AGENDA BUILDING ROLE OF NEWS RELEASES IN CORPORATE TAKEOVERS

This study examines how particular characteristics of news releases influence the media's news decisions. The hostile takeover attempt by Tustin, California-based MAI/Basic Four (MBF) to acquire a controlling interest in Natick, Massachusetts-based Prime Computer provides an arena in which to study journalists' use of companies' press releases. In order to measure the effectiveness of each company's press releases, the study, using an agenda setting framework, considered the number and types of press releases against subsequent press clippings in terms of length and content. Both quantity (number of column lines and average articles per company) and quality (lead and point of view) of newspaper coverage were examined. Supplementary explanatory information was also developed through interviews with the reporters who wrote the newspaper stories. J. David Pincus has been a Professor at California State University at Fullerton for 12 years and will soon become the Director of the MBA Program and Research Professor of Communication at the University of Arkansas. Coral M. Ohl and Tony Rimmer are Professors at California State University at Fullerton. Denise Harrison is a freelance public relations consultant and received her MA from California State University at Fullerton.