Search

In 2023, an average of 2.5 local newspapers shut down each week. This year seems to be following a similar trend. With fewer professional journalists keeping watch over politicians and the process of voting—and an information landscape that is rife with falsehoods and propaganda—democracy is under threat. An evolving digital media landscape and the loss of trust in journalism has brought the industry to a reckoning point. In addition to charitable interest in supporting local news and legislation to protect the industry, journalists and key players are experimenting with different structures and business models. However, it's unclear which, if any, of these efforts will ultimately prove successful. But for journalism to continue standing as an essential pillar of democracy, one or more of these endeavors will need to emerge as viable—or at least lay the groundwork for other models that can succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of the internet has upended numerous industries, but none more so than news production. The connectivity fostered by digitization has been accompanied by the emergence of content aggregation, the proliferation of fake news, and the extended geographic reach of industry leaders, all of which have served to hollow out local reporting capacity. In this work, we examine the result of changes wrought by the internet on an outcome of theoretical and practical significance: corruption. Inasmuch as newspapers are viewed as an important investigative arm of local communities, it is possible that corrupt local actors will be emboldened in their absence. To test this hypothesis, we employed a difference-in-differences approach, exploiting the phased closure of major daily newspapers across the country. Our results indicate a significant and positive correlation between federal corruption charges and newspaper closures. Further, we observed no evidence that the rise in online news vendors or the democratization of the press ameliorates this effect. This suggests a key issue with the increased geographic reach of digitized firms in the form of "information blindness" to local issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While research has uncovered an array of visible competitive dynamics, a strategic world of competition lies beneath the surface that should also be theorized and empirically traced. We investigate the strategic consequences of "media–rival" common ownership, in which investors own a media company and a non-media focal firm's rivals. We posit that focal firms receive worse coverage from media outlets when institutional investors hold substantial ownership in both a media company and the focal firm's rivals because the investors' common holdings provide them with incentives and power to enhance the competitiveness of their portfolio firms by tainting the focal firm's media coverage. We account for three moderators to show that this effect amplifies when investors have stronger incentives and power to influence the media and when media executives have incentives to cater to the interests of their investors. Using a novel dataset on common ownership of rival firms and media companies, we find support for our theory. Our study reveals a new invisible hand underlying competitive markets and offers a new view of the media as a strategic tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tik Tok is an emerging social media platform that provides a novel opportunity for health practitioners such as dermatologists to disseminate accurate health information.

In 2004/5 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission was abolished after 15 years of operation. The longest running and most innovative representative body in the postwar era, its abolition has reverberated to this day.11 ATSIC was one of several elected Indigenous representative bodies of the postwar period. However, it remains the most innovative because it was a statutory body that had both representative and administrative functions and a national commission with a network of regional councils. This model has not been replicated since. This article explores the role of the media in its abolition. It shows how the non-Indigenous media created an image of Indigenous dysfunction such that ATSIC’s abolition was understood as the only viable option. It did so by perpetuating untruths about Indigenous capacity for governance and leadership, suggesting that ATSIC’s alleged failure was self-inflicted. Such representation, including deeply offensive caricatures, worked to support government aims and amounted to institutional bullying. By situating this representation within the wider policy landscape, I show how the media not only created ideational frameworks necessary to project ATSIC as unfit but also helped to deflect attention from the government’s own non-accountability in this space. As a counterpoint to what became a dominant view about ATSIC, I recover the representation of its abolition in the Indigenous media, allowing Indigenous views to be heard for the first time. This case study is of critical importance in the context of today’s concern with both truth-telling and truth-denying.ATSIC was one of several elected Indigenous representative bodies of the postwar period. However, it remains the most innovative because it was a statutory body that had both representative and administrative functions and a national commission with a network of regional councils. This model has not been replicated since. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The consequences of engaging in risky sexual behaviours (RSB) can lead to HIV infection, sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy. The relationship between neighbourhood characteristics and youth involvement in RSB such as early sexual debut and multiple sexual partnerships has been of great concern to government, researchers and policymakers. However, there are very few empirical studies using demographic and health surveys to unpack the nature of this relationship in Rwanda, Ghana and South Africa. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and determinants of early sexual debut and condom use, and to explore the neighbourhood factors associated with early sexual debut and condom use in Rwanda, Ghana and South Africa.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using the most recent Demographic and Health Survey Data (DHS 2014–2016) from Ghana, Rwanda and South Africa to investigate the relationship between neighbourhood characteristics and risky sexual behaviour among the youth.Results: The prevalence of risky sexual behaviour in the three countries ranges from 56% (South Africa), 30% (Ghana) and 12% (Rwanda). Male youth in the 20-to-24-year-old category had increased odds of engaging in multiple sexual partnerships for the three countries (AOR 4.58; 95% CI 3.40–6.16), Rwanda (AOR 2.72; 95% CI 2.04–3.68) and South Africa (AOR 4.56; 95% CI 3.33–6.24). Meanwhile, at the community level, community education significantly increased the odds of age sexual debut among female adolescents by 50% (South Africa), and 46% (Ghana), while in Rwanda, this factor had decreased odds with higher community education.Conclusion: To lower the incidence of risky sexual behaviour in the community, programmes aimed at appropriate policy options must be intensified. The implications of these findings is helpful for a developmental approach aimed at reaching Africa’s long-term development goal of eliminating STIs among young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the impact of video-based approaches on health education. PUBMED, Web of Science, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and LILACS databases were searched from their inception until November 2022. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies on interventions were included in this review. Studies were grouped according to their reported learning outcomes. A random effects meta-analysis was performed. Meta-regression analyses were used to explore the effects of confounding variables on the overall estimates. Forty studies were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that video-based learning (VBL) has a significant effect on 'knowledge acquisition' in dentistry (Cohen's d = 2.18), moderate effect in medicine (Cohen's d = 0.67); moderate effect on 'skills development' in medicine (Cohen's d = 0.76) and nursing (Cohen's d = 0.59); overall moderate effect on 'attitude' (Cohen's d = 0.74). Egger's test was performed to assess potential publication bias. VBL offers a valuable educational tool for knowledge acquisition, skill development, and attitude changes in health education. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are also discussed. To strengthen the evidence base, future research should address the limitations found, such as the high risk of bias (RoB), and employ rigorous study designs when investigating the role of multimedia learning in various academic disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both states began to frame the current conflict through the lens of WWII. By focusing on their respective state media outlets (TASS and Ukrinform) and their two WWII history museums, this paper explores why the two states use history as a framing device by linking the past with the present. Through a comparative analysis, distinct approaches taken by the Russian and Ukrainian states highlight why certain framing devices are used and why they are successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the state of press freedom in Indonesia and its divergence from regional approaches in Southeast Asia. It discusses the negative consequences of domestic laws on the press, such as the criminalization and imprisonment of journalists. While some argue that these laws modernize Indonesian law and combat misinformation, others view them as opportunistic legislation. The article explores Indonesia's role in promoting democratic norms in the region and suggests measures to enhance press freedom and avoid inconsistencies. It also addresses challenges faced by the press in Indonesia, including concerns about the reliability and neutrality of information due to the political ambitions of media owners. The limitations imposed on the press make it difficult to have diverse media available in the country. The transition of the newspaper "Republika" from print to online due to high costs impacts local populations who still rely on printed news. The article emphasizes the importance of Indonesia's role in Southeast Asia and the need for alignment between domestic laws and regional engagements to maintain its identity and advocacy of democratic norms and values. The criminalization of the press and the threats faced by journalists and media outlets hinder the establishment of a true democracy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is urged to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to maintain a consistent image in regional affairs. [Extracted from the article]

AbstractThe inconsistency between an objective socioeconomic position and subjective sense of belonging is challenging for middle class studies. Scholars have argued that the information and images the media conveys can become a ‘reference group’ influencing people’s subjective sense of belonging to the middle class, leading to subjective-objective inconsistency. However, the media—the crucial influencing factor—was always on the periphery of class research. This article demonstrates that in today’s media-saturated world, the media plays a critical role in progressively altering social structures, cognitive underpinnings, and behavioral logic; therefore, it is a key variable in class studies. The analysis of discussions on the middle class and media in post-war Japanese mass society theory reveals that some representative viewpoints remain relevant for understanding the middle class from a media perspective. This article revisits the theories of mass society in post-war Japan, and affirms the media’s role in mediating subjective and objective middle-class identities, and constructing class belongingness. It identifies four fundamental perspectives—domination, satisfaction, connection, and construction—to investigate the relationship between media and the middle class. It also highlights the potential to analyze the middle class from a media standpoint, and issues that subsequent research should address. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lawmakers who can supply themself with information to manage complex problems are at an advantage, but equally important is the filtering and contextualizing of applicable information. Members of Congress manage a deluge of policy and political information, and this short paper examines one strategy members of Congress use to mitigate that burden—by investing in reference material and news media to filter and summarize the policymaking environment. Using congressional disbursement data from the 116th and 117th Congress, I explain how institutional experience is associated with an office's choice to invest in more information filtering. Freshman members of the House are more likely to turn to news media or publications to provide insight into the congressional agenda, offer political context, and prioritize issues of importance. Reference investment is not tied to partisanship, ideology, lawmaking capacity, or previous office, but those junior offices who need to get up to lawmaking speed invest in external information filtering. These results illuminate how central institutional knowledge is to lawmaking in Congress, and how much an office is willing to invest to mitigate that weakness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe paper analyses the discourses of teenagers from Barcelona around LGBTIQ+ rights and individuals, focusing on determining what influence the media have on these discourses. Short-term ethnographic research was carried out from March 2022 to May 2023 in three educational institutions from the Barcelona metropolitan area. The study involved 59 participants aged between 14 and 18 years old, encompassing diverse identities and backgrounds. The data gathered during the ethnographic research were coded and analyzed qualitatively. The results are presented in four main areas: (1) Over-information, dis-information, and confusion; (2) Media usage; (3) LGBTIQ+ phobia; and (4) LGBTIQ+ self-perception and responses. The paper contributes to LGBTIQ+ Media Studies by incorporating ethnographic methods into this field. In addition, it provides information for educators and practitioners that can be used in subjects that include aspects on gender and sexual diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why did certain COVID-19 infections in Hong Kong attract more media scrutiny than others during the pandemic? We systematically compare media and social media responses to different clusters of infection that emerged during Hong Kong's COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on Susan Sontag's (2009) essay, Illness as Metaphor, we argue that the media preoccupation with Hong Kong's Fourth Wave COVID-19 infections was not so much concerned with the science and epidemiology of the virus, but instead resonated with deeply held anxieties about gender, aging, and sexuality in the city. Specifically, we describe how women who attended ballroom dance studios during this outbreak were targeted by mainstream and social media for transgressing traditional gender roles: abandoning their husbands and purchasing intimacy with younger and less wealthy male dance instructors. We explore the implications of this "gendering" (and its intersections with social class and ageism) for health communication and public policy in the way that it disproportionately attributed blame for the outbreak on the women and denigrated an important recreation in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is about the role of the media in the phenomenon of contemporary racism. More specifically, it outlines the discursive mechanisms through which insidious, hidden forms of racism are able to exist "invisible in plain sight," even in the media and public discourse of countries, like Norway, that regard themselves as democratic and tolerant. The study is part of a broader investigation into the role of the media in the life-experience of immigrants. It addresses the question: How did Norwegian media portray immigrants during the Covid-19 pandemic? Based on a discourse analysis of media coverage, the study demonstrates how racism is hidden "between the lines," in the assumptions behind a text. It also explains how racism is produced and reproduced covertly, yet systematically, through a media text's small, even "irrelevant"-looking details. The analysis, importantly, reveals the presence of already existing and widely shared racist scripts which, although they became more noticeable during the Covid-19 crisis, actually underlie public- and media discourse at all times. The results of the study, while related to the case of Norway and the pandemic crisis, help us more broadly understand how and why racism, under the shape of "normality," tends to remain practically unchallenged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article advances sociological work on globalization processes. It concerns itself with conceptualizations of how the local and global 'clash', utilizing Ulrich Beck's work on globalization, cosmopolitanism and power. By employing Brazil's 2014 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) men's World Cup as a case, this article seeks to build on Beck's theorizations, into the field of football; using the General Law of the World Cup as a symbolic representation for the global/local, interest‐driven interactions between Brazil and FIFA. In particular, this article is concerned with how FIFA's requirements, standards and norms, as imposed on the host nation, were framed within local media and journalistic discourses. The article extends Beck's insights by problematizing how global demands meet local socio‐spatial, legal and cultural contexts and how these demands, seeking to regulate and secure consumption, are resisted by various domestic and localized actors situated within a power game. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have long debated how radio broadcasts affected the dynamics of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, with some arguing that the radio was highly consequential, and others suggesting such effects have been overstated. This article contributes to these debates—as well as to debates regarding the role of old and new media in collective action—by examining whether and how Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (Radio RTLM) coverage was associated with two core aspects of the violence: (1) subnational onset of genocidal violence and (2) participation in genocidal violence across subnational spaces. Drawing on new data on Radio RTLM coverage, we find that areas with coverage were more likely to experience immediate onset of violence. However, our analysis of participation in the genocide—which uses more accurate measures of participation and of radio coverage than prior studies—finds no significant association between Radio RTLM coverage and subnational levels of participation. After illustrating that these results are robust to numerous model specifications, we theorize that information broadcast over the radio's airways contributed to the creation of a critical mass that initiated genocide in localized spaces. We conclude by considering the importance of understanding the role of media in the subnational onset of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generative AI is increasingly being used, among others also in the professional media industry. This article provides an overview of the main ethical and legal challenges regarding content generated by, or with the help of generative AI. Among the ethical challenges, special attention is devoted to the development of journalistic standards. The legal discussion highlights the questions of civil and criminal responsibility regarding content, with a primary focus on the attribution of liability. It scrutinises the roles of deployers, assessing their contributions to the final product. It suggests that all human participants' contributions should be accordingly acknowledged, potentially necessitating the creation of novel categories such as hybrid authorship and shared responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the value of folklore training in developing public humanities initiatives, particularly through podcasting. Topics include the role of public humanities in addressing the crisis in humanities education, the skills derived from folklore studies that contribute to effective podcast creation, and the practical benefits of using podcasts to engage broader audiences outside academia.

A large corpus of scientific literature details how the media generates an imbalance in their portrayal of society and thus contributes to the reproduction of extant power structures, particularly gender. However, there has been scant attention paid to understanding how the media adapt to changes in the social environment, especially with power structures modified by exogenous shocks such as new laws requiring gender parity in politics. This study examines how such shocks affected gender imbalance in the coverage of politics in France between 1990 and 2020. It highlights the shortcomings of an overly linear approach to the time lag effect in understanding the parameters and substance of gender imbalance in political news and advocates instead for utilizing the concept of gender imbalance hysteresis to understand why media stories do not demasculinize as quickly as the gender composition of Parliament. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, cultural policymaking frequently came to the fore in media debates about the impact of the crisis and measures to alleviate it. In this article, we present evidence of how newspaper coverage of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) identified and framed competing perceptions of the relative utility of policymaking in this context, while also problematising familiar assumptions about the CCIs among policymakers, journalists and (arguably) the public. Specifically, we analysed British news and editorial items (n.4,162) published from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020. It offers a novel investigation into the ways in which media and policy rhetoric overlap, interact and influence each other. In doing so, this article contributes a unique perspective to the study and practice of cultural policy, bringing to light the typically underexplored role of the news media in shaping the narratives driving cultural policy deliberation and action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flash floods can cause significant damage if people perceive them as low risk. Media plays a crucial role in improving risk perception. This study aims to survey the perceptions of residents in Yazd, Iran, about the performance of local TV during the flash flood in 2022. Materials and Methods: This is a qualitative study using a content analysis method that was conducted on 22 residents (14 males and 8 females) who had a history of watching local TV programs during the 2022 flash flood in Yazd City. They were selected by purposive sampling method until data saturation. The data was collected through a semi-structured face-to-face interview using open-ended questions about the news received from local TV regarding the flash flood in the city. Qualitative data analysis was done using Colaizzi's seven-step method. Results: Data analysis led to the emergence of one main concept (information quality), five themes (time of broadcasting news, content of programs, trust in the media, and ability to increase social sensitivity), 12 sub-themes, and 48 codes. Conclusion: The effectiveness of local TV during the flash flood in Yazd is low due to incorrect weather predictions, insufficient risk emphasis, lack of prime-time broadcasts, generic messaging, and absence of news headlines. Addressing these issues can enhance people's perceived sensitivity and response to flood warnings from the local TV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pornography can be used through multiple media and its associations with couples' relationship and sexual satisfaction are mixed. The aims of this study were to examine the proportion of use of different pornographic media (i.e., videos, pictures, audio material, and written material), including different contents (i.e., sexual activities and nudity), gender-based differences in the frequency of use of these media, and the associations between an individual's frequency of use of different pornographic media and their own and their partner's sexual and relationship satisfaction, considering potential gender differences. A sample of 706 adult couples (1368 participants; Mage = 32.19 years) completed online self-report questionnaires. Results of actor-partner interdependence models indicated that video use was associated with lower relationship and sexual satisfaction, and partners' lower sexual satisfaction. Picture use was associated with lower relationship satisfaction and partners' lower sexual satisfaction. Written material use was associated with lower sexual satisfaction. Cisgender women's audio use was associated with their own higher sexual satisfaction, whereas cisgender men's audio use was associated with their partner's lower sexual satisfaction. These findings suggest different associations with sexual and relationship satisfaction depending on the pornographic media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern societies are characterized by unprecedently broad and fast diffusion of various forms of false and harmful information. Military personnel's motivation to defend their country may be harmed by their exposure to disinformation. Therefore, specific education and training programs should be devised for the military to systematically improve (social) media literacy and build resilience against information influence activities. In this article, we put forward a useful methodological approach to designing such programs based on a case study: the process of developing a media literacy learning platform tailored to the needs of the Estonian defense forces in 2021. The approach is grounded in data on (a) the current needs and skills of the learners, (b) the kinds of influence activities that the learners may encounter, and (c) the learning design principles that would enhance their learning experience, such as learning through play and dialogue through feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on propaganda often focuses on strategies that autocrats can use to persuade skeptical citizens. I outline a different function of propaganda—reinforcing regime support and building trust through identity-consistent messages. Such affirmation propaganda results in more positive perceptions of propaganda outlets and skepticism about independent media. I test this argument using three studies in Russia. In two randomized experiments, I demonstrate that pro-regime citizens trust reports from state media more than reports from independent media; however, state media lose trust if they send more critical messages. Additional survey evidence suggests that regime supporters often find state media accurate despite recognizing the pro-government bias of these outlets. My analysis suggests that autocrats are more constrained by public opinion than previously thought. It also helps to better understand the role of persuasion and censorship in authoritarian regimes, and it highlights that independent media have limited power to challenge authoritarian rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European integration is at risk of becoming stuck in a 'politics' trap: Diverging national EU politicisation inhibits joint agreements which fuels public debates further. What can break this vicious circle? We argue that large and symmetrical exogenous shocks may reduce the divergence of national public EU debates to then study how the COVID-19 and Ukraine crises have altered mediatised EU portrayals across 753,435 articles from 228 major online news sites in the 27 EU member states during the 2018–2023 period. We find that the Covid and especially the Ukraine shock led to higher convergence in the public salience of the EU and the issue areas associated with this while partially also muting domestic party presence. However, we note that these effects appear short-lived. Large exogenous shocks thus do not lift the politicisation constraints on European integration permanently but offer at least windows of opportunity that may facilitate intergovernmental compromise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines, through a survey, the level of education and training in data verification among directors and department heads in the Spanish media (n=190). Findings reveal a limited level of training in this area, mainly acquired through in-house courses or self-directed learning, resulting in a limited knowledge and use of specific digital tools for information verification. Despite this, respondents generally hold a positive self-assessment of their verification skills, with (almost) all expressing a willingness to participate in training initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the factors that contributed to the proliferation of online COVID skepticism on Twitter across Italian municipalities in 2020. We demonstrate that sociodemographic factors were likely to mitigate the emergence of skepticism, whereas populist political leanings were more likely to foster it. Furthermore, pre-COVID anti-vaccine sentiment, represented by "old truthers" on Twitter, amplified online COVID skepticism in local communities. Additionally, exploiting the spatial variation in restrictive economic policies with severe implications for suspended workers in nonessential economic sectors, we find that COVID skepticism spreads more in municipalities significantly affected by the economic lockdown. Finally, the diffusion of COVID skepticism is positively associated with COVID vaccine hesitancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This was a research and development (R&D) which aims to develop adaptive educational hypermedia system (AEHS) learning media. The use of AEHS based on learning style in supporting the online learning process is considered very effective for use by engineering students because it can be accessed via mobile devices which can make it easier for students to learn and has an effect on increasing learning outcomes, this is supported by several inputs from experts through expert learning design tests, learning instrument experts, learning media experts and learning outcome measurement experts with the assessment results included in the very good category. The participants in this study were informatics engineering students, totaling 100 students. Small group tests were conducted for participants and obtained a gain score of 0.735 included in the 'high' category. The pretest and posttest have been carried out and the results show that the average posttest score is greater than the pretest value. A comparison between the use of AEHS developed with web-based learning was carried out and it can be concluded that the use of AEHS based on learning styles further improves student learning outcomes in informatics engineering compared to web-based learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internet and digital technologies have penetrated all domains of people's lives, and family life is no exception. Despite being a characterizing feature of contemporary family change, the digitalization of family life has yet to be systematically theorized. Against this backdrop, this article develops a multilevel conceptual framework for understanding the digitalization of family life and illustrates the framework by synthesizing state‐of‐the‐art research from multiple disciplines across global contexts. At a micro level, as individuals "do" family online, digitalization influences diverse aspects of family practices, including family formation, functioning, and contact. How individuals "do" family online is not free‐floating but embedded in macro‐level economic, sociocultural, and political systems underpinning processes of digitalization. Bridging the micro–macro divide, family‐focused online communities serve as a pivotal intermediary at the meso level, where people display family life to, and exchange family‐related support with, mostly nonfamily members. Meso‐level online communities are key sites for forming and diffusing collective identities and shared family norms. Bringing together the three levels, the framework also considers cross‐level interrelations to develop a holistic digital ecology of family life. The article concludes by discussing the contributions of the framework to understanding family change and advancing family scholarship in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an audience ethnography, focusing on the documentary The Work (dir Jairus McLeary and Gethin Aldous, US, 2017), which depicts a four-day therapeutic programme involving men from the community and men from a high security prison. The film was screened to audiences of people who live and work in an English prison-based therapeutic community. Previous prison-based audience studies have highlighted the significance of the media text and the characteristics and experiences of the audience, but have not specifically addressed the salience of the context in which the media is consumed. By conducting the research in an atypical penal environment, the intention is to illuminate how consumption is affected by different penal contexts. The audience offered macro, meso and micro level responses to the documentary. At a macro level, they recognised the reforming intentions of the film, but also revealed the limitations of popular culture, with its emphasis on spectacle. At a meso level, the audience offered a sophisticated and expert analysis of the content and omissions of the film's representation of therapeutic processes and cultures. At a micro level, those serving prison sentences used the content of film as therapeutic material, reflecting on their own emotions and experiences, while the prison staff used the content to explore their professional identities. The audiences viewed the film through a therapeutic habitus, and media consumption was a way of enacting and reinforcing the expectations and practices of therapeutic community life. By highlighting the salience and variability of penal contexts, the study extends prison-based audience scholarship, but also highlights a factor that should be considered in the planning and design of media and arts programmes in prison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elite-level women's artistic gymnastics is (in)famous for the youth of its competitors. Yet if age representation constructs the limits and possibilities of sport, it is important to explore the effects of these representations. Here we examine media coverage of gymnast Oksana Chusovitina, who has competed internationally up to the age of 46. We conduct content analysis of 17 international competitions in which Chusovitina competed, from 2001 to 2018, exploring coverage of her and the younger gymnasts with whom she competed. As hegemonic masculinity structures a gender order in sport and beyond, we argue that gymnastics coverage constructs an age order in the sport by (1) emphasizing the exceptionality of older competitors; (2) focusing on athletes' private lives; and (3) constructing the athlete-coach relationship as familial, where coaches are represented as surrogate parents. These techniques diminish the agency of young gymnasts and produce their youthfulness as hegemonic, treating athletes competing beyond their twenties as unworthy of serious attention. When older athletes like Chusovitina are categorized as outliers, the sports media is free to infantilize younger gymnasts, naturalizing their ostensible lack of agency, as well as the sport's high burn-out and injury rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The public persona of the 8th PM of Malaysia, Muhyiddin Yassin, was derived from the metaphorical framing of the Good Father archetype. Archetypes do not always lead to logical conclusions because issues are framed by focusing on specific aspects while avoiding those that are inconsistent with the metaphor. Metaphorical structures influence the way we perceive, think or act. Muhyiddin's abah persona can be described as monolithic. It normalizes the conservative Malay value that upholds the patriarchal role while marginalizing other ethnic or religious representations and their cultural and parenting practices. Muhyiddin had exploited this privileged position so as to further the asymmetrical power relation. The Malaysian collective fantasy of a Good Father is not uniform and Muhyiddin's abah was challenged by a Shadow Father counternarrative. This exploratory study is limited in achieving depth of understanding of gender roles representation but explores instead the strategic actors, namely Muhyiddin and his supporters, how they tried to build the image of a Good Abah, and how the narrative was negotiated and contested, as well as the ideologies that were promoted or reinforced by the father archetype. Findings include readers' polarized views of good father, low-key misogyny, the traditional and stereotyped expectation of men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies have shown that prolonged television watching increases obesity risk among children. However, few studies examined the associations with other types of screen time, such as computer and smartphone use, using a prospective cohort study design. Further, little is known about the specific non-screen time activity that may yield the most benefits when reallocating screen time to other activities. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort analysis using 3-year follow-up data from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey 2018 (n = 2,023; 4th grade elementary students who were not obese at baseline). Average time spent watching television, using computer and smartphone, and other after-school activities were self-reported at baseline. Weight and height were also self-reported at baseline and follow-up surveys through 2021. We performed multivariable logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between screen time and obesity incidence, adjusting for potential confounders. We also performed isotemporal substitution models to examine the associations of reallocating screen time to other non-screen time activities (physical activity, sleeping, hanging out with friends, reading, studying, and chatting with parents) in an equal time-exchange manner. Results: Longer combined screen time (≥ 240 vs. <120 m/d) was statistically significantly associated with an increased obesity risk (OR [95% CI] = 1.68 [1.03, 2.73]). The direction of associations with television watching (≥ 180 vs. <60 m/d: OR [95% CI] = 2.86 [1.58, 5.20]), computer use (≥ 120 vs. <60 m/d: 1.38 [0.52, 3.64]), and smartphone use (≥ 180 vs. <60 m/d: 1.42 [0.76, 2.65]) were all positive, although the association was most apparent and statistically significant for television watching only. The associations did not change after additional adjustment for other lifestyle factors, including physical activity, sleep, and breakfast skipping. In the isotemporal substitution models, reallocating 1-hour of screen time to reading (OR [95% CI] = 0.67 [0.48, 0.93]) was associated with a decreased obesity risk. Reallocating 1-hour of screen time to physical activity was only marginally significantly associated with obesity risk (0.79 [0.62, 1.01]). Conclusions: Our data suggest that more efforts should focus on reducing screen time and increasing time for other non-screen time activities, particularly reading, for obesity prevention in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is a vast body of work on legitimacy, we still have a limited understanding of the discursive aspects of moral legitimation. This is surprising considering the increase in morally laden societal discussions, for example related to understanding gender, rights and regulations during a pandemic, political scandals and ethics of global business amongst others. In particular, from an organization studies perspective, we lack knowledge on how journalists negotiate moral legitimation of controversial organizational decisions such as closures or shutdown decisions related to global industrial restructuring. Therefore, drawing on the critical discourse studies tradition, we examine the media coverage of controversial shutdowns in Finland over the past 2 decades. Our analysis suggests three moral legitimation types: moral engaging, moral distancing and moral surrendering. These types involve specific discursive moralization practices and strategies, and they each paint a different picture of the moral options, responsibility, and inevitability in these decisions. These types can be found in the same texts supporting each other, but they also help us understand how legitimation may involve a pattern where the most explicit reflections (moral engagement) are followed by more indirect (moral distancing) and less apparent but very powerful (moral surrendering) forms of legitimation. By so doing, we also offer a heuristic that can, with due caution, be used for analyzing other texts on adverse effects of globalization or events that might include moral and ideological conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper investigates Love-type wave propagation in a multilayered, elastic, prestressed solid half-space with voids. Using the Haskell matrix method, the dispersion relation is derived for a stress-free boundary surface. Two distinct dispersive fronts of Love-type waves, propagating at different speeds, are identified. One behaves like waves in a prestressed elastic half-space, while the other is novel due to voids. Analytical expressions for three-layered and two-layered models are provided. Graphical representations compare the dispersion curves, highlighting differences and dependencies. The study explores how void parameters, initial stress, and layer thickness influence phase velocity, with applications in various engineering fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT During the Lebanese 2019 uprising, the country's second‐largest city, Tripoli, became portrayed as the “bride of the revolution.” This portrayal was seen to break with the city's former stigma as a hotbed of extremism. However, as this article shows, local protesters were not unambiguously happy with this portrayal. Based on interviews with 30 protesters and fieldwork observations, the article seeks to understand the critical views of this narrative. It shows that there was a widespread perception among Tripoli protesters that the narrative of their city as the “bride of the revolution,” as presented by the media, represented a distorted image that romanticized, depoliticized, and de‐contextualized the uprising. This narrative was believed to serve a political purpose. These findings provide two main contributions to scholarly debates concerning identity narratives and the role of media for social movements in societies like Lebanon, characterized by hybrid regimes and a complex media‐politics nexus. First, it points to the complexity of breaking stigma and changing geography‐based identities. Second, it shows how the political ownership of media fuels the understanding of media frames as being politically motivated, even when they seem sympathetic to protests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractHuman trafficking is globally widespread, however establishing its scope and context remains difficult. With limitations on understanding human trafficking coupled with sensational media portrayals, misperceptions of the problem persist. To that end, a campus wide educational initiative to share survivor stories and offer students a more authentic understanding of human trafficking was developed. An approach driven by the principles of public pedagogy, m-learning, and the use of earned media to support messaging informed project development. Entitled “Out of the Shadows,” the project sought to engage students using unconventional public displays related to human trafficking. In this case, novel presentation of blue figures across the campus space invited curiosity, drove media interest, and encouraged viewers to explore these presentations through integrated m-learning. Project outcomes, limitations, and the viability for this approach for criminal justice education are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, in the Albanian language (either in what is used in daily life, or in the standard language used in the country's institutions), many new or foreign words are entering as a result of the extraordinary development of information technology. Thus, we are facing new words every day, we are hearing new expressions every day. The point is that in the language are entering even words that the Albanian language does not need it, even though it has it on its own language and the use of these lowanwords is unnecessary. In the period of globalization, English has become the dominant language everywhere in the world, so it falls to have risking not only the Albanian language but also other languages everywhere in the world. In this statement, we have expressed our concern and not only, for the disdainful attitude of the Albanian language from our society, but also from institutions including schools, the media (which also in some way, language education also comes through the media), not leaving out social media. Our focus in this process will be the media and social networks, becouse, young people are the first to be exposed to social changes. The language needs care, also for an organized institutional attention that will deal with today's problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article explores Ciaran Carson’s engagement with print and television news media. While critics have emphasised the news’s importance to Breaking News (2003), this article argues that the collection extends the journalistic concerns of Carson’s earlier work. By analysing coverage of the Northern Ireland conflict and drawing on the Carson archives at Emory, University, Atlanta, it shows that Carson’s responses to the news remain interested in the “blurring” of different reports, images, and narratives. In critiquing “objectivity” as a journalistic value, Carson’s work explores the tendency of news stories to shift and change, suggesting that no account can offer more than “the half of it.” Alongside this, the article explores how Carson’s senses of place and event respond to media saturation. Life in Belfast during the Troubles, his work realises, is often itself a “blur” of different stories, with even the most ordinary experiences coloured by the consumption of news. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental disorders significantly impact individuals and societies globally. Addressing societal stigma is crucial, as it affects help-seeking behaviors and the effectiveness of treatment for mental disorders. Objective: This study aims to explore the knowledge and perceptions of the Spanish population toward mental disorders and their treatment, assess changes in mental health stigma over time, and examine variations across sociodemographic variables by comparing current results with previous studies. Methods: A panel of three psychiatrists designed a questionnaire to collect public opinions about various aspects of mental illness in Spain, covering topics such as social perception, diagnostic reliability, causes, symptoms, treatment, suicide, and media influence. The survey, conducted from October to December 2022, involved 1,002 Spanish individuals aged 18-70. Results: Our results indicated an improved general knowledge of mental health, reduced stigma, and greater acceptance of those affected by these disorders, compared to past research. Almost 80% of the participants have accurate knowledge regarding the complex and multifactorial nature of mental illnesses. Around 90% of the participants share the belief that stigma affects those affected by mental disorders. Psychological and pharmacological treatment are considered to be effective and helpful by more than 70% of the sample. More than 60% of the participants highlighted that suicide needs to be addressed appropriately in the media. Conclusion: These findings suggest a significant shift in how Spanish society views mental disorders, marking progress over decades of discrimination. Reducing the stigma associated with mental health can encourage individuals to seek assistance without the fear of judgment or discrimination, thereby increasing the likelihood of early intervention and treatment. Open conversations about mental health within families, communities, and workplaces can create a supportive environment that enhances recovery. However, continued efforts and awareness campaigns targeted to broader audiences remain necessary. Responsible media portrayals of mental health, avoiding stigmatizing language or sensationalism, are also essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the utilization and advancements of constructed wetlands (CWs) in South Asia (SA), focusing on their roles, costs, and efficacy enhancements through pre- and post-treatment units for various pollutants. Notable findings include Phragmites and Canna species as commonly used macrophytes, achieving high removal rates for various pollutants. CWs consistently remove total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, emerging contaminants, and antimicrobial resistant bacteria at substantial rates. Anaerobic baffled reactors are effective pretreatment devices for high-strength wastewater. Moreover, CWs exhibit lower operational and maintenance costs compared to conventional treatment methods. However, the bibliometric analysis reveals limited regional cooperation in SA. Key challenges identified include the absence of guidelines for media, vegetation, and maintenance. The review underscores the necessity for further research in optimizing CWs’ efficiency through land area management, plant selection, and enhanced design and operation and maintenance protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnic prejudice poses great challenges to adolescents' adjustment to multicultural societies. However, little is known about the role of the media in influencing attitudes in adolescence. Combining information environment and ecological development theories, the current study examined the longitudinal associations between the quantity, valence (i.e., neutral, positive, and negative), and target (i.e., migrant, refugee, and foreigner) of the news about ethnic minority groups and youth's affective and cognitive prejudice. In total, 962 adolescents (Mage = 15.67, 48.13% females) completed questionnaires at two time points, and news data were gathered from a national newspaper. While news quantity did not matter, positive and negative news were respectively associated with reduced and increased levels of cognitive, but not affective, prejudice. Nuanced associations emerged when accounting for the news target. Results were replicated regardless of adolescents' direct consumption of newspapers. These findings highlight the role of the information environment and suggest the need to account for it in planning interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary French novelists Michel Houellebecq and Yannick Haenel may seem to have little in common, but in fact both are given to making pronouncements about the state of Western civilization, and each has been described as prophetic in this regard. Houellebecq's Sérotonine (2019) and Haenel's Tiens ferme ta couronne (2017) are both stories whose protagonists isolate in their apartments, and—from that remove—proceed to, ostensibly, see the world for what it really is. Looming in both novels is a twenty-four-hour-news-cycle culture that serves as the ultimate prophet of doom. Haenel's hero finds in solitude the critical distance from that culture needed to formulate an alternative vision of the world and exorcise the horror just enough to find hope. In Houellebecq's novel, that distance is impossible, as his hero, a self-proclaimed "telemancer," remains obsessed with cable news and as, on a deeper level, Houellebecq's style merges seamlessly with the news cycle's fearmongering logic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]