Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Lad magazines present a view of men that privileges sexual variety rather than intimacy, that focuses on male sexual pleasure as the most important outcome, and that is strongly ambivalent about romantic relationships as the context for sex. The present study explores the relationships between reading Lad magazines and the endorsement of beliefs and attitudes that are consistent with their content as well as the way men view themselves sexually. Two surveys of male undergraduates (n = 91 and 68, respectively) are employed. The findings indicate a consistent relationship between reading Lad magazines and endorsement of permissive sexual attitudes independent of actual sexual behavior and status. Reading Lad magazines is also associated with expectations of greater sexual variety and a more aggressive sexual self-schema. Reading pornographic magazines is also found to be associated with permissive attitudes and expectations of greater sexual variety.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which women are portrayed in magazine advertisements, and, specifically, to determine what differences exist in the portrayals of women in advertising featured in magazines targeted to men versus magazines targeted to women. All advertisements from the July and September 2006 issues of Cosmopolitan, Vogue, FHM, and MAXIM were analyzed. The goal of this project is to demonstrate that many of the messages present in advertising help perpetuate negative stereotypes about women and to enforce traditional gender roles, and that degrading ads are present in both men’s and women’s magazines.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper attempts to answer the question of whether ethnicity of the celebrity and match-up level between celebrity and product in a magazine ad by the advertiser has any effect on attitudes to the ad, attitudes to the brand, and purchase intention. An experiment was conducted where subjects were given four versions of ads - ads featuring Tiger Woods for sports drink, ads featuring K. J. Choi for sports drink, ads featuring Tiger Woods for ball-point pen, and ads featuring K. J. Choi for ball-point pen. The results of the study suggest that an ad with high relevance between celebrity and product can induce more positive Aad than an ad with low relevance. Results also show that Korean subjects were more likely to have more positive Aad, Ab and Pi for the advertisement featuring an American celebrity endorser.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: A content analysis of cancer news coverage in a representative sample of local and national newspapers, television, and magazines was conducted for the years 2002 and 2003. Analyses compared proportions of mentions of cancer sites with proportional contribution to cancer incidence and mortality based on available epidemiological estimates. Analyses also examined relative attention provided to prevention, detection, treatment, causes and outcomes of various cancers. Results indicated that coverage reflected incidence rates more closely than they did mortality rates, but in both cases coverage underrepresented the contribution of lung cancer to morbidity and mortality and overrepresented the contribution of breast cancer. Of greater public health concern was the limited coverage of prevention and detection even for highly preventable or relatively easily detected cancers. Implications of findings are discussed.

Publication Type: Work in Progress
Abstract: The main aim of this investigation is to understand the way in which identity is created in written media. For this purpose we will use the magazine Chilango as our object of study and we will identify in which way its section “Alameda” conceives chilangos and the activities they do in order to conform an identity. In the last three years, Chilango has compounded several aspects of Mexico City’s culture such as slang, images, places, social behavior, and even some political criticism. It has also given these cultural practices an irreverent and funny perspective. For this paper, three issues of the magazine have been selected, each corresponding to one of the three first quarters of these year. The research strategies that we will be using are: (1) a textual semiotic analysis of the magazine content and (2) the use of focus groups and interviews. This magazine reflects how its producers conceive life in Mexico City and gives tips on where to go and what to do to make the best of this city.