A dual method analysis of exchange theory as applied to Radio Marti

This study used two methods to analyze power and dependency relationships at Radio Marti, a U.S.-sponsored station that has been broadcasting to Cuba since 1985. The station is characterized by three distinct periods in which a redistribution of resources produced shifts in power among three different coalitions, which manifested themselves in the station's content.;The first method assessed the power of the different coalitions in each of the three periods by applying the concepts of exchange theory, as described by Emerson (1962; 1987), which says that power is determined by three primary factors: resource scarcity, resource accessibility, and the motivational investment others have in the resource. The author created the Scarcity, Activation, and Cumulative Motivational Investment (SACMI) Index to calculate the power of three coalitions in each of the three periods. Results showed that the executive branch of the United States government initially exercised substantial control over Radio Marti but lost its authority to hard-liners who wanted the station to take a more aggressive tone. A third group, known as the Anti-Hard-Line Coalition also controlled resources relevant to Radio Marti but was never a dominant coalition.;The second method was a content analysis that found the station's tone had a positive relationship with the power results. There was an obvious trend that indicated the content favored the executive branch of the government in the first period but progressively expressed a tone advocated by the hard-liners in the latter periods. Additional analyses comparing the frequency of tones within five-minute segments showed that the intensity of the messages had increased as well.;The two methods indicated a positive relationship between power and dependency, derived from control of resources, and the ability to frame content in a way that favors an agenda. This conclusion implies that Radio Marti should consider methods to minimize the amount of influence from a dominant party. It also suggests that the system each coalition represents could be positioning itself to increase its power.