school of communications

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Newspapers have shifted from strongly favoring Republican candidates in the 1950s to dividing their editorial endorsements almost equally In the 1948 U.S. presidential election, republican presidential candidate and Governor of New York Thomas E. Dewey was heavily favored and endorsed by more than 80 percent of America’s newspapers. Journalists at the Chicago Tribune were so sure of Dewey’s win that the newspaper printed its morning edition early with the now infamous headline “Dewey Defeats Truman.” What was predicted to be an easy win for Dewey is now considered to be the greatest election upset in American history as presidential incumbent Harry S. Truman swept the polls. It’s scenarios like the 1948 presidential election that have Journalism Professor Joel Campbell taking a closer look at the effectiveness of editorial endorsements of presidential candidates. “It’s difficult to say if there is any strong correlation between endorsements and how people vote,” Campbell said. “But more often than not, presidential candidates with the largest percentage of newspaper endorsements have won since 1940, the notable exceptions being Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.” According to Campbell’s research published in The 21st Century Voter: Who Votes, How they Vote, and Why They Vote, there was a substantial shift in how the news media endorsed candidates throughout the last 50 years: Newspapers have shifted from strongly favoring Republican candidates in the 1940s and 1950s to dividing their editorial endorsements almost equally between the two major parties. Democratic candidates are about 10 percent more likely to receive an endorsement than Republican candidates six decades earlier. Incumbents today receive an editorial endorsement about 90 percent of the time, up from 60 percent of the time in the 1940s. In the 2012 presidential election, 77 of the top 100 U.S. newspapers endorsed candidates: 41 papers endorsed President Barack Obama, 35 endorsed GOP candidate Mitt Romney and a single paper registered a split decision. Another 23 papers did not endorse any candidates, including the two largest newspapers, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. Even though the candidate with the most endorsements has traditionally won the election, Campbell predicts that editorial endorsements won’t make any difference this fall. “In this year's election there is so much information available on so many platforms, any media endorsement is likely to be drowned out by the din of voices,” Campbell said. “In the era of social media, the endorsement of those within one's circle of friends is likely to carry much more weight than that of a news organization.” It’s not just the endorsement and election result relationship that interests Campbell, but also the ethical practice of news media favoring a candidate. As a professor, Campbell teaches his students that journalists are supposed to be objective observers, but the long-standing tradition of editorial endorsements often gets in the way. The Society of Professional Journalists Ethics Committee encourages editorial pages to promote thoughtful debate and let readers know through endorsements which candidates share the newspaper’s vision, while also taking every opportunity to explain the firewall between news and opinion. But in an era of social media and frequently blurred lines between news and opinion, Campbell urges his fellow journalists to be more careful. “Most people say ‘journalism ethics’ is an oxymoron,” Campbell said. “The distrust of the media and the feeling of bias in the media is greater than ever. Newspapers and news media endorsing candidates probably feeds into that.” The College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences and the Office of Civic Engagement Leadership are partnering with Turbovote to facilitate online voter registration. If you are not registered tovote, but are eligible, or if you wish to obtain an absentee ballot, please visit the booths in and around the Wilkinson Student Center during the week of September 26 to register to vote or to get an absentee ballot. September 26, 2016 | Natalie Tripp

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BYU students often have problems during the wintertime, but soon, for a lucky few, the cold will not be one of them. Next winter semester, during the summer months of the southern hemisphere, about 20 students will travel throughout New Zealand in a new study abroad program that focuses on media and culture, entitled “New Zealand: Global Mass Communication.” In addition to shadowing professionals from several New Zealand media outlets, students will create and publish content that investigates the issues surrounding the Maori, Pasifika and other minority communities in New Zealand. Dr. Clark Callahan, co-faculty director of the program, hopes that students will seize not only the opportunity to grow their portfolios but also to develop an empathetic worldview as they explore different cultures. “My area of interest is how social media affects cultures, so we’ll have a couple of research projects going on. We’ll be interviewing minority populations about how they use social media and what they get out of it. We’ll ask, ‘Does it strengthen or weaken their culture and their cultural perspectives?’” Dr. Callahan said. As part of their research, students will be paired with and embedded in Samoan families for a week. Students will record their experiences in video diaries that will be used to produce a documentary film highlighting the efforts of different organizations to preserve the Maori, Pasifika, and Samoan languages and culture. Steve Thomsen, co-faculty director, believes that New Zealand offers a diverse setting for students to study and create media. “We wanted to create an experience that would be as diverse as possible for students,” said Thomsen. “The objective of the study abroad will be to focus a lot of our efforts on the Pacifica and Maori peoples through the lens of media and the perspective that it if offers,” said Thomsen. The media that students create will be used as programming for the Pacific Media Network and will be published on the student-run website, fightforthefew.org. The latter outlet is currently being developed by the Media Advocacy and Social Change class, which is taught by Dr. Callahan. Hannah Lunt, a senior public relations student in the class, hopes that all these efforts–the class, the website, the study abroad–will help others increase their awareness about minority issues. “I have already seen a difference in how much more aware I am,” said Lunt. “I hope the blog will grow and be a voice to change.” Applications are available through the Kennedy Center’s International Study Programs website, kennedy.byu.edu, and are due Oct. 9 at 5 p.m.

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Brigham Young University and four ElevenNEWS at Noon students won a grand total of five Gracie Awards in the student-level competition this year. The Gracies focus on recognizing exemplary programming created for women, by women and about women. Since 1975, these awards have been presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation to honor programming and individuals in radio, television, cable and web-based media. The numerous winners in this year’s competition highlight the caliber of students and quality instruction that can be found at BYU. “My education at BYU has allowed me to go beyond the classroom; the hands on opportunities to work in the lab and with professors have taught me so much,” said Rebecca Woahn, a senior in the journalism emphasis and Gracie winner. “I graduate in August and as I've been interviewing for internships and jobs, people are always impressed by the experiences that we have as undergraduates here at BYU.” For Lauren Butterfield, it has not only been receiving the Gracie Award that will forever be memorable, but also the experiences that she has had along the way. “I received the award for a story very close to my heart,” said Butterfield. “The story was about my 5-year old friend who not only fought cancer twice, but has beaten it both times. She is an inspiration and hero to me and it means so much that through her, I won a Gracie, which is all about the empowerment of women. I feel very blessed.” Below is a list of the Gracie Awards presented to BYU this year: CoogTube Outstanding Sports Program Brigham Young University Aubree Jones Outstanding Reporter/Correspondent Brigham Young University Lauren Butterfield Lifesaving Bond — Outstanding Soft News Feature Brigham Young University/KBYU Rebecca Woahn Outstanding On-Air Talent: Sports Program Brigham Young University/KBYU Tawny Zambrano Outstanding Director — News Brigham Young University/KBYU Each winner will receive their award at a ceremony in New York City in late June.

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BYU female broadcasters win three of nine student awards, continue winning tradition Three Brigham Young University broadcasting students have carried on an award-winning tradition, recently receiving national recognition as student winners in the Gracie Awards. Julianne Horsley, Mary Blanchard and Danielle Ycmat Jansson won three of the nine available awards for students. Other student winners were from schools such as Fordham, Hofstra and George Washington universities. BYU was the only school to have three or more winners. The Gracie Awards highlight outstanding work in television programming created for women, by women and about women. Past professional winners include Tina Fey, Katie Couric and Barbara Walters. The three BYU students now join the ranks of those big names, along with the many BYU winners that have come before them. BYU’s student journalists have a history of doing well in the Gracie Awards. “From the beginning of the program, our professors expect us to be professionals,” Horsley said. “They hold us to the same standards as they would at your first job. It was really hard, but I’m glad they did.” Horsley won the Gracie for best anchor, Blanchard for best sports host and Jansson for best news producer. The students said the hands-on experience they received in the newsroom was specifically beneficial in preparing them for work in the industry. Blanchard said her experiences and watching past students win Gracie Awards helped her produce high-quality work. “Past students kind of set a precedent that you don’t want to be anything less than the best,” she said. Kristine Pratt is one of those past students and won a Gracie Award for Outstanding Director just after she graduated in 2010. She’s now a news producer at KSL 5 in Salt Lake City. “I certainly consider my Gracie Award to be one of my greatest accomplishments, and it gave me, as a college graduate, an extra push to launch into the job world with confidence,” Pratt said. Chad Curtis, BYU’s broadcast news manager, echoed Pratt’s sentiment about the impact of these awards. “It’s empowering for our female students to enter their work in a nationwide competition that emphasizes the professional contributions of women in the media,” Curtis said. “It is then extra gratifying to have their work honored by the Gracies’ judges as being worthy of praise.” Horsley is now working in marketing and communications for Goldman Sachs in Salt Lake City. Blanchard and Jansson will both complete internships this summer and graduate in August, before looking at entering the world of professional broadcasting. About the Gracie Awards: Established in 1975, the Gracie Awards is an annual competition that recognizes the highest quality programming for women, by women and about women in the media and entertainment industry. The Gracie Awards are presented by the Alliance in Media Foundation, which supports education, charity, public service and scholarships that benefit women in the media. Source: BYU News

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The famous saying about the grass being greener on the other side also applies to food. A Taco Bell commercial written by a BYU advertising student captures how easy and tempting it is to steal somebody else’s tasty-looking food. The Taco Bell commercial, written by BYU advertising student Camille Trent, followed her script titled “Girlfriend.” The commercial focuses on a selfish, food-loving girlfriend who steals delicious food from her boyfriend. Taco Bell’s goal with the commercial is to convince customers that its menu item called “loaded grillers” is cheap enough for people to buy their own. At the end of the commercial the angry boyfriend hands his girlfriend her own loaded griller, achieving his goal of not having to share and making her happy. So how does a student get an opportunity to make scripts for big advertising companies? One way is by joining BYU’s Ad Lab. The ad lab provides students such as Trent valuable hands-on experience working closely with advertising agencies. “The ad lab is a great program at BYU,” said Trent. “We have a lot of alumni who have gone on to big advertising agencies.” Trent, like many who have gone before her, wrote scripts and created ad ideas that companies used in upcoming commercials. The BYU Ad Lab, which works closely with an adverting agency called DRAFTFCB, provided Trent with the opportunity of a lifetime. DRAFTFCB, which does advertising for Taco Bell, asked BYU Ad Lab students to create an ad that specifically fit what Taco Bell was looking for in its commercial theme, survivor of the selfish. It took many hours of brainstorming and writing 4—5 scripts for Trent to finally receive inspiration. “I brainstormed ideas with my husband, Brandon, and he gave me the idea that I needed to think of the perfect scenario,” Trent said. “He told me that I always steal food from him rather than getting my own, and that’s where the idea came from.” DRAFTFCB loved Trent’s idea and decided to use her script in Taco Bell’s commercial. Since the commercial aired this week, Trent has received a lot of positive feedback from peers, friends and family. “I put in up on Facebook a couple days ago, and there (are) now as many likes on the video as there (were) when I got engaged and married,” Trent said. “I got a ton of comments on the video, and it’s been a cool experience hearing feedback from people who aren’t at BYU.” Source: The Digital Universe

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Super Bowl XLVIII is just around the corner, bringing joy to football fans across the country. But for those less-than-enthused about the Broncos-Seahawks matchup, there are clever commercials to look forward to. The Super Bowl’s infamously funny and memorable commercials are the reason some people watch the big game, and BYU’s connection to these commercials is closer than some might think. Students and graduates of the BYU advertising program are well-known for their annual excellence in the Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” contest, and this year is no different. This year, Chris Capel, a 33-year-old LDS director, and his team produced “Office Thief,” which is a finalist in the contest. Prior to this year, Tyler Dixon, a BYU graduate, was a finalist for three straight years in Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” contest. In 2010, BYU’s Ad Lab produced a commercial for the contest that won a Student Gold ADDY award. No BYU-affiliated commercial has ever won Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” content, but they have their sights set on the prize. The great American comic book writer Stan Lee, former president of Marvel, personally called Capel to congratulate him on becoming a “Doritos Crash the Super Bowl” semi-finalist in December. Capel didn’t believe it was real for about half the phone call. “By the end I was shaking,” he said. “I almost passed out.” If Capel’s “Office Thief” commercial beats its four other competitors in the annual “Doritos Crash the Super Bowl” competition, it will air during the 2014 Super Bowl on Feb. 2 for hundreds of millions of viewers. His team, which includes BYU grad David Lake, could win $1 million and the once-in-a-lifetime chance to work on the set of Marvel’s “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” in London. In “Office Thief,” everyone’s Doritos go mysteriously missing from the office break room. Jerry, the security guard, is found covered in cheesy, crunchy, orange powder. Jerry is appalled when his boss accuses him of being the culprit and continuously denies the allegation in a comical way. Capel and his writing partner Richard Price had been wanting to enter the competition for a while but were waiting for the right moment. “It took finding not only an idea we believed in, but an idea we could afford to shoot,” Capel said. Once the idea was conceived, the creation process was quick and easy. Lake said, “The video took about six hours to film, and then we had about a week of production.” The team never expected to have such huge success. “Chris really just made the video to boost his directing reel with no expectations about going deep into the competition,” Lake said. Capel added, “I never dreamed we’d make the top five.” Despite their initial shock, the team is confident in the commercial’s chance of winning. “Our video appeals to the widest range of people, has the best acting and represents Doritos best,” Lake said. The grand prize for Doritos’ competition is a game-changer for emerging directors. “The prize of having your commercial air during the Super Bowl and getting to work on the ‘Avengers 2†² in London are just incredible awards,” Capel said. “They would do so much for our careers.” And the $1 million? Capel comes from a unique family of 14 children, seven of whom are adopted from Africa. “My parents are amazing examples of charity, so I wouldn’t feel right not giving a significant chunk of the prize money to a charity of some kind,” Capel said. “Preferably something to do with Africa and helping out the situation there in some way.” In addition, Capel would donate 10 percent to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to the official “Doritos Crash the Super Bowl” website, viewers can vote for their favorite commercial “once per day, once per device.” Source: The Digital Universe