"This study examines the portrayal of Syrians on Turkish Twitter between January and August 2021 through a big data analysis of more than 30,000 tweets. We employ the concept of online toxicity to differentiate between disinformation and hate speech and explore how they are embedded in the negative
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debates about Syrians on Twitter. Through opinion analysis, the study recognizes disinformation and hate speech patterns within tweets and questions the role they play in boosting anti-Syrian narratives, as well as the main actors behind them in the Turkish Twittersphere. The findings indicate that thediscourse about Syrians on Twitter was overwhelmingly negative, with both disinformation and hate speech playing a significant role. Furthermore, a considerable portion of the disinformation tweets could be traced back to opposition political actors, highlighting how negative sentiment on Twitter was not only expressive of generalized public resentment against Syrians but also instrumentalized for political purposes. Overall, this article demonstrates how Twitter contributes to the public debate about Syrians in Turkey, reproducing nationalist narratives and serving political agendas." (Abstract)
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"The global pandemic has adversely affected migrant workers psychologically and economically, leading to a poor quality of life. How the Malaysian media portrays this group during uncertainty remains unexplored. Aside from Eurocentric-focused scholarship, this study uniquely examines the representat
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ion of migrant workers in Malaysia. An inductive qualitative analysis of two Malaysian newspapers, Malay Mail (n = 36) and New Straits Times (n = 33), was conducted from January 2021 to August 2021. The findings show that the media portray migrant workers in a Janus-faced manner: They sympathetically represent them as vulnerable groups but also with an antagonistic stereotypical representation. This shows that media outlets adopt a more versatile approach to reporting on this group, which differs from previous studies. This study adds new perspectives and broadens the literature on the representation of migrant workers in ASEAN countries, such as Malaysia. It is also significant because it highlights subaltern erasures in the news discourses of marginalized groups, reducing xenophobia and racism toward them." (Abstract)
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"News media continue to play a central role in promoting public debate and the visibility of populist messages. This study discusses how Brazilian television journalism reacted to the populism of Jair Bolsonaro during the COVID-19 crisis. We adopted a content analysis and a framing analysis to ident
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ify the main themes and frames in reports at the beginning of the crisis by the country’s 2main television news programs. The corpus consists of 26 editions of Jornal Nacional (JN) and 26 editions of Jornal da Record (JR). Our hypothesis is that these news programs had significantly different interpretations of the Bolsonaro government’s actions. The data show that JN voiced its opposition to the president, while JR assumed the role of the government’s official voice, creating mechanisms to normalize populism. These results have important implications for understanding how the political positions adopted by traditional media affect how populism is promoted in the public sphere." (Abstract)
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"In recent years, the economic exchanges between China and Latin American countries have been further deepened, and news about Chinese foreign direct investments (FDIs) in the region responds to economic reality and the different stages of changing international relations and media characteristics.
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The current study includes a content analysis by human coders of 308 news articles on Chinese FDIs in three types of Peruvian news outlets from 2001 to 2020, namely the Left-leaning newspaper (La República), the Right-leaning newspaper (El Comercio), and specialized economic news outlets (Gestión Online and Semana Económica). In this context, it explores how international economic news volume is related to real-world economic indexes and how news interpretations of Chinese FDIs, as manifested by news frames, are influenced by contextual and political factors." (Abstract)
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"This research analyzes the discursive characteristics of hate messages posted on TikTok Spain against people at risk of social exclusion. Using critical discourse analysis, we analyzed 679 hateful messages generated by 100 videos found about poverty. This method considered the social groups mention
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ed in those messages, actions attributed to them, the evaluative concepts associated with those actions, and the solutions proposed to eradicate this social problem. We used the qualitative analysis software Atlas.ti to code, categorize, and analyze co-occurrences of derogatory terms. The analysis shows that poverty is linked to migration, laziness, and groups at risk of exclusion. Although insults and degrading terms take on a metaphorical form or are less prevalent, the call to violent action is explicit, openly advocating the extermination of these groups. Underlying these messages is a clear neo-Nazi ideology gaining ground with the advance of the extreme political Right." (Abstract)
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"This article investigates news distortion within the Arab media ecosystem, as manifested on Arab media Facebook pages and perceived by Arab journalists during the COVID-19 pandemic. A textual analysis was conducted on 6 news Facebook pages affiliated with major local media channels in 6 Arab countr
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ies: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Tunisia. In addition, a survey was administered to 116 Arab journalists residing in these countries. The findings revealed five main distortion categories in pandemic reporting: (1) overestimating the official response, (2) underestimating the public response, (3) diverting readers’ attention, (4) concealing information about the outbreak, and (5) posting unverified information. Moreover, the findings indicate that news distortion in Arab media during the pandemic is often influenced by institutional, rather than individual, pressures, including those from media organizations, government institutions, and societal norms." (Abstract)
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"This study examines the visual rhetoric and activism themes on #MahsaAmini through a quantitative content analysis of 520 visual tweets. The findings show massive support for the women’s movement in Iran through a predominantly visual pro-movement slant, which highlights the role of emotional vis
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ual tweets in mobilization. The study adds a unique dimension to Aristotle’s rhetorical framework in the context of state violence and women’s rights in the Middle East by exploring the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement. In addition, it provides valuable insights into how persuasion strategies shape feminist movements and encourage retweeting, especially amid cultural and contextual challenges in the region." (Abstract)
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"This study discusses the relationship among the various dimensions of populism, hate speech, and disinformation within the political discourse on X (formerly Twitter) in India and Pakistan. Employing manual content analysis, we examined 7,141 posts from both populist and non-populist political lead
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ers in both countries. Our findings reveal a significant correlation among these three challenging concepts, indicating that posts exhibiting higher levels of populism also tend to score higher on both hate speech and disinformation. Although certain aspects of populism, such as a pro-people and anti-elite approach, are not inherently harmful, our study emphasizes that Manicheanism is a problematic concept in political discourses because of its close association with hate speech and disinformation." (Abstract)
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"This study analyses the Indian and Pakistani publics reactions of the extensive coverage of the Pulwama terror attack, through an analysis of the online comments appearing at the end of the news stories covering the attack from the two leading English newspapers: Times of India (TOI) (India), and D
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awn (D) (Pakistan). A qualitative content analysis is performed to compare and examine this dialogue emerging in the news comments sections. Findings are explored and discussed through conceptualizations of religion, nationalism, and a social psychological perspective towards exclusion of out-groups." (Abstract)
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"Wie bedeutsam ist Religion noch für uns - gerade in einer Zeit, in der viele institutionelle Religionen immer mehr ihrer Mitglieder verlieren? Christina Behler nimmt die digitale Gesellschaft als Ausgangspunkt und liefert eine detaillierte Analyse der Twitter-Aktivität von Papst Franziskus. Auf G
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rundlage umfangreicher empirischer Daten macht sie so, vor dem Hintergrund einer systemtheoretischen Perspektive, die Funktion Sozialer Medien sichtbar und reflektiert dabei Muster sowie die Anschlussfähigkeit digitaler religiöser Kommunikation." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"Unser Trendreport zeigt zum einen, wie in regionalen und überregionalen Tageszeitungen, in Boulevardmedien sowie in den Meldungen der dpa und auf Spiegel Online über Gewalt gegen Frauen berichtet wird. Im Fokus der Analyse steht die Darstellung von Tat, Tätern und Opfern sowie die Verwendung von
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Begriffen wie „Familiendrama“ oder „Femizid“. Erfasst wurde, ob die Tat strukturell eingeordnet, ob Bezüge zu anderen Taten hergestellt und ob Hilfsangebote erwähnt wurden. Auch der Frage nach Unterschieden in der Darstellung deutscher und nichtdeutscher Täter wurde nachgegangen. Zum anderen ermöglicht das Studiendesign einen Vergleich der aktuellen Erhebung mit den Befunden der Studie von 2021. Das nüchterne Ergebnis: Einzelne Tendenzen weisen in die richtige Richtung, aber grundlegend hat sich wenig verändert. Die Berichterstattung bleibt selektiv und konzentriert sich auf extreme Einzelfälle wie Tötungsdelikte. Strukturelle Ursachen der Gewalt gegen Frauen und präventive Ansätze werden kaum thematisiert. Zudem stehen zu häufig die Motive der Täter im Fokus, die Konsequenzen für die Opfer kommen nur selten zur Sprache." (Vorwort, Seite 2)
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"En septembre 2022, suite à l'assassinat d'une jeune fille kurde iranienne par les patrouilles d'orientation, l'Iran connaît des mois de soulèvements contre le régimeSi ces derniers adoptent de nouvelles formes de contestation, ils sont causés par les mêmes injustices que les précédents mouv
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ements sociaux dans le paysCes formes nouvelles ont eu un écho médiatique sans précédent dans le monde.Ce travail de recherche tente de comprendre et d'analyser comment la presse française a couvert ces soulèvementsIl s'interroge sur le cadrage médiatique qui en a été fait afin de déterminer dans quelle mesure cette couverture reflète les préoccupations de l'espace public français et comment elle participe à la construction d'une réalité journalistique." (Description de la maison d'édition)
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"Short videos are very popular in China. The provincial TV stations in China use short videos to disseminate information. Curiosity about the influence of short video news is the primary motivation of this study. This paper integrates theories of news and place, focuses on local visibility, explores
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how short videos can serve as media infrastructure to report news, construct local visibility and change public life. Taking a sample of official short videos from 31 provincial TV stations in China, this paper uses the narrative analysis method to decode the videos. It is found that short videos create a unique news space which are reflected in narrative language, narrative framework and narrative theme, respectively. This study argues that the short video platform has shaped a place with public vitality, participated in local image management, and built the “visible community”. This has innovated the existing theoretical relationship between news and place, and the short video media practice of TV stations in various provinces has provided the world with the Chinese experience of creating place." (Abstract)
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"We are pleased that this project has provided evidence indicating an improvement in the representation of distant others in INGO adverts. On the whole, there is a marked difference in the organisation of cast and characters present in charity’s communications imagery and pitiful images are nearly
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entirely absent, while individuals are presented more as named than unnamed.
Slightly fewer photographers received credit for their images. The bulk of images however continue to be from/about African nations, presented largely in rural settings. Although whole family units continue to be grossly under-represented, almost entirely absent, more men are featured in charity adverts in the period under review. Indeed more MW leaders are depicted, which is a good break away from what was obtainable previously, although it is difficult for us to know in what capacity leaders from both worlds are presented. Furthermore, considering recent trends in celebrity humanitarianism and the use of celebrity ambassadors, it is surprising that there are no portrayals of such from the majority world. This could be argued to be a missed opportunity for INGOs to re-present a different image of the global south." (Conclusions, page 26)
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"This book explores visual political engagement online – how citizens participate in the dynamism of life in society by expressing their opinions and emotions on various issues of democratic life in image-based social media posts, independent of collective actions. Looking beyond large digital soc
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ial movements to focus on the everyday, the book provides a well-documented and comprehensive framework of key notions, concrete methods and examples of empirical insights into everyday visual citizenship on social media. It shows how the visual has become ubiquitous in citizens’ communication on social media, focusing on how citizens use visual content to express their emotions and opinions on social media platforms when they discuss politics in a large sense." (Publisher description)
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"Nationen basieren auf Ein- und Ausschlussmechanismen, die in öffentlichen Mediendiskursen ausgehandelt werden. Im heutigen Europa sind Referenzen zu Religion und spezifisch zum Islam bei der Verhandlung nationaler Zugehörigkeit zentral. Bisherige Analysen öffentlicher Debatten zum Islam in Europ
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a haben gezeigt, dass Fragen der Geschlechtergleichstellung im Vordergrund stehen und muslimische Frauen häufig Bilder kollektiver Differenz markieren. Mirjam Aeschbach legt anhand einer detaillierten Analyse aktiver Medienbeiträge muslimischer Diskursakteurinnen von 2016 bis 2019 dar, wie diese in der Öffentlichkeit Bilder nationaler Zugehörigkeit aufgreifen und sich aneignen - und wie diese Bilder so potentiell in Frage gestellt werden." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"The main conclusions drawn from the analysis of online opinions during natural disasters in Africa are highlighted below:
Climate change is one of the main concerns of the African population in recent years. This climate problem is considered to be causing more and greater natural disasters on the
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continent. Therefore, it is observed how this issue occupies most of the topics of analysis, from education, the health system or employment and economy.
Most online conversations during natural disasters (75%) share information about the natural hazard and make emergency calls for action.
In relation to employment and economy, one of the most persistent narratives is about how natural disasters affect the countryfs agriculture, one of the most emerging sectors in the continent.
Citizen concerns after a natural disaster intensify when they coincide with other health problems, as has happened in the past with Ebola, Malaria or COVID-19.
The population is particularly concerned about how natural disasters affect the most vulnerable people, such as women, children, the poorest population or minority communities such as the Ogiek in Kenya.
Between 2% and 6% of the comments generated online when a natural event occurs are questions. The topics with the highest concentration of questions are the economy and employment, education and action to help vulnerable populations.
By analyzing the online conversations during some past natural disasters, it has been possible to understand how these conversations are configured when an event occurs. By monitoring certain topics such as health or education, the order of concerns of the population can be understood at all times and how this evolves over time. At the same time, identifying specific questions around the different topics and countries, it helps to understand the main concerns or needs from the citizens when a natural hazard occurs. In addition, using the top keywords, you can identify what the population is talking about to a greater extent. This, together with the identification of qualitative insights, can gain a better understanding of citizen concerns and identify possible areas for action." (Conclusions)
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"The “Georgian Elections Observatory (#GEObservatory24)” was a short-term initiative aimed at fact-checking pre-election narratives leading up to the parliamentary elections on October 26, 2024, together with a few immediate post-election analyses. Unlike traditional fact-checking platforms, thi
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s project analysed entire narratives, combining political analysis with media scrutiny to provide a compre hensive understanding of the pre-election discourse. The project was supported by the Swedish Fojo Media Institute, the Georgian Investigative Media Lab (IML), and the University of Georgia (UG) Security, Policy, and Nationalism Research Center (UGSPN). This Fojo Media Insight offers several critical lessons for journalism, particularly in covering elections and political narratives such as the importance of comprehensive narrative analysis, the role of historical context, the manipulation of fear and utilisation of conspiracy theories, the instrumentalisation of identity issues, such as religion and theories. The discussion on electoral legitimacy highlights the critical role of the media in ensuring transparent and fair elections. Finally, this working paper underscores the need for international collaboration in journalism." (Back cover)
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"This study observes content-related indicators of the editorial decisions made by factcheckers during the 2022 Brazilian run-off election. Specifically, it aims to investigate factcheckers’ outputs regarding verification genres, scrutinized actors, types of verified falsehoods, and inspected plat
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forms. The focus on Brazil stems from its reputation as a disinformation hub, owing to social polarization, populist communication, high social media use, low media trust, and intense WhatsApp penetration. Consequently, factchecking agencies have proliferated within Brazil’s media landscape. To provide some hints about the fact-checkers’ editorial choices, we conducted a quantitative content analysis of verification articles (n = 349) published during the second round of the presidential election by four leading fact-checking organizations: Lupa and Aos Fatos (independents), Estadão Verifica (press), and AFP Checamos (global news agency). The results reveal a prioritization of combating online falsehoods (82.2%) spread by anonymous sources, as opposed to verifying public figures’ statements (5.5%), a trend already observed in other media systems. Although Meta’s social networks and Twitter are primarily monitored, other platforms such as TikTok, Kwai, and Telegram are increasingly gaining fact-checkers’ attention. Fact-checkers predominantly scrutinized anonymous disinformation agents. Moreover, they primarily debunked falsehoods targeting the opposition, legacy media, social networking companies, and the Supreme Electoral Court. Despite the anonymity, 77.4% of the verified falsehoods were found to be beneficial to Bolsonaro, while 12% were advantageous to Lula da Silva." (Abstract)
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