Yesterday's News: Media Framing of Hitler's Early Years, 1923-1924
This research used media framing theory to assess newspaper coverage of Hitler published in The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Washington Post between 1923 and 1924. An analysis of about 200 articles revealed “credible” and “non-credible” frames relating to his political influence. Prior to Hitler’s trial for treason in 1924, the credible frame was slightly more prevalent. Following his subsequent conviction, the non-credible frame dominated coverage, with reports often presenting Hitler’s failure to overthrow the Bavarian government as evidence of his lack of political skill. This research provides insight into the way American media cover foreign leaders before and after a tipping point—one or more events that call into question their political efficacy.
Before the seizure of power: American and British press coverage of National Socialism, 1922 to 1933
This thesis focuses on the coverage of the National Socialist movement by the American and British press in the period from 1922 to 1933. Two major newspapers from both the United States and Great Britain were reviewed, as were several magazines and periodicals from those years. The nature of the coverage, as well as its accuracy, was the primary concern of this work. For the most part, the Anglo-American press emphasized the most visible political activities of the National Socialists and especially the prominent role of Adolf Hitler. American and British journalists addressed the violent, aggressive nature of the movement much more so than its inherent anti-Semitism and racist goals. Though a handful of journalists recognized that the party’s hatred of the Jews was seminal to Nazism, this view was never addressed frequently or prominently. The AngloAmerican press consistently underestimated the ability of the party to implement their goals. Instead, the party was considered a temporary outlet for German economic woes in both the early 1920s and early 1930s. In reality, following the failure of an attempted Nazi coup in 1923, the party reorganized and expanded its potential base of support, setting the stage for a more enthusiastic support than was perceived by the foreign press. Overall, the American and British press was able to accurately assess the nature of the National Socialist movement before it took over Germany, but in an imbalanced way that did not take its aggressive aspirations seriously. Though there was alarm when Hitler was made Chancellor
Palaeomicrobiology: current issues and perspectives
Palaeomicrobiology is an emerging field that is devoted to the detection, identification and characterization of microorganisms in ancient remains. Data indicate that host-associated microbial DNA can survive for almost 20,000 years, and environmental bacterial DNA preserved in permafrost samples has been dated to 400,000–600,000 years. In addition to frozen and mummified soft tissues, bone and dental pulp can also be used to search for microbial pathogens. Various techniques, including microscopy and immunodetection, can be used in palaeomicrobiology, but most data have been obtained using PCR-based molecular techniques. Infections caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites have all been diagnosed using palaeomicrobiological techniques. Additionally, molecular typing of ancient pathogens could help to reconstruct the epidemiology of past epidemics and could feed into current models of emerging infections, therefore contributing to the development of appropriate preventative measures.