scholarly journals The AstraZeneca affair. A litmus test of information disorder in the Italian hybrid media ecosystem

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Pilati ◽  
Guido Anselmi
Keyword(s):  
Vaccination Campaign ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Societal Issues ◽  
Media Ecosystem ◽  
Media Interaction ◽  
Litmus Test ◽  
Actual Configuration ◽  
Vaccine Debate ◽  
Do So

In this paper we seek to demonstrate how a variety of information disorder phenomena comes to be at the intersection of legacy and social media interaction. To do so, we collected more than 750.000 tweets and 30.000 news articles related to the adoption of AstraZeneca vaccine in Italy for a period of six months (1st January 2021 - 30th June 2021). Initially, using timestamps of publications and tweets, we tracked the pace of public debate. Then, using a mixed methods approach, we investigated Twitter reaction during the climax of attention toward AstraZeneca. Acting as a litmus test, our study reveals three different but intertwined information disorder phenomena: first, the vaccine debate exhibit a flat progression with few condensed peaks of attention (acceleration phenomenon); second, the two main peaks that involve both journalistic coverage and Twitter discussion generate from news of suspect deaths related to AstraZeneca (sensationalisation phenomenon); and finally, the report of suspect deaths news by mainstream media accounts on Twitter correlates with a polarized and ideological reaction of the connected publics (fragmentation phenomenon). These results highlight how a direct implication of the hybrid media ecosystem's actual configuration could be a resistance in the formation of a public arena capable of sustaining a prolonged and effective debate, particularly with respect to controversial societal issues such as those related to the covid-19 vaccination campaign.

The Propaganda Pipeline: Hacking the Core from the Periphery

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yochai Benkler ◽  
Robert Faris ◽  
Hal Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Presidential Election ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
The Core ◽  
Media Ecosystem ◽  
The Media ◽  
Cation Sites

This chapter examines the claim that alt-right activists hacked the media ecosystem byinserting various destructive memes into the mainstream media that helped DonaldTrump win the 2016 presidential election. In particular, this chapter considers thepropaganda pipeline—the path from the periphery to the core through a series ofwell-known amplifi cation sites, most prominently Infowars and Drudge. Th e “spiritcooking” stories as seen on Infowars, Washington Times, and Sean Hannity perfectlyencapsulate the propaganda pipeline from the periphery to the core, drawingin the various suspects in producing information disorder. Th e chapter also showshow statements by marginal actors on Reddit and 4chan were collated and preparedfor propagation by more visible sites, and how this technique was exploited by bothalt-right and Russia-related actors successfully to get a story from the periphery toHannity.

Novel interfaces in science communication: Comparing journalistic and social media uptake of articles published by The Conversation Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 096366252110193
Author(s):  
Lars Guenther ◽  
Marina Joubert
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Science Journalism ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Public Science ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Agenda Setter ◽  
Or Economics ◽  
Media Ecosystem

Science amplifier platforms such as The Conversation have gained popularity in a changing media ecosystem in which the traditional roles of journalists are eroded, and scientists are urged to engage with society. The Conversation constitutes a blend of scientific communication, public science communication and science journalism, and a convergence of the professional worlds of science and journalism. In this study, we investigated the nature and impact of the Africa-focussed edition of this platform, The Conversation Africa. We analysed articles published over a 5-year period since its launch in 2015 ( N = 5392). Contents from South Africa dominate the platform, but contributions from other African countries are increasing. Regarding the role of The Conversation Africa as an inter-media agenda setter, mainstream media more often republished stories related to politics or economics, while stories about social issues such as education, conservation and art were more often shared on social media.

scholarly journals Developing physical activity interventions for children with a visual impairment: Lessons from the First Steps initiative

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer B Scally ◽  
Rhiannon Lord
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions ◽  
Children’S Physical Activity ◽  
Do So

Children with a visual impairment are less active than their sighted peers. Yet, they are born with the potential to match their sighted peers’ motor skill competency and levels of physical fitness. Environmental barriers are one of the main causes of inequities. This article provides insight on these issues, drawing upon a physical activity intervention called ‘First Steps’, a British Blind Sport initiative that aimed to get more children with a visual impairment more active. Physical activity packs were delivered to 53 children, aged 5–15 years, with a visual impairment. Of these participants, 62% had additional impairments or medical conditions. A mixed-methods approach was used to gather participants’ experiences of physical activity prior to receiving this pack and canvas opinion on how the pack changed their activity levels. The findings revealed inequitable experiences of physical activity. The First Steps pack made considerable progress in developing children’s physical activity levels. Participants’ motor skills, social interactions, and confidence improved. Organisations working with this population might look to adopt a similar concept. Recommendations for those wishing to do so are provided.

scholarly journals “DO YOUR RESEARCH”: COVID-19, POST-SOCIALIST EXPERIENCE AND THE NARRATIVE OF INFORMATION INDEPENDENCE AMONG CZECH INSTAGRAM INFLUENCERS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Hermanova
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Domestic Space ◽  
Political Event ◽  
Historical Experience ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Media Ecosystem ◽  
The Media

The COVID-19 pandemics highlighted the role of social media influencers as political communicators and drew attention to the question of accountability of influencers and their overall role in the media ecosystem. The aim of the paper is to analyze the role of lifestyle Instagram influencers in shaping the public narrative about COVID-19 as an orchestrated political event aimed at curbing civic freedom in the Czech Republic with focus on two key elements: 1) the politicization of the domestic (space) on Instagram and its gendered nature and 2) the framing of the role of influencers as democratic public voices offering an alternative to mainstream media, within the context of the post-socialist historical experience of totalitarian past. The presented analysis builds on digital ethnography among Czech female lifestyle influencers and content analysis of selected Czech influencers profiles.

scholarly journals Automated News in Brazilian television: a case study on the AIDA system (Globo-Brazil)

2019 ◽  
pp. 255-274
Author(s):  
Renato Essenfelder ◽  
João Canavilhas ◽  
Haline Costa Maia ◽  
Ricardo Jorge Pinto
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Competitive Environment ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Television Network ◽  
Secondary Role ◽  
Media Ecosystem ◽  
The Media

Technological advancements have created a media ecosystem in which traditional journalism sees its existence strongly threatened by the emergence of new players. Social networks have created a competitive environment that, whether due to its dispersion or its capillarity, has relegated the mainstream media to a secondary role in the media ecosystem. Ironically, the technologies that threaten traditional journalism are also those that can save it; provided they are used correctly. Journalism, weakened by the economic crisis and with increasingly smaller newsrooms, has artificial intelligence as an opportunity to recover a certain centrality in the media ecosystem. This paper studies AIDA, a project from the Brazilian television network Globo. This project looked to automation as a way to avoid errors and ambiguities in the news. The study of the AIDA case, complemented by interviews, presents the challenges to achieve the automatization of news regarding electoral polls.

Young feminists, feminism and digital media

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Feminist Activism ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Feminist Poststructuralist ◽  
News Headlines ◽  
Geographical Locations ◽  
Feminist Practice ◽  
Do So

Over recent years, young feminist activism has assumed prominence in mainstream media where news headlines herald the efforts of schoolgirls in fighting sexism, sexual violence and inequity. Less visible in the public eye, girls’ activism plays out in social media where they can speak out about gender-based injustices experienced and witnessed. Yet we know relatively little about this significant social moment wherein an increasing visibility of young feminism cohabits a stubbornly persistent postfeminist culture. Acknowledging the hiatus, this paper draws on a qualitative project with teenage feminists to explore how girls are using and producing digital feminist media, what it means for them to do so and how their online practice connects with their offline feminism. Using a feminist poststructuralist approach, analyses identified three key constructions of digital media as a tool for feminist practice: online feminism as precarious and as knowledge sharing; and feminism as “doing something” on/offline. Discussing these findings, I argue that there is marked continuity between girls’ practices in “safe” digital spaces and feminisms practised in other historical and geographical locations. But crucially, and perhaps distinctly, digital media are a key tool to connect girls with feminism and with other feminists in local and global contexts.

scholarly journals From technology speculation to value creation: The changing discourse and actants in the construction of IoT on Twitter

First Monday ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathilda Åkerlund ◽  
Daniel Nylén
Keyword(s):  
Value Creation ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Technological Concepts ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
Human Actors ◽  
The Internet Of Things ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Do So

The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly becoming an important technology, affecting our everyday lives, and is predicted to do so even more extensively in the coming years. Still, the concept remains somewhat fuzzy. As IoT continues to grow in importance and scope, so does the need to understand how the concept is used and what it represents. This study analyzes over nine million tweets over an extended sample period, applying a mixed methods approach to investigate how IoT is understood on Twitter over time, and importantly, the human and non-human actors that were prolific in shaping the discourse. The findings reveal a changing focus within the IoT discourse over time — from a primary technological, engineering perspective to one which highlighted practical implementations and particularly ways of leveraging IoT solutions to cultivate service innovation and generate novel forms of value creation. The scholarly community is not keeping up with this change. Furthermore, the analysis shows that over time, bots become increasingly prominent in tweeting IoT-related content, at the expense of individual Twitter users. This finding puts into new light the question of who shapes emerging technological concepts and the accountability and agency of bots.

scholarly journals MENGUKUR ENGAGEMENT WARGA NEGARA DALAM INTERAKSI MEDIA SOSIAL (STUDI PADA 32 AKUN RESMI FACEBOOK PEMERINTAH KABUPATEN/KOTA DI JAWA TENGAH)

NATAPRAJA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Anton Purwadi ◽  
Arif Budy Pratama ◽  
Raden Mas Mahendradi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Quantitative Approach ◽  
Government Official ◽  
Public Communication ◽  
Citizen Engagement ◽  
Good Management ◽  
Central Java ◽  
Media Interaction ◽  
Do So

The purpose of this research is to measure citizen engagement on social media interaction of 32 regencies/ municipals government official Facebook accounts in Central Java Province.To do so, a quantitative approach was conducted. The data ware collected from 32 official accounts and categorized into five aspects namely like, comment, share, followers, and post. The result of engagement measuement based on likes, comments, share, followers, and posts, shows various level of engagement among municiplities or regencies. The average engagement in facebook interaction is 0.0432. Purworejo regency official facebok account placed in the first rank with 0.2981. Followed by Grobogan Regency official facebok account as second winner by 0.2524. Given this result, local government units, specifically, those deal with strategic public communication may draw lesson learns to manage their official facebook account. A good management of social media is needed to improve citizen engagement.

scholarly journals The hidden sell : subversive advertising of fashion products in social media

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Helen Smith
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Online Marketing ◽  
Celebrity Endorsements ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Fashion Products ◽  
The Social ◽  
Media Interaction ◽  
Use Of Social Media

With the exorbitant growth in technological presence and the introduction of social media, a whole new realm of advertising and marketing possibilities has been opened to businesses. This study investigated people’s perceptions of the use of social media for advertising fashion products under the guise of social media interaction. In other words, online marketing is seen as “subversive” as it is a deceptive form of advertising using celebrity allure to attract prospective clients. The target population comprised females between the ages of eighteen and twenty-nine as this population was found to represent the majority of social media users. The purpose of the study was to establish whether the social media users canvassed were aware of this subversive type of advertising, whether they responded by buying the products, and how effective they found this type of marketing overall. The research was carried out within a social constructivist framework, using a nested/embedded strategy in a mixed-methods approach. Users of social networking in South Africa were recruited by means of an Instagram post which introduced the idea of the “subversive sell” and gave them the option of participating in an online survey on the topic. Respondents were also offered the option of participating in two focus groups in the Durban area in order to obtain more in-depth feedback on this marketing strategy. Results showed that participants were aware of the fact that they were being targeted, and that they saw it as an inevitable outcome of using social media. However, it irritated them when realising that social media were saturated with advertisements, and that they should be importuned incessantly with such. They also reported that they would not necessarily purchase fashion products advertised in this way and would rather rely on word-of-mouth recommendations on social media from people using these products. Respondents did, however, comment on the immediacy and novelty of this form of advertising. It was concluded that subversive advertising via social media was not that different from the celebrity endorsements found in traditional media, and that people were responding to this strategy in similar ways.

Election-related talk and agenda-setting effects on Twitter

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon C. McGregor ◽  
Chris J. Vargo
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Analysis ◽  
Agenda Setting ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Perceived Importance ◽  
Media Types ◽  
Partisan Media ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
2012 Election ◽  
Do So

Abstract This study explores frequency of election-related chatter as an antecedent to agenda setting. In this study, we conducted a longitudinal analysis of 38 million tweets from the 2012 election. Users who participate more in election talk align more with partisan media than less active users. Users who participate less align less with partisan media and more with mainstream media. Overall, agenda-setting relationships differ by participation in election-related talk, with more active users exhibiting a greater agenda-setting effect across all media types. This study provides evidence that as Twitter users talk more about the election, they appear to do so in more homophilous information environments. These environments can alter their perceived importance of issues to match more partisan media. This study echoes previous research that has shown large conversations on Twitter to be more akin to partisan information.

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