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Portrayal of Russian Women in American Network News

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Portrayal of Russian Women in American Network News PORTRAYAL OF RUSSIAN WOMEN IN AMERICAN NETWORK NEWS by IRINA VLADLENOVNA MAISTRENKO, B.A. A THESIS IN MASS COMMUNICATIONS Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial FulfiHment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS Approved August, 1997 0 V^ W j\'-^vl'^Jd ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the chairperson of my committee. Dr. Keith F. Johnson, for his inspiration, guidance, and interest in the subject matter of this thesis. Without his direction and patience, this work could not have been successfully completed. Special thanks are also extended to the other committee members, Dr. Wayne iVIelanson, and Dr. Mark Harmon, for their assistance and criticism. Additionally, I would like to thank my family for their support and encouragement making this study possible. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMTS ii ABSTRACT v LIST OF TABLES vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. LITERATURE REVIEW AND HYPOTHESES 3 Literature Review 3 Research Questions 22 Hypotheses 24 III. METHODOLOGY 2 6 Method 2 6 Coding 33 IV. RESULTS 36 Cold War Period (1968-1991): Role Portrayal (Research Questions #1 and #2)... 37 Post-Cold War Period (1992-1997): Role Portrayal (Research Questions #3, #4, and # 9) 3 9 Cold War Period (1968-1991): Types of Stories in Which Russian/Soviet Women Were Portrayed (Research Question #5) 41 Post-Cold War Period (1992-1997): Types of Stories in Which Russian/Soviet Women Were Portrayed (Research Questions #6 and #10) 42 Cold War Period (1968-1991): The Tone of the Stories Portraying Russian/Soviet Women (Research Question #7) 4 4 Post-Cold War Period (1992-1997): The Tone of the Stories Portraying Russian/Soviet Women (Research Questions #8 and #11) 44 iii V. TEST OF HYPOTHESES 62 VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 64 VII. IMPLICATIONS 67 VIII. FUTURE RESEARCH ON THE TOPIC 68 REFERENCES 69 APPENDIX 72 IV ABSTRACT A content analysis was conducted in order to determine current Russian/Soviet women portrayals in American network TV news and find out whether the change in these portrayals has occurred since the end of the Cold War. There were two specific periods measured in this study: Cold War (1968-1991) and post-Cold War (1992-1997). The results suggested that evening network TV portrayal of Russian/Soviet women, the roles they play in the society, topic coverage and tone of the stories in which they were depicted, has changed since the Cold War ended. It was hypothesized that Russian/Soviet women would be portrayed more in occupational roles in the post-Cold War period then in Cold War period. Additionally, there would be higher percentage of neutral stories, content of which is balanced and betrays no controversial intention, portraying Russian/Soviet women in the post-Cold War period than in the Cold War period. Finally, there would be higher percentage of human-interest stories, which include stories related to culture, marriage and family, health, environment, tourism, sports, and fashion and style, in the post-Cold War period than in the Cold War period. The results showed that Russian/Soviet women were indeed portrayed more in occupational roles in the post-Cold War period than in the Cold War period. All three networks v considered, 44.3% of Russian/Soviet women were depicted in occupational roles during the post-Cold War period, while only 32.4% of women were shown in occupational categories during the Cold War period. There was a higher percentage of neutral (balanced) stories portraying Russian/Soviet women during the post-Cold War period than during the Cold War period. Fifty-five and four-tenths percent of the stories depicting Russian/Soviet women were neutral during the post-Cold War period while, during the Cold War period, only 24.1% of the stories were neutral. It was hypothesized that there would be a higher percentage of human-interest stories (culture, marriage and family, health, environment, tourism, sports, and fashion and style) during the post-Cold War period than during the Cold War period. The results supported this assumption: 27% of these stories were shown during the post-Cold War period as compared to 20.5% during the Cold War period. However, the increase in human-interest stories during the Cold War period was not as much as expected. VI LIST OF TABLES 1. Unit of Analysis per Year (1968-1997) 4 6 2. Unit of Analysis per Year: Cold War Period (1968-1991) 47 3. Unit of Analysis per Year: Post-Cold War Period (1992-1997) 4 8 4. Occupation: Cold War Period (1968-1991). All Networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC 4 9 5. Occupation: Cold War Period (1968-1991). Separate Measures for ABC, CBS, and NBC 50 6. Occupation: Post-Cold War Period (1992-1997). All Networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC 51 7. Occupation: Post-Cold War Period (1992-1997). Separate Measures: ABC, CBS, and NBC 52 8. Comparative Table; Occupation: Cold War (1968-1991) and Post-Cold War (1992-1997). All Networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC 53 9. Types of Stories: Cold War Period (1968-1991). All Networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC 54 10. Types of Stories: Cold War Period (1968-1991). Separate Measures: ABC, CBS, and NBC 55 11. Types of Stories: Post-Cold War Period (1992-1997). All Networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC 56 12. Types of Stories: Post-Cold War Period (1992-1997). Separate Measures: ABC, CBS, and NBC 57 13. Comparative Table; Types of Stories: Cold War (1968-1991) and Post-Cold War (1992-1997). All Networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC 58 14. Tone of the Story: Cold War Period (1968-1991). All Networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC 59 15. Tone of the Story: Cold War Period (1968-1991). Separate Measures: ABC, CBS, and NBC 59 16. Tone of the Story: Post-Cold War Period (1992-1997). All Networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC 60 vii 17. Tone of the Story: Post-Cold War Period (1992-1997). Separate Measures: ABC, CBS, and NBC 60 18. Comparative Table; Tone of the Story: Cold War (1968-1991) and Post-Cold War (1992-1997). All Networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC 61 Vlll CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The purpose of this research is to look closely at the portrayal of Russian/Soviet women in modern U.S. television network news. This research is especially noteworthy at the end of the Cold War when each nation's image of the other is undergoing change. Additionally, in the era of the feminist revolution, the changing roles of women have thrust them into a fast growing economic sector in both the United States and the former Soviet Union. It is very important to determine whether the media portrayal of Russian/Soviet women corresponds to reality and the way Russian women perceive themselves. Not only does this distinction bear upon international communications, but also it may contribute to the success or failure of American ventures into these newly opened markets, Constituting more than 51 percent of the work force and having high levels of education and professional skills, Russian women comprise a large segment of the newly opened market for American products and advertising. Mass communication scientists think media portrayals are closely linked to public opinion and public policy and are especially important during transitional periods when people are most open to change (Gerbner, 1991). There have been some media studies on the shifting images the two 1 superpowers have about each other. Studies on the former Soviet Union images in the American media were mostly dedicated to changes in a political sphere: the perception of the leaders, civil liberties, and foreign policies. Few researchers seemed concerned about women's issues and how they are portrayed in the post-Cold War American media. The focus of this study is to determine the image of Russian/Soviet women now and compare it with Cold War portrayals in U.S. media. This research will look at whether media in the U.S. mirror the changes in socioeconomic situation of women in post-communist Russia and if there has been a shift in old stereotypes. More specifically, has there been a change in the American media portrayals of the roles Russian/Soviet women play in the society? Additionally, have the types of stories within which Soviet women were portrayed in American media become more versatile with the end of Cold War? And finally, has the end of Cold War brought more balanced and positive coverage of the events in the former Soviet Union, specifically, events in which Russian/Soviet women were depicted? This research is limited to the study of the Russian/Soviet women portrayals in the TV network (ABC, CBS, and NBC) evening news. Future studies may look at those portrayals in the American print or cable media. CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW AND HYPOTHESES Literature Review Mass communication scholars do not confine the images that emerge in public communication to a single media function. These images are viewed as a result of communication and news as well as opinion and entertainment (Zassoursky, 1991; Gerbner, 1991; Dennis, 1991). Media images of one country about another may be shaped by serious international news, such as that on television network programs or in newspapers and news magazines. Images can stem from the opinion media such as editorial pages and thought magazines. The entertainment media, such as television dramas and situation comedies, generate persuasive images as well. Another powerful source contributing to cumulative "pictures in our head" about other countries, people and cultures is advertising and marketing. Though the extent of these media influences on human cognition, attitudes, and behavior is a matter of dispute between social and mass communications scientists, researchers generally agree media do play an important role in shaping images, whether alone or in conjunction with other institutions of society (Gerbner, 1991; Tan, 1982; Chern, 1984; Rokeach, 1973).
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