Date of Award

2015-01-01

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Communication

Advisor(s)

Richard Pineda, Ph.D.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine how interracial same-sex relationships are constructed and communicated within gay themed media outlets, specifically magazine publications, and the possible effects such construction may have on various consumer populations through the frame of cultivation theory. I studied three major gay publications and surveyed 90 articles for both textual content and visual representation. Categories were then created and articles were grouped by relevance to each category. Through iterative processes, the number of useable articles fell to 68. Articles were mainly captured using online sources. Through this medium of online reading, other access points were created that would not have been seen through typical paper copies. Gateways to other media (YouTube videos, online slideshows, etc.) were created and were able to provide broader insight into specific topics and types of media consumption. Results indicated a severe lack of visual representation of both people of color, and interracial couples. Further examination found an absence of coverage on the topic of interracial relationships. This lack of representation has the opportunity for negative impact for consumers of all races/ethnicities since media has been shown to have a significant influence on consumers.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

59 pages

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Victor Santana-Melgoza

Download

Share

COinS