Medium Change Research Articles

Parallel Development: Medicalization and Decriminalization in the Changing Media Framing of the Opioid Overdose Crisis

Drawing on content analysis of 517 New York Times news reports published between 1995 and 2016, the author examines the institutionalization of opioid responses in terms of changing media framing of opioid use. The findings indicate that news frames were situated between the lenses of medicalization and decriminalization. Modes of penal social control shifted as early as the 1990s because of budgetary concerns. Drug reform efforts pushed law enforcement agencies to criminalize doctors and big pharma. Consequently, medical professionals and social activists advocated for new cultural frameworks about opioid use. However, the expansion of medical concepts alone did not medicalize opioid use, as evidenced by persistent news frames opposing opioid maintenance treatments. Instead, medicalization materialized as part of the public health solution when law enforcement agencies adopted new modes of medical social control. This article illustrates the making of a new penal-medical nexus regulating drug use.

Medya Ekolojisi Bağlamında Stratejik İletişim ve Sosyal Medya: Instagram Üzerine Bir Araştırma

This study aims to detect and analyze the changes of social media, which has become one of the most important actors of the media ecology by examining and categorizing the blog contents of Instagram, one of the most popular social media platforms in Turkey. Following a literature review on media ecology, strategic communications, and social media, it investigated the contents of Instagram’s official blog through the research questions based on the target audience and strategic communications. The aim of the study is to analyze Instagram’s strategic communication approach within the context of media ecology, and to analyze its communication strategy to be able to effectively reach its target audience with a special focus on its official blog. To answer the research questions of the study, content analysis was carried out with MAXQDA 2018. Two main chategories are obtained: Trade-oriented and engagement-oriented posts. The results show that to be able to sustain its popularity and success as a socialization and business platform, Instagram aims to addresss a variety of users, and embraces crucial keywords such as up-to-dateness, reciprocity, and inclusivity in its communication strategy, while adapting its communication strategy.

1910년대 『매일신보』의 여성 담론과 식민지 여성 만들기

In order to systematize the changes in the women's movement and women's discourse during the Japanese colonial period, this study aimed to investigate and analyze the characteristics of women's discourse data in the MAEILSHINBO in the 1910s. This newspaper played a role in promoting colonial policies to the extent that it was recognized as the official newspaper of the Japanese colonial government during the Japanese colonial period, and it also shows colonial regression in women's discourse. In this study, data that can confirm women's discourse was investigated for editorials, editorials, articles, and columns of this newspaper, and based on this, the content of the discourse was classified by field, and the content was analyzed accordingly. As a result, it was discovered that there were certain characteristics in the material of discourse on women appearing in the MAEILSHINBO in the 1910s. First, data related to women's issues have been continuously published in this newspaper since modern times. However, most of the data from the 1910s were expressed in terms of ‘BUIN(wife)’ or ‘YEOJA(woman)’, and the term ‘YEOJA’was used very limitedly. Second, discourses such as ‘women's labor’ and ‘BUEOP(side work)’ appear most frequently in the content or distribution of discourses on women. In particular, by guarding against ‘women who do not work’ and ‘women indulged in luxury and vanity’, the logic that these women are the cause of poverty is often developed, which is a logic that regards women as objects of colonial assimilation. Third, the issue of women's education also reflects the retirement of the modern view of women. The primary goal of education was to ‘cultivate innocent people’, and education for women also aims to make compliant women. Fourth, it can be confirmed that the women's discourse in this newspaper aimed to formulate colonial women who combined nationalism based on the traditional view of women is emphasizing. As such, the disappearance of women's discourse under the colonial rule in the 1910s shows a major change in the newspaper media reflecting the position of Koreans after the cultural movement in the 1920s. Therefore, this study is expected to contribute to some extent in objectifying the changing aspects of women's discourse during the Japanese colonial period.

Changes in Sleep Pattern and Digital Media use During Covid-19 Lockdown

Objective: To find out an association between covid and sleep and how covid lockdown has affected the sleeping habits of the youth in Pakistan compared to pre-lockdown sleeping patterns. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration: Current research was conducted at HITEC (IMS-HITEC) Institute of Medical Sciences, Taxila Cantt Pakistan from 5th may to 15th may 2020). Materials and Methods: It was a quantitative study in which participants filled out an online survey form. The data was collected on Google forms shared through social media focusing on undergraduate individuals from 16 to 24 years of age to acquire a homogenous example of responders, since youth are more liable to digital media use and their routine is more prone to be affected by the lockdown. The participation rate was 98.2%. SPSS was used for the data entry and analysis purpose. The data obtained was compiled, tabulated and analysed statistically. Chi square test was used to check whether the variables yielded significant or insignificant results. Results: Out of a total of 100 participants, 60 (60%) were females and 40 (40%) were males. The mean age was 21 years and the participants were mostly university students. A set of questions were also asked to determine which social media apps the participants were increasingly using, most of the participants spent time on Instagram (68%) and YouTube (64%), while modest people spent time on Netflix (41%), Snapchat (30%) and Facebook (33%). Lesser participants spent time on TikTok (11%) and Skype/Zoom (25%). Practical Implications: The use of e-learning and other forms of social interaction are becoming increasingly significant in the education of our young people. The findings of the current research make it possible for us to evaluate the influence of lockdown measures on Pakistani population in light of previously published studies that were carried out during the same time period in other countries and continents. Conclusion: Participants in the lockdown reported spending more time in front of screens and suffering delayed sleep habits. It was found that risky behaviours were associated with increased screen screen time.. Keywords: Sleep Pattern, Digital Media, Covid-19 lockdown, Screen Time, Social Applications

Publishing National Cultural Periodicals in Lithuania: A Reflection of Cultural Functions in 2000–2015

Cultural periodicals, as a specific part of the field of culture and publishing, can be studied in several directions: 1) by analysing the conceptual aspect of cultural periodicals, i.e., realisation of their cultural functions; 2) by taking into account the general models of publishing periodicals; 3) by analysing other aspects of publishing that are specific to cultural periodicals only, for example, the specific features of funding.
 This article analyses how the cultural functions of national periodicals were realised in the context of the virtualisation of cultural periodicals in the period under research (in 2000–2015). (In this article, the virtualisation of cultural publications is understood as the transfer of cultural periodicals (magazines, newspapers) into the virtual space or their creation in that space (blogs, portals, social networks)). Cultural periodicals as a part of the cultural field were relevant in the period under research: 1. It is relevant to transmit and preserve cultural information (in this case, the communicative link between the cultural message and the cultural space and the lasting value of cultural texts); 2. To form new addressees to receive the cultural message (each publication brings together its own audience and thus complements the overall cultural field, thus attracting new readers by disseminating cultural information); 3. To actualise the message being sent through more diverse channels (the importance of internationality), to expand the possibilities of accessibility and availability of cultural texts; changes in the media (social networks, portals, websites) have created a broader, more modern and more diverse cultural field of communication. Between the years 2000 and 2015, media change gradually turned into a necessity. First of all, it was undertaken as a way to reach more readers. Due to the specific content, cultural publications were moderate in their approach to the changes in form during the period under analysis: to maintain a high-quality printed version was a priority to them. On the other hand, cultural publications, although not always willingly, began to recognize the importance of the Internet and to consider it as a platform for disseminating cultural information. This aspect became an important turning point in the publishing of cultural periodicals.

Constructive Journalism as an Adaptation to a Changing Media Environment

ABSTRACT How can constructive journalism subscribe to established standards of journalism and still offer something new to the field? This paper explores the possibility that constructive journalism looks for better ways to implement the standards in a changing media environment. A case in point is the partial loss of the gatekeeper role in digital journalism. Here, journalism tries to show that it is still relevant by always finding something to criticize. But this may cause readers to turn away because, even though the news informs them about important points of disagreement, it does not outline how the debate might move on. Constructive journalism can be taken to suggest that journalists should evaluate the merits of the arguments involved so that readers can better assess the situation. This would not require journalists to give up on a negative focus in news, but to broaden their view: They should not confine their reporting to those in power but reflect the productive discourse which is often hidden in digital media.

Exploring the boundaries of Nordic journalism: Introduction to special issue

Keeping journalism socially relevant and financially viable is more challenging than ever. It might seem like a paradox, but in a time when news media is challenged by inadequate business models, precarious labor conditions and competition from platform companies, and contested by populist politicians, the public is consuming more news than ever before. The changing media landscape, technological platforms and structural conditions are influencing journalism, its practices and its roles in everyday life, society, culture, and politics—central topics when communication scholars gather at international and national conferences dedicated to media and communication research.
 The NordMedia Conference 2021 was arranged in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. It was supposed to be held in Reykjavik, Iceland, but was ultimately held virtually. Naturally, the topics tended to focus on how journalists were covering the pandemic, but they also included studies on truth, disinformation and facts as well as technology in journalism in the form of AI and automation. The presenters were later invited to participate in this special issue, which celebrates Nordic scholarship and the Journalistica journal.
 In this issue, we bring together three studies that each illustrate the current developments within Nordic journalism research along with a book review of a book on political communication in the Nordics.
 Ethics and trust are common threads that run through the three articles published in this special issue of Journalistica. The articles cover very different topics—from podcasting as a genre, alternative media and comment moderation to ethics in local news media — and ethics and trust are recurring themes in the discussions. What constitutes as news today is increasingly blurred as it mixes with commercial content (influencers and content marketing — commercial genres that look like news), opinions (comments appearing as news) or false and manipulated content (fake news or disinformation). Many people, especially young adults, get their news from social media, and the newsfeed does not differentiate between different types of content. News from respected newsrooms has the same design as rumors from a suspicious website. Thus, users have to pay more attention to differentiate between the trustworthiness of the information.
 This blurring of content and genres is challenging for journalism’s trustworthiness. The articles in this special issue touch on some of the challenges appearing as a result of this blurring despite the long tradition of strong ethical guidelines for journalism in Nordic newsrooms. Nevertheless, the users of Nordic news are still demonstrating high levels of trust, among the highest in the 45 countries of the Reuters Digital News Report 2022 track. Finnish news users report the highest trust in news (69%), particularly the news they use (75%), followed by Denmark (58%/63%), Norway (56%/63%), and Sweden (50%/56%). Iceland was not included in Reuters’ survey.
 One factor that can help maintain and strengthen trust in news in the Nordic countries is strong ethical practices in newsrooms. Since the early 20th century, Nordic newsrooms and journalism organizations have developed ethical guidelines for journalism that are continually updated to reflect developments in the profession and society at large:
 
 Norway:​​Code of Ethics for the Norwegian Press 
 Sweden: Rules of Professional Conduct
 Denmark: Press Ethical Rules 
 Finland: Guidelines for Journalists
 Iceland: Rules of Ethics in Journalism
 
 Ethical guidelines and their practical implementation in the newsrooms can help Nordic journalists navigate the challenges emerging from the changing media landscape, competition from technological platforms and structural conditions influencing journalism. The articles in this special issue of Journalistica each offer a unique contribution to address some of these challenges.

Audiovisual Tactics of Resistance of the Polish Anti-Communist Opposition in the 1980s as Illustrated by Tomasz Łabędź’s Kalendarz Wojny (War Calendar)

This study is an interdisciplinary presentation of the changing media paradigm of the Polish anti-communists opposition in the 1980s. The article, in particular, emphasizes the first production of the Polish émigré media institution Video Kontakt, titled War Calendar, directed by Tomasz Łabędź. Interpreted as an example of audiovisual tactics of resistance, his work employed subversion and counterpoint to expose the discursive hypocrisy of the communist regime in Poland. The article also discusses the support that Polish dissident groups received from the Western trade unions and government agencies leading to the ‘paralel society’ with its own communication potential.

How Propaganda Works in the Digital Era: Soft News as a Gateway

Digital technology can empower citizen journalism as well as state media in authoritarian regimes. China’s propaganda apparatus has undertaken a series of transformations to adapt itself to the changing media environment. This study investigates this adaptive process by drawing on over five million Weibo posts created by 103 newspapers between 2012 and 2019. Results show that through the digital transformation, newspapers are deliberately distancing themselves from their Orwellian past of abstract dogmatism to openly embrace infotainment. A soft-news-centered production model has emerged as the new journalistic paradigm on social media. Not only commercialized outlets but also mouthpiece newspapers produce more soft news than hard news. Regression results further substantiate that soft news is a gateway to propaganda, whose popularity can spill over into propaganda news. For every 100% increase in soft news popularity, propaganda popularity will rise by 38.5% in the following month. News outlets that have garnered attention to soft news can transfer that attention to their subsequent propaganda. These results illuminate how propaganda works in the digital realm, how authoritarian propaganda could be enhanced by infotainment, and why a less political platform could be more susceptible to political intervention.

Changing the media landscape in India under the Modi government: a case study based on the Narrative Policy Framework

After the emergence of "new media," propaganda and so-called "alternative facts" are some of the main tools that have been used by governments, individuals, or interest groups to recalibrate the narration of certain information. By using the basic storytelling methods, the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) allows policymakers to use the media to spread the newer dynamics of narration. Since 2014, after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power, the government has constantly been using narration through the state-funded media that have changed the overall media landscape in the country. Thus, using the NPF, this research aims to perform a media content analysis of India and discuss the changing media landscape of the nation. To prove the argument, the article provides various empirical examples and facts (from India) which are changing the narrative among the public and the ruling party's pursuit of its political aims by radical change in public policy.

Optimalisasi Media Edukasi Video dan Leaflet dalam Meningkatkan Kesadaran Perawat tentang Audit Keperawatan di Rumah Sakit

This study aims to optimize video and leaflet educational media to increase nurse awareness about Nursing Audits at X Hospital. The method used is a pilot study. Data was collected through interviews, observation and questionnaires to 263 respondents. Data analysis was carried out using fishbone, preparation of a Plan of Action (POA) and educational media in the form of videos and leaflets. The results showed that the head of the room did not know the Nursing Audit process at the Hospital in the last two years. Unfavorable results were found in the organizational function of the head of the room (mean 2.2), especially statements about the involvement of nurses in the Nursing Audit process. In conclusion, a change in video educational media and leaflets is needed to increase nurses' understanding of Nursing Audits. 
 Keywords: Nursing Audit, Nurse Awareness, Educational Media

Social movements and digital media in the UK

Social movements and digital media in the <scp>UK</scp>

전통 판소리의 공연학적 역사와 전망

In modern pansori, various experiments are being made on the existing traditional pansori, and many new creations of pansori are being made. However, traditional pansori also has historically undergone continuous changes and experiments. In this regard, this study was intended to suggest the point where the traditional pansori has changed and the tasks to be positively improved by the pansori of our time.&#x0D; First, the performance aspects of traditional pansori were analyzed in a visual dimension. This study examines how pansori performances have changed from the mid-19th century to modern pansori. In the 19th century, in the yard, a singer performed wearing a hat on an applicator, and held a white or red fan. The drummer used a relatively large drum, and the tip of the drumstick was round. At the end of the 19th century, in Kim Jun-geun's paintings, it can be seen that the performance space for pansori has changed into a room or an indoor space. The singer performed with the master, but did not organize a separate space, and the drum and drummer of the master was changed to a shape similar to that of modern times. In the early 20th century, the stage of pansori during the Japanese colonial period was transformed into a theater. The traditional attire of the singer and the master was sometimes simplified with a bob and a duruma. In particular, female singers changed from wearing a white hanbok with their indigo hair to gradually wearing a splendid hanbok. As the intangible cultural heritage system began after the 20th century, pansori centered on human cultural assets was mainly performed on stage under the technical influence of microphones and lighting. It can be said that the musicality of pansori has gradually become highly sophisticated amid these changes in performance space and media.&#x0D; While traditional pansori could be changed over time without losing its typicality, there were also parts that lost the essence of 'pan'. This is the weakening of storytelling or polarity, and in this regard, the development direction of traditional pansori was suggested in three areas. First of all, I heard that aniri(아니리) and wit should be strengthened to restore the storytelling of pansori. Next, it was argued that the spirit of the times should be contained through the creation and reconstruction of a new lyric(더늠). Finally, it was suggested that the dramatic aspect of pansori should be established through the expansion of neoreumsae(너름새) and reinforcement of acting.

Exploring the Transformation of Opinion Leaders from a Traditional to a Digital Mindset

The advancements in the field of communication concurrently transpire throughout the evolution of the Internet and its accompanying tools. A free communication opportunity over the internet platform has resulted in the involvement of a sizable people mass in this digital environment. Individuals also pose variations in communication styles since Web 2.0 technology promotes interpersonal connection and communication. Such variations have resulted in modification and deformation in the Two-Stage Flow Theory, which is among the traditional communication models. According to the conventional definition, opinion leaders have the force to potentially influence society with their respective approaches and responses to various events and cases. They have revived alongside the changing media contexts. The transition in these platforms proceeds beyond the change in technology since they facilitate a significant portion of social change. Nowadays, opinion leaders appeal to eventuate social change since they have the potential to convey to a sizable mass of internet users. The vast majority of internet users are influenced by the attitudes and accessions of new opinion leaders while making decisions on their social life, political issues, products, and personal investments. On the one hand, people, groups, companies, and political structures that are aware of the indulgent aspects of the opinion leaders try to persuade them; on the other hand, these entities seek to generate their opinion leaders and forge a follower mass for them. The purpose of the study was to assess the concept of an opinion leader introduced by the Two-Stage Flow Theory and the new context in which it has emerged in light of the elaboration of modern communication technology. The study findings revealed that the Internet and its accompanying tools differed the recent opinion leaders from traditional ones; however, the most critical pillar of this differentiation was digital domains where opinion leaders appeal to large masses composed of different layers.

Beauveria bassiana Growth and Development in Various Liquid Media

Beauveria bassiana is entomopathogenic fungi that can be cultivated on solid or liquid media. The cultivation of B. bassiana on cracked corn medium leaves unwanted waste. Therefore, cultivating B. bassiana on liquid media is expected to shorten the cultivation time and leave no waste. The purpose of the research was to analyze the physical characteristics of the B. bassiana colony, nutritional changes of the liquid media, and the pH level changes of the liquid media. This research used an experimental complete randomized design with six treatments and 4 times repetitions. The main phases of this research were the subculture of B. bassiana isolate; the preparation of liquid media consisting of distilled water, Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB), Potato Sugar extract (PSE), PSE+NPK 1%, PSE+coconut water, PSE+NPK 1%+coconut water each for 150 ml; B. bassisana inoculation into the liquid media; incubation process for 30 days; and measurement of fungal blastospore density, medium pH, and carbohydrate, protein, and lipid content. The results obtained from the morphological observation of B.bassiana on liquid media showed that the colonies are white, growing on the surface of the media with a powdery texture. There are some differences in the nutrient content of the media after 30 days of B. Bassiana incubation. After the incubation, there is an increase in carbohydrates and a decrease in protein and lipid content, as well as an increase in the pH level of the media.

Mitochondrial Transfer to Host Cells from Ex Vivo Expanded Donor Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles that orchestrate cell metabolism in complex ways by fission/fusion machinery, factors controlling biogenesis, ion transport, and autophagy/mitophagy. Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs not only in rare inherited disorders such as Leigh syndrome but also in various conditions including degenerative changes, metabolic syndromes, chronic inflammation, and cancers. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) transfer is an emerging mechanism that enables restoration of mitochondrial function in damaged cells or tissues. Recent evidence suggests that MSCs can be an efficient source of mitochondrial transfer. Thus, developing the technology to transfer mtDNA may be a promising strategy for the treatment of these conditions. However, other primary cells, such as hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), have not been fully studied due to the lack of established technology to expand ex vivo. To test if mouse HSCs are capable of initiating mitochondrial transfer in the transplant setting we utilized mitochondrial-nuclear exchange (MNX) mice generated by assisted reproductive technology (Kesterson, 2016). To evaluate mitochondrial transfer from donor HSCs to recipient cells, we utilized an ex vivo culture of mouse HSCs based on methodology recently reported (Wilkinson, 2019). First, we harvested bone marrow from young CD57BL6 mice and isolated HSCs to establish and confirm the reproducibility of ex vivo culture system. In our experiments, careful monitoring of cell morphology was required to time media changes utilizing the alternative culture media originally described. Moreover, we found that a stringent cKit+Sca1+lineage- (KSL) CD150+CD34- gate was required to sort an HSC population to avoid the contamination of hematopoietic progenitor cells. We observed comparable qualities of HSC expansion in vitro by flow cytometry as well as in vivo expansion of donor HSC (CD45.2BL6) in recipient mice (CD45.1UBC/GFP) with conditional transplant utilizing lethal irradiation. To assess the mitochondrial transfer via donor HSCs, we used MNX mice with nuclei from C57BL/6J and mitochondria from the C3H/HeN strain, which allows detection of donor C3H mtDNA in C57 recipient cells. MNX mice have C57 immuno-phenotype and thus cells from MNX mice can be safely transplanted into the C57 hosts without triggering any immune response. Mitochondria in MNX mice inherit the bioenergetic economy of the C3H strain compared to the C57 strain. Thus, we hypothesized that the more resistant mitochondria of the donor MNX cells will have high chances of transfer into the C57 host cells. We assessed ex vivo HSC culture utilizing MNX mice (10 month old). As expected, MNX mice had increased in KSL and CD150+ HSC populations compared to young donors as well as in ex vivo culture. We then injected 5x105ex vivo expanded MNX HSCs into lethally irradiated CD45.1 UBC/GFP recipient mice. We harvested recipient mice at 6 weeks to evaluate mitochondrial transfer from MNX donor to recipient, which is an early time point when hematopoietic engraftment should have stabilized. The chimerism in each tissue was very high, especially in the bone marrow. In parallel with this, we found that HPC/HSCs in the bone marrow were highly replaced with donor-derived cells and each population cell number was comparable with the non-transplant age- and sex-matched mice, which implies robust reconstitution capacities of donor cells in vivo. To investigate the potential of donor HSCs to transfer their mitochondria, we separated GFP- donor cells and GFP+ host cells via sorting from spleen and BM. The DNA analysis was available in sorted cells from spleen but not from BM that showed extremely low frequency recipient cells. The PCR after digestion with specific restriction enzymes showed that the donor C3H mtDNA was transferred to the GFP+ host cells. Interestingly, the reverse transfer of mtDNA from recipient to donor was also detected but to a much lower extent, which suggests bi-directionality of mitochondrial transfer. In summary, we have evaluated and confirmed robust expansion of mouse HSCs ex vivo. This culture system, while requiring careful monitoring and optimization of culture constituents, has the potential for broad range of applications in HSC research. We have also established that using this technology enables us to demonstrate mitochondrial transfer between donor HSCs and recipient cells in the transplant setting.

Different dissolution conditions affect stability and dissolution profiles of bioequivalent levodopa-containing oral dosage forms

Parkinson’s disease is frequently treated with combinations of levodopa/carbidopa and, at the occurrence of motor fluctuations, levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone. For these (and other) medications, using generic versions can reduce costs. To show that generic drugs are equivalent to the originator drug, regulations usually refer to the bioavailability of active ingredients, which is influenced by the selected dosage form and the chosen excipients. However, while registration trials administer drugs under standardized conditions, these conditions often do not reflect the conditions of patients’ daily intake. Thus, this study aimed to characterize levodopa combinations from different manufacturers in biorelevant media.Dissolution profiles of bioequivalent levodopa/carbidopa combinations and levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone combinations were tested in different media, such as tap water, gastric fluid without pepsin and whole milk. Results showed distinct discrepancies in the drugs’ dissolution profiles between manufactures. Using whole milk as a dissolution medium led to the most differing dissolution profiles. Furthermore, carbidopa was unstable in tap water and milk, and it rapidly degraded. This effect was less pronounced if entacapone was present. In contrast to reports in the literature, stability testing did not show that vitamin C helps to protect against carbidopa degradation. Entacapone hardly dissolved in an acidic environment.This study found that dissolution of bioequivalent levodopa formulations varied with changing media. Further, the stability of carbidopa was found to be critical. As an implication, an acidic environment must be ensured when these drugs are applied, and generic exchange of levodopa combinations should be considered only with great caution.

Visual portrayals of fun in the sun in European news outlets misrepresent heatwave risks

AbstractThe ways in which news media communicate about heatwaves can influence how society conceptualises and addresses heatwave risks. We examined visual news coverage of the 2019 heatwaves in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, using content and visual critical discourse analyses. Many visuals were positively valenced (in contrast to article texts), framing heatwaves as ‘fun in the sun’. The most prevalent type of images in all countries were photographs of people having fun in or by water. When images did depict the danger of heat extremes, people were largely absent. We conclude that this visual framing of heatwaves is problematic: first, by displacing concerns of vulnerability, it marginalises the experiences of those vulnerable to heatwaves; and second, it excludes opportunities for imagining a more resilient future. We conclude with suggestions to diversify the visual discourse on climate change and heatwaves in the news media.

Mediated recognition: Identity, respect, and social justice in a changing media environment

Mediated recognition: Identity, respect, and social justice in a changing media environment

Beyond Cheerleading: Navigating the Boundaries of Science Journalism in South Africa

ABSTRACT Science journalism faces an issue that is part of a bigger picture of media change. The economic pressures which have seen shrinking resources available for reporting news are contrasted by the relentless rise of corporate communication and public relations. Institutional science communication has become a booming industry, operating, at least partially, by bypassing the traditional roles of journalists. To interrogate how science journalists perceive the impact of these changes on their professional roles, as well as how they navigate relationships with scientists and institutional science communicators, we conducted in-depth interviews with experienced South African science journalists. Our paper summarises the results of this study, including how journalists perceive changes in their professional identities and responsibilities. We analyse the interview data and explore the extent to which science journalists perceive themselves as “cheerleaders” for science, in contrast to critical investigators tasked with holding science and scientists to account, as well as how they operate in a world of well-endowed corporate science communication. We situate these interview findings against the theoretical background of boundary work and recent discussions about the blurring boundaries between science journalism and science communication.