As a well-acknowledged creator of cultural norms today, advertising shapes societal attitudesfor a majority of the population that receives its cultural inputsFom the media. Building upon previous research on the depiction of disability in media, this study examined whether advertising has helped “dispel stereotypes and make disability a part of the social and mental landscape” (Panol & McBride, 2001, p. 48). A content analysis of ads in the top two circulating magazines in the categories of sports, fashion, and general interest/news (Sports Illustrated and ESPN, Vogue and Cosmopolitan, Time and Newsweek, respectively) was undertaken. A total of 96 issues of these magazines published from May-October 2003 were analysed for presence of ads which included a disability. Of a total of 3,947 ads in these magazines, only 29 (0.73%) of them contained any textual and/or visual depiction of disability. Research questions explored ad and disahility characteristics, and the presence of noteworthy relations between them. Overall, findings suggest that advertising's portrayal of disability still leaves much to be desired and has done little to alleviate the perpetuation of negative attitudes regarding disabilities.

The globalization of media allows brand placements subtle ways to reach local and international consumers. This study examines Indians' responses to brand placements in a Bollywood film. Psychological processing of embedded brands was assessed by gauging the effects of film involvement and brand consciousness on recall. Film involvement showed an adverse effect on brand recall, while brand consciousness had a positive effect. Brand consciousness was also positively related to the notion that brand placements enhanced film realism, but was not related to attitudes toward product placement in general. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Globalization is embraced for bringing international goods to new places and critiqued for creating a homogenized world where multinational brands supersede indigenous cultural offerings. We present a framework to explicate differences in attitudes toward glocalization; it operates on a continuum from acceptance (globally synchronous) to reactance/boycott (Swadeshi). Glocalized marketing strategies and consumer response to these strategies are assessed within the context of product placements in Bollywood films. A content analysis of brand placements within Bollywood films at four points in time since liberalization (1991, 1996, 2001, 2002) shows a rise in the number of brands, particularly multinational brands, which are more likely to be woven into the plot than domestic brands. According to results of a survey, middle-class Indians report both positive and negative attitudes toward international brands and brand placements. Brand placements are interpreted as a Western marketing practice and are embraced among globally synchronous consumers who look to films for cues for their own purchase behaviors. International brand placements and brands are critiqued for their potential negative influence on the Indian economy among Swadeshi consumers. Swadeshi (or home economy) was a nonviolent movement initiated by Mahatma Gandhi in the early 20th century. Gandhi urged Indians to boycott British goods as a form of protest against the Imperial power and to work towards local self-sufficiency. The recent introduction of multinational brands seems to evoke memories of this historic event among the young consumers and motivates their brand choice in the present day.

This research examined the relationship between the nature of newspaper coverage of social protests and the level of deviance and type of protest. A content analysis of 280 protest news stories from the Milwaukee Journal, Wisconsin State Journal, Sauk Prairie Star, Watertown Times, and Park Falls Herald from 1960 to 1999 was conducted to compare indicators of the protest paradigm between protests that either support the status quo, endorse moderate reform, or seek radical reform. Additional analyses looked at the role that the type of protest played in adherence to the protest paradigm. Results of analyses indicate that moderate reform and radical reform protests were more likely to be treated critically in both the headline and main body of the article as well as have greater emphasis placed on specific events rather than themes and goals.

Scholars in various fields have speculated that the commercialization of mass media has contributed to the decline of civic culture. They contend that the personal needs emphasized by product-saturated mass media diminish civic-mindedness by creating an individualistic consumption-oriented culture. Despite this critique, some scholars argue that mass media do not erode civic culture in favor of consumer culture; rather, the two are thought to be positively interrelated. Although these contrasting perspectives have been repeatedly discussed, research has rarely empirically investigated these contending claims. We examine media influences on civic and consumer culture while considering the interrelationships of consumer attitudes and behaviors with civic participation using the 2000 DDB Life Style Study. In doing so, we distinguish between news and entertainment media and between socially conscious and status-oriented consumption. A latent variable structural equation model is used to test hypotheses. Results suggest that consumption behaviors and civic participation are not conflicting, even though media foster commercial attitudes and motivate consumption. Overall, media effects on this dynamic are positive, suggesting that critiques of media demobilization may be misplaced.