In search of a dialogue: Digital di-plomacy of Sweden

Digital diplomacy opens up new opportunities for both developed and devel-oping states to promote their international image, clarify their position on current issues, and realize long-term foreign policy aspirations, but it also brings com-pletely new challenges. The chief one among them is establishing a continuous constructive dialogue with the target audience in the virtual space. Facilitation for this dialogue is one of the key priorities of the digital diplomacy of Sweden. The author examines the activities of the key actors of Sweden’s digital diplomacy (the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs of Sweden, the Swedish Institute, the Swedish Tourist Association (Svenska Turistföreningen), ‘Visit Sweden’) and identifi es their key features. Particularly, the author emphasizes the government’s readiness to implement innovative and creative methods to promote its media projects. The latter include such projects as ‘The Second House of Sweden’, ‘Curators of Sweden’, and ‘Swedish Number’, which were aimed at improving the quality of communication with the foreign audience. In doing so, the responsible minis-tries and agencies placed a heavy emphasis on promoting a dialogue via social networks between the Swedish offi cials and representatives of the civil society on the one hand and foreign users on the other. The leading actors of Sweden’s digital diplomacy actively engaged the foreign audience in discussions on the most important issues on the foreign policy agenda of Sweden. This was most clearly demonstrated in media campaigns designed to eliminate discrimination against women and gender-based violence. The author concludes that Sweden has achieved a certain degree of success in establishing a dialogue with the foreign audience, yet this dialogue is not comprehensive enough and still depends on the initiative of individual politicians and diplomats.

Rape Stereotype Acceptance in the General Population of England and Wales

The #MeToo movement has facilitated a growing awareness in the UK of rape stereotypes but there has been little research on how accurately rape is perceived in this region, especially regarding demographics such as ethnicity and age. This study recruited 1,000 participants, representative of the UK population, to complete an online survey prompting beliefs about rape perpetrators, rape victims, rape allegations, male rape, and motives for and consequences of rape. After carrying out frequency analyses on agree-incorrect and disagree-incorrect statements, we found that, generally, accuracy was high, although there were higher levels of stereotype acceptance for perpetrator related stereotypes. Further analysis found that in terms of demographic differences, Black and Asian participants and men were significantly more likely to accept stereotypes than other demographic groups. Implications for policy and practice are discussed, including potential for jury education, and educational media campaigns aimed at the demographics most likely to accept stereotypes.

Characteristics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Smokers Exposed to Anti-smoking Marketing in South Australia

Background: Smoking is disproportionately prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian peoples, with 39% of Indigenous Australians aged over 15 years smoking daily. Efforts to reduce this high prevalence include culturally focused media campaigns, designed using community consultation, highlighting the need to determine how such health messaging is received by smokers. This study aimed to examine Indigenous Australian smokers’ reactions to a culturally focused anti-smoking mass media campaign—'Give up Smokes’. Methods: Intercept surveying across health services and events used recorded demographics, smoking status, quit attempts, smoking health effects, anti-smoking campaign recall, social support, and campaign reactions. Participants rated campaign images in five domains: 1) whether it made them stop and think; 2) personal relevance; 3) believability of design and message; 4) prompting concern about smoking; and 5) motivation towards quitting. Cluster analysis was used to segment smoker types. Results: Smoking health effects knowledge was high, and did not differ by quit readiness, attempts, or social support. Cessation support access was higher among those with greater readiness to quit. Social smoking behaviour and confidence to support others quitting did not significantly differ between participants, however importance of others quitting did. Quit readiness, attempts, and social support were associated with reaction to campaign design, but not message recall. Four types of smokers were described, using smoking characteristics, who differed in campaign message reactions. Conclusions: Strategies using campaign-exposed smoker characteristics to inform culturally focused health promotion are discussed in relation to four identified types of smokers.

Better Safe Than Sorry

This chapter focuses on cancer prevention media campaigns, concretely on the construction of the persuasive message. Methodologically, semiotic analysis is used, exploring the verbal and visual dimension of 19 international ads linked to the five most deadly cancers, in order to understand and deconstruct the message and the communication tactics used. The results reveal the diversity of resources and tactics. In the verbal dimension, it presents the use of rhetorical tactics (e.g., statistical and factual evidence and stimulation of emotions), the popular vocabulary, cues to action/motivational content, the phatic, poetic, and appealing functions, stylistic resources, credibility of the source, evocation of good causes, originality and distinction, anecdotal approach. In the visual dimension, it observes the use of three languages' functions, isotopy, stylistic resources, personalization, symbolical approach, polychrome, diversity of phenotypes, the credibility of the source, a pedagogical component.

Terrorist Discourse: A Semiotic and Critical Discourse Analysis of ISIS Jihadi Videos

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) videos have shown unprecedented professionalism in communicating fear and enlisting members to the organization. Unfortunately, counter-media campaigns failed to have a lasting defeat for the organization’s social and cognitive impact on the public. Accordingly, the present qualitative study aims to explore how the use of the multiple communication modes in ISIS videos makes the organization’s ideology appealing and intimidating. The study employs Kress and van Leeuwen’s social semiotic framework as well as Fairclough’s and van Dijk’s model of critical discourse analysis for analyzing one of ISIS videos that resulted in a global outrage. The findings are significant for understanding how the terrorists’ communication strategies are embedded in their professional media techniques. A deep understanding of the ISIS technique has an impact on creating successful counter-media campaigns that persuade the public to resist any new wave of terrorism.

Antibiotic use in Moshi Urban: A cross-sectional Study of Knowledge and Practices among Caretakers of Children in Kilimanjaro Tanzania

IntroductionAntibiotics are commonly accessed and used for the management of illness in children without a prescription. We investigated the caretaker’s knowledge and practices on antibiotics and antibiotics use to their children.MethodThis was the hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted from April to July 2017 in three facilities located in Moshi Municipality. A convenience sampling was employed to select for caretakers with their sick children at KCMC, Mawenzi hospital, and Longuo dispensary. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 224 caretakers who had visited health facilities with their children seeking health care.ResultsThe majority (87.9%, 197/224) of all interviewed caretakers had good knowledge of the use of antibiotics. Irrespective of knowing that it is not safe to self-medicate a child with any antibiotics (95.1%, 213/224), most (61.6%, 138/224) caretakers practiced self-medication with the medicines. Having two children (aOR = 7.75, 95% CI: 1.89-31.67) and having three children (aOR=7.23, 95%CI: 1.08-48.51) were significantly associated with good knowledge of antibiotics.ConclusionThis study has revealed that caretakers in Moshi had a good knowledge of antibiotic use. However, despite such good knowledge, malpractices were observed. We call upon the use of media campaigns to advocate for the importance of the rational use of antibiotics and its effect on human health and the risk of antimicrobial resistance development.Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2021;4(3):347-356

A Deterministic Analysis of the Effectiveness of Non-Clinical Approaches in the Control of Transimission of Schistosomiasis: Case Study of Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kenya

Schistosomiasis commonly known as bilharzia is regarded by W.H.O as a neglected tropical disease. It affects the intestines and the urinary system preferentially, but can harm other systems in the body. The disease is a health concern among majority of the population in Mwea irrigation scheme in Kenya and indeed other tropical countries. This paper documents a deterministic analysis of the effectiveness of non-clinical approaches in the control of transmission of schistosomiasis in the region. A SIR based mathematical model that incorporates media campaigns as a control strategy of reducing transmission of the disease is used. The model considers behavior patterns of hosts as the main process of transmission of the disease. The dynamics of these processes is expressed in terms of ordinary differential equations deduced from the human behavior patterns that contribute to the spread of the disease. The reproduction number R0 and equilibrium points both DFE and EE are obtained. The stabilities of these equilibrium points are analyzed in reference to the reproduction number (R0). Secondary data is used in the mathematical model developed and in the prediction of the dynamics estimated in the model for a period of five years. Numerical simulation was carried out and results represented graphically. The results of the simulation show that the infection decreased from 75108 to about 35000 and the susceptible from 325142 to 50000 respectively in a period of five years. From the analysis, the DFE point is asymptotically stable when R_0<1.Sensitivity analysis of parameters was carried out using partial differentiation. The results show that the sensitivity index of most parameters are inversely proportional to R0 which will reduce schistosomiasis infection. From the results, incorporation of media campaigns as a control strategy significantly reduces transmission of the disease. The results will be useful to MOH to enhance media campaigns to prevent spread of schistosomiasis in Mwea Irrigation scheme and other endemic areas.