JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
Journal of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria
ISSN: 1597-0396
DOI: 10.5987/UJ-JSMS
Email: jsms@universityjournals.org
VIEWERS' PERCEPTION OF FEMALE NEWSREADERS' APPEARANCE ON TELEVISION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON ATTENTION TO NEWS
DOI: 10.5987/UJ-JSMS.17.063.1 | Article Number: 88D8F13710 | Vol.12 (1) - April 2017
Authors: AKPOGHIRAN Idama Patrick , UMUKORO Steven Ese and OKORO Eloke Ferdinand
Keywords: Appearance, Attention, Female Newsreaders, Viewer’s Perception
News presentation is the heart of news stations. Newsreaders or casters are trained to present news to heterogeneous audience. Many of television stations use young beautiful female newsreaders to cast their news. The physical appearance of the female newsreader may either attract viewers' attention to the news or not. The appearance of the female newsreader is viewed with different perceptions by millions of various viewing audiences. This study examines viewers' perception of female newsreaders' appearance on television and its influence on news attention. The study was anchored on social perception theory, which explains how people form impressions of and make inferences about other people. In order to determine this, two research approaches were adopted: research assistants rating scale and viewers' rating scale (VRS). The categories studied on female newsreader physical appearance were dress or attire, hairstyle, makeup/facial expression and voice quality. Three cable television stations were viewed. They were the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA); Channels Television and African Independent Television (AIT). The Krejcie Robert and Morgan Daryle sample size of 384 was adopted. However, 382 of the sample size were retrieved. Results showed that female newsreaders' appearance affects viewers' attention to news at the first few minutes of the news. While the female viewers are attracted to the general physical appearance, male viewers are attracted to facial beauty. The import of this is that physical appearance of a female newsreader distracts attention from the news if sexual appealing looks were applied. A moderate appearance was recommended for female newsreader.
Akpoghiran, I.P. (2014). Communication and a changing world. Warri: Egbesun Publication
Cash, T. F and Brown, T. A. (1989). Gender and body images: stereotypes and realities', Sex roles. 21 (5/6),361-373.
Cash, T. and Soloway, D. (2005). Self-disclosure correlates of physical attractiveness: An exploratory study. Psychological Reports, 36, 579-586.
Chambers, D.; Steiner, L. and Fleming, Carole.(2004). Women and journalism. London: Routledge,.
Cundy, S.T. (1980). newscaster physical attractiveness: Its influence on credibility and intention to watch the news. Unpublished.Being a Master Thesis Psychology.Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.
Engstrom, E. andFerri, A. J. (2000).Looking through a gendered lens: Local US television news anchors' perceived career barriers'.Journal of broadcasting and electronic media, 44(4), 614-634.
Fiske, J. (1987). Television culture. London: Methuen.
Garbe, E. and Samson, L. (2011). Sexual cues emanating from the anchored chair: Implication for perceived professional fitness for beauty and memory for news research. Indiana University journal of communication.38 (4), 471- 496.
Gruise, B., Pollans, C. andTurkat, I. (2002).Effects of physical attractiveness on perception. Psychological Reports, 54, 1039-1042.
Haas, A. and Gregory, S. W. (2005).The impact of physical attractiveness on women's social status and interactional power. Sociological forum. (20), 3, 2005, 449-470.
Hamermesh, D. and Biddle, J.(1994).Beauty and the labour market'. The American economic review, 84(1), 1174-1194.
Hollander, J. and Einwohner, R. (2004). Conceptualizing resistance. Sociological forum. (19), 4, 533-554.
Jennie, l. (2011). Physical attractiveness of communicators: A review. Journal of advertising, 11, 15-24
Joseph, W. B. (1982). The credibility of physically attractive communicators: A review. Journal of advertising.11, 15-24.
Kaplan, R. M. (1978). Is beauty talent? Sex interaction in the attractiveness halo effect.Sex Roles.4, 195-204.
Kanazawa, Satoshi and Kovar, Jody.(2004). Why beautiful people are more intelligent. Intelligence. (32), 227-243.
Kelly, H., Michela, J. (1980). Attribution theory and research.Annual reviews.31, 460.
Matheson, Donald. Media Discourses. (2005). Analysing media texts. Maidenhead: Open University Press, McGraw Hill Education.
McLeod,S. (2010). Attribution theory.Simply psychology .In htp://www.simplypsychology.org/attribut ion-theory.html
Mitra, B; Webb, M. & Wolfe.C. (2014). Audience responses to the physical appearance of television newsreaders. Journal of audience and reception studies (11), 2, 45-57
Miller, H., &Rivenbark, W. (1999).Sexual differencesin physical attractiveness as a d e t e r m i n a n t o f h e t e r o s e x u a l liking.Psychological Reports. 27,701-702.
Ramirez, A & Reichert, T. (2000). Defining sexually oriented appeals in advertising: A grounded theory investigation. Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 27.
Smith, E. R and Mackie, D. M. (2000).Social Psychology.Psychology Press.
Warhurst, Chris and Nickson, Dennis.(2009). 'Who's got the look? Emotional, aesthetic and sexualisedlabour in interactive services', Gender, Work and organisation, 16 (3), 385-404.
W o l f e , C l a i r e a n d M i t r a , B a r b a r a (2012).Newsreaders as Eye Candy.Journal of theAssociation for Journalism Education. (1), 1, 92-99.
Wykes, Maggie and Gunter, Barrie (2005).The media and body image. London: Sage, 2005.