OPINIONS MANIPULATION: MEDIA, POWER AND GOSSIP

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (04) ◽  
pp. 567-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
WALTER QUATTROCIOCCHI ◽  
ROSARIA CONTE ◽  
ELENA LODI
Keyword(s):  
Information Acquisition ◽  
Opinion Dynamics ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
The Media ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Media Power ◽  
Source Of Information ◽  
Different Sources

Despite the increasing diffusion of the Internet technology, TV remains the principal medium of communication. People's perceptions, knowledge, beliefs and opinions about matters of fact get (in)formed through the information reported on by the media. However, a single source of information (and consensus) could be a potential cause of anomalies in the structure and evolution of a society. Hence, as the information available (and the way it is reported) is fundamental for our perceptions and opinions, the definition of conditions allowing for a good information to be disseminated is a pressing challenge. In this paper starting from a report on the last Italian political campaign in 2008, we derive a socio-cognitive computational model of opinion dynamics where agents get informed by different sources of information. Then, a what-if analysis, performed through simulations on the model's parameters space, is shown. In particular, the scenario implemented includes three main streams of information acquisition, differing in both the contents and the perceived reliability of the messages spread. Agents' internal opinion is updated either by accessing one of the information sources, namely media and experts, or by exchanging information with one another. They are also endowed with cognitive mechanisms to accept, reject or partially consider the acquired information.

The gap between here and there: Communication and information processes in the migration context of Syrian and Iraqi refugees on their way to Germany

2018 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Fiedler
Keyword(s):  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Iraqi Refugees ◽  
Personal Network ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Information Processes ◽  
Subjective Value ◽  
The Media ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Different Sources

Set against the background of the so-called refugee crisis in Germany in 2015/16, this article asks about the subjective value that refugees give different sources of information and examines whether they were making informed decisions during the various stages of their transit. Between November 2015 and April 2016, four focus groups and 36 in-depth interviews were conducted with Syrian and Iraqi refugees, as well as interviews with Iraqi experts in the media and civil society sectors, based on the theoretical concepts of network and broadcast feedback developed by Bakewell and Jolivet. The results show that, unlike the mass media, personal network and narrowcast feedback were the most important sources of information for the study's participants. While most of the interviewees felt adequately informed both before and during their transit, it was mainly after the refugees arrived in Germany that they experienced a deficit of information.

Public Opinion and Foreign Policy

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Foyle
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
New Media ◽  
Information Acquisition ◽  
Opinion Dynamics ◽  
Domestic Policy ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Media ◽  
New Research ◽  
Traditional Approaches

Dramatic changes in the way the public acquires information and formulates its attitudes have potentially altered the opinion and foreign policy relationship. While traditional approaches have treated public opinion on domestic and foreign matters as largely distinct, the culmination of a series of changes may eliminate the effective distinction between foreign and domestic policy, at least in terms of how the American political system operates. All the factors central to the opinion and foreign policy process, such as information acquisition, attitude formation, media effects, the effect of opinion on policy, and presidential leadership now appear to mirror the processes observed at the domestic level. This analysis reviews historical trends in the literature on public opinion and foreign policy that has focused on the rationality of the public’s opinions, the structure of its attitudes, and its influence on foreign policymaking. The traditional Almond-Lippmann consensus portrayed an emotional public with unstructured attitudes and little influence on foreign policy; however, revisionist views have described a reasonable public with largely structured views on foreign policy that can, at times, constrain and even drive those policies. More recently, the rise of “intermestic” issues, contain both domestic and international elements, such as globalization, inequality, terrorism, immigration, and climate change, have interacted to transform the domestic and international context. The bulk of this analysis highlights emerging new research directions that should be pursued in light of the changes. First, scholars should continue to evaluate the “who thinks what and why” questions with particular attention to differences between high- and low-information individuals, the effect of misinformation, and information sources. In doing so, research should build on research from non-American contexts that points to the important influences of societal and institutional factors. In addition to continued examination of traditional demographic factors such as partisanship and ideology, additional attention should turn to consider potential genetic and biological foundations of attitudes. Finally, researchers should continue to evaluate how the new media environment, including social media, affects how the public accesses information, how the media provides information, and how political elites attempt to shape both. Given these changes, scholars should consider whether it continues to make sense to treat public opinion dynamics regarding foreign policy as distinct from domestic policy and its implications.

scholarly journals Environmental Issues in the Media – Studentsí Perceptions in the Three Nordic-Baltic Countries

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuula Keinonen ◽  
Yli-Panula Yli-Panula ◽  
Maria Svens ◽  
Rytis Vilkonis ◽  
Christel Persson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Environmental Knowledge ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Educational Context ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
Baltic Countries ◽  
The Media ◽  
Source Of Information

Abstract The media, as a source of information, is supposed to have a significant role in effecting peopleís environmental knowledge and attitudes. The purpose of this study was to find studentsí perceptions of environmental issues as presented in the media and how students in Finland, Lithuania and Sweden used these media sources in the matters related to environmental issues. The most important source of environmental knowledge was found to be the Internet, followed by newspapers, television, school and education. In their own lives, students discussed environmental issues every day and, to some extent, in social media, discussion forums and blogs. In Finland, newspapers represented the most important source of environmental knowledge; in Lithuania, environmental organisations were the most prevalent, and, in Sweden, it was in a school or educational context. Based on these results, it was concluded that, in order to reach both genders of students in different countries and to more greatly benefit from all sources of information, a variety of media should be used in education for sustainability.

Headache in Schoolchildren: Agreement Between Different Sources of Information

Cephalalgia ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 420-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Laurell ◽  
B Larsson ◽  
O Eeg-Olofsson
Keyword(s):  
International Headache Society ◽  
Headache Frequency ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
High Agreement ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Source Of Information ◽  
Different Sources ◽  
Level Of Agreement ◽  
Duration Criterion

The level of agreement between different sources of information, i.e. questionnaires, interviews and diaries, was evaluated in a sample of 129 schoolchildren, 69 girls and 60 boys, ranging in age from 7 to 17 years. Headache diagnoses and headache features showed high agreement between questionnaires and subsequent interviews. The concordance between questionnaires and interviews for headache diagnoses increased, and the number of unclassified headaches decreased, when the International Headache Society (IHS) duration criterion was excluded. When comparing headache frequency reported in questionnaires and interviews with diary recordings, the agreement was low and the frequency higher in the diaries. Overall, the agreement between questionnaires, interviews and diaries was not related to age or gender. The questionnaire may serve as a valid source of information in studies of headache in schoolchildren. Prospective recordings in diaries provide additional information, in particular of low-intensity headache. In children, the IHS duration criterion should be modified or excluded.

scholarly journals FUENTES DE INFORMACIÓN QUE UTILIZAN LAS EMPRESAS PARA EL DESARROLLO DE ACTIVIDADES DE INNOVACIÓN EN ECUADOR.

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raúl Carpio Freire ◽  
Susan Flores Armijos
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Method ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Information Market ◽  
Knowing That ◽  
Market Leadership ◽  
A Company ◽  
Source Of Information ◽  
Different Sources

Este artículo muestra las diferentes fuentes que las empresas usan para la innovación, analizando cada variable que se presenta mediante un estudio explicativo utilizando el método cualitativo. Sabiendo que la innovación es primordial para una empresa, se busca encontrar cual es la fuente o las fuentes de información que permite que se realice algo nuevo que hace que dicha empresa se mantenga pionera en el mercado.    Palabras claves: innovación, Ecuador, fuentes de información, desarrollo de productos.   ABSTRACT   This article shows the different sources of information that companies in Ecuador use for innovation by analyzing each variable that occurs through an explanatory study using the quantitative method. Knowing that innovation is critical to a company, the aim is to find the source or sources of information that make it possible to do something innovative in order to keep the company’s pioneering position in the market.   Keywords: innovation, prospective, source of information, market leadership.   Recibido: Febrero de 2015Aprobado: Mayo de 2015

Understanding different sources of information: the acquisition of evidentiality

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 947-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
LOES KORING ◽  
HANNAH DE MULDER
Keyword(s):  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Source Of Information ◽  
Different Sources

AbstractThis paper investigates six- to nine-year-old children's acquisition of evidentiality. In two minimally different tasks we assess whether children can be made to use a particular source of information by presenting them with a specific evidential term. That is, we assess whether children have an explicit awareness of the source requirement of the evidential terms. The results demonstrate that children explicitly understand the direct evidential term, but not the indirect evidential terms. Interestingly, the direct evidential term tested (Dutch lijken) does not encode high speaker certainty. Hence, even though the child cannot rely on speaker certainty to provide an answer, the results still show that direct evidentiality is acquired before indirect evidentiality.

scholarly journals Depoliticising addiction

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Bujalski ◽  
Matilda Hellman ◽  
Jacek Moskalewicz ◽  
Franca Beccaria ◽  
Sara Rolando
Keyword(s):  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
Daily Newspapers ◽  
Common Coding ◽  
Coding Scheme ◽  
Political Sources ◽  
The Media ◽  
Scientific Expertise ◽  
Different Sources ◽  
Over Time

Aims: The article presents an analysis of sources of information employed in mainstream print media reporting on addiction problems in Finland, Italy and Poland in the 1990s and 2000s. Method: A quantitative content analysis of frequency of different sources employed in articles in daily newspapers from Finland ( N = 258), Italy ( N = 296), and Poland ( N = 212) from the years 1991, 1998 and 2011. Semantic units were coded in Atlas.ti. The societal spheres represented were identified using a common coding scheme broadly inspired by Boltanski and Thévenot’s typology of polities of worth. Transformations were identified in line with van Leeuwen’s framework for trends in discourse salience over time. Results: The study highlights different patterns of coverage of addictions in the three countries. Over time, increased salience is given to the individuals affected by addictions and experts who represent biomedical sciences. This process occurred with varying intensity and expressiveness in all countries under study. Conclusions: Social and political sources were employed to less extent over time. The media focus seemed to shift to the affected individuals and scientific expertise. This confirms results from previous studies on a general move towards individualisation and an increased focus on more personal and technical aspects of addiction problems in the mass media.

Credible Sources of Information about Alcohol and Drugs

1987 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-19
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Wilks
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Drug Education ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Alcohol And Drugs ◽  
The Media ◽  
Source Of Information ◽  
Credible Source

Abstract:In this study, parents considered themselves to be the most credible source of Information about alcohol and drinking for their children. However, when information about drugs Is sought many parents believe the police and health specialists are more authoritative. Young adults supported parents as a primary source of information about alcohol and drinking, but considered universities, police, and the media to be more important for drugs. These findings and their implications for the development of alcohol and drug education programs are discussed.

Determinants Considered by Consumers for Brand Selection - with Reference to Laptops in Albania

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margret Plloçi ◽  
Macit Koc
Keyword(s):  
Primary Data ◽  
Battery Life ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Light Weight ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Technical Features ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City ◽  
Different Sources ◽  
Core Features

Abstract Purpose of the article There is relatively a big number of brands in the market of laptops nowadays in Albania. It appears that the number of brands offered in this market could easily be compared to the number of brands in Europe and even broader. The purpose of this study is to help Albanian vendors understand the criteria that consumers take into consideration when they make the decision to purchase a laptop. Methodology/methods The research is based on the collection and the analyses of the primary data collected through interviews to people like managers or employees who work in the sector of trading laptops or in businesses like education where laptops are broadly used recently; then a survey is done through a questionnaire delivered to customers who already own and use a laptop and customers who are potential buyers of laptops. Scientific aim The aim of the research is to identify if there are any relationships between the demographics of the consumers and the criteria of buying a laptop; on the other hand, to find out how is the relationship between the demographics and the features of different brands. Findings The study found out that Albanian consumers have good knowledge of laptops and their brands, and they use different sources of information for making their decisions in buying a laptop; it is found that there are relationships between some demographics like age or gender and the appraisal for some attributes of the laptops like price, design and high graphics card; it is also found that some technical features and other attributes of using laptops are some of the determinants that influence the laptops’ purchases. Conclusions It is realized that one of the most important demographics of the consumers is their age. Some core features like RAM, ROM, battery life, processor quality, light weight or attributes that are connected to the purposes of using the laptop computers like practicality and mobility in using them, work and studying processes, quick access to the internet are determinant factors which influence the decision making process of purchasing a laptop. I would recommend that future researches be focused also on the relationship between the customers’ income and their preferred brand or ranking brands according to the customers’ preferences. Such studies should also extend outside the city of Tirana.

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