Date Approved

4-28-1998

Embargo Period

8-11-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Public Relations

Department

Public Relations & Advertising

College

Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts

Advisor

Resnik, Estelle

Subject(s)

Electronic news gathering; Press releases

Disciplines

Public Relations and Advertising

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if Video News Releases (VNRs) are more effective than written news releases in offering reportable news to television newsroom decision-makers. To answer this question, 45 television newsroom decision-makers from 13 states and the District of Columbia were surveyed. The survey was conducted over the telephone and presented nine questions to decision-makers regarding their usage and storage of VNRs and written news releases. Decision-makers were identified as television news personnel knowledgeable in the usage rate and storage length of VNRs and written news releases.

The study analyzed the responses of all the newsroom decision-makers surveyed, then separated the responses into two segments, larger and smaller media markets. The larger media markets were ranked in the nation's top 25 largest media markets and the smaller were ranked below the top 25 media markets.

The most significant finding was that 65% of the newsroom decision-makers surveyed reported that written news releases are used more often than VNRs in news broadcasts. Survey respondents in both larger and smaller media markets reported little usage of VNRs in news broadcasts. Worth noting is these respondents offer a very small percentage of the habits and opinions of all the television newsroom decision-makers in the country.

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