9/4/97

The following Ohio University professors are available for insightful interviews on topics in the news. Please contact Dwight Woodward at 614/593-1886 or Todd Anderson at 614/593-1885 to arrange an interview.

PRINCESS DIANA'S DEATH RAISES FIRST AMENDMENT QUESTIONS:
As the discussion continues over issues highlighted by the death of Princess Diana, the First Amendment may be on the line, according to E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Professor Michael Bugeja, special advisor on ethics to Ohio University President Robert Glidden. "With the increasing tabloidization of news, we are at a stage in media history in which the the First Amendment may not fully protect coverage by paparazzi in cases such as the recent death of Princess Diana," Bugeja says. "The point I'm making is subtle but pertinent. Should attorneys proceed against freelance writers and photographers covering tabloid news? In the United States we enjoy immense press freedom because we adhere to the theory of social responsibility. When the news becomes entertainment, are we jeopardizing the very freedoms that our media forebears, who practiced restraint and respect for privacy, sought to protect?" Bugeja is the author of Living Ethics: Developing Values in Mass Communication and the 1997 book Family Values, a satire about the tabloidization of news.

WITH START OF SCHOOL COMES RETURN OF BULLIES:
The majority of students will be on one end of the bully-victim stick at some point in their lives, according to Professor of Education Richard Hazler, the lead author of a recent study on bullying who has been studying bullies for years. Hazler says bullies are controlling, hot tempered and lack empathy for others. Victims lack social skills, blame themselves for their problems and are afraid to go to school. These traits are among the most common indicators of bullying and victim behaviors in children, according to the study. Hazler has developed a list of 19 characteristics common to bullies and 21 characteristics common to victims. The list can be used by parents, teachers and child therapists to identify which children may become bullies or victims before problems become serious.

RESEARCHERS DEVELOP NEW TRAINING METHOD TO REDUCE ASTHMA ATTACKS:
Asthma, the most common chronic childhood illness, affects nearly 15 million Americans, 5 million under the age of 19. Researchers at Ohio University have developed a new training method that could one day help asthma patients detect an asthma attack as early as 30 minutes before its onset. Psychology Professor Harry Kotses says self-management of asthma includes the ability to detect resistance to air flow that is caused by constricted air passages, but many people are unable to detect this breathing difficulty in time to stop the attack. The study involved asthma sufferers who practiced breathing through mesh screens of varying thicknesses. After training with the screens, participants were able to determine subtle changes in air-flow resistance similar to changes prior to an attack. Kotses says the perception training may lead to early detection of asthma attacks, allowing sufferers to take medication and avoid the attack.