Content analysis of editorials in sixteen chained and unchained Indiana newspapers

This thesis examined the content of sixteen Indiana newspapers, chosen at random, to calculate the topic classification of editorials. Because of concern for chained newspaper growth 'in America, this study attempted to draw conclusions as to the topics of editorials printed in both chained and unchained newspapers. Since "one-publisher" cities are also increasing, further aspects of this study, examined editorials in newspapers of varying circulation categories.Indiana has eighty-two daily newspapers - 30 chained, and 52 unchained. From the complete list, sixteen papers were randomly chosen - two chained and two unchained from each of the following four circulation categories: 1-10,000; 10-20,000; 20-50,000; and 50,000 up.Editorials from a ten-day sampling over two, two-month periods were examined and classified according to the defined topics of "local," "state," "national," and "international."The findings of the study showed that Indiana newspapers, whether chained or unchained, large or small, editorialized most heavily on national issues. However, comparatively, chained newspapers published more local and state editorials than did unchained papers. The unchained newspapers published approximately twice the number of national editorials as 'state and local editorials, combined. The newspapers with the largest circulations, also, published more local editorials than did small papers, but the small papers surpassed the large papers in printing state editorials. However, small papers did concentrate more heavily on national issues than large circulating dailies did. No classification of newspaper, consistently, printed many nternational editorials.The conclusions of the study show that chained newspapers and those with large circulations are doing a better job of localizing editorials than are the unchained newspapers anti small circulating dailies. However, this study was a quantitative account of editorial topics and it made no attempt to study the quality of the editorials.Thesis (M.A.