Journalism and Media

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping skill expectations across media, marketing, and journalism, however, university curricula are not evolving at a comparable speed. To quantify the resulting curriculum–skill gap in communication-related programs, two synchronous corpora were assembled for the period July 2024–June 2025: 66 course descriptions from six leading UK universities and 107 graduate-to-mid-level job advertisements in communications, digital media, advertising, and public relations. Alignment around AI, datafication, and platform governance was assessed through a three-stage natural-language-processing workflow: a dual-tier AI-keyword index, comparative TF–IDF salience, and latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling with bootstrap uncertainty. Curricula devoted 6.0% of their vocabulary to AI plus data/platform terms, whereas job ads allocated only 2.3% (χ² = 314.4, p < 0.001), indicating a conceptual-critical emphasis on ethics, power, and societal impact in the academy versus an operational focus on SEO, multichannel analytics, and campaign performance in recruitment discourse. Topic modeling corroborated this divergence: universities foregrounded themes labelled “Politics, Power & Governance”, while advertisers concentrated on “Campaign Execution & Performance”. Environmental and social externalities of AI—central to the Special Issue theme—were foregrounded in curricula but remained virtually absent from job advertisements. The findings are interpreted as an extension of technology-biased-skill-change theory to communication disciplines, and it is suggested that studio-based micro-credentials in automation workflows, dashboard visualization, and sustainable AI practice be embedded without relinquishing critical reflexivity, thereby narrowing the curriculum–skill gap and fostering environmentally, socially, and economically responsible media innovation. With respect to the novelty of this research, it constitutes the first large-scale, data-driven corpus analysis that empirically assessed the AI-related curriculum–skill gap in communication disciplines, thereby extending technology-biased-skill-change theory into this field. Full article

As digital media companies pursue sustainable revenue, AI-based strategies like personalized advertising and dynamic paywalls have become prevalent. These monetization models involve different forms of consumer data collection, raising distinct privacy concerns. This study investigates how digital news users perceive privacy trade-offs between these two AI-driven models. Based on Communication Privacy Management Theory and Privacy Calculus Theory, we conducted a survey of 336 Korean news consumers. Findings indicate that perceived control and risk significantly affect users’ willingness to disclose data. Moreover, users with different privacy orientations prefer different monetization models. Those favoring dynamic paywalls tend to be more privacy-sensitive and show a higher willingness to pay for personalized, ad-free content. While personalization benefits are broadly acknowledged, the effectiveness of privacy control mechanisms remains limited. These insights highlight the importance of ethical, user-centered AI monetization strategies in journalism and contribute to theoretical discussions around algorithmic personalization and digital news consumption. Full article

This paper presents a qualitative exploratory study based on the analysis of a representative sample of 35 projects carried out during the period 2020–2022 by six Spanish newspapers: elDiario.es, ABC, IDEAL, El Correo, ElConfidencial.com and El País. This study aims to detect and analyze the main elements of multimedia, crossmedia and transmedia content in the selected projects using an original analysis sheet designed for this research. In relation to the categories proposed in the categorization model, in this work we will focus on analyzing two in particular: authorship and information architecture. The projects were selected based on criteria of appropriateness, quality and innovation, as well as the results of semi-structured interviews with the heads and innovation managers (laboratories) of the media included in the framework of the projects ‘NEWSNET: News, Networks, and Users in the Hybrid Media System: Transformation of the Media Industry and the News in the Post-Industrial Era’ and ‘IAMEDIA: Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Algorithms on Online Media, Journalist and Audiences’. The aim of the qualitative analysis is to propose a list of aspects, characteristics, and fundamentals in the ideation, elaboration, and distribution of these types of products. We conclude that the results of applying the designed analysis sheet help us to understand these processes and also to propose alternatives and improvements in its design and implementation Full article

The rise of social media platforms has fundamentally reshaped the global information ecosystem, fostering the spread of disinformation. Beyond the circulation of false content, this article frames disinformation as an aesthetic crisis of public communication: an algorithmic reorganization of sensory experience that privileges performative virality over shared intelligibility, fragmenting public discourse and undermining democratic deliberation. Drawing on John Dewey’s philosophy of aesthetic experience and critical theory (Adorno, Benjamin, Fuchs, Han), we argue that journalism, understood as a form of public art rather than mere fact-transmission, can counteract this crisis by cultivating critical attention, narrative depth, and democratic engagement. We introduce the concept of aesthetic literacy as an extension of media literacy, equipping citizens to discern between seductive but superficial forms and genuinely transformative experiences. Empirical examples from Portugal (Expresso, Público, Mensagem de Lisboa) illustrate how multimodal journalism—through paced narratives, interactivity, and community dialogue—can reconstruct Deweyan “integrated experience” and resist algorithmic disinformation. We propose three axes of intervention: (1) public education oriented to aesthetic sensibility; (2) journalistic practices prioritizing ambiguity and depth; and (3) algorithmic transparency. Defending journalism as a public art of experience is thus crucial for democratic regeneration in the era of sensory capitalism, offering a framework to address the structural inequalities embedded in global information flows. Full article

This article analyses journalistic decisions in the face of disinformation, focusing on the case of Vaza Jato in Brazil. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach—combining critical discourse analysis of online articles with semi-structured interviews with two editors—the study explores how two ideologically contrasting newspapers (Folha de S.Paulo and Gazeta do Povo) framed and justified their editorial positions regarding the publication of hacked content. The findings reveal distinct narrative strategies, degrees of epistemological openness, and levels of institutional trust in the judiciary and political actors. The results also show how editorial decisions are shaped by broader concerns about professional legitimacy, audience trust, and the ambiguous boundary between journalism and disinformation. This article contributes to research on disinformation, editorial ethics, and media trust, proposing an analytical framework applicable to other high-risk communication contexts. Full article

Television commercials (TVCs) play a critical role in shaping and reflecting societal understandings of gender roles. Guided by cultivation theory and framing theory, this study examines gender representation in Indian TVCs, focusing on the gender distribution of primary characters, voiceovers, settings (home, outdoor, workplace), and product categories. A quantitative content analysis of 120 Indian TVCs from 2011 to 2020 was conducted, with coding performed by the researcher. Findings show that men were primary characters in 54.6% of ads, while women featured in 45.4%. Male voiceovers dominated at 70.1%, compared to 29.9% for females. Women appeared in home settings in 66.7% of TVCs, while men were predominant in workplace contexts (100%). No significant gender disparity was observed in outdoor settings. Product-wise, women were mostly linked with household and healthcare items, whereas men dominated sectors like banking, technology, and transport. The study highlights how repetitive portrayals of certain gender framings in TVCs contribute to the normalization of traditional gender roles, offering insights into the symbolic structures that reinforce these norms in Indian media culture. Full article

Through framing analysis, this research spans a decade (2013–2022) of news on animal agriculture, focusing on the industry’s constituent bodies, farmed animals, to uncover how journalism operates with speciesism as a societal driving force. Findings indicate that animal welfare is framed as a scientific issue, while environmental news coverage downplays the struggles of these animals within industry operations. To conclude, the normative journalistic standard of accuracy is discussed as functioning primarily within an anthropocentric framework, while the news value of care is suggested as a remedy for social ignorance perpetuated by the press regarding farmed animals. Full article

This article examines the xenophobic orientation of social media reactions, as captured in mainstream South African media, around the Miss South Africa 2024 case of Chidimma Adetshina. It will perform a decolonial interrogation of the South African digital public’s reaction to Adetshina’s participation in and eligibility for the pageant. It will also unpack how xenophobia—defined as the fear or hatred of foreigners—is evident in the backlash that encapsulated Adetshina’s story. The xenophobic utterances that circulated on social media platforms such as X and across different digital media outlets suggest an intriguing intra-black component that is intertwined with the three dimensions of coloniality: power, knowledge and being. The concept of coloniality is understood as the lingering impact of inequalities and power dynamics resulting from the colonial encounter long after the end of administrative and historical colonialism and serves as this article’s theoretical framework. It draws on the work of several decolonial scholars to identify and explore how coloniality presents itself in the Adetshina case. The research objectives are to examine how xenophobic sentiments reflect the coloniality of power, knowledge and, specifically, the coloniality of being. The methodology includes an open, flexible combination of content and textual analysis of online media articles from major news outlets operating within the South African mediasphere. This inquiry found that there is a link between the tension-filled xenophobic reactions to Adetshina’s Miss SA 2024 case and the legacy of exploitation and oppression inherited from South Africa’s still-difficult-to-navigate colonial and apartheid eras. This investigation also found complicated hierarchies between different types of humanity—indicative of the most pervasive dimension, in this case, the coloniality of being. Full article

Millions of LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide continue to face discrimination that affects their rights, opportunities, and everyday lives. In Greece, one of the most debated public issues in recent years has been the legalization of civil marriage for same-sex couples. Media plays a crucial role in shaping public perceptions, often reinforcing stereotypes and societal biases. This paper examines Greek media coverage of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Greece in February 2024, through a peace journalism lens. Using quantitative content analysis, the study analyzes a sample of news stories from the online editions of five Greek media outlets representing a range of political orientations. The analysis applied a broad set of criteria, including the presence or absence of LGBTQ+ voices, conflict framing, and lack of context or solutions, to assess how the issue was framed. Findings indicate a heavy reliance on official sources, with limited or no representation of LGBTQ+ individuals and their lived experiences. The framing often emphasized conflict and controversy, while about one-fifth of the stories portrayed same-sex marriage as a threat to traditional Greek family values and Christian norms. Such coverage hinders visibility, understanding, and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ identities in public discourse. Full article

This study examines the portrayal of Ukrainian refugee women in Polish media, specifically in Gazeta Wyborcza and Rzeczpospolita, over three years of the full-scale Russian–Ukrainian war (24 February 2022–24 February 2025). Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines gender studies, critical discourse analysis, and migration studies, the research aims to identify dominant narratives, stereotypes, and framing strategies in media representations of Ukrainian refugee women. A mixed-methods analysis was conducted, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative techniques. A total of 235 articles were manually examined and categorized using a coding scheme that analyzed attitude of voice (positive, neutral, negative), dominant narratives (e.g., victimhood, resilience, economic impact), descriptors (e.g., hard-working, dependent, caring), and framing strategies (humanitarian, security, economic, cultural). Additionally, the study examined how a range of contextual factors—including political discourse, economic conditions, and social dynamics—influenced the framing and specificity of media coverage related to Ukrainian women refugees in Poland. The findings reveal key trends in the representation of Ukrainian refugee women, including their portrayal as victims, economic contributors, or burdens to society. By analyzing the construction of these narratives, this research contributes to a broader understanding of media-driven stereotypes and their impact on social attitudes and policymaking in Poland. Full article

This study examines the media coverage of illegal immigration in Spain during the first year of the war in Ukraine, focusing on the four most-read online newspapers: El Español, Okdiario, La Razón, and eldiario.es. The research aims to understand how ideological differences influence source selection and framing of immigration issues. Using Source Credibility Theory as a framework, the study analyzes the frequency of coverage and types of sources used by each outlet. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative analysis of source frequencies with qualitative examination of content. The results reveal significant disparities in coverage and source usage among the newspapers. Conservative outlets like Okdiario relied heavily on official sources (51.5%), while the progressive eldiario.es gave more weight to civil society sources (38.2%). El Español and Okdiario published more articles on illegal immigration compared to La Razón and eldiario.es. Notably, La Razón, also conservative, used hidden sources more frequently (17%) than other outlets. The findings highlight how ideological leanings shape journalistic practices in covering sensitive topics like immigration. Conservative media’s focus on institutional narratives contrasts with progressive outlets’ emphasis on human stories, potentially influencing public perception and discourse on immigration issues. This study contributes to understanding the role of media in shaping societal attitudes towards immigration and underscores the importance of diverse perspectives in news coverage. Full article

Understanding who makes up online affinity spaces as well as how information flows within those spaces is important as more people access news, research topics, collaborate with others, and entertain themselves. During a month-long period in summer 2021, we collected 100,000 tweets from 53,311 Twitter users who used the hashtags #ScienceTwitter, #SciComm, and #AcademicTwitter. We then classified users and determined the type of social network they formed. Scientists, the public, and educators formed this affinity space. They built connections by initiating activities and interacting with others, which created a Community Clusters social network structure, characterized by several medium-sized groups of closely connected users and a fair number of isolates. All three categories of people were in positions of influence in this network leading and controlling the conversations. The results show that scientists, the public, and educators share the space and contribute to communication in this online world. This research is important as it illustrates that online affinity spaces about scientific topics are not solely spaces for scientists to communicate but rather act as spaces where people with varied expertise can exchange ideas and learn from one another. Full article

Previous studies have investigated media influence on public opinion regarding BRI projects in Myanmar but have not clarified whether domestic or international news media exert more influence. This study examines how the domestic and international news media set agendas for BRI projects in Myanmar. Two domestic news media outlets (ELEVEN and The Irrawaddy) with 217 articles (n = 217) yielded 1436 attributes, whereas two international news outlets (Radio Free Asia and Voice of America) with 144 articles (n = 144) produced 1236 attributes. An online survey of 3000 Myanmar residents (n = 3000) was conducted to identify their public agendas. The independent t-test showed that domestic and international media emphasise BRI-related issues differently, while Spearman’s rho indicates that international news media exhibit a stronger correlation with public opinion, suggesting greater influence. The findings revealed that international media focuses on ‘strategic interests’, whereas domestic media emphasises ‘economic development’ from BRI implementation. The findings suggest that the Myanmar government and Chinese investors should focus on specific BRI project issues, including strategic interests, local concerns, economic development, lack of transparency, and lack of coordination when responding to media narratives. Full article

The digital transformation of journalism—from text-heavy to multimedia-reliant—has changed storytelling approaches, with multimedia integration becoming central to online news formats. Incorporating multimedia elements such as photographs, videos, and photo galleries has been shown to significantly enhance audience engagement in online journalism. The growing capacity for multimedia integration has expanded the possibilities for digital storytelling, allowing for more interactive and immersive news experiences. Effective multimedia implementation in online journalism, incorporating elements such as photographs, videos, and photo galleries, enhances audience engagement. A news website’s capacity for multimedia integration has created new opportunities for storytelling, enabling more interactive news presentation. This study examines multimedia implementation patterns across four major international news websites, TheGuardian.com (UK), TheNationalnews.com (UAE), USAToday.com (USA), and Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand), analysing 280 articles published between February and April 2023. The findings reveal significant variations in multimedia integration strategies across different content types, geographic focuses, and thematic areas. The findings indicate that despite technological capabilities, multimedia integration remains uneven across platforms and content categories. The findings show differences in how multimedia is used, depending on the type of content, geographic focus, and subject matter. Even with the technology readily available, the level of multimedia integration still varies widely across platforms and content categories. Local news receives more multimedia treatment than foreign news, while feature articles demonstrate higher multimedia density than standard news content. Full article

This study aims to evaluate the complex relationship between online media consumption, the quality of the digital landscape, and participatory democracy in EU member states. The research is focused on a long-term statistical series from 2000 to 2024. It evaluates the temporal dynamics and structural shifts in media consumption and democratic participation across EU member states. The paper evaluates the influence of social media usage, online media consumption, traditional media, and online media partisanship on different levels of democratic participation based on theoretical frameworks of liberal and deliberative democracy and networked political communication. The results show that the use of social media for offline political networks is positively associated with democratic participation across all quantiles. In contrast, online media consumption has a more pronounced impact among already active citizens. Online media bias is negatively correlated with participatory democracy, especially at high levels, suggesting that media partisanship could inhibit or demotivate civic participation. Traditional media, when consumed critically, remains an important vector of democratic engagement, especially for active citizens. The results exhibit the ambivalent role played by online media, which might stimulate or constrain democratic participation by the level of partisanship. Full article

RTK 2 is an unordinary example that helps unravel the complex process of establishing, operations, and the role of minority-language media within public service broadcasters in transitional societies that have a legacy of war. As a Serbian-language television channel within the Radio Television of Kosovo, RTK 2 also provides an opportunity to analyze media outlets that were established as part of conditions imposed by foreign political decision-makers in countries where the largest minority is subject to the dual influence of both the official majority’s politics and that of the kin-state. Through an analysis of legal documents and an analysis of the news discourse, this study addresses two key aspects: the practical implementation of the concept of a public television channel for the largest ethnic minority within a multiethnic PSB at the managerial and news content level. The analysis confirms that RTK 2 attempts to maintain a balance between rival political factors influencing it, but this has a negative impact on the quality of its news content. This study contributes to the field by presenting a unique but under-researched case that can inform future comparative research on minority programs within the framework of public service broadcasting in multiethnic environments. The findings provide lessons learned from the operational practices of programs essential to the concept of multiethnic societies, yet shaped and constrained by political conditions. Full article

In academic discourse, interactivity has long been conceptualized as a defining feature of digital journalism, offering the potential to transform passive readers into active participants. However, the actual demand for interactive functionalities among audiences—particularly in rapidly evolving digital environments—remains underexplored. This study investigates how Ukrainian digital media users perceive various interactive features and identifies factors influencing their level of interest and engagement. Based on a survey of 401 respondents, the analysis focuses on patterns of media consumption, social media behavior, and attitudes toward different forms of interactivity. The findings indicate a strong preference for low-effort interactivity, such as quizzes, infographics, and simple reaction-based features. In contrast, participatory features that imply deeper editorial collaboration—such as submitting content or suggesting corrections—attract limited audience interest. By comparing user preferences with prior research on the implementation of interactivity in Ukrainian digital media, the study reveals a structural mismatch between audience expectations and editorial practice. These findings underscore the need to reorient interactive design in digital journalism—from normative assumptions toward empirically grounded user preferences—to enhance audience engagement. Full article