Search Results (40)

This experimental study models an approach for de-westernizing communication theory by exploring exemplification within a Global South context. Incorporating local knowledge from Nigerian journalists on their motivations for using exemplars in poverty reporting and their anticipated audience outcomes, the study identifies and tests constructs that align with previous experimental studies on exemplification—such as perception of issue significance, awareness of social responsibility to address a social issue, and emotional connection with exemplified group—and those that diverge from previous scholarship—such as trust in media and trust in government. The study also identifies the mediating influence of identification, true to Nigerian journalists’ expectations. By grounding theoretical explanations for exemplification effects on local knowledge from this context, this study challenges the assumption of the universality of exemplification theory, enriches the theory by making it more cumulative, and advances an argument for a more inclusive and just theorizing of exemplification phenomena. Full article

This study explores the factors influencing the sustainable adoption of AI technologies in journalism. It integrates the expectation confirmation model (ECM)—including expectation confirmation, perceived usefulness, and satisfaction—with knowledge management (KM) features (knowledge sharing, acquisition, and application), and other factors like ease of use, trust, and technological affinity. Data from an online survey of 396 Chinese journalists using AI for journalistic tasks were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Results show that expectation confirmation significantly influences perceived usefulness, while satisfaction is correlated with expectation confirmation, usefulness, and ease of use. Sustainable use of AI is impacted by usefulness, satisfaction, knowledge management practices, ease of use, trust, and technological affinity, with perceived usefulness being the most significant factor. These findings provide deeper insights into AI adoption in journalism, offering implications for AI developers, media enterprises, and training programs aimed at fostering sustainable AI use in journalism. Full article

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism has transformed the sector, with media generating content automatically without journalists’ involvement, and various media companies implementing AI solutions. Some research suggests AI-authored articles are perceived as equally credible as human-written content, while others raise concerns about misinformation and trust erosion Most studies focus on journalists’ views, with audience attitudes explored mainly through quantitative methods, though there is no consensus regarding the acceptability of AI use by news organizations. We explore AI’s role in journalism through audience research, conducting five focus groups to understand public perceptions. The findings highlight concerns about AI-generated content, particularly potential errors, opacity, and coldness of the content. The information is perceived as somewhat less valuable, being viewed as more automated and requiring less human effort. These concerns coexist with a certain view of AI content as more objective, unbiased, and closer to the ideal of independence from political and economic pressures. Nevertheless, citizens with more AI knowledge question the neutrality of automated content, suspecting biases from corporate interests or journalists influencing the prompts. Full article

This study introduces a multimodal framework integrating retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) with multimodal large language models (MLLMs) to enhance the accessibility, interpretability, and analysis of Eurobarometer survey data. Traditional approaches often struggle with the diverse formats and large-scale nature of these datasets, which include textual and visual elements. The proposed framework leverages multimodal indexing and targeted retrieval to enable focused queries, trend analysis, and visualization, across multiple survey editions. The integration of LLMs facilitates advanced synthesis of insights, providing a more comprehensive understanding of public opinion trends. The proposed framework offers prospective benefits for different types of stakeholders, including policymakers, journalists, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), researchers, and citizens, while highlighting the need for performance assessment to evaluate its effectiveness based on specific business requirements and practical applications. The framework’s modular design supports applications, such as survey studies, comparative analyses, and domain-specific investigations, while its scalability and reproducibility make it suitable for e-governance and public sector deployment. The results indicate potential enhancements in data interpretation and data analysis by providing stakeholders with the capability not only to utilize raw text data for knowledge extraction but also to conduct image analysis based on indexed content, paving the way for informed policymaking and advanced research in the social sciences, while emphasizing the need for performance assessment to validate the framework’s output and functionality, based on the selected architectural components. Future research will explore expanded functionalities and real-time applications, ensuring the framework remains adaptable to evolving needs in public opinion analysis and multimodal data integration. Full article

Artificial intelligence has made its mark on the media industry in Romania, and television is one of the sectors most affected by its development. This paper analyzes through a quantitative method the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on television from the perspective of media industry professionals in Romania. The research was conducted usinga quantitative method based on a structured questionnaire. The study focuses on the responses of 128 journalists working in local and national TV stations directly involved in content creation and editorial or production processes. We selected this sample because media specialists have the knowledge to express informed opinions on this subject. The survey results show that artificial intelligence is increasingly used in Romanian newsrooms. Television professionals believe that artificial intelligence tools are helpful and that they can improve the quality of content. However, at the same time, there are serious concerns about the possibility that jobs could be affected. In addition, the risk of misinformation is growing with the increasing use of artificial intelligence tools. Findings suggest that strategic, industry-wide regulations and ethical guidelines are essential to balance AI adoption while safeguarding media integrity. This research may serve media organizations, policymakers, and academia in formulating informed approaches toward AI. Full article

Digital journalism is facing a growing number of challenges as the wave of digital transformation enters a new phase. The changes, both slow and sudden, are making it increasingly necessary for there to be a shift amid the transition. The surge of artificial intelligence (AI) in the journalistic world has ushered in what appears to be a new phase for digitalisation and journalism’s role as a producer of factual information and knowledge in society. Current debates suggest that we are at a critical time to reinvent journalism for the new wave of digital transformation. In this stage, which recently began and which some are calling the Fourth Industrial Revolution, both professionals and academics point to the need to make journalism more resilient, so it can adapt to the changes without losing its basic essence, and more people-centred, helping to support individuals in the age of AI. This article analyses the challenges from the perspectives of both academics and professional journalists, based on their codes of ethics. The methodology used is a content analysis of 45 European ethical codes and the Delphi method, involving experts from the journalistic sector and academia. The results highlight that codes of ethics have not kept pace with these professionally and expert-led debates, as few mention new technologies such as artificial intelligence and they tend to focus more on disinformation and social engagement. Full article

It is believed that the way in which media speak about emerging technologies can influence the public perception of their benefits and risks. Risk statements highlight the possible negative effects, real or imaginary, that a particular event could have on audiences. Just as journalism varies over space and time, what is considered a risk is deeply rooted in specific social, economic, and technological contexts. This variability implies that journalistic practices are neither universal nor static; instead, they change and adapt according to circumstance. Moreover, technological advances have allowed the press to better understand their audiences and adhere to their demands. In this context, the discursive construction of the risk of artificial intelligence was studied in the press of four European countries: Belgium, Spain, France, and Portugal. In total, 290 texts published in January 2024 were examined. Mentions of “artificial intelligence” were found in the following newspapers: Le Soir, El País, Le Figaro, and Público. Fourteen risk categories and seven groups of voices responsible for their enunciation were identified, with significant variations between the studied newspapers. It was concluded that national contexts make it possible to differentiate the way in which the press communicates the risks associated with artificial intelligence. Although these results do not directly reflect public awareness of the risks in each of these countries, they open a line of research on the possible influences of the progressive monitoring and knowledge of audiences in the construction of the media agenda. Full article

In the USA, for the first time in the 1960s, and in a very systematic manner from 1976 onwards, pre-election debates (televised presidential debates) have become a fundamental and integral method of communication for political parties, as well as an institution of American democracy that contributes significantly to shaping a culture of public political dialogue at a relatively high level, through which citizens accumulate knowledge about political figures and their parties’ positions within a very short period of time before the elections. In Greece, on the contrary, these television programs have not sparked significant interest to date. The subject of this study is the television debates in Greece, evaluated through a brief historical overview and commentary on their structure, culminating in the two televised confrontations that took place within a five-month period during two electoral contests in 2023. Firstly, the reactions to and reception of the two televised debates by citizens on platform X and, secondly, the commentary on the two debates by journalists, columnists, and renowned analysts, reveal the differing interests of both sides. The research results confirm that, in addition to the performance of politicians, citizens are also interested in the conditions and form in which these pre-election televised debates are staged. Full article

While religious dogma and science are often viewed at odds, scientific knowledge is increasingly integrated into religious journalism. This challenges the epistemic tenets that underlie the worldviews of religious readers. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of religious journalists as science gatekeepers and, more specifically, uncover their ethos in advocating science communication to their audience, amid widespread ambivalence. To this end, we focus on the ethical gaze of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jews in Israel. An enclaved religious group that has a history of challenging scientific precepts and has of late demonstrated various levels of ambivalence and resistance to scientifically inspired policies made during the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, we conducted in-depth interviews with 20 Haredi editors, radio and print/online journalists, engaged with science reporting before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. The findings unveil several ethical facets employed by Haredi journalists: care, community, professionalism, and religion. The findings also outline the interaction between professional, religious, and communal codes of conduct, as they play out in bounded mediascapes. Accordingly, religious journalists’ role breaches traditional boundaries as they respond and strive to integrate multiple sources of knowledge for what they see as the betterment of their devout readers. Full article

This study examined the knowledge and use of the 2011 Freedom of Information Act among journalists in Nigeria. The hierarchy of influences model provided the theoretical lens, which guided the study. Through a survey of 313 Nigerian journalists, the study found that there was a high level of knowledge of the Act among Nigerian journalists. Nigerian journalists perceived the Act as a useful journalistic tool, and they often used it for such purposes as confirming facts, writing controversial topics and to gain insight into the inner working of government. The study showed that, in the use of the Act in journalistic duties, Nigerian journalists were confronted with the challenges of non-integration of the provisions of the Act in the operations of government agencies, adversarial disposition of government institutions towards journalists and the pervasive culture of secrecy. The study established that knowledge of the Act positively correlated with its use. The implications of the findings were discussed. Full article

The current increase in religiously motivated radicalism is a serious social problem in various countries. Through our qualitative research, which was based on the knowledge and experience of experts recorded during the focus group interview, it was possible to identify the most frequent causes of religious radicalism in Slovakia today. The Slovak Republic, a small post-communist country in the region of Eastern Europe, served as an empirical example for research purposes. Following the research findings, a second research objective was set, namely to present the possibilities and contribution of citizen journalism that can play a key role in tracking, documenting and sharing cases of religious radicalism. The research presents the causes of religious radicalism and the optimal possibilities of citizen journalism, which would adequately respond to contemporary religious radicalism with the use of online media. The activities of “people’s journalists” appear not only as a trigger for public debate that takes place on social media, blogs, and independent journalistic platforms but also as a necessary voice calling for accountability and transparency of solutions concerning religious radicalism, which is inherently complex and a multifactorial process, often leading to extremism. This study attempts to answer the question of why civic engagement using online media is important in this issue. Full article

With the increased availability of streaming services and access to international content a feature of today’s media consumption, can social media be used to explore the potential of global cinema to inform audiences about religion and society? As a media form, movies play a role in educating as well as entertaining society at large; narrative arcs from Bollywood, Hollywood, and beyond inform audiences about contemporary religious concepts. This research makes use of a practice-based journalistic methodology to explore the educative role movies can play in informing audiences about religious and societal concepts; the researcher produces a creative artefact appropriate for the discipline of journalism (in this instance, a social-media-based curated collection of movie reviews), with a contribution to the wider knowledge that is contextualised by this study. Using a deductive approach, the researcher narrows down an initial list of films, from a global selection of cinematic output, that covers religious and societal themes through a range of lenses (such as characters’ well-being, trauma, religious practice, and cultural values). The concepts and ideologies explored through this study and the construction of a social-media-based movie database suggest that cinema can play an active role in informing audiences about religion and society, instead of merely entertaining across cultures. The concepts and ideologies explored in this paper, through the construction of a social-media-based movie database, show that religious and societal issues in movies can be an important aspect of the lives of millions in the cinema-going audience. Full article

Immersive journalism is a new form of media communication that uses extended reality systems to produce its content. Despite the possibilities it offers, its use is still limited in the media due to the lack of systematised and scientific knowledge regarding its application. This is a problem because it is a very powerful technology that changes the way audiences receive information and can be used both for new forms of storytelling that generate greater user engagement and for very sophisticated disinformation, which is why it is really important to study it. This study analyses articles published in the last 5 years that cover the use of extended technologies and the metaverse applied to immersive journalism. A systematic literature review applying PRISMA was carried out to identify literature within Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar (n = 61). Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted on the data collection techniques, the type of the data and the analysis techniques used. The results show a low level of methodological maturity, with research that is fundamentally descriptive and not very formalised, which limits the scope of its results and, therefore, the transfer of knowledge for its application in the configuration of new immersive journalistic products. The metaverse and extended technologies are considered independently and with distinct applications. It is concluded that research in this area is still in an initial exploratory and generalist stage that offers results that are not yet applicable to the promotion of this type of media format. Full article

During 2018, three academics employed what they referred to as “reflective ethnography” to examine the hypothesis that many disciplines (e.g., sociology, educational philosophy, and critical race theory) are motivated by extreme ideologies, as opposed to generating knowledge. The authors published, or had accepted, seven “hoax” articles in a number of peer-reviewed journals. When the story broke in the Wall Street Journal, the authors stated that the articles advocated a number of ludicrous, inhumane, and appalling ideas. For example, one argued that men should be trained like dogs with shock collars. Their acceptance for publication was therefore taken as evidence for the kind of ideas that many academic disciplines will advocate. In the present article, I will show that the central aspects of the hoax articles do not match with how they were later described by the hoax authors and many other commentators (e.g., journalists). Despite the vast amount of media coverage, this has (virtually) gone unnoticed. I will suggest that the widely accepted narrative of the so-called Grievance Studies affair is incorrect. Full article

This paper surveys some of the voluminous journalistic coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health responses that ensued. While investigative reporting in newspapers and news programming played an important function, we expose the terms of the underreporting about the lockdowns in institutions for the disabled and elderly that ultimately changed little about public knowledge of the lives of disabled people who were always or already confined. Second, we detail the rapid unfolding of a critical journalism that revealed the mortality-dealing conditions of institutionalization beyond the acceleration of pandemic risk levels. Such governmental and for-profit run practices of letting individuals who were disabled or elderly die while in their care were enacted, of which residents could do nothing to protect themselves (in fact, risky exposure was a conscious practice of state governments during the unfolding viral epidemic). This essay argues, however, that a critical branch of COVID-19 journalism (largely based in the US) used investigative reporting to expose governmental miscounting, undercounting, and neglecting-to-count of disability deaths due to COVID-19 and/or to collect them under “other categories,” such as the overall death rate of a population. Our key findings point out that despite the importance of this coverage, no one used this opportunity to talk with institutionalized disabled and/or elderly people—who were gravely at risk. Thus, we learned little about disabled peoples’ lives as they were shipped back to congregate care settings and institutions from hospitals without treatment. An opportunity to explain disability institutionalization and its inherent dangers were lost despite the media saturation of coverage that rose in the wake of COVID-19 public health policies and practices. Full article