{"title":"Propaganda at Play: A Thematic Analysis of Belarusian Media Narratives in the Context of the Russo-Ukrainian War","authors":"P. Katerynych","doi":"10.34135/mlar-23-01-02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34135/mlar-23-01-02","url":null,"abstract":"This study delves into the narratives employed by Belarusian propaganda during the Russo-Ukrainian War, examining 1,750 news items from Belarusian state media sources and the progovernment Telegram channels from September 1st to November 30th, 2022. The research employs the Looqme methodology, a robust content analysis approach that involves systematically coding and categorizing textual data to identify key thematic blocks and subthemes. The findings reveal a carefully crafted narrative aimed at demonizing Ukraine, promoting alternative realities, and glorifying military service. By portraying the West as a source of instability and danger, the propaganda fosters public support for Belarus’s stance on the conflict. Additionally, the study exposes the use of historical manipulation and reinforcement of negative portrayals through quoting Russian authorities. The study highlights the role of language manipulation and selective presentation of events in shaping public opinion, providing valuable insights for countering disinformation and fostering objective reporting in times of conflict.","PeriodicalId":40792,"journal":{"name":"Media Literacy and Academic Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44249216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Seven Initial Prominent Sources of All Information Bias Impartiality Types Parsed","authors":"Erik Bean","doi":"10.34135/mlar-23-01-03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34135/mlar-23-01-03","url":null,"abstract":"Ever since information was first operationalized by library science into consumer formats, media bias has been studied from the purview of information gatekeepers who decide what, how, and when to publish based on story importance and factors like circulation. This concept did not include individuals or entities outside of the journalism discipline. With the advent of the internet and a number of social media networks that soon followed, individuals could more effectively release information without waiting for gatekeepers, thus shaping the public’s perception regardless of the topic. Scholars offered a theoretical framework for shaping the public’s opinion and still other scholars focused on how information could be slanted or partisan. However, these seminal approaches did not operationalize the term information bias in terms of the overall partiality of major sources themselves. Information evaluation tests such as the Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose (CRAAP) and Stop, Investigate, Find, Trace (SIFT) that have been discussed as tools to assess information for bias fall short on the very first step of what to inspect and how to sort. With a gap in the literature sorting through the types of biases can be daunting and confusing. The purpose of this paper is to propose one initial method as the first step to sort information bias regardless of its form, analog or digital, into seven prominent sources each with their own inherent but larger impartiality tied to it. The sources of all information bias to be discussed in alphabetical order are: 1) academic, 2) forprofit, 3) government, 4) hidden agenda, 5) individuals, 6) nonprofit, and 7) watchdog groups.","PeriodicalId":40792,"journal":{"name":"Media Literacy and Academic Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44866232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Solutions Journalism in Practice: The Tension Between Critical and Compelling Presentation of Solutions in BBC’s Social Media Video Stories","authors":"Petra Kovačević","doi":"10.34135/mlar-23-01-07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34135/mlar-23-01-07","url":null,"abstract":"This study delves into the emerging field of solutions journalism, which strives to report on social issues by highlighting responses to them, while maintaining a critical stance. Specifically, this study investigates how solutions journalism guidelines are understood and implemented in a specific newsroom at the BBC that specializes in producing solution-focused social media videos aimed primarily at younger audiences. To this end, the study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining content analysis of the BBC’s solutions video stories with semi-structured interviews with editors and journalists. The analysis reveals a significant disparity between the team’s understanding of solutions journalism as a practice that thoroughly scrutinizes solutions and the actual content of the stories they produce. Notably, over half of the sample videos fail to include at least one of the following essential elements that ensure the critical presentation of solutions: the identification of the cause of the problem, an acknowledgment of the limitations of the proposed solutions, or the provision of hard evidence of the effectiveness of the solutions. The findings suggest that various factors in the production process hinder the implementation of these guidelines, including the reliance on audience metrics, the need to comply with Facebook’s algorithm, and the perceived preferences of social media audiences. The production process is subject to three competing demands: maintaining a predominantly positive tone, creating an interesting story, and presenting a simple narrative. Consequently, the presentation of solutions leaves little room for critical evaluation by the audience.","PeriodicalId":40792,"journal":{"name":"Media Literacy and Academic Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42980271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
E. Moravčíková, Kristína Jakubovská, V. Jakubovská, Ingrida Hudecová
{"title":"Holocaust Reminiscenses in Digital Media Culture and Cultural Institutions (Development of Critical Thinking and Media Literacy)","authors":"E. Moravčíková, Kristína Jakubovská, V. Jakubovská, Ingrida Hudecová","doi":"10.34135/mlar-23-01-08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34135/mlar-23-01-08","url":null,"abstract":"The authors of the article analyse the problem of individual and collective memory through the prism of The Holocaust reminiscence. They are aware that we are living in a time when living memories of the grave crimes and catastrophes of the 20th century are fading away, as well as the complex political, social and cultural processes, taking place at present, are becoming intensified in the context of the War in Ukraine. These events and processes once again highlight the social importance of individual and collective memory and the need for its conscious formation through media and intercultural education. The aim of the authors’ endeavour is to explore four forms of The Holocaust reminiscence, : 1/ reminiscence in the form of reconstruction (authentic representation of the past); 2/ reminiscence as (re)interpretation (remembrance that refers to the past but is interpreted in the context of current findings); 3/ reminiscence as prevention and civic engagement (education and educational programmes that promote tolerance and moral qualities); 4/ reminiscence as a tool for cultural identity formation (forming collective identities and promoting social inclusion). The study will include interpretations of selected works from the field of performing arts and case studies from media culture. Attention will also be focused on particular proposals for media-educational and cultural-pedagogical activities which can be used in cultural institutions and in media education in order to develop media literacy and critical thinking.","PeriodicalId":40792,"journal":{"name":"Media Literacy and Academic Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47733155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Popularisation of Science and Science Journalism on Social Media in Slovakia","authors":"Norbert Vrabec, L. Pieš","doi":"10.34135/mlar-23-01-12","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34135/mlar-23-01-12","url":null,"abstract":"This study focuses on the presentation and interpretation of scientific information and data by Slovak creators on the social platform Instagram. Media content presented on social media often becomes problematic, as popular science posts are more in an entertaining than scientific form. It happens that popular science content is presented inaccurately, without deeper context. In addition, scientific misinformation and misleading information appears, which can pose a danger to audience members who trust such information. Science journalism has found its place not only in traditional media, but also on social media platforms, where problematic information on scientific topics goes viral and achieves a high level of user interaction. In an unregulated or under-regulated social networking environment, it is also more difficult for users to discern the credibility and relevance of the information presented, especially when referring to existing scientific studies or authorities. However, data from these sources may be taken out of context, interpreted in a misleading way or accompanied by completely fabricated or distorted conclusions. Such false scientific content undermines confidence in objective science journalism and discredits the work of science journalists. Several digital tools are now available that can help readers distinguish real scientific information from false information. Critical thinking, media literacy and scientific literacy are key skills that can be used to detect manipulative techniques and navigate the issue of false media content. In this paper, we therefore clarify the importance of media, scientific and information literacy skills to help identify misinformation in media content related to science and research.","PeriodicalId":40792,"journal":{"name":"Media Literacy and Academic Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45748462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"With Games Against Fake News – Developing Critical Thinking with the Help of the Card Game Follow Me","authors":"Vajk Pomichal, Andrej Trnka","doi":"10.34135/mlar-23-01-04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34135/mlar-23-01-04","url":null,"abstract":"Recent serious events, such as the coronavirus pandemic and the war conflict in Ukraine, have significantly increased the amount of fake news in the online space. This news contributes to society’s radicalization, destabilizes democratic regimes, and can result in violence and damage to health and property. The most effective approach to address fake news is prevention and the education associated with it. The current education system is not ready for these challenges, which is why more and more attention is being paid to alternative solutions such as game-based learning. Game-based learning enables the acquisition of new knowledge and skills in a fun yet effective way. These games include a game developed by Impact Games studio named Follow me, which is focused on developing critical thinking skills in the context of countering fake news. This study aims to validate the contribution of the game Follow me in building resilience to fake news through an experiment on a sample of 130 secondary school students from six different schools. The results suggest that although there was no global statistically significant improvement measured in students’ ability to recognize fake news, students are healthily skeptical of information, this is also indicated by the fact that on average they were more likely to label news as untrustworthy despite varying attitudes towards the selected topics. We also managed to make findings based on the data acquired from this experiment, which provide a deeper look into students’ attitudes toward fake news and therefore can improve games and experiments prepared in the future.","PeriodicalId":40792,"journal":{"name":"Media Literacy and Academic Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46137093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Moderating Effect of Gender and Socioeconomic Status on the Relationship Between Media Exposure and Violent Behaviour","authors":"Mohammad Eneizat, Haslina Halim, Syarizan Dalib","doi":"10.34135/mlar-23-01-09","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34135/mlar-23-01-09","url":null,"abstract":"The problem of violence has become a serious impediment to societal progress. Violence among adolescents is on the rise in several nations, including Jordan. A review of current literature found that media exposure, particularly to violent movies, plays a key role in driving the prevalence of violence. This critical topic has received very little attention. Therefore, this research investigates further the consequences of violence in movies on Jordanian adolescents’ violent behaviour (VB) by focusing on the moderating effects of gender and socioeconomic status (SES). Questionnaires were distributed to 350 secondary school students in Jerash, Jordan, and PLS-SEM was used to test the relationships between the variables. The findings revealed that media exposure directly affects VB among Jordanian adolescents, and it also revealed no moderation effect of gender and SES in the relationship between media exposure and VB among Jordanian adolescents. In addition, the present study included limitations and recommendations for future studies.","PeriodicalId":40792,"journal":{"name":"Media Literacy and Academic Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44044938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Leisure, Internet Use and Alcohol Behavior in Adolescence","authors":"Zuzana Rojková, Dominika Kurajda","doi":"10.34135/mlar-23-01-11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34135/mlar-23-01-11","url":null,"abstract":"The paper aims to describe regular leisure activities in the sample and identify the connections between alcohol use (binge, regular use) and leisure activities (categories). In the research, we verify the association between specific types of leisure activities and alcohol use among adolescents. The research sample consists of 533 adolescents (295 girls and 258 boys). The participants’ ages range from 14 to 20 years. The questionnaire battery consisted of two questionnaires, namely a questionnaire on situation-motivational alcohol behavior factors and a questionnaire of leisure time and peer relationships. We identified a prevalence of regular drinking, which is 78.8%, and the prevalence of binge drinking in the sample of adolescents is 34.0%. We also identified that the most frequent category of leisure activities in the sample is the combined category of friends and Internet (35.4%). Furthermore, there are statistically significant differences in the incidence of regular and binge drinking between groups of adolescents concerning the form of regular leisure time. Understanding the connection between alcohol consumption and leisure activities is vital to prevention and risk-reduction efforts.","PeriodicalId":40792,"journal":{"name":"Media Literacy and Academic Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45848905","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Not Just for Laughs – Using Comics to Burst the Fake-News Bubble","authors":"Erin Steuter","doi":"10.34135/mlar-23-01-01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34135/mlar-23-01-01","url":null,"abstract":"This research study presents an analysis of a pedagogical strategy for teaching university students how to apply critical media literacy skills to develop their ability to detect fake news. The goal of the study was to explore the potential advantages of using comics as medium to engage students, clarify complex content, and accelerate cognition. The empirical part of the paper provides a comprehensive account of this pedagogical strategy, outlining the design and implementation of the workshop, incorporating insights from critical media literacy literature, current examples of fake news, and graphic narrative approaches. In particular, the project engaged the students through the presentation of information about fake news with comicstyle graphic narratives and assessed their learning through their interaction and completion of creative dialogue within these narratives. The students showed a high level of engagement and helped peers navigate examples of fake news. They also demonstrated insights into the structural and economic factors that encourage fake news, including within the commercial news media. This study brings new insights and information on several issues related to media literacy practice in the academic context and emphasizes the relationship between communication and pedagogical studies. Adding comics to the critical media literacy toolkit shows promise in expanding techniques in the battle against fake news.","PeriodicalId":40792,"journal":{"name":"Media Literacy and Academic Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44149908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Role of Student Radio Stations in the Higher Education System","authors":"Ľubica Bôtošová, Andrej Brník, Michal Imrovič","doi":"10.34135/mlar-23-01-10","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.34135/mlar-23-01-10","url":null,"abstract":"Student radio stations are an important part of the media environment in Slovakia. Our research focused on obtaining information on the functioning of these stations, including their legal regulation, training of new members and formal integration into university structures. Student radio stations have several rights and obligations secured by the new Slovak Media Act and can be classified as community radio stations. Students are mostly mentored and apprenticed by senior radio colleagues for a semester or a whole year to hone their communication skills, create scripts and master broadcasting techniques. Student radio stations are under the umbrella of, or are part of, a university, but focus on student topics in content and do not serve as a medium for a given educational institution. The topic for discussion remains whether the student radio stations are fulfilling their legal obligations and whether they are interested in applying for a radio broadcasting licence. The qualitative research carried out in this study shows that the majority of radio stations in Slovakia have advertisements on air, mostly in the form of barter, and the principles regarding commercial media communication are not always followed. A big question mark is the possibility of obtaining a radio broadcasting licence, as the current legislation may be too restrictive for student radio stations. Overall, the research has shown that student radio stations are an important part of the media environment and can provide students with valuable experience and knowledge in media work.","PeriodicalId":40792,"journal":{"name":"Media Literacy and Academic Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45262857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}