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Dissertation Information for Sally J. McMillan

NAME:
- Sally J. McMillan

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Communication

SCHOOL:
- University of Oregon (USA) (1997)

ADVISORS:
- None

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Not_Inspected

Title: Who pays for content in cyberspace? The role of interactivity, property values of content creators, and audience size in predicting funding of Internet sites

Abstract: Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is changing the communication environment. Millions of people participate in this form of digital communication. As with the advent of radio, a major shift has occurred in both popular and academic perceptions of communication media.

The primary question addressed by this study is: Who pays for the creation of computer-mediated content? To provide perspective, historical development of the "American model" of advertiser-funded radio broadcast is examined. The work of broadcast historians is supplemented with analysis of discourse in the trade journal Printers' Ink.

Radio was a discontinuity in the communication environment. With the advent of broadcast, questions arose about how content would be funded. Initially, advertising support of broadcast programming was opposed by virtually everyone--including the advertising industry. Nevertheless, American radio programs evolved into vehicles for attracting audiences which were sold to advertisers.

CMC also represents a discontinuity in the communication environment. Questions have arisen about how content of this new medium is to be funded. The literature suggests three factors that may impact on funding: interactivity, property values of content creators, and audience size. Hypotheses about impacts of these factors were tested on a sample of 395 health-related Internet sites. A content analysis was used to assess interactivity. An e-mail survey was sent to site managers to gather information on funding, property values, and audience size.

No single source of funding dominates health-related sites. As hypothesized, interactivity was high at sites funded by volunteer efforts, non-profit organizations, government/education, or mixed funding sources. Interactivity was low at sites funded by for-profit organizations or sponsorship/advertising. Site managers had high scores on measures of property values if their sites were funded by for-profit organizations or government/education and low values if their sites were funded by volunteer efforts, non-profit organizations, sponsorship/advertising, or mixed funding sources. No relationships were found between audience size and sources of funding.

This study concludes with a four-part model of CMC funding: Sales and Promotion, Sponsored Content, Virtual Communities, and Information-Intensive Sites. Additional research is suggested to refine this model and to examine issues such as how individuals access computer-mediated communication.

MPACT Scores for Sally J. McMillan

A = 0
C = 2
A+C = 2
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2009-05-19 09:38:39

Advisors and Advisees Graph

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Students under Sally J. McMillan

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- Margot Leigh Emery - University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2006)
- Larry Shane Taylor - University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2007)