Media Fragmentation Research Articles

De-contextualisation fuels controversy: the double-edged sword of humour in a hybrid media environment

Humour has a unique way of delineating social boundaries, and comedy can function as a double-edged sword; it can strengthen bonds and bring people together, or divide through provocation and violation of social norms. As a consequence, humour controversies are telling events that contain the possibility of highlighting cultural and political sensibilities – even more in the current political landscape, with increasing media fragmentation. This study analysed four humour functions through the theoretical lens of media framing, via three cases of humorous content that caused controversies in the Swedish news media. These cases were one divisive radio roast of a politician, one TV satire segment that was received as racist, and one audio podcast with young women who challenged a Swedish political consensus climate. Framing is the power of media to select and highlight certain aspects of issues, and by extension, shape public opinion. By subjecting the media coverage of these three controversies to a qualitative content analysis, the framing was examined and discussed in the light of four humour functions: identification, clarification, enforcement, and differentiation (Meyer 2000). Furthermore, the study examined the media context and the role it played in the framing of the controversies. One main finding was that the most uniting humour function of identification could be transformed into the most dividing humour function of differentiation through a shift in media context.

Information segments for the promotion of protective masks: design, marketing, PR

Since the beginning of 2020, the issue of personal protection against the dangerous disease COVID-19 has been relevant. One of the simpler precautions recommended by WHO for the general public is wearing a mask. The surge in demand for protective masks has led to severe shortages and higher prices for them. The purpose of this study is to analyze the Kazakhstani market of protective masks using the example of ECOS, which since 2013 has been producing filtering half masks that comply with the register of imported and demanded goods with protection class FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3. Also study their design and the presence of the company in the media, since the success of any company depends on how well the brand is recognized in society. The main direction of scientific research is design, PR, marketing. Any product is based on a design concept, which is as important and necessary as PR when launching new products. PR as an effective tool for marketing communications is getting stronger as information noise grows, competition intensifies and media fragmentation increases. The media act as an intermediary between the company and the end consumer, and indirectly influence the end consumer. The research methodology is based on the methods of collecting primary information and their processing. The value of this work is that students will learn to analyze the design according to key quality criteria and evaluate the product according to its main aspects. Further research in this direction can greatly help designers, PR specialists and others when developing a concept and strategy for the development of new products. Key words: design, PR, media, mask, respirator, design quality criteria.

The role of (social) media in political polarization: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Rising political polarization is, in part, attributed to the fragmentation of news media and the spread of misinformation on social media. Previous reviews have yet to assess the full breadth of research on media and polarization. We systematically examine 94 articles (121 studies) that assess the role of (social) media in shaping political polarization. Using quantitative and qualitative approaches, we find an increase in research over the past 10 years and consistently find that pro-attitudinal media exacerbates polarization. We find a hyperfocus on analyses of Twitter and American samples and a lack of research exploring ways (social) media can depolarize. Additionally, we find ideological and affective polarization are not clearly defined, nor consistently measured. Recommendations for future research are provided.

Origin and evolution of the News Finds Me perception: Review of theory and effects

Research revolving social media and democracy has exploded. For almost two decades, scholarship has offered new theories, revisited some old ones, and provided empirical evidence that helped cast a strong light on social media effects over people’s social life, and democracy at large. Thanks to social media, citizens consume news, express their political views, discuss political matters, and participate in political activities. However, social media also cultivates the dissemination of fake news and misinformation, exposure to hate speech, media fragmentation, and political polarization. In short, social media seems to simultaneously be a springboard for encouraging and undesirable outcomes that foster and challenge democracies alike. One of these phenomena that stems from social media news use is the News Finds Me perception (NFM), which takes place when individuals feel they do not have to actively seeks news any more to be well-informed about public affairs, as they expect to receive relevant news and information by relying on their peers in social media. This article traces back the origin of the theory, its evolution, and the set of effects found in the literature. It also presents guidelines for future research and potential challenges as the scholarship centering on NFM continues to grow.

What News Users Perceive as ‘Alternative Media’ Varies between Countries: How Media Fragmentation and Polarization Matter

Studies have extensively discussed what characterizes news media sources as alternative. However, this study focuses on users and the range of news sources they perceive as alternative media. We expect that these audience perceptions vary between countries, depending on the level of media fragmentation and polarization. We use original survey data from five countries (Denmark = 2,667 respondents; Italy = 2,121; Poland = 2,536; Switzerland = 1,859; United States = 3,493) and investigate (i) what sources are perceived by users as alternative and (ii) whether these perceptions differ among users embedded in more or less fragmented-polarized media environments. Our results reveal that users have distinctive types of media in mind when reporting alternative media consumption, fanning out on a spectrum from traditional mass media outlets to self-proclaimed alternative news media. Interestingly, despite a greater supply of alternative news sources and an overall higher propensity to indicate the use of alternative news sources, citizens in more fragmented-polarized media environments are more likely to indicate using mass media outlets as alternative news media. We conclude from these findings that media fragmentation and polarization in a political information environment contribute to the convergence of the alternative-to-mainstream spectrum in the eyes of their audiences.

Social media, sentiment and public opinions: Evidence from #Brexit and #USElection

This paper studies information diffusion in social media and the potential role of bots in influencing public opinions. Using Twitter data on the 2016 E.U. Referendum (“Brexit”) and the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election, we find that diffusion of information on Twitter is largely complete within 1–2 h. Stronger diffusion between agents with similar beliefs is consistent with the “echo chambers” view of social media. Our results are consistent the notion that bots could have a tangible effect on the tweeting activity of humans and that the degree of bots’ influence depends on whether bots provide information consistent with humans’ priors. Overall, our results suggest that the aggressive use of Twitter bots, coupled with the fragmentation of social media and the role of sentiment, could enhance political polarization.

Assembling the Networks and Audiences of Disinformation: How Successful Russian IRA Twitter Accounts Built Their Followings, 2015–2017

AbstractThis study investigates how successful Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) Twitter accounts constructed the followings that were central to their disinformation campaigns around the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Treating an account’s social media following as both an ego network and an audience critical for information diffusion and influence accrual, we situate IRA Twitter accounts’ accumulation of followers in the ideologically polarized, attention driven, and asymmetric political communication system. Results show that partisan enclaves on Twitter contributed to IRA accounts’ followings through retweeting; and that mainstream and hyperpartisan media assisted conservative IRA accounts’ following gain by embedding their tweets in news. These results illustrate how network dynamics within social media and news media amplification beyond it together boosted social media followings. Our results also highlight the dynamics fanning the flames of disinformation: partisan polarization, media fragmentation and asymmetry, and an attention economy optimized for engagement rather than accuracy.

New insights into crisis communication from an “inside” emic perspective during COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, requiring emergency management by health authorities and providers, it created flow-on crises and “crisis contagion” for organizations ranging from international airlines and tourism operators to local businesses, schools, and universities. In addition to the risks directly associated with the health emergency, many organizations were plunged into crisis because of severe restrictions to their operations and income losses. This analysis examines crisis communication in an organization faced with major financial losses, staff redundancies, and disruption. It analyses how these and necessary crisis responses were communicated to stakeholders, using situational crisis communication theory (SCCT), as its analytical framework. While noting alternative perspectives such as crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC) theory, SCCT is identified as the most widely applied theory of crisis communication, and thus warrants ongoing review in an era of media fragmentation, disinformation, and low public trust. Furthermore, this analysis provides a relatively rare “inside” (emic) perspective through ethnography and autoethnography conducted by a senior decision-maker in the organization studied, which expands traditional outside (etic) perspectives and offers new insights into crisis communication.

Media fragmentation and the polarization of the American public

ABSTRACT The share of Americans having no opinion about the President’s job performance has fallen since 1950, a manifestation of the political polarization that has increasingly impeded U.S. policymaking. Time series analysis attributes this to greater media fragmentation, as tracked by trends in shifts towards cable TV and computer access to media. Results suggest that political polarization will likely persist at high levels absent structural shifts.

Simulation of Bullet Fragmentation and Penetration in Granular Media.

The aim of this work is to simulate the fragmentation of bullets impacted through granular media, in this case, sand. In order to validate the simulation, a group of experiments were conducted with the sand contained in two different box prototypes. The walls of the first box were constructed with fiberglass and the second with plywood. The prototypes were subjected to the impact force of bullets fired 15 m away from the box. After the shots, X-ray photographs were taken to observe the penetration depth. Transient numerical analyses were conducted to simulate these physical phenomena by using the smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) module of ANSYS® 2019 AUTODYN software. Advantageously, this module considers the granular media as a group of uniform particles capable of transferring kinetic energy during the elastic collision component of an impact. The experimental results demonstrated a reduction in the maximum bullet kinetic energy of 2750 J to 100 J in 0.8 ms. The numerical results compared with the X-ray photographs showed similar results demonstrating the capability of sand to dissipate kinetic energy and the fragmentation of the bullet caused at the moment of impact.

Arterial stiffness is associated with elastin fragmentation and medial collagen content in the human aorta

Abstract Background Age-related changes in arterial stiffness are ascribed to collagen and elastin content in the aorta (Ao) which is modulated by the matrix metalloprotienases (MMPs). However, no study has directly compared arterial stiffness and arterial structure in man. Methods Aortic and internal mammary artery (IMA) tissue were obtained from 10 patients (62±1 years, 2 female) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured prior to CABG. Collagen content was assessed in tissue sections using Sirius Red staining and elastin by ACCUSTAIN. Elastin fragmentation in the Ao media was graded; increasing in severity from 1 to 4. MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity was quantified in the Ao using gelatine zymography. Results are expressed as mean±SEM, p<0.05 considered significant. Results The collagen concentration was 50% (intima), 42% (media)and 76% (adventitia) in the Ao but was lower in the IMA. PWV was significantly associated with Ao medial (r=0.79, p=0.03) but not intimal or adventitial collagen concentrations. Aortic intimal thickness was related significantly with age (r=0.70, p<0.05) but not PWV. There was no relationship between age and Ao collagen concentration. There was a significant association (p<0.001) between increasing elastin fragmentation in the aortic media and PWV but not age. There was no relationship between collagen concentration in the IMA and either PWV or age. Neither latent nor active MMP-2 activity was related with PWV or age. Latent MMP-9 expression was significantly associated with PWV (r=0.66, p<0.05) but not age. Conclusions Our proof-of-concept study is the first one to show that elastin fragmentation in the aorta may underlie arterial stiffening in man. In contrast, the internal mammary artery does not age, unlike the aorta, which makes it the reassuring choice for coronary artery bypass grafting. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Health Research Board, Ireland

Consumo mediático entre adolescentes. Nuevos medios y viejos relatos en el entorno transmedia

El objetivo de este artículo es conocer cuáles son las preferencias en contenidos mediáticos de la juventud entre 12 y 18 años. La hipótesis de partida es que la aparente diversidad de oferta no conlleva un consumo de contenidos mediáticos alternativos ni tampoco sin sesgos de género. Se realizó una encuesta de 10 preguntas abiertas -codificadas y tratadas de forma cuantitativa- a 1538 adolescentes (798 mujeres-771 varones). Los resultados confirman que las preferencias de contenidos mediáticos se insertan dentro de una lógica transmedia mainstream, ya sean producidos por los grandes conglomerados mediáticos tradicionales o por las nuevas estrellas mediáticas de YouTube. La fragmentación mediática no conlleva la emergencia de consumos alternativos, perpetuándose la brecha de género.

Communications planning: What it is, why it is important and how enrolment management marketers can apply it

Navigating a constricting marketplace, media fragmentation, complex customer journeys and razor-thin enrolment goals, enrolment management marketers are faced with the need to make their efforts more effective. As the current ‘search’ model continues to be questioned, the move from finding the most efficient way to distribute communications to a new model to produce more effective outcomes has yet to be explored. Using communications planning as a framework, this paper details how enrolment management marketers can use the framework for a more effective way to produce better marketing outcomes.

News Media Performance Evaluated by National Audiences: How Media Environments and User Preferences Matter

Media fragmentation and polarization have contributed to blurring the lines between professional and non-professional journalism. Internationally, more fragmented-polarized media environments are often associated with the emergence of non-professional news providers, the weakening of journalistic standards, and the segmentation of audiences along ideological leanings. Furthermore, these environments are home to partisan and alternative news media outlets, some of which try to actively undermine the credibility of traditional mainstream media in their reporting. By following an audience-centric approach, this study investigates the consequences of more fragmented-polarized media environments and consumption habits on users’ perceptions of news media performance. We use online-survey data from five countries that differ in the extent of fragmentation and polarization in the media environment (CH = 1,859, DK = 2,667, IT = 2,121, PL = 2,536, US = 3,493). We find that perceptions of high news media performance are more likely to be expressed by citizens from less fragmented-polarized media environments. Positive perceptions of news media performance are also stronger among users of traditional media, and those who inform themselves in a more attitude-congruent manner. By contrast, citizens from more fragmented-polarized media environments and users of alternative news media tend to express less satisfaction with news media performance. Based on these results, we argue that perceptions of news media performance among news users are shaped by their individual media choices as well as by the composition of the news media environments that surrounds them.

ANALIZA UPOTREBE INFORMACIONO-KOMUNIKACIONIH TEHNOLOGIJA U HOTELIJERSTVU

Najveće promene u poslovanju na turističkom tržištu događaju se zahvaljujući pojavi savremenih informaciono-komunikacionih tehnologija. Razvoj novih tehnologija odražava se na poslovanje hotela na turističkom tržištu kroz povećanje efektivnosti rada. Takođe, nove tehničke mogućnosti dovele su do fragmentacije i pojave novih medija i samim tim hotelima obezbedile konkurentsku poziciju na tržištu. Ovim radom se ispituju karakteristike i performasnse informaciono-komunikacionih sisteman koji se koriste u hotelijerstvu. Radom se, takođe želi ispitati i značaj Internet marketing alata za analizu sadržaja na web sajtovima i društvenim mrežama. Cilj proučavanja jeste uvideti benefite informaciono-komunikacionih sistema koji se koriste u industriji hotelijerstva. Na primeru garni hotela „11tica DM“ iz Novog Sada, predstavljeni su praktični rezultati primene orišćenih IKT.

It Only Works if it All Works: An Analysis of Integrated Marketing Communications and its Application for Enrollment Management Marketers

With the challenges presented by a constricting marketplace and shifting demographics, enrollment marketers are under increased pressure to improve recruitment outcomes. To recruit, enrollment marketers must navigate an increasingly complex media environment effected by, media fragmentation, cluttered media experiences, multitasking and evolving media-related consumption behaviors, disjointed customer journeys and shorter paths to purchase. Outside of the industry, this has sparked a renewed interest in integrated marketing communications and cross-channel synergies. Drawing on a review of relevant academic research and guided by enrollment marketing needs, the author offers insight and cross-media applications to strengthen integrated marketing efforts across consumer touchpoints. With an enhanced understanding of integrated marketing communications (IMC) and cross-channel effects, practitioners can develop more effective recruitment campaigns and produce better marketing outcomes.

Zeitgeist effects, fragmentation of media use, and value consensus

Finland changed from an industrial society to an information society in 1991-2015. Due to economic fluctuations, diffusion of digitalization and media turbulence the period changed Finnish society a lot. We studied the impact of this on basic human values with Schwartz’s approach, and concentrated on zeitgeist effects. We developed a definition of zeitgeist effects and a set of hypotheses, based on the literature, to study how major societal changes influence values. Also, we found theoretical similarities between value consensus, democratization and the fragmentation of media use that we analyzed. Data (N = 7.172) were collected in five waves. We measured changes in the ten values, and used the two value dimensions based on factor analysis, also. Moreover, we used the Schwartz value map to illustrate value changes in social groups. The combination of the latter two methods offer a parsimonious way to get an overview of value change over a longer period of time, but single values suit better for the analysis of short-term changes. Our hypotheses received support regarding overall change that is small, as well as regarding zeitgeist effects in the 1990s, the disappearance of them in the new millennium, and how the values of social groups started to change in different directions in the era of social media. The above changes including the disappearance of zeitgeist effects in the new millennium were linked to societal events, e.g. fragmentation of media use. Moreover, we found that in a complex society zeitgeist effects might mirror simultaneous impact of several events.

An Improved Question Format for Measuring Conspiracy Beliefs

Abstract In an era of increasing partisan polarization and media fragmentation, interest in the causes of conspiracy beliefs has been growing rapidly. However, there is little consensus on how to measure these beliefs. Researchers typically present respondents with a conspiratorial statement, then assess their endorsement of the statement using an agree-disagree scale, a true-false scale, or some other variant. Researchers sometimes include a no-opinion response option and sometimes do not. Yet, there is little evidence as to the best format. In this article, we argue that common measures not only are challenging for respondents to answer, but also inflate estimates of conspiracy belief among the mass public. We introduce an alternative measure that presents respondents with an explicit choice between a conspiratorial and a conventional explanation for an event. Across three studies, the explicit choice format reduces no-opinion responding and reduces estimates of conspiracy belief, particularly among those low in political knowledge or cognitive reflection. These results suggest that previous findings may be inflated due to measurement artifacts. This evidence suggests that researchers adopt the explicit choice format for measuring conspiracy beliefs and provide a no-opinion response option.

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Diffusion as a future perspective of agenda setting

Abstract The changing media environment has led to fragmentation of both media and audiences and thus to new flows of news items across channels and time. It has become challenging to clearly distinguish public and media agendas and their relationships. Our traditional way of counting single news items to determine an issue’s importance does not apply online. Articles are not scheduled into fixed publication cycles, they are moved, updated, or shared. Moreover, the variety of channels through which users encounter news loosens the connection between news items and their original source. We suggest “diffusion” as a concept to identify agenda-setting effects. News items are assigned different degrees of relevance by users clicking, liking, or sharing it. In turn, such relevance can affect others in assigning prominence to news items. The diffusion process results in a shared agenda which is constantly modified and updated by the entire community of online actors.