• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1956 A Study of the Channels of Communication Used by One Hundred Negroes in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fred Tewell Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Tewell, Fred, "A Study of the Channels of Communication Used by One Hundred Negroes in Baton Rouge, Louisiana." (1956). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 158. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/158 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DOCTORAL DISSERTATION SERIES Publication N o.: 17,454 AUTHOR: Fred Tewell, Ph. D ., 1956 Louisiana State University TITLE: A STUDY OF THE CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION USED BY ONE HUNDRED NEGROES IN BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA University Ificrdilms, Ann Arbor, M ichigan^ A STUDY OF THE CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION USED BY ONE HUNDRED NEGROES IN BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Speech by Fred Tewell B. A.DePauw University, 1943 M. A., Louisiana State University, 1949 June, 1956 ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author expresses appreciation to Dr. Waldo W. Braden for his guidance and assistance. He wishes further to express his appreciation to his wife for her tireless efforts and encouragement in the completion of the study. He is endebted to Dr. Giles W. Gray, Dr. Roland J. Pelligrin, Dr. Vernon J. Parenton, Dr. Claude M. Wise, and many others for information contributed through interviews. He also wishes to express his sincere gratitude to those who participated in the pilot studies and to the 100 urban Baton Rouge Negroes who generously gave of their time for the interviews. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENT.................................... ii ABSTRACT........................................... LIST OF TABLES.................................... viii CHAPTER I. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY............. 1 Significance of the study ............. i The problem. ............... .. Media of communication. ........ 3 Method of investigation used........... 11 The sample studied............... .. 15 Problems in reporting and interpreting the data ............................ 22 Chapter outlines....................... 24 II. THE WRITTEN CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION USED BY 100 URBAN BATON ROUGE NEGROES . A thematic analysis of some written channels used by Negroes interviewed 31 Newspapers . ................... 32 Magazines............................ b2 The use of these written channels of communication. ................... 78 Summary and conclusions ............... 82 III. THE ORAL CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION USED BY 100 URBAN BATON ROUGE NEGROES......... 84 Summary of oral channels and their use. .......... ........... B4 Thematic analysis of some oral channels of communication .......... 97 Radio................................ 97 Television........... ............. 106 Negro churches ..................... loS Others ..... ................... 117 Summary and conclusions ............... 121 iii CHAPTER PAGE IV. AN ANALYSIS OF THE RESPONSES TO EIGHT GENERAL QUESTIONS........................ 123 Question Ones Where do you look for things to buy?...................... 123 Question Two: What do you think about the polio shots?.................... 134 Question Three: Do you think that it should be against the law to belong to the Communist Party? 143 Question Four: What do you think of Eisenhower as President?. ..... 152 V. AN ANALYSIS OF THE RESPONSES TO EIGHT GENERAL QUESTIONS CONTINUED............. 167 Question Five; Do you follow sports?. 167 Question Six: What do you understand the recent Supreme Court decision regarding school segregation to mean? ........... ......... 1?6 Question Seven: Do you think that employers in Baton Rouge discrimi­ nate against Negroes in certain jobs? ..................... 190 Question Eight; Do you think that workers should strike in order to get what they want? ......... 204 Summary. .... ........... ..... 217 VI. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.................. 219 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................... 227 APPENDIX ................. 234 AUTOBIOGRAPHY..................................... 241 iv ABSTRACT This study is an exploratory investigation of the channels of communication used by 100 Negroes in urban Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This research project sought to discover through personal interview the various media of communication by which the informants obtained their information• In addition, it sought to discover the frequency of usage and to determine variations of usage at various educational levels. The local media of communication considered include the one Negro and two white newspapers, the one Negro and four white radio stations, the Negro churches, and the Negro social, pro­ fessional, and service organizations. Other sources include out-of-town radio stations, state and national white and Negro newspapers, and magazines# The Interview schedule, employed to obtain informa­ tion concerning the various media, was divided into four parts: biographical data, organizational affiliations, information sources, and general information questions. After pertinent biographical information had been ob­ tained, the respondent was asked to name the organiza­ tions to which he belonged, to indicate what newspapers, magazines, and books he read, and to list the radio and television stations to which he listened. Some of these oral and written channels were analyzed thematically. The last section of the interview schedule consisted of eight questions about current topics designed to get further information about media used. The study reveals that the majority of the informa­ tion carried by the Negro newspapers and magazines falls under two general categories of sensationalism and of ego-huilding. Through stressing these themes these Negro publications attempt to attract attention, to in­ crease circulation among Negroes, and to promote race pride. Local white radio stations seemed to plan their programs with little or no consideration for the specific interests of the Negro listener; while WXOK, the Negro radio station, attempted to appeal primarily to the Negro listener. The Negro church was one of the most important oral channels of communication since it reached 94 per cent of the Negroes interviewed and it was the only organizational affiliation of the large majority. Nearly all of those who were active in community and professional organizations were from the higher educational categories. The use of channels of communication varied according to educational level. Those in the lowest educational categories relied almost exclusively on oral channels vi while those in the highest educational categories used written more than oral channels. The 100 Negroes inter­ viewed seemed to be better informed about subjects which had been emphasized through Negro channels of communica­ tion such as Negro newspapers, magazines, and churches* The evidence shows that information which eventually reached the 100 urban Baton Rouge Negroes passed through many filter points such as ministers, editors, and public speakers, making it virtually impossible for the re­ ceivers to get uninterrupted and unshaded messages from the original source. The exclusively Negro channels which carried information of primary importance to these re­ spondents seemed to be more intent in their crusade for the "Negro cause" than in presenting a comprehensive coverage of news events. The data seems to indicate that if one wanted to get information to the Negroes studied, he would have to employ a combination of channels including radio station WXOK, the State Times (Baton Rouge white daily) and News Leader (Baton Rouge Negro weekly) newspapers, and the Negro churches. Therefore, even though the same message started from the same source and passed along each of these four channels, it is not likely that it would be the same when it reached its destination. vii LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE I. Educational Status of Respondents As Compared With That of the Urban Population Twenty-five Years of Age and Over in Baton Rouge........... 17 II. Educational Status of Respondents by Sex* .•••• ............ ...... 13 III. Age and Sex Composition of Respondents 19 IV. Length of Residence in Baton Rouge of Sample Population by S e x .......... 21 V. A Summary of the Newspapers Read by the 100 Urban Baton Rouge Negroes...... 27 VI. A Summary of the Magazines Read by the 100 Urban Baton Rouge Negroes...... 30 VII. A Summary of Some Oral Channels of Communication Used by the 100 Urban Baton Rouge Negroes................. 35 VIII. A Summary of the Organizational Affilia­ tions of the 100 Urban Baton Rouge Negroes.............................. 37 IX. A Summary of the Church Attendance of the 100 Urban Baton Rouge Negroes. 33 X. The Division of the Radio Listening Audience in Baton Rouge, Louisiana . 99 XI. A Division by Thirty-Minute Periods of the Radio Listening Audience in Baton Rouge, Louisiana ............... 100 XII. A Summer Weekday Schedule.............. I0i+ XIII.

Load more

  254

Copy Link