Mob censorship in China: ChiRenxueMantou, digital press criticism, and journalists’ failed jurisdiction

Research on news organizations’ approach to digital media in the 1990s and 2000s generally found that most organizations adopted a defensive approach. Since then, both digital media and news organizations have continued to develop, and we cannot simply assume that the approach remains the same. In this paper, we analyse how a purposive sample of 19 news organizations across three different countries approach online video news—chosen as a paradigmatic example of the current move towards a more mobile, platform-dominated, and video-enabled digital media environment. On the basis of semi-structured interviews with senior people across the sample, we argue that most news organizations today adopt a far more enterprising approach to digital media than that found in the 1990s and 2000s, and invest in what they see as promising opportunities in an uncertain environment. We find that decisions to invest in online video news are shaped primarily by a perception of what audiences want, what platforms like Facebook and Google/YouTube prioritize, and the prospect of lucrative video advertising. Editorial considerations seem marginal. The enterprising approach and the considerations behind it are broadly similar across the organizations and countries covered, with exceptions (some broadcasters and German news organizations).

Innovation in delivering news programs with a newstainment style is one alternative to increase audience retention. This study aims to describe the newstainment Meet Nite Live through multimodal analysis, analyze editorial considerations in producing news in newstainment format, interpret news innovation based on newstainment, and analyze the impact of newstainment on journalistic values. The research methodology uses a qualitative descriptive approach, indepth interview, and multimodal discourse analysis. The results of the study, the application of new newstainment innovation, present attractive visuals, flexible urban language, and casual gestures; news is packaged sensationally with an emotional approach, and the use of clickbait reflects the shift from conventional journalism to popular journalism. Editorial considerations adjust the information needs of the digital community by presenting educational information and upholding the press as part of the pillars of democracy. Newstainment innovation in Meet Nite Live presents news with a light and entertaining delivery and still upholds journalistic principles. This study strengthens the theory of media convergence by proving that newstainment can attract young audiences without ignoring journalistic ethics. The findings contribute to the media in developing interactive but accurate news content. Further research could expand the sample and examine the psychological-cognitive impact of newstainment.

This study explores the phenomenon of slang language use among teenagers in social interactions on Instagram, using a semantic analysis approach. The aim of the research is to identify forms of semantic meaning changes and to understand the social and linguistic functions of slang within digital communication contexts. The research employed a qualitative descriptive method with data collected through observation, documentation, and semantic theory-based analysis. The findings reveal that teenagers’ use of slang reflects dynamic changes in meaning, such as meaning broadening, narrowing, and shifting. Additionally, slang serves as a tool for shaping social identity, group solidarity, and expressing youth popular culture. The study concludes that slang represents a form of linguistic creativity influenced by cultural contexts and digital media environments.

Discourse analysis of texts and speeches has been one of the most popular research methods since the second half of the XX century. Its emergence is associated with the works of postmodernists, such as Deleuze, J. Derrida, M. Foucault, E. Laclos, and S. Mouffe. The method is interesting because it allows us to take into account the context of expressed judgments and to uncover the implied meaning of statements. Despite the widespread use of this method, no unified methodology has been created. In foreign and Russian science, parallel trends and schools in the field of discourse analysis were formed, the most influential of which is discussed in this article. The emergence of social networks, digital platforms and applications has set a new trend in modifying and creating new variants of discourse analysis of texts and judgments, but already in a digital environment. Some of them, such as Y.G. Misnikov’s approach, can serve as an alternative to studying public opinion by means of a social survey. The purpose of this article is to analyze and systematize both traditional methods of discourse analysis of political judgments and new approaches using social networks, apps, websites, and digital platforms. In the course of the research, the methods of classification and systematization as well as, general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis were used. In the context of digitalization, five varieties of discourse analysis method were considered for text analysis in a digital environment: critical discourse analysis, corpus discourse analysis, mediated discourse analysis, multimodal discourse analysis, and discourse analysis using artificial intelligence. A thorough analysis of these methods allowed us to identify a gap in the analysis of political judgments on digital platforms of interaction between the government and the population, and to propose a variant of filling it on the basis of A. Kruglanski's parametric model.

Corpus insights into the harmonization of commercial media in China: News coverage of migrant worker issues as a case study

Research background: The groundswell is an undoubted threat, but also a potential of companies. It is important for business entities with a global scope to monitor potential customers and consumers when behaving in a digital environment, because there is a possibility of creating a so-called groundswell, which can have global adverse effects on the company's sales and reputation. Only if we continuously monitor and evaluate all aspects, including the activity of the groundswell, can we predict and intervene at the right time. Purpose of the article: The aim of the paper is to map the possibilities of data collection, analysis, and visualization, which were created in the digital media environment using the groundswell. The partial goals are in the study of theoretical background and analysis of the possibilities of data collection, research, and evaluation. Methods: We used the methods of thematic analysis for the theoretical framework of the paper. To explore the possibilities, we used the method of content analysis of individual tools and outputs of digital media, which provide data, analysis, and subsequent visualization. Qualitative analysis of the content of texts allows a basic prerequisite for fulfilling the objectives of the paper. Subsequent content analysis of tools and options enables comprehensive fulfilment of the main goal. Findings & Value added: The presented paper focuses on specific possibilities of data collection originating from the digital environment, which can be used for further research of the issue and the design of a future system that would avert the global devastating effects of the groundswell. This is because only the prediction of behaviour and immediate response allows for a better response to a crisis.

This article offers a comprehensive analytical exploration of the interrelation and differentiation between the concepts of discourse, text, and hypertext, with a specific focus on their significance in the modern academic and informational landscape. The authors investigate how these concepts shape contemporary communicative practices, particularly in response to the ongoing digital transformation of communication methods. Discourse is conceptualized as a broad communicative structure that extends beyond individual texts to encompass the social, cultural, and cognitive dimensions of communication. In contrast, text is defined as the materialised, linear manifestation of discourse, providing a concrete form through which discourse is realised and made accessible for interpretation. Hypertext, as a relatively new form of textuality emerging from the digital age, is characterised by its non-linear structure, enabling users to interact with information through interactive elements such as hyperlinks, multimedia content, and other digital tools. This allows users to navigate more freely between different segments of text, presenting new possibilities for communication and the dissemination of knowledge. The study reveals how each of these elements interacts with one another across various communicative contexts, particularly within digital media environments that significantly influence contemporary modes of information perception and transmission. The authors analyse the shifts occurring in the communicative space as audiences are increasingly empowered to engage with content actively, rather than passively consuming it. This is particularly relevant in the digital era, where hypertext as a form of textuality challenges the traditional notion of linear text. A key aspect of the article is its examination of the cognitive, structural, and pragmatic dimensions of discourse, text, and hypertext. The research sheds light on how cognitive processes evolve across different media environments and how these changes influence the ways meanings are constructed and information is interpreted. The authors explore how communicative strategies adapt pragmatically depending on the media context in which discourse operates. For example, within digital environments, users not only consume content but also participate in its creation, altering the very nature of communication itself. Furthermore, the article delves into the impact of hypertext on modern audiences. Digital media create new opportunities for interaction between users and texts, leading to the development of new forms of engagement where audiences become active participants in meaning-making. Hypertextual structures allow users to move freely between different sections of the text, challenging traditional conceptions of reading and information processing. In the article’s conclusions, the author emphasise that discourse, text, and hypertext are closely interrelated, yet each plays a distinct role in contemporary communication. Hypertext, as a new form of textuality, offers novel ways of interacting with information, made possible by digital technologies. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how these elements shape modern communication and what challenges and opportunities arise as they adapt to the digital age. This analysis, therefore, highlights the transformative potential of hypertext in shaping the ways audiences engage with content. In traditional media, text was often seen as a static form of information delivery, while in digital environments, hypertext allows for a more dynamic interaction between the user and the content. As users navigate between various nodes of information, they contribute to the creation of meaning, shifting from passive readers to active participants in the communication process. Hypertext thus plays a crucial role in the evolution of communication practices in digital media, offering new tools for information dissemination and interaction. Finally, the article underscores the importance of understanding these evolving communicative dynamics in the context of digital media’s growing influence. As the volume of digital content expands and becomes increasingly complex, so too does the role of hypertext in structuring how we interact with, process, and interpret information. By exploring these shifts, the research provides valuable insights into the cognitive and pragmatic changes brought about by digital technologies and their implications for communication in the modern era. In sum, this research offers a nuanced perspective on the interplay between discourse, text, and hypertext, underscoring their relevance in shaping the landscape of modern communication. Through a detailed examination of their distinct yet interconnected roles, the study contributes to ongoing discussions in linguistics and communication studies about the evolution of textuality and the profound changes introduced by the digital age. The findings provide a framework for further exploration of how these elements not only facilitate information dissemination but also influence audience engagement in a rapidly digitising world.

The Digital Media Environment and Cardiovascular Risk in Children

SummaryAs social networks are getting more and more popular day by day, large numbers of users becoming constantly active social network users. In this way, there is a huge amount of data produced by users in social networks. While social networking sites and dynamic applications of these sites are actively used by people, social network analysis is also receiving an increasing interest. Moreover, semantic understanding of text, image, and video shared in a social network has been a significant topic in the network analysis research. To the best of the author's knowledge, there has not been any comprehensive survey of social networks, including semantic analysis. In this survey, we have reviewed over 200 contributions in the field, most of which appeared in recent years. This paper not only aims to provide a comprehensive survey of the research and application of social network analysis based on semantic analysis but also summarizes the state‐of‐the‐art techniques for analyzing social media data. First of all, in this paper, social networks, basic concepts, and components related to social network analysis were examined. Second, semantic analysis methods for text, image, and video in social networks are explained, and various studies about these topics are examined in the literature. Then, the emerging approaches in social network analysis research, especially in semantic social network analysis, are discussed. Finally, the trending topics and applications for future directions of the research are emphasized; the information on what kind of studies may be realized in this area is given.

The new digital environment and the COVID-19 crisis, having drastically increased the amount of teleworking and e-commerce, seem to have benefited GAFAM and digital platforms. Under the current conditions, SMEs and traditional businesses are forced to look for adaptive strategies. Some researchers (e.g. A. Carmeli and G.D. Markman) argue that they SMEs and traditional businesses need to build entrepreneurial and organizational resilience . And it is in this respect, in particular, that psychology can be usefully mobilized to analyze new forms of economic competition. On these grounds, the authors of the paper defend the idea that the SMEs and traditional businesses will be able to exist and assert themselves against their new competitors. In this new interconnected, turbulent and uncertain environment, this self-assertion passes through a strategic and organizational reconfiguration, but also and above all, through entrepreneurial action in its effectual logic which can lead to resilience and, moreover, to antifragility .

Electoral communications in a digital environment are characterized by a low level of external control, the presence of multimedia opportunities for creating campaign messages, and the viral distribution of information about the candidate and his political program. The digital environment has powerful mobilization potential. This makes it possible to widely use the network opportunities for involving young people in the electoral process. At the same time, qualitatively new conditions are being formed for the implementation of pre-election communication, which is becoming more open, transparent, interactive. Any network user can ask a question, become a member of political discussions, leave comments, express his opinion on the candidate’s personal page or on any connected Internet site. Taking into account the opinions of potential voters allows you to adjust the campaign process, make changes and clarifications in the election materials to achieve optimal voting results.In a digital environment, there are more opportunities to control and manipulate the consciousness of the electorate compared to traditional media. The purpose of manipulation is to covertly influence public consciousness, to change the social and behavioral attitudes of potential voters in a direction that is beneficial to the manipulator. Communicative strategy of manipulation is actively used to achieve optimal voting results in election campaigns. The purpose of the manipulation strategy is to covertly influence the public consciousness, to change the social and behavioral attitudes of the electorate in a direction favorable for the manipulator. Manipulation is often accomplished through myth-making. Political myths are capable of introducing into the public consciousness illusory models of the reality. In mythologized political communication knowledge of the world and an understanding of the facts of real life are replaced by images, symbols, fictions and legends. During the elections manipulation is already manifested in the myth that a politician chooses for himself. This is due to the ideological precepts of the leader and his personal characteristics. Representation of a myth is carried out using certain linguistic means and stylistic techniques that perform a manipulative function.The purpose of the study is to determine the manipulative potential of myth-making as a tool for constructing a positive image of a politician during elections, as well as to identify specific signals in the election communication of a politician, which are called “manipulation markers”.One of the objectives of the study was to identify ways of representing the main strategies for manipulating electoral communications through myth-making. The strategies for reduction, strategies for increasing and strategies for theatricalization [1, p. 53–54] are analyzed. The study showed that the reduction strategy is represented primarily with the help of the myth of the enemy (about a conspiracy), the increasing strategy with the myth of the hero-savior, and the theatricalization strategy with the myths of the social ideal and of identity (unity).The empirical basis of the study was 142 videos of three candidates for the post of President of the Russian Federation (Pavel Grudinin, Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Ksenia Sobchak) containing elements of mythology. These videos were posted on YouTube video hosting during the 2018 presidential election campaign.The methods used are discourse analysis, content analysis, linguo-ideological and linguo-stylistic analysis of media text. The authors identified lexical, grammatical and stylistic markers of manipulation. These markers can be used by IT specialists in the development of computer software to determine the level of manipulativeness of the pre-election media text. The pilot project of such a software was recently developed by the team of the Laboratory of Applied Linguistics and Cognitive Research of the Siberian Federal University [2]. The authors show that the selection of manipulation markers depends on many factors, which include not only the type of discourse and the scope of the text, but also the subject of the text, the language in which communication is carried out, as well as extralinguistic factors that take into account the type of author, type of addressee, situation, time, place, etc.

Although military metaphors have been used widely to discuss diseases, little research has been conducted from the perspective of diachronic quantitative analysis, especially in the Chinese context. The outbreak of the major disease Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) occurred in China in 2002 and 2003, which was followed by Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) in 2019 and 2020. A semantic network analysis is conducted to gain insights into the relationship between the external environment and the use of military metaphors in the Chinese coverage of diseases and to provide a basis for the analysis of COVID-19 discourse in China. A semantic network analysis is conducted to examine the use of military metaphors in the coverage of diseases in the People’s Daily. The findings showed that the use of military metaphors in the contemporary Chinese coverage of disease has declined overall, but there were two peaks in the periods from 1966–1975 and from 1996–2006. These peaks could be explained by the contemporary cultural and social changes in China and/or the sudden emergence of infectious diseases throughout the country. The findings also showed that offensive military metaphors have been favored over defensive and military process metaphors, which may be related to the traditional demonization of disease in China. Finally, the findings showed connections between the collectivization of the subject and the use of military metaphors in the Chinese coverage of disease.

Climate change communication increasingly unfolds within digital environments, where social media platforms such as Twitter play a pivotal role in shaping public discourse (Papacharissi, 2015). This study combines Social Network Analysis (SNA) and Discourse Analysis (DA) to explore how climate change is discussed and structured through Twitter interactions. A dataset of tweets mentioning Greta Thunberg and Donald Trump—the two most frequently mentioned figures identified through network centrality measures—was analyzed. Using Gephi software, network properties such as modularity, degree centrality, and graph diameter were evaluated and visualized through the Force Atlas layout. The findings reveal a fragmented but interconnected network structure, with modular clusters aligned with political, activist, and organizational affiliations. Discourse analysis of the tweets highlights contrasting narrative strategies: while Greta Thunberg is framed through language of solidarity, urgency, and mobilization, Donald Trump is predominantly referenced through oppositional and critical discourse. These patterns exemplify the dynamics of connective action in digital environments, where personal engagement drives collective narratives (Bennett & Segerberg, 2012). Overall, the results suggest that Twitter reflects and amplifies emotional and ideological currents within the climate change debate, fostering both polarization and solidarity across different stakeholder communities. This study contributes to understanding the complex interplay between digital communication structures and climate change narratives.

A semantic (TRIZ) network analysis of South Korea's “Open Public Data” policy

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to examine the international trends in media education in the context of changes in the digital media environment, focusing on core topics outlined by international organizations such as UNESCO, OECD, and the EU. Through a comparison and analysis of domestic educational curricula, the study aims to derive insights for the development of media education in Korea.
 [Methods] To achieve this, researchers integrated and reclassified the core media education topics emphasized by UNESCO's MIL education curriculum, OECD's Education 2030, and the EU's DigComp. 2.2 through document analysis. Subsequently, the study explored how the core media education topics at the international level are distributed in the revised 2022 educational curriculum standards and individual subject achievement standards.
 [Results & Conclusion] The identified core topics of overseas media education include digital citizenship, digital utilization, new media technologies, media representation, information discrimination and confirmation bias, media industry and consumers, media creation, collaborative communication and responsible use, digital problem-solving, and digital safety—a total of 10 themes. It was confirmed that the 2022 revised curriculum notably reflects competencies related to digital utilization skills, understanding of new media technologies, and digital problem-solving. However, the study suggests a need for strengthening education on critical thinking and acceptance of content produced and shared in the digital environment, which appears relatively lacking in current educational content.