Media Representations of Science during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis of News and Social Media on the Island of Ireland

COVID-19 is arguably the most critical science communication challenge of a generation, yet comes in the wake of a purported populist turn against scientific expertise in western societies. This study advances understanding of science–society relations during the COVID-19 pandemic by analysing how science was represented in news and social media coverage of COVID-19 on the island of Ireland. Thematic analysis was performed on a dataset comprising 952 news articles and 603 tweets published between 1 January and 31 May 2020. Three themes characterised the range of meanings attached to science: ‘Defining science: Its subjects, practice and process’, ‘Relating to science: Between veneration and suspicion’ and ‘Using science: As solution, policy and rhetoric’. The analysis suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic represented a platform to highlight the value, philosophy, process and day-to-day activity of scientific research. However, the study also identified risks the pandemic might pose to science communication, including feeding public alienation by disparaging lay understandings, reinforcing stereotypical images of scientists, and amplifying the politicisation of scientific statements.

War on waste: Challenges and experiences in COVID-19 waste management

COVID-19 has posed formidable challenges including overwhelming bio-medical waste. Guidelines have been rapidly changing along with mounting pressure of waste generation. These challenges were managed by smart re-engineering of structure and processes for desired outcomes. Dedicated staff in PPE with appropriate training were deployed to collect waste using dedicated trolleys. A dedicated route plan was drawn with a dedicated lift meant for COVID-19. A new temporary holding area was created. Dedicated trucks with requisite labels were deployed to transport COVID-19 waste to CBWTF. Communication challenge was addressed through timely circulars, which were further reinforced and reiterated during various on-going training programs. Before the onset of COVID-19 pandemic Bio-Medical Waste generated was 1.93kg/Bed/Day and currently the quantum of COVID-19 biomedical waste generated is 7.76Kg/COVID Bed/Day. Daily COVID-19 waste generation data is maintained and uploaded in an android Application. Till date none of the worker handling COVID-19 waste has acquired Healthcare associated COVID-19 infection which reflects on the soundness of the new system and the infection control practices in the Institute. A responsive leadership harmonizing with a robust communication and training system has augmented timely re-engineering of structure and processes for better outcomes in the war on waste.

Use of Standard/Simplified Graphic Language for Development: A Communication Challenge

The decision to use standard, or simplified graphic language for development communication is usually problematic as a result of target audience conditions in developing countries that make presentation of a full range of development messages with uniformity across cultural delineations difficult. A rash decision often result in production of ineffective media with grave consequences for structural and human growth. Therefore, this paper focused on the communication challenge of utilizing standard/simplified graphic language for advancement. It employed a triangulation of the Critical-Historical-Analytic examination, and Content analysis methods. The paper started with the need to make informed decision on the use standard/simplified graphic language appropriate for receivers. Furthermore, it examined the role/activities of communication actors in campaign situation using the Shuttle models. Moreover, it considered target audience conditions with particular attention to illiteracy, and visual perception across cultural boundaries. And it evidenced the deployment of standard/simplified graphic language for campaigns in Africa. The paper found that target audience pretest is the panacea for decisive use of standard/simplified graphic language appropriate for target audience; and ended with the need to adopt participatory communication practices that afford its realization.

A Systematic Review of Self-Report Instruments for the Measurement of Anxiety in Hospitalized Children with Cancer

Anxiety has been identified as one of the most severe and long-lasting symptoms experienced by hospitalized children with cancer. Self-reports are especially important for documenting emotional and abstract concepts, such as anxiety. Children may not always be able to communicate their symptoms due to language difficulties, a lack of developmental language skills, or the severity of their illness. Instruments with sufficient psychometric quality and pictorial support may address this communication challenge. The purpose of this review was to systematically search the published literature and identify validated and reliable self-report instruments available for children aged 5–18 years to use in the assessment of their anxiety to ensure they receive appropriate anxiety-relief intervention in hospital. What validated self-report instruments can children with cancer use to self-report anxiety in the hospital setting? Which of these instruments offer pictorial support? Eight instruments were identified, but most of the instruments lacked pictorial support. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL™) 3.0 Brain Tumor Module and Cancer Module proved to be useful in hospitalized children with cancer, as they provide pictorial support. It is recommended that faces or symbols be used along with the VAS, as pictures are easily understood by younger children. Future studies could include the adaptation of existing instruments in digital e-health tools.

Presence in Digital Spaces. A Phenomenological Concept of Presence in Mediatized Communication

Theories of face-to-face interaction employ a concept of spatial presence and view communication via digital technologies as an inferior version of interaction, often with pathological implications. Current studies of mediatized communication challenge this notion with empirical evidence of “telepresence”, suggesting that users of such technologies experience their interactions as immediate. We argue that the phenomenological concepts of the lived body and mediated immediacy (Helmuth Plessner) combined with the concept of embodied space (Hermann Schmitz) can help overcome the pathologizing of digital communication in social theory and enable descriptions which are truer to the experience of using said technology. From this perspective it appears as an ethnocentric premise to restrict interaction to human actors being present in local space. This restricted understanding of interaction does not allow for an appropriate empirical analysis of the emerging structures of digital communication.

Why Facts Are Not Enough: Understanding and Managing the Motivated Rejection of Science

Efforts to change the attitudes of creationists, antivaccination advocates, and climate skeptics by simply providing evidence have had limited success. Motivated reasoning helps make sense of this communication challenge: If people are motivated to hold a scientifically unorthodox belief, they selectively interpret evidence to reinforce their preferred position. In the current article, I summarize research on six psychological roots from which science-skeptical attitudes grow: (a) ideologies, (b) vested interests, (c) conspiracist worldviews, (d) fears and phobias, (e) personal-identity expression, and (f) social-identity needs. The case is made that effective science communication relies on understanding and attending to these underlying motivations.

Business communication challenge of small enterprises in Bangladesh

The relative SME share in manufacturing value added is a lot extended and estimated to fluctuate between 45 to 50 per cent of totaling value-added generated with the aid of way of practicable of the manufacturing industries sector. Further as important sources of new agency introduction and growing new entrepreneurial talents, these industries furnish the much wished dynamism and vitality to the national economy. Implementation of poverty alleviation action programs and techniques are a systematic and continuous effort in Bangladesh. The object of the paper is to find the main communication challenges of small business in the Bangladesh and give a positive solution or recommendation to our reader through this paper. This report covers all the aspect of the small business to analyze and find the possible help to the reader about the real picture of the communication challenges of small enterprise in the Bangladesh. The limitation of this paper that I use only secondary data because of COVID-19 I Ire not able to interview any businesses hover make an authentic report I added information about the main challenges faced from the internet and have given appropriate reference to complete our paper. Finally, I tried to get some finding of the solution of the communication challenges faced by small business in Bangladesh.