Publication Date

Spring 2012

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Journalism and Mass Communications

Advisor

Richard Craig

Keywords

Hollywood, media, newspapers, regional industrial agglomerations, Silicon Valley, technology

Subject Areas

Journalism; Mass communication; Business

Abstract

This study involved coverage of Silicon Valley technology companies and Hollywood entertainment companies in the San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune. Previous work has suggested that newspaper coverage decisions are influenced by the communities that news organizations serve, journalistic values that can favor corporate interests, and the work of experienced framers of media messages. Silicon Valley and Hollywood are two well-known examples of regional industrial agglomerations, which are clusters of adjacent related businesses that are a powerful form of organization for the deployment of capital and labor. California's technology and entertainment companies have developed strong geographical links and have had a substantial influence on global culture. This study involved a quantitative analysis of business news coverage from the three newspapers and employment data for their metro areas from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Support was found for a connection between the presence of a strong regional agglomeration and the content of business news coverage. Support also was found for an interest regardless of a newspaper's location in covering large technology companies--particularly Apple, Google, and Facebook--that are known as effective framers of media messages.

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