Communication Strategies Research Articles

When Information Subsidies Go Live: Conceptualizing the Strategic Role of Personal Storytelling

This conceptual article argues that the strategic use of personal storytelling to attract public attention and gain political impact is insufficiently theorized in political communication, journalism studies, and lobbying research. Claiming the need to study backstage relations among interest groups, professional communication workers, journalists, and decision-makers, it conceptualizes how lay personal stories, with strong moral appeal and claim to authenticity, constitute a powerful form of live information subsidy in both indirect and direct communication strategies to influence decision-makers. Extending the classic theory of information subsidies, the article unpacks the particular value of personal storytelling regarding credibility, legitimacy, and appeal and hypothesizes how and when interest groups select, craft, exchange, and communicate lay personal stories to create public support and influence political decisions. The theorization of strategic personal storytelling is based on the synthesis of distinct research literatures and abductive multi-sited field studies of Norwegian interest groups, government communication, and journalistic source relations, heading the calls for more mixed-method, cross-disciplinary research to advance political communication overall.

Community Empowerment and Communication Role in Creating Consensus and Acceptability for Innovative Tourism to Support Diversified Economy Oman

The present research investigates community empowerment and communication's role in promoting community support for innovative, sustainable tourism development. It also examines community support, perceived benefits, perceived cost association and influence on innovative, sustainable tourism development. Mixed methods, which comprise qualitative and quantitative data, have been applied. The research frameworks have been adapted after a comprehensive literature review. The framework encompasses six constructs - community empowerment, integrated communication strategies and their influence on community support, perceived benefits and perceived cost to understand the empirical evidence. The findings elucidate that community empowerment and communication are prominent predictors in creating consensus and acceptability of local communities to encourage innovative, sustainable tourism to support Oman's diversified economic drive. The findings can be used as a reference document for future studies.

Evaluation of Energy-Production Preferences Using ANP Methodology Based on a Comprehensive Residential Survey

Public opinion significantly influences discussions on the selection of technologies for future energy systems. Our goal was to support the development of energy scenarios by evaluating decision-making criteria and energy-production alternatives at a national level. The importance of the criteria and the determination of energy-production preferences were based on a social survey conducted in European countries. However, public opinions on specific technologies are frequently based on limited knowledge and can vary depending on the context. In our study, we analyzed the comparative data sets from an international survey on energy sources using three approaches: direct ranking, a comparison using various criteria, and classifying the knowledge of technologies. The evaluated results not only provide an excellent opportunity for the development of energy scenarios but also enable policymakers to develop more effective communication strategies to inform the public about technological choices and raise awareness of the need for modifications to the energy system.

Comprehensive Clustering Analysis and Profiling of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Related Factors across U.S. Counties: Insights for Future Pandemic Responses.

This study employs comprehensive clustering analysis to examine COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and related socio-demographic factors across U.S. counties, using the collected and curated data from Johns Hopkins University. Utilizing K-Means and hierarchical clustering, we identify five distinct clusters characterized by varying levels of vaccine hesitancy, MMR vaccination coverage, population demographics, and political affiliations. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted to reduce dimensionality, and key variables were selected based on their contribution to cumulative explained variance. Our analysis reveals significant geographic and demographic patterns in vaccine hesitancy, providing valuable insights for public health strategies and future pandemic responses. Geospatial analysis highlights the distribution of clusters across the United States, indicating areas with high and low vaccine hesitancy. In addition, multiple regression analyses within each cluster identify key predictors of vaccine hesitancy in corresponding U.S. county clusters, emphasizing the importance of socio-economic and demographic factors. The findings underscore the need for targeted public health interventions and tailored communication strategies to address vaccine hesitancy across the United States and, potentially, across the globe.

Indifferent About Online Traffic: The Posting Strategies of Five News Outlets During Musk’s Acquisition of Twitter

ABSTRACT This study examines the publication strategies of legacy news outlets on Twitter following the company’s acquisition by Elon Musk. We used SCImago Media Rankings to identify the news organizations with the highest online audiences, namely The Guardian, The New York Times, USA Today, The Independent, and The Washington Post. Data was acquired through the Twitter Academic API v2 and the SEMrush platform at the beginning of 2023 and covers all of 2022. The database includes website audits that monitor the web traffic of a domain, with the aggregate data subsequently processed using R packages and Atlas.ti. Our analyses show that a higher presence on Twitter leads to a substantive increase in social traffic, as seen with The Independent. This is in sharp contrast to the other news outlets. These differences remain irrespective of their topical news coverage, broadly focused on the Russo-Ukrainian war, or compositional feature in their messages, which largely lack typical Twitter features like hashtags and @-mentions. We conclude our analysis by discussing the communication strategies of news organizations on Twitter following the company’s acquisition by Elon Musk in 2022.

Exploring Climate Change Communication in Afghanistan on the X Platform over the Last Six Months of 2024

Social media has emerged as an accessible communication tool for mass audiences worldwide. These new platforms are widely used in Afghanistan for various purposes. Given Afghanistan's high vulnerability to climate change impacts, the country requires effective public awareness and communication strategies across both traditional and new media. To inform policymaking for collective climate action, there is a need to analyze the content of social media discourse on climate change. The primary aim of this study is to explore climate change communication on the X platform to develop effective policies and strategies for leveraging social media, particularly the X platform, to communicate about climate change impacts in Afghanistan. The study employed a descriptive research design combined with a content analysis approach. The results indicate that the social media discourse revolved around key themes, including climate change impacts, Afghanistan's vulnerability to droughts, flash floods, monsoon rains, and unexpected snowfall, the lack of funding for climate change communication and mitigation efforts, and the disproportionate impact on women. The analysis also found that the total user engagement during the five-month study period reached 424,522 interactions, including reposts, replies, likes, and views. The findings of this study can inform the development of targeted, evidence-based communication strategies and policies to raise public awareness and catalyze collective action on climate change in Afghanistan, leveraging the reach and engagement potential of social media platforms.

Distortion‐less video wireless transmission in 5G new radio using delay‐distortion‐rate optimization (DDRO)

SummaryIn this paper, a novel strategy of video communication over a 5G platform of new radio (NR) is developed, and it is named ViNR. With the support of optimization on the ViNR quality of service (QoS) system design, we stretched the outdated R‐D optimization to a novel delay‐distortion‐rate optimization (DDRO) control method. The entire model is partitioned with two types of coding: source coding and channel coding. For source coding, we affianced the inter‐frame prediction method of independent predicted frames (IPPPP) with Lagrange multiplier optimization. Channel coding is intricate with the minimization of delay‐distortion and getting the most out of the rate using resource allocation optimization in terms of sub‐slice allocation. To perform this sub‐slice resource assignment with optimization of DDR, the isolation resource allocation is premeditated in this work to ensure the service level profile of various groups of resource slots or grids dealing with the subject of middling delay and rate. The widespread simulation results divulge that the proposed algorithm NR‐DDRO achieves better QoS parameters of delay, distortion, and rate with the metrics of end‐to‐end distortion, encoding Y‐PSNR, encoding bit rate, encoding time, end‐to‐end PSNR, optimization time, and complete computation time.

Examining the Roles, Sentiments, and Discourse of European Interest Groups in the Ukrainian War through X (Twitter)

This research focuses on examining the responses of interest groups listed in the European Transparency Register to the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war. Its aim is to investigate the nuanced reactions of 2579 commercial and business associations and 2957 companies and groups to the recent conflict, as expressed through their X (Twitter) activities. Utilizing advanced text mining and NLP and LDA techniques, this study conducts a comprehensive analysis encompassing language dynamics, thematic shifts, sentiment variations, and activity levels exhibited by these entities both before and after the outbreak of the war. The results obtained reflect a gradual decrease in negative emotions regarding the conflict over time. Likewise, multiple forms of outside lobbying are identified in the communication strategies of interest groups. All in all, this empirical inquiry into how interest groups adapt their messaging in response to complex geopolitical events holds the potential to provide invaluable insights into the multifaceted role of lobbying in shapi ng public policies.

Breaking through the "Tower of Babel": Exploratory Research on the International Communication Practice of Artificial Intelligence Generating News

With the deepening influence of artificial intelligence on the production mode of news and the increasing application of technological innovation in cross-border communication, this study found that artificial intelligence can solve the communication dilemma of language in cross-cultural communication revealed in the myth of the Tower of Babel through language translation and empathetic communication strategies. The literature review section introduces the basic concepts of cross-cultural empathy communication and the practical application of artificial intelligence-generated news in international communication. Multiple case studies were used in the research method, based on the specific practices of major media outlets including Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, China Central Television, Associated Press, New York Times, and CBS in the application of intelligent technology. The research results indicate that the application of intelligent technology in the news production process has significantly improved work efficiency and promoted innovation in news production models at three levels: technical logic, media logic, and capital logic. The conclusion drawn from this article is that the deep involvement of generative artificial intelligence technology in the news production process can help build a new production mechanism that balances efficiency and responsibility and promotes the comprehensive improvement of efficiency and quality in cross-cultural communication. Future research will continue to focus on the empirical application of intelligent technology in news production, further optimizing news production models, and providing new perspectives and methods for developing the media industry.

Parent and family characteristics associated with reported pediatric influenza vaccination in a sample of Canadian digital vaccination platform users. An exploratory, cross-sectional study in the 2018-2019 influenza season

ABSTRACT Seasonal vaccination remains one of the best interventions to prevent morbidity and mortality from influenza in children. Understanding the characteristics of parents who vaccinate their children can inform communication strategies to encourage immunization. Using a cross-sectional study, we described parental characteristics of people who reported vaccinating their children against influenza during 2018/2019 in a cohort of Canadian digital immunization record users. Data was collected from a free, Pan-Canadian digital vaccination tool, CANImmunize. Eligible accounts contained at least one parental and one “child/dependent” record. Each parental characteristic (gender, age, family size, etc) was tested for association with pediatric influenza vaccination, and a multivariate logistic regression model was fit. A total of 6,801 CANImmunize accounts met inclusion criteria. After collapsing the dataset, the final sample contained 11,381 unique dyads. Influenza vaccination was reported for 32.3% of the children and 42.0% of the parents. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, parents receiving the seasonal influenza vaccine were most strongly associated with reporting pediatric influenza vaccination (OR 17.05, 95% CI 15.08, 19.28). Having a larger family size and fewer transactions during the study period was associated with not reporting pediatric influenza vaccination. While there are several limitations to this large-scale study, these results can help inform future research in the area. Digital technologies may provide a unique and valuable source of vaccine coverage data and to explore associations between individual characteristics and immunization behavior. Policy makers considering digital messaging may want to tailor their efforts based on parental characteristics to further improve pediatric seasonal influenza vaccine uptake.

On the issues of business negotiation processes and prospects for overcoming them through large language models

This article investigates the potential of large language models in overcoming problems within the business negotiation process. Typical issues encountered in business negotiations at various communication stages, which highlight the necessity for systematic resolution (such as breaches of good faith principles, ineffective communication strategies, lack of clear planning, etc.), are identified. The study focuses on a key negotiation problem related to the increasing transaction costs of businesses due to unmet interaction results. It demonstrates how large language models can optimize the negotiation process at every stage: from preparation (gathering and analysing information, scenario modelling) to conducting negotiations (contextual analysis, proposal formulation) and implementing agreements (execution control, monitoring). The study highlights that large language models can ensure: objectivity and speed in information processing; improved planning and forecasting; enhanced communication efficiency; and reduced transaction costs. The findings of the research conclude that the application of large language models is a promising development direction for optimizing the business negotiation process, contributing to the reduction of transaction costs and strengthening companies’ competitiveness by expanding human capabilities in managing business communications.

Revitalizing Indonesian Tourism: Insights from Gunungkidul Regency's Communication Strategy

Tourism is a crucial part of Indonesia's economy, thanks to the country's natural beauty and attractions. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges to the sector, requiring innovative strategies to revive it. This study examines the communication strategy of the Gunungkidul Regency Tourism Office, focusing on how it navigates the complexities of the new normal era. The study uses a qualitative descriptive approach and centers on the Gunungkidul Regency Tourism Office. Data was gathered through observation and documentation of tourist sites and interviews with tourism officials, site management personnel, and tourists from June to July 2021. The study found that the Gunungkidul Regency Tourism Office diligently adopted key communication strategy phases, including audience profiling, message formulation, method selection, and media choice. They also provided fundamental components of tourism development, such as attraction, accessibility, amenities, and ancillary, to cater to tourist demands. The strategy emphasizes effective communication to engage diverse stakeholders, using audience segmentation and engagement and multimedia platforms to ensure maximal outreach and resonance. The findings highlight the importance of crisis communication best practices, audience segmentation, and evaluating tourism community resilience, which are essential for crafting a resilient and sustainable tourism ecosystem.

Impact of TikTok Store Closing: Communication Analysis and User Response

In this study, we investigate the impact of the TikTok Shop closure, focusing on communication analysis and user responses. Engaging active participation from respondents, we gained deep insights into how this closure decision affects users in the context of online communication. The research methods involved surveys and qualitative analysis of user responses. The study's results show a variety of user reactions, including disappointment, frustration, and adaptation to the change. Communication factors, such as the clarity of information and user engagement, were identified as key elements influencing their perceptions of this decision. In-depth analysis of the data highlights the crucial role of communication in managing negative impacts and the potential to rebuild user trust through transparency and better interaction. Additionally, this research explores broader implications related to crisis management and communication strategies of digital platforms when facing sudden changes. The findings indicate that effective and transparent communication can mitigate negative reactions and help users adapt to unexpected changes. Thus, this study not only provides a deep understanding of user responses to the TikTok Shop closure but also emphasizes the importance of effective communication in overcoming challenges in a dynamic digital environment. These findings are expected to offer valuable guidance for practitioners, researchers, and decision-makers involved in managing similar digital platforms. The conclusion of this study is that a good communication strategy can minimize negative impacts and enhance user trust, ultimately contributing to the long-term success of digital platforms.

Exploring Family Ties and Interpersonal Dynamics—A Geospatial Simulation Analyzing Their Influence on Evacuation Efficiency within Urban Communities

Guaranteeing efficient evacuations in urban communities is critical for preserving lives, minimizing disaster impacts, and promoting community resilience. Challenges such as high population density, limited evacuation routes, and communication breakdowns complicate evacuation efforts. Vulnerable populations, urban infrastructure constraints, and the increasing frequency of disasters further contribute to the complexity. Despite these challenges, the importance of timely evacuations lies in safeguarding human safety, enabling rapid disaster response, preserving critical infrastructure, and reducing economic losses. Overcoming these hurdles necessitates comprehensive planning, investment in resilient infrastructure, effective communication strategies, and continuous community engagement to foster preparedness and enhance evacuation efficiency. This research looks into the complexities of evacuation dynamics within urban residential areas, placing a particular focus on the interaction between joint-rental arrangements and family ties and their influence on evacuation strategies during emergency situations. Using agent-based modeling, evacuation simulation scenarios are implemented using the Changhongfang community (Shanghai) while systematically exploring how diverse interpersonal relationships impact the efficiency of evacuation processes. The adopted methodology encompasses a series of group experiments designed to determine the optimal proportions of joint-rental occupants within the community. Furthermore, the research examines the impact of various exit selection strategies on evacuation efficiency. Simulation outcomes shed light on the fundamental role of interpersonal factors in shaping the outcomes of emergency evacuations. Additionally, this study emphasizes the critical importance of strategic exit selections, revealing their potential to significantly enhance overall evacuation efficiency in urban settings.

Two-dimensional and high-order directional information modulations for secure communications based on programmable metasurface

Conventional wireless communication schemes indiscriminately transmit information into the whole space and pose inherent security risks. Recently, directional information modulation (DIM) has attracted enormous attention as a promising technology. DIM generates correct constellation symbols in the desired directions and distorts them in undesired directions, thus ensuring the security of the transmitted information. Although several DIM schemes have been reported, they suffer from defects of bulkiness, energy consumption, high cost, and inability to support two-dimensional (2D) and high-order modulations. Here, we propose a DIM scheme based on a 2-bit programmable metasurface (PM) that overcomes these defects. A fast and efficient discrete optimization algorithm is developed to optimize the digital coding sequences, and the correct constellation symbols can be generated and transmitted in multi-directional beams. As a proof-of-concept, three sets of constellation diagrams (8 phase shift keying (PSK), 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), and 64QAM) are realized in the multi-channel modes. This work provides an important route of employing DIM for ensuring physical-layer security and serves as a stepping stone toward endogenous secure communications.

WHO global research priorities for sexually transmitted infections.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are widespread worldwide and negatively affect sexual and reproductive health. Gaps in evidence and in available tools have long hindered STI programmes and policies, particularly in resource-limited settings. In 2022, WHO initiated a research prioritisation process to identify the most important STI research areas to address the global public health need. Using an adapted Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative methodology including two global stakeholder surveys, the process identified 40 priority STI research needs. The top priorities centred on developing and implementing affordable, feasible, rapid point-of-care STI diagnostic tests and new treatments, especially for gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and syphilis; designing new multipurpose prevention technologies and vaccines for STIs; and collecting improved STI epidemiologic data on both infection and disease outcomes. The priorities also included innovative programmatic approaches, such as new STI communication and partner management strategies. An additional six research areas related to mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) reflect the need for STI-related research during disease outbreaks where sexual transmission can have a key role. These STI research priorities provide a call to action for focus, investment, and innovation to address existing roadblocks in STI prevention, control, and management to advance sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing for all.

Overseas Strategic Communication Strategies of New Energy Enterprises: Media Image Analysis of BYD and CATL in Hungary

The 2024 Government Work Report released by the State Council pointed out that the export of “new trio” - electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products has witnessed a year-on-year increase of nearly 30%, showcasing that the momentum of Chinese new energy enterprises going global is thriving. Hungary, ranking among the top three lithium-ion battery producing countries globally, with its automotive industry accounting for 10% of its GDP and 20% of its total exports, serves as a crucial market. Since 2022, Chinese leading battery enterprises represented by CATL and electric passenger vehicle enterprises represented by BYD have successively established factories in Hungary, drawing extensive attention from local media and the public. These flagship enterprises of the “new trio” have become important symbols of China’s high-quality development, and their media image in host countries can to some extent represent the overseas image of Chinese new energy enterprises, holding significant implications for the construction of China’s national image. Leveraging the author’s language expertise, this paper selects and analyzes 220 relevant reports from three mainstream media outlets in Hungary through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, supplemented by longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis. Additionally, considering the enterprises’ overseas social media operations, the paper examines the external communication images of the two Chinese new energy enterprises and the challenges they face, concluding with tailored recommendations.

Public Relations in Crisis Management: A Review and Analysis of Communicative Strategies During Early Stages of Covid-19

Public Relations in Crisis Management: A Review and Analysis of Communicative Strategies During Early Stages of Covid-19

Investigating visual engagement of Generation Z with presidential campaign infographics through Eye-Tracking technology

This study was designed to investigate the visual engagement of Generation Z with Indonesian presidential election campaign infographics utilizing eye-tracking technology. Notably, Generation Z forms a significant segment of first-time voters in the 2024 General Election and plays an integral role in political decision-making processes. Despite their pivotal role, a marked disengagement with political activities among this demographic presents significant challenges. Prior research has demonstrated that visual attention is modulated by experiential factors and personal biases. Consequently, this investigation seeks to elucidate the impact of infographics on the visual attention of participants with pre-established preferences for presidential candidates. Employing eye-tracking technology facilitated an objective assessment of the participants' subconscious reactions to the infographics. This study analyzed the distribution of visual attention across six defined Regions of Interest (ROI) among 60 participants. The findings reveal that 50% of the participants directed their gaze predominantly at the names of the candidate pairs, 27% at the image of the presidential candidate, 15% at quotes, 5% at the image of the vice-presidential candidate, 2% at the candidate number, and 1% at the vision statement. Additionally, it was observed that 55% of the participants consistently fixated on the infographics that corresponded to their preferred candidate pair from the onset to the conclusion of the recording, while 45% demonstrated variability in their viewing patterns. These insights afford valuable implications for political strategists aiming to forge more effective communication strategies with Generation Z, thereby enhancing their engagement in the political discourse, particularly in the context of general elections.

Understanding changing patterns in travel behaviour to support domestic tourism recovery and resilience

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the tourism sector, disrupting travel and centralising a shift towards domestic tourism. This study examines the changing preferences and demands of travellers to promote the recovery and sustainability of domestic tourism. The research conducted 1 034 online surveys with the general public to analyse their travel behaviours and preferences concerning domestic tourism activities willing to participate in. The findings indicate that despite limited disposable income, a significant portion of the South African population possesses discretionary income and is interested in participating in tourism activities. Travel preferences are influenced by various socio-economic and demographic factors. Changing patterns in destination choices and activities are also noted, which influence travel behaviour and related tourism consumption/ demand for products and experiences, marketing and impacts. Respondents are knowledgeable of and attracted to many domestic tourism products in South Africa, with social and nature-based tourism being prominent. Monitoring domestic tourism trends can inform marketing strategies and product development. Additionally, awareness and communication strategies should be improved, and incentives should be provided to encourage local travel.