily National Newspapers – Irish Independent, Irish Examiner and the Herald, over two twelve month periods, 1999 and 2016
(Griffith College, 2017) Whelan, Anne Marie
Suicide reporting can be dilemmatic, whereby the Irish in print newspapers have to make on the spot decisions as to whether they should publish a suicide news story that is in the public’s interest, even it might cause further upset to the families involved. Thereby, suicide reporting can become a dilemmatic issue for the newspaper involved, who has to strike a balance between producing good quality suicide reports which comply with media guidelines or breaching the guidelines and produce poor quality suicide reporting, just to satisfy the public’s curiosity. Therefore, this research aims to analyse suicide reporting in three Irish in print daily national newspapers, over two twelve month periods, 1999 and 2016, so as to analyse the quality, quantity of suicide reporting and to give a retrospective look at how suicide reporting has changed, over two twelve month periods, 1999 and 2016. This dissertation focuses on analysing suicide reporting in three Irish in print daily national newspapers – Irish Independent; Irish Examiner and Herald, so as look at how suicide reporting on can stigmatise and/or sensationalise the issue of suicide in Ireland. This dissertation has met the research aim through a Triangulation research method approach, which is a mix of quantitative and qualitative content analysis research methods. This research has produced an analysis of the relevant literature pertaining to the analysis of suicide reporting, which discusses the use of media guidelines; news frames, news values and images in suicide reporting, in in three in print newspapers – Irish Independent; Irish Examiner and the Herald, over two twelve month periods, 1999 and 2016. This research reveals that whilst the coverage of suicide was high in 1999, it raised awareness of suicide in a negative way because the newspapers did not adhere to media guidelines, which could have an effect on imitative suicide behaviour in vulnerable people, who are susceptible to the way suicide is reported on in print newspapers. The main conclusions which can be drawn from this research is that the high amount of coverage given to suicide in 1999 coincided with the high suicide rate in 1998 and this made suicide newsworthy. Moreover, it can be concluded that the quality of suicide reporting in 2016, in comparison to the corresponding reporting period in 1999, has significantly improved and can be attributed to all three daily national newspaper’s compliance to media guidelines on suicide reporting which are enforced by Headline, the Media Monitoring Programme. This research argues for the continued compliance of the in print daily national newspapers to media guidelines on suicide reporting and to foster a more open and destigmatised attitude towards suicide in the Irish in print newspapers and the general public.
Effective Public Relations Practice for SMEs In Developing Countries: A Case Study of Nigeria.
(Griffith College, 2020) Ibrahim, Hadiza
SMEs are essential to the growth and development of nations. Compared to large enterprise, SMEs have unique public relations need. Though public relations tools remain the same globally, the practice vary from geographical location and culture. This study investigates if SMEs in Nigeria can raise their profile using public relations. The research questions addressed in this study are: a) Can Public Relations be used to raise the profile of SMEs in developing countries? b) Can SMEs adopt Public Relations Practices of Large Enterprises? A mixed methods approach was applied in the study. To collect the data a self-administered questionnaire was used. This questionnaire was filled by SME owners/managers followed by interviews with journalist and public relations experts in Nigeria. The results from this research indicates that SMEs in developing counties as Nigeria can use public relations to raise their profile however there is need to educate SME owners on the function and importance of public relations. Furthermore, the unethical practice of paying for media coverage need to be investigated.
Effective Use of Social Media in Public Relations in Nigerian Businesses: A Case Study of The Nigerian Banking Sector
(Griffith College, 2020) Ufuoma, Precious Ughakp
Social media has fast become a digital transformative tool for businesses. The introduction of social media into the business space through the internet is a notable innovation that has received wide recognition as a platform that changed how people and business interact with each other. Though its importance cannot be overemphasized, public relations (PR) practitioners must continue to evolve and stay up-to-date and meet up with the constantly changing trends as well as the audience demands. This research set out to determine the effective use of social media in the Nigerian banking industry by examining how Nigerian banks and PR professionals/agencies use their social media profiles, user engagements on these social media profiles, how the effectiveness of social media PR campaigns are measured and the roles social media has played in the PR of Nigerian banks. The research questions addressed in this study are What role does social media play in public relations in the banking sector? ;How can the effective use of social media improve the achievement of a positive and sustainable relationship between banks and its public? and What are the factors that determine social media platforms employed by public relations practitioners in banks?The study utilized a mixed methods approach combining both qualitative and quantitative research methods, to collect this data, a social media audit report on the Facebook, Instagram and twitter accounts on top 5 performing Nigeria banks was carried out followed by questionnaire distribution to 70 PR professionals in the Nigerian banking industry and Interviewing 4 prominent PR practitioners in the banking Industry.The results of this study indicated that social media is effectively used to publicize, inform and educates the public on the services and products being offered by the banks, facilitates corporate communication through two-way communication that is instrumental in countering wrong publicity and threat to goodwill, attending to public complaints and promotion of events that helps in creating and building important relationships with customers. The study also revealed that the factors that influence the use of certain social media mediums like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook over others are customer feedback, complaints, engagement, and inquiry on the platforms. Further research is needed into different industries to carry out comparative analysis and establish a trend with the way different industries use social media for PR as well as expanding this research into different forms of banking such as commercial banking, investment banking, retail banking, credit unions etc. as they all have different target audiences and it expected that PR strategies used would vary for these different forms of banking.
Female Journalists, A Comparative Study of Gender Discrimination in Workplace in Turkey and Ireland.
(Griffith College, 2023) Demir, Elif Ipek
Female Journalists, A Comparative Study of Gender Discrimination in Workplace in Turkey and Ireland. The purpose of this dissertation is to analyse the gender discrimination that women journalists are facing in the workplace. Comparing two countries, Ireland and Turkey, the experiences of three women journalists in Turkey and three from Ireland are included. All of the journalists are selected from different news companies. The gender discrimination aspects are payment and employment gap, unseen glass ceiling difficulties and mental and physical sexism experiences. Moreover, the steps that authorities and government are taking in order to improve workplace conditions and regulations are studied. To create a better understanding of how workplace gender discrimination is taking place in two different countries, I did a literature review first and then, created my questions to ask my interviewees. After getting the results, I combined my interview answers with the result and finally, I discussed the two countries' results.
How Kurdish Female Fighters are Represented by the Media.
(Griffith College, 2018) Spiga, Marta Rosa
The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate how Kurdish female fighters are represented in the media. According to Dilar Dirik (2014), the Western media has given a great deal of attention to Kurdish female fighters, but, according to Emanuela C. Del Re (2015), it has “focused on the sensational aspects rather than on analysis of the facts”. The objective of this paper was to determine whether the Italian, English and Turkish press provide in-depth analysis when they describe their motivations and reasons for fighting or whether they merely treat their ideas in a shallow way. The method adopted by the author to conduct the research was quantitative content analysis. Moreover, the author sought to analyse whether the Italian media and the English media shared the same perspectives and used the same frames when describing the female fighters. Finally, the research was aimed at determining whether there was a perspective shared by all Western newspapers and whether this was different from that of the Turkish media. Ultimately, it was found that female emancipation was not treated merely a good tool to improve the PKK’s image in the international press coverage and thus in Western public opinion.
How Many ‘Likes’ Is My Life Worth: A radio documentary exploring the Psychological effects of social media.
(Griffith College, 2018) Chapman, Gillia
The development of social media has been one of the biggest changes in society over the last 20 years. When it was first established, the premise was entangled with aiding people to communicate and form connections. Today, social media is widely utilised by account holders to present a ‘perfect’ version of themselves and project the best version of their lives to those who follow them. Mental health and well-being are an increasingly acknowledged aspect of an individual’s overall health, in society today. Over the last number of years, there has been an increase in young people suffering from mental health issues. Could there be a correlation between the development of social media and this growth in the number of young people struggling with their mental health? This documentary explores the world of social media and the way in which it is utilised, to discover whether the way we interact with it is affecting people psychologically. The listener is brought on a journey, hearing from a range of mental health professionals, a tech expert and social media users. The voices throughout give an insight into how we use social media, how it can negatively affect us and how frequent users feel it may be negatively impacting their lives. The unearthed facts and opinions explain how social media is changing our brains and affecting the development of one’s sense of self, and how the facilitation of comparisons on social media is causing general anxiety, depression and has links with eating disorders. This accompanying document outlines the research journey of the subject of this documentary by referring to relevant literature and studies conducted in this area. This document also explains the creative and technical process that led to the final edit of the documentary ‘How Many ‘Likes’ is My Life Worth’.
How to survive in the pool of festivals: A guide for the right use of PR to promote music festivals
(Griffith College, 2016) Kruger-Franke, Lisa
Music festivals have been around since the ancient Egyptian times and they’ve developed into an even bigger, more popular thing in the recent history. Beside all the already existing festivals around Europe, there are new ones being created all around the continent year after year as well. This arises the question, how those can survive in the pool of already existing festivals. I wanted my research to mainly focus on Ireland and Germany in comparison, but since it’s becoming more and more popular to travel for festivals and since some events are also famous beyond the border of their home country, I decided to include a few other countries as well. In order to answer the question I was conducting a content analysis with articles about ten different festivals in 20 different newspapers around Germany, Ireland, England and the US. The timeframe included 2010 to 2016 and I looked at both successful and failing events. On top of that, I conducted six interviews with journalists, both German and Irish, and two interviews with festival organisers, one Irish and one Suisse. The whole research showed, that there’s not much difference in the basis of festival promotion within Europe, it only depends on its size and at times on the size of the country. It became clear as well, that branding should be the first step when establishing a new music festival. The research also showed that the line‐up will probably always be the most important factor and that even bigger festivals can get negative comments about their choice of headliners. On top of that, it is important to be different and not copy other festivals in what they’re doing in order to get attention from journalists and the public.
Media Coverage of Sexual Crimes: A case study
(Griffith College, 2017) Escobar de Oliveira, Vithória
Newspapers have been carrying the key responsibility of disseminating information to the general public and, as a consequence, exert a great influence on public opinion. When it comes to sex crimes coverage, patriarchy and sexism still has great influence, as it is clear the given roles to both female victim and male perpetrator, usually filled with myths and stereotypes. With this idea, the purpose of this study is to identify sexist patterns and stereotypes in news media when reporting sexual crimes regarding two rape cases occurred in Brazil and Ireland. Through a content analysis of different and selected Irish, British and Brazilian publications, newspapers were noticed to present both victim and perpetrator in two different but equally sexist manners.
Partisanship in the Brexit News Media – A Content Analysis of Newspapers of Record in Britain, Ireland and Northern Ireland.
(Griffith College, 2020) Reid, Patrick
The representation of Brexit in the news media has been a point of debate since the referendum announcement by then UK Prime Minister David Cameron in February 2016. Formal studies by academics, academic institutions and news organisations, in addition to anecdotal reports, have scrutinised coverage and dissected news and opinion across the UK and beyond. This study explores Brexit-orientated articles from The Irish Times, The Times(UK edition) and The Belfast Telegraph in the week leading up to the Brexit referendum, providing a comprehensive insight into Brexit coverage in three newspapers of record in key jurisdictions across the UK and Ireland. This study organises predominantly quantitative data to collate and categorise a large body of articles from across the five days prior to the referendum and to a lesser extent, adopts a lighter qualitative approach to examine the data more closely. The study attempts to ascertain whether the newspapers’ overarching preference tilts toward Remain or Leave and whether examining articles in three different segments –political, financial and human-interest –reveal partisanship. It also examines the prevalence of key quoted individuals and the quantity and coverage afforded to each side. The study finds that empirically, all three newspapers appear to favour a Remain result to varying degrees, but that coverage of each side, individuals and their respective campaign messages is mixed, with a slight tilt toward Leave.
Polarization of Indian media in communicating public policies – content analysis of headlines.”
(Griffith College, 2023) Konwar, Dipyasuruj
This dissertation investigates the contemporary media landscape of India. It examines and contrasts the headlines from the three most prominent English language dailies of India - Times of India, Hindustan Times, and The Hindu—focusing on the headlines of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of 2019. The study, which uses a mixed-method approach, looks at differences in reporting’s tone, wording, and emphasis to spot any potential biases in favour of or against the government’s policy. The study investigates how such contentious reporting may affect how the CAA is perceived and understood by the general public, as well as its broader effects on democracy and public discourse. This study offers helpful insights for media practitioners, politicians, and researchers negotiating the complexities of media-government interactions in India’s diverse and dynamic democracy by challenging the alignment of polarized reporting with responsible journalism and media ethics.
Political Representation and Gender Bias in News Media: The Portrayal of Liz Truss and Nicola Sturgeon
(Griffith College, 2024) Del Sette, Stefania
Gender equality and the importance of the presence of women in politics are among the most relevant topics discussed in contemporary society. The representation given by the media of women in politics is essential to ensure a society which is not biased by gender stereotypes when it comes to ensuring gender equality and access to appropriate policies for women. Literature shows how the portrayal of women in politics is often biased by gender scripts and stereotypes, undermining their credibility and female political engagement. This project analyses the media portrayal of Liz Truss and Nicola Sturgeon, two influential women politicians, by the hand of the British and Scottish news media, specifically in five relevant newspapers. The print coverage will be observed for a length of time corresponding to one week before and four days following their resignation, respectively In 2022 and 2023. A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis will be conducted to identify gender biases and stereotypes in their political representation. Three British newspapers and two Scottish ones have been selected in view of the different prevenience of the politicians. The analysis showed a general presence of gender bias in the description of Liz Truss and Nicola Sturgeon, with a prevalence regarding the last one, along with their political critiques. Each newspaper presents peculiarities based on its political alignment and media agenda. The references to their personal life and appearance are predominant elements among the spectrum of gender stereotypes. The articles examined mostly indicate the presence of a patriarchal narrative in the depiction of Liz Truss and Nicola Sturgeon, involving eh reiteration of gender stereotypes.
Power of the post: Instagram is the chosen social media platform for PR content of cosmetic companies.
(Griffith College, 2019) Burke, Diane
Social media has changed the PR landscape from exclusively focusing on traditional media to developing a two-way ongoing conversation between a company and their consumers. As we live a lot of our lives online, many brands have capitalised on this communication revolution we are currently experiencing. Through both visual and textual PR content posted on social media platforms, companies create brand awareness and communicate directly with their consumers. This study investigates why Instagram has been the most successful social media platform for PR content in the context of cosmetic companies from a consumer’s perspective with a self administered online questionnaire. A second source of research is in the form of interviews with two PR executives who are currently working in consumer PR agencies to gather relevant information from industry experts. The final source of research is a content analysis of Instagram posts from three Irish cosmetic companies. It was found that the features on Instagram are the reason why it has emerged as the most suitable social media application for PR purposes. Throughout the research, the impact that visual content posted from Irish cosmetic companies has on perceptions of female beauty is considered.
Propaganda In Children’s Games.
(Griffith College, 2018) Zell, Lara
This dissertation identifies and analyses propaganda in games for children. A case study of games in the National Socialism context interprets examples of influential games and the development of manufacturers during the Second World War. An outlook on today’s toy market studies the ongoing influence of recent games regarding the increase of patriotism. The research questions are answered through qualitative research, including case studies and content analysis. Games are defined as propaganda if they have a political influence on the child, e.g. militarisation, nationalism or globalisation. The high effect of games on children is explained with several theories on how they play and learn. Games are an important part of their identity and help them to try out life plans and build their personalities. Play prepares them for reality. The ideas of play can be influenced by the material offered. Children are easy to influence and may adapt the views throughout their life. The disadvantage is that children cannot process as much information or understand political topics in their full complexity. The propaganda has to be specifically designed for the age group. Theories about propaganda and ideology are also applied. Tuch’s (1990) theory of white, grey and black propaganda is the key theory. Most games are identified as grey propaganda, as they have a manipulative effect without falsifying information or sources. The toy market shows changes with the political situation, e.g. a militarisation in the product range before a war. This dissertation offers ideas on research about the media handling of children.
The Influence of Instagram on the Irish Fashion Industry.
(Griffith College, 2019) Doherty, Hayle
Fashion and social media play a major role in society. Fashion houses and designers have existed since the 19th century, with trends, patterns and models changing every day. The first social media platform was created in 1997, followed by the first blog in 1999. Since the beginning of 2000, the digital age began to expand. Platforms such as MySpace, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram are becoming an everyday norm in society. In the present day, both social media and the fashion industry are worldwide recognised platforms. Fashion and social media have now become intertwined, with social media shaping a huge impact on the fashion industry in terms of sales, marketing, P.R, blogging and retail. Throughout this study, the researcher will investigate the influence social media has on the fashion industry. As both are recognised platforms, the study will focus on the social media platform of Instagram created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Kreiger in 2010 and the Irish fashion industry in the present day. In order to identify the influence Instagram has on the fashion industry, the three themes of retail, blogging and P.R which shape the industry will be explored using the methods; interviews, a questionnaire and a content analysis of two Irish fashion magazines. Since the industry in Ireland is expanding every year with fashion bloggers, stylists, P.R’s and influencers, it was found throughout the study that social media plays a huge role in terms of sales growth, recognition, fame and wealth. Within this dissertation, the findings of the research on how Instagram is influencing the Irish fashion industry will be articulated.
The portrayal of women in online and print advertising
(Griffith College, 2017) Gordon, Hazel
Advertising and the media have a significant and influential role in society, because we want to know what is going on around us and they set the agenda for this. Advertisements tell people what to buy, what to look like, and what to desire. Images are used to grab the attention of the potential market. Advertisers often use women for this, and in doing so exploit and demean women’s rights. Consumers are exposed to these negative portrayals of women continuously due to smart phones, social media platforms, and outdoor advertisements, as well as the traditional forms of media. This study investigates a particular group of sexist image adverts, from the years 2007 to 2017, in order to identify what form of sexism is present, documenting trends that occur along the way. A second source of research is in the form of a focus group to gather opinions from a third party regarding the depiction of women, including how/ if this depiction has changed since the 1960s. The 1960s was chosen as a comparative decade as this was the time when the degree of women’s rights was argued, leading to the emergence of the second wave of Feminism. It was found that the female depiction had altered to a different form of sexism, but had not progressed significantly, and did not reflect a modern societal attitude. Throughout the research, the impact advertising has on men, and how women are used to market to a male audience is considered.
The role of the Irish Times opinion pages in the formulation of public opinion and shaping the political agenda in Ireland: A case study of the 2018 8th Amendment Referendum in Ireland.
(Griffith College, 2019) Malone, Abigail
The research question proposed is an analysis on ‘The role of the Irish Times opinion pages in the formulation of public opinion and shaping the political agenda in Ireland: A case study of the 2018 8th Amendment Referendum in Ireland.’ The opinion pages of print media have the ability to change minds and influence the political agenda. In an era where fake news and biased reporting is prevalent, the need for diverse viewpoints to be represented in a balanced manner in the opinion columns of national newspapers across the world is more urgent than ever. Representation within the powerful opinion columns is needed to encourage healthy discourse and democratic conversations and prevent individuals and politicians from being immersed in an echo chamber of their own opinion. It is widely recognised that newspapers, editors and journalists have a professional obligation to maintain a balance and impartiality in their publication. This thesis demonstrates the ability that the opinion pages have to change the mind of the reader and be a powerful actor in setting the political agenda by influencing the elite members in society. The nature of opinion pages in the Irish Times, in relation to the 2018 8th Amendment referendum in Ireland, is analysed. The 8th Amendment recognised the equal right to life of the unborn child and mother and, with exception to limited circumstances, prevented abortion services being available in Ireland. The referendum in May 2018 sought to remove this amendment and legislate for abortion in Ireland. A mixed method research approach was utilised in this study which included qualitative and quantitative analyses on the persuasion of the selected opinion pages. The findings showed that the Irish Times opinion pages published in relation to abortion and the 8th Amendment in Ireland during the month of May 2018, before the referendum took place, were dominated by the pro-repeal, ‘Yes’, side of the abortion debate. Out of the forty-nine Irish Times opinion pages studied, twenty-eight of the opinion pages proposed a repeal of the 8th Amendment in Ireland while twelve opinion pages argued in favour of keeping the 8th Amendment. In addition to this, six opinion pieces were neutral on the topic while three opinion pieces were excluded from the content analysis data set as they were irrelevant to the debate. This research illustrates the need for a more varied discourse within national media outlets in Ireland regarding topical social and political issues. The research exemplified the need to challenge the biases prevalent in the opinion pages of national and widely read newspapers in Ireland and demand more representation of differing viewpoints within the national media.
Why are there so few female Music Producers?
(Griffith College, 2017) Kiely, Yvonne
Music has had a place in human culture for thousands of years, and digital technology has made music production practices more accessible than ever to artists. Even with increased accessibility and multiple platforms and programmes for artists to learn these techniques, gender is still a defining feature of the music industry. This research draws from women’s experiences in music to build a multi-layered understanding of how their careers are shaped by societal norms, gendered expectations and performances, the media and its objectification of women’s bodies and their sexuality, the narrowing of the definition of ‘woman’ in the industry, the gendering of musical structures and space in the industry, and in wider society. Women and men travel different career paths in music, exist in different spheres in the industry, and face more obstacles in the development of a professional identity throughout their career. Six interviews with six women in various roles in the industry, and a content analysis of two widely known music magazines brought this research to these conclusions. What became apparent was that there are more female music producers in the industry than meets the eye; it is more so a matter of visibility and acknowledgement than there being so few women. While facing pressures from several angles at once, this research concludes that the less visible space that women do occupy can serve to carve out a new path for women in music, one that is not structured by a male history, and one that does not objectify women and their identities.
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