News Reports Research Articles

A Corpus-Based Critical Discourse Analysis of News Reports on the 2023 Israel-Hamas War

This study analyzed news reports of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war in three media outlets (Al-Jazeera, China Daily, and CNN). An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas (Palestinian militant groups) has been taking place mainly in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023. The 2023 Israel-Hamas war has been the most violent and deadliest for Palestinians in the history of the conflicts between Israel and Palestine. Such a severe global issue has attracted significant international concerns and has been reported extensively. However, due to different ideologies, media outlets used different language to describe the war. This study compiled three corpora with 1,586,438 words for a horizontal comparison and analysis. Combining corpus linguistics (CL) and critical discourse analysis (CDA), this study aimed to reveal how these three media outlets constructed language to depict the war, demonstrating their political stances and revealing their ideologies from a more comprehensive perspective. Based on the findings from analyzing the linguistic features of the three corpora, this study hopes to provide a framework and methodological implications for future studies on news reports, especially on war topics.

Vietnam, Women, and Science: Mental Barriers and Gender Gap

Considering the cultural context of Vietnamese society, this article explores the influence of mental barriers regarding the traditional role of women and its impact on their possibilities to participate in scientific activities. Vietnam is a country that has promoted scientific and technological activities and the strengthening of a national innovation system as a critical element on its path to development. These actions have made it possible to shore up economic growth that began with opening up and economic reform. In this way, Vietnam has achieved some critical achievements in the economic and social fields. However, reducing the gender gap in scientific activities is still a vital challenge, although the government has taken significant measures to overcome it. The article analyzes the relationship between women in science in Vietnam and the gender stereotype based on data collected through reports of international organizations, news reports, and other relevant data. The principal argument is that this situation results from the mental barriers of Vietnamese society that present strong stereotypes regarding the role of women. Therefore, to advance gender equality, changing the mental stereotypes still present in Vietnamese culture is necessary.

Social Media Use by American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons Members.

Social media offers physicians marketing opportunities previously unavailable. We sought to evaluate social media use and its correlation with public rankings among Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons members. A list of members and demographics was collected. Social media sites were reviewed for each surgeon, and a score was calculated based on active use. The US News and World Report (NWR) was used to determine rating and number of reviews. The Spearman correlation coefficient and independent samples t-test were used to measure correlation and compare means between the groups, respectively. A total of 2436 members were analyzed. The average social media score was 4.14. The average US NWR score was 4.25. A strong correlation was observed between social media and US NWR scores (r = 0.74, P < 0.01) but not with the number of reviews (r = 0.40, P = 0.17). A strong association with US NWR rating (r = 0.74, P = 0.04) and a weak correlation with the total number of reviews (r = 0.61, P = 0.06) were found. Social media use is correlated with US NWR scores. Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons members may be underutilizing social media for the promotion of their practices. Future studies are needed to evaluate whether it affects patient volume and outcomes.

Real-Time Extraction of News Events Based on BERT Model

Abstract For the large number of news reports generated every day, in order to obtain effective information from these unstructured news text data more efficiently. In this paper, we study the real-time crawling of news data from news websites through crawling techniques and propose a BERT model-based approach to extract events from news long text. In this study, NetEase news website is selected as an example for real-time extraction to crawl the news data of this website. BERT model as a pre-trained model based on two-way encoded representation of transformer performs well on natural language understanding and natural language generation tasks. In this study, we will fine-tune the training based on BERT model on news corpus related dataset and perform sequence annotation through CRF layer to finally complete the event extraction task. In this paper, the DUEE dataset is chosen to train the model, and the experiments show that the overall performance of the BERT model is better than other network models. Finally, the model of this paper is further optimised, using the ALBERT and RoBERTa models improved on the basis of the BERT model, experiments were conducted, the results show that both models are improved compared to the BERT model, the ALBERT model algorithm performs the best, the model algorithm's F1 value is 1% higher than that of BERT. The results show that the performance is optimised.

The theoretical path of constructive journalism and practical experience in China

The purpose of this study was to examine the stages of the formation of constructive journalism in the world and the practical implementation of this concept using evidence from modern Chinese media discourse. The study examined two theoretical approaches to constructive news: one based on positive psychology and the other on Buddhist philosophy. The Chinese journalism community was the first to pay attention to constructive news in terms of the supervision of public opinion. Based on the study of the official WeChat account of Xinhua News Agency, particularly the topics, genre specificity, emotional colouring, and formal indicators of news, the patterns of Chinese constructive journalism were identified. The rule of law, cultural life and education, health, and travelling were identified as the main themes. The emotional colouring of news reports is most often positive and neutral. It is worth noting the genre diversity: news, news bulletins, news essays, newsletters, investigative reports, and diversity in terms of formal indicators: “text only”, “text + image”, “image only”, “text + video + image”. It was found that the purpose of constructive journalism reporting in China coincides with the government’s public order goals. The concept of Chinese constructive journalism was reflected in the following aspects: using positive psychology to stimulate the vitality of news reports for social development, creating positive narrative strategy, improving news management, and promoting moral values. In the future, this study can be used to analyse patterns of social behaviour, illuminate media literacy, and study national media practices

Exploring the gender gap in neurosurgery: A cross-sectional analysis of preresidency publications among neurosurgery residents.

While the number of female physicians has increased since the 1970s, there continues to be a lack of female surgeons compared to their male counterparts, with the gender gap more prominent in surgical subspecialties such as neurosurgery. While surgical subspecialities have accelerated initiatives to close the gap, potential disparities in research opportunities may position women at a disadvantage, particularly in neurosurgery, where academic publications are an indicator of residency match success. In this paper, we sought to investigate whether gender disparities exist in preresidency neurosurgery publications among current neurosurgery residents. The present study selected residency programs from the top 25 neurology and neurosurgery hospitals in US News & World Report's 2022 Ranking. A database of neurosurgery residents and their publications was created using PubMed, neurosurgery residency program websites, and supplementary search. Articles published between the time of birth and December 31st of the year of graduation (medical degree) were used to determine publications before residency. Our research indicates that 25.7% (n = 135/526) of US neurosurgery residents at top 25 hospitals are women and 74.3% (n = 391/526) are men. Men (n = 391) had a median of 7 (interquartile range [IQR], 3-14.5; range, 0-129) publications before residency, and women (n = 135) had a median of 7 (IQR, 4-11.0; range, 0-74) publications before residency. There were no significant differences in the median number of publications between genders (p = 0.65). In conclusion, our research indicates there is no gender disparity in preresidency publications among neurosurgery residents. To improve women's representation in the field, further study is needed to better understand gender inequality among neurosurgeons, particularly in the earlier stages of medical training.

Corporate violations, traditional media and stock returns: Evidence from Chinese listed companies

This paper investigates whether traditional media still influences investors’ behaviors amid the rise of social media. Using a dataset of corporate violations by Chinese listed companies from 2005 to 2023, the study assesses the role of news reports in shaping investor reactions to these negative events. The results show that news coverage, even when unrelated to violations and carrying positive sentiment, amplifies the initial impact of corporate violations on stock prices. This effect is increasingly pronounced, particularly for firms with low transparency. The results indicate that traditional media attracts investors’ attention despite the proliferation of diverse information sources.

The integration paradox: Does awareness of the extent of ethno‐racial discrimination increase reports of discrimination?

AbstractThe “integration paradox” posits that seemingly well‐established immigrants and their descendants tend to report more discrimination compared to their more marginalized peers. This study investigates one potential mechanism for this paradox, namely, the increasing awareness of their group's enduring ethno‐racial minority status. Through a survey experiment with approximately 1000 randomly sampled immigrants and their descendants in Germany, this study provides the first causal evidence for this awareness mechanism. Participants were randomly assigned to read either a news article highlighting ethno‐racial hiring discrimination in the German labor market or an unrelated news article on astrophysics. Our findings demonstrate that exposure to the discrimination‐related article elicits a significant increase in reports of discrimination experienced by members of the groups with whom minorities identify, but also in self‐reported personal experiences of discrimination. This suggests that increased awareness can alter how minorities frame their personal experiences or encourage them to disclose instances of discrimination that they would have previously kept private. The study further reveals that heightened awareness does not translate into a corresponding increase in political demands for improved antidiscrimination policy. Finally, a third experimental condition dispels concerns that news reports downplaying ethno‐racial labor market penalties could stifle minorities' propensity to report discrimination experiences.

Descriptions of Scientific Evidence and Uncertainty of Unproven COVID-19 Therapies in US News: Content Analysis Study.

Politicization and misinformation or disinformation of unproven COVID-19 therapies have resulted in communication challenges in presenting science to the public, especially in times of heightened public trepidation and uncertainty. This study aims to examine how scientific evidence and uncertainty were portrayed in US news on 3 unproven COVID-19 therapeutics, prior to the development of proven therapeutics and vaccines. We conducted a media analysis of unproven COVID-19 therapeutics in early 2020. A total of 479 discussions of unproven COVID-19 therapeutics (hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir, and convalescent plasma) in traditional and online US news reports from January 1, 2020, to July 30, 2020, were systematically analyzed for theme, scientific evidence, evidence details and limitations, safety, efficacy, and sources of authority. The majority of discussions included scientific evidence (n=322, 67%) although only 24% (n=116) of them mentioned publications. "Government" was the most frequently named source of authority for safety and efficacy claims on remdesivir (n=43, 35%) while "expert" claims were mostly mentioned for convalescent plasma (n=22, 38%). Most claims on hydroxychloroquine (n=236, 79%) were offered by a "prominent person," of which 97% (n=230) were from former US President Trump. Despite the inclusion of scientific evidence, many claims of the safety and efficacy were made by nonexperts. Few news reports expressed scientific uncertainty in discussions of unproven COVID-19 therapeutics as limitations of evidence were infrequently included in the body of news reports (n=125, 26%) and rarely found in headlines (n=2, 2%) or lead paragraphs (n=9, 9%; P<.001). These results highlight that while scientific evidence is discussed relatively frequently in news reports, scientific uncertainty is infrequently reported and rarely found in prominent headlines and lead paragraphs.

Implications for neurosurgery of medical schools leaving the United States News and World Report.

Ranked lists are a highly praised method of assessment in America. Whether it's a list of the top national sports teams, the best restaurants in New York City, or as in this case, the strongest educational institutions, we look to rankings to scrutinize, evaluate, and compare. Unfortunately, not all rankings offer insightful and valuable information. Many use metrics that fall short of an accurate representation of the desired outcome. The U.S. News & World Report (USNWR), one of the most widely regarded rankings of educational institutions, has recently been under the spotlight as several major medical schools have removed themselves from candidate lists. The current USNWR Medical School's rankings are regarded as having a narrow perspective in that the metrics perpetuate a less diverse medical community and fail to recognize worthy institutions that choose to champion a well-rounded student experience. The authors, along with the many others, fear this may deliver a skewed vision of what the USNWR tries to measure: the excellence of a medical education.

Post-World War II perspectives on Choi Seung-hee: ideological blind spots in Asia-based and Anglophone scholarship

ABSTRACT During and before World War II, Japanese colonial rule cast a profound impact on the cultural and artistic landscapes of its colonies. Choi Seung-hee (1911–1969), a prominent cultural figure from the pre-war period, skillfully navigated the delicate balance between her roles as a representative of Korean national dancer and an emblematic figure within the Japanese empire. Her dual identity elicited diverse public reactions, ranging from slander to praise. In South Korea, post-Korean War, ideological divisions led to the marginalization of artists like Choi who moved north, ambiguously referred to as “Choi X.” In North Korea, autocratic rule infused her evaluations with strong nationalism. In China and the Soviet Union, Cultural Cold War ideologies impacted her assessments. Japan’s perspective reflected its post-colonial introspection and issues. In contrast to the ideologically saturated research in Asian contexts, contemporary Anglophone scholarship on Choi, transcending nationalist confines, nonetheless exhibits distinct limitations. This study primarily scrutinizes the diverse perspectives reflected in Choi research, drawing upon news reports, visual materials, academic studies, and personal observations in China, South Korea, and Japan. The aim is to chart the trajectory and representative viewpoints of Choi research in post-World War II Koreas, China/Soviet Union, Japan, and the Anglophone scholarship. Through literature review and critical analysis, this research underscores how nationalist, socialist, Aesthetic Orientalist, Sinocentric and (Pan) Asian political/non-political ideologies have shaped perspectives on Choi amidst the Cultural Cold War and decolonization. Moreover, it reveals how transnational ideological constructs and dominant research paradigms have shaped and reshaped Choi’s image.

Press Insecurity during Anglophone War Coverage in Cameroon: Ways to Protect Marginalized Journalists

As the global media community prepares for World Press Freedom Day 2025 culminating and the Academic Conference on Safety of Journalists, attacks on journalists and the profession are diversified as never before. Military regimes and democratic governments prevent journalists from accessing and reporting news correctly. That scenario exists in the Republic of Cameroon (aka LRC), where some eight million predominantly English-speaking people in Cameroon and abroad struggle for recognition as a separate nation from the Republic of Cameroon. The struggle has been disfigured by misinformation on social media platforms, unreliable reporting of the crises, and journalists having limited access to news and information sources. LRC’s military and pro-independence fighters often prevent journalists from reaching affected groups, particularly refugee inhabitants facing inhumane treatment by the military, thus possibly fearing backlashes from government officials, human rights advocates, the United Nations Human Rights Council, pro-independence groups, and Free Press Unlimited.Using straw polls, email surveys, and telephonic surveys carried out periodically between January 2022 and March 2024 on news reporters and journalists serving four independent newspapers in the Anglophone region, this presentation shall highlight newsgathering and reporting practices during the war. This paper offers possible solutions for the gridlock inter-alia: (i) ways of re-establishing integrity in journalism as a credible news bank and (ii) how journalists in nations excluded from mainstream social, economic, educational, and cultural life should be protected against punitive activities facilitated by international partners, particularly donors.

FrameSum: Leveraging Framing Theory and Deep Learning for Enhanced News Text Summarization

Framing theory is a widely accepted theoretical framework in the field of news communication studies, frequently employed to analyze the content of news reports. This paper innovatively introduces framing theory into the text summarization task and proposes a news text summarization method based on framing theory to address the global context of rapidly increasing speed and scale of information dissemination. Traditional text summarization methods often overlook the implicit deep-level semantic content and situational frames in news texts, and the method proposed in this paper aims to fill this gap. Our deep learning-based news frame identification module can automatically identify frame elements in the text and predict the dominant frame of the text. The frame-aware summarization generation model (FrameSum) can incorporate the identified frame feature into the text representation and attention mechanism, ensuring that the generated summary focuses on the core content of the news report while maintaining high information coverage, readability, and objectivity. Through empirical studies on the standard CNN/Daily Mail dataset, we found that this method performs significantly better in improving summary quality and maintaining the accuracy of news facts.

The US press and foreign policy information, cueing, and the democratic process in the Syrian conflict

There were three chemical attacks on Syrian civilians in 2013, 2017, and 2018. In 2013, President Obama proposed military action and it was rejected by Congress. President Trump ordered two airstrikes in 2017 and 2018, without congressional authorization. Investigating news reports and statements issued by the members of the House and Senate show that there were major criticisms among US officials in all three periods. In the month after the three foreign policy declarations (congressional vote in 2013, airstrikes in 2017 and 2018), the US press increased their reliance on US officials and followed the standpoint of powerful domestic officials in criticizing the military intervention policy – whether proposed or in action. They covered a significant amount of criticism in 2013 that officials voted a nay and raised their objections, and marginalized critical standpoints in times of forgoing democratic procedures and powerlessness of representatives to change the policy. This research also demonstrates the increasing role of NGOs and activists in picturing realities in Syria.

The dire need of ecological sustainability in Pakistan: the agenda setting role of news media to address environmental problems

Pakistan is struggling from a major challenge stemming from the twin problems of declining economy and environmental degradation. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that the country is failing in its battle to protect its environment. Considering its wider reach and influence, the need for news media’s strategies to set a public agenda for fostering ecological sustainability is felt than ever before in Pakistan. Therefore, drawing on the agenda setting theory, this study explored the Pakistani journalists’ views about possible strategies that the country’s news media can use to set the public agenda of ecological sustainability. In doing so, this study used the qualitative method of in-depth interviews and analyzed the data using inductive thematic analysis. The interviewed Pakistani journalists suggested four key strategies to set a public agenda on ecological sustainability: (i) news verification to combat dis/misinformation, (ii) fostering knowledge-based journalism, (iii) improving public trust and engagement, (iv) and solution-oriented news reports. They emphasized using specialized knowledge and using right sources to consult for information on ecological sustainability solutions relevant to the particularities of the provinces in Pakistan. They also urged for combating disinformation so as to improve the public trust deficit about ecological sustainability news among Pakistanis.

A Critical Discourse Analysis of American News Reports on the Opening Ceremony of Beijing Winter Olympics

The opening ceremony of Beijing Winter Olympic Games in 2022 has been extensively covered in international news reports. Although these news reports seem impartial and objective, they carry underlying ideologies that can influence public opinions and judgments. This paper examined the discursive representation of China in American news reports on the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics using Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis model as the theoretical basis. News stories from American media were collected and analysed in terms of headline, collocation, and quotation pattern. The research found that American news reports present mixed and multifaceted views toward the host country. They showed appreciation for the host country’s success in delivering a spectacular opening ceremony, but they tended to frame China negatively, portraying it as an intimidating power and a geopolitical threat. This study can improve our understanding of the discursive practice of news reports and enhance critical awareness in interpreting news texts.

Aptamer and aptasensor technology for diagnosis of infectious diseases: A mini review

BackgroundAptamers are not so new a concept, however, it is scarcely discussed by medical fraternity. Aptamers are potent, new identification molecules set to rope in a new technique in the diagnostic arena. Aptamers have started almost a revolution in diagnostic assays since their discovery in the 90s. (Radu S. Current and previous disease outbreaks around the world, U.S. News & World Report. 2020 Mar 13 [cited 2024 Jun 17]. Available from: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/slideshows/20-pandemic-and-epidemic-diseases-according-to-who) provides an overview of pandemics and epidemics as reported by the WHO. It is interesting to note that several endemic and epidemic diseases viz. Chikungunya, Cholera, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease, Hendra virus infection, Influenza, Lassa fever, Marburg virus disease, Meningitis, MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus), Monkeypox, Nipah virus infection, Novel coronavirus, Plague, Rift Valley fever, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), Smallpox, Tularaemia, Yellow fever, and Zika virus disease have been identified by the WHO and are being explored for applicability of aptamer technology in their identification. ObjectivesOne of the most important necessities to control epidemic or pandemic diseases is early diagnosis. However, the majority of the diagnostic tests for these diseases are available only in tertiary care centres. The objective of this review is to discuss the potential of aptamer technology to provide undemanding, simple, specific, sensitive, and cost-effective diagnostic assays that are useable in remote and field conditions. ContentHere, we discuss recent advances and approaches in aptamer and aptamer engineering useful in the diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious conditions. This review also discusses a few sensing discoveries which are a gift of advanced engineering and technology using optical and electrochemical aptasensors. It's still a long way to go, and we need to take into account the technological challenges being faced by aptamer-aptasensor technology.

Kazakhstan’s Anti-China Protests: Implications for the Belt and Road Initiative in Central Asia

This article examines China’s increasing investments in Kazakhstan amid its declining soft power and growing public dissent. Focusing on Kazakhstan's strategic position within the Belt and Road Initiative, it analyzes how Chinese economic influence persists despite widespread protests and negative public opinion. Using a qualitative approach, the study synthesizes academic literature, policy analyses, news reports, and firsthand accounts to understand local views on Chinese influence. Findings show that while China’s economic power supports continued investment, the lack of soft power presents long-term risks. Without efforts to improve its image and build trust, China’s reliance on hard power may fuel anti-China sentiments, potentially leading to organized resistance and policy changes in Kazakhstan. The study emphasizes that China must incorporate soft power elements into its foreign policy to sustain influence in Kazakhstan and across Central Asia.

Media coverage of food safety and expenditures for food away from home: empirical evidence from China’s family panel studies

PurposeThis study explores whether media coverage of Chinese food safety guide consumer behaviour and determines its impact.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from the China Family Panel Studies, this study implements unsupervised machine learning methods to quantitatively identify themes in news media coverage of food safety across various provinces and regions. Based on these findings, this study examines the impact of coverage of food safety on consumer behaviour related to FAFH.FindingsWe find that media coverage of food safety in the restaurant sector significantly decreases household expenditure on FAFH relative to total expenditure. While negative coverage substantially decreases expenditure on FAFH, non-negative coverage significantly increases it. Reports of food safety incidents outside consumers’ province are negatively correlated with expenditure on FAFH, whereas reports within province significantly increases such spending. Further, the negative impact of media coverage on FAFH spending is less pronounced among higher-income families, households headed by individuals with high educational levels and those with low sensitivity to newspaper information. A robust government information infrastructure also mitigates this negative impact.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings have important policy reference value for promoting the healthy development of catering and other life services by improving news reporting and the regulatory system.Originality/valueThis article employs machine learning methods to identify news reports related to food safety in the catering industry quantitatively and incorporates them into the study of household consumption in China. Consequently, this not only fills a gap in the existing literature but also provides a new perspective for interdisciplinary research in economics, sociology and computer science.

The relationship between media use and social trust in China: An exploratory study based on data analysis

This study employs an interdisciplinary and comprehensive research approach, integrating questionnaire surveys, statistical analysis, and qualitative interviews to delve into the relationship between media use and social trust in China. By carefully selecting samples, designing questionnaires, collecting data, and conducting data analysis, the study gathered 3257 valid responses. Findings show that Weibo and WeChat have become the primary channels for the public to access news information, while traditional media still enjoy relatively high levels of trust. Moreover, negative news reports decrease trust in the media, whereas critical comments increase it. The study also reveals variations in trust in the media across different groups and institutions, with universities being trusted more than businesses and ordinary employees having more trust than business managers. The qualitative interview component of the study further enriches the research data and provides deeper understanding and interpretation. The results demonstrate a significant relationship between media use and trust, calling for tailored management and policy measures taking into account the characteristics of different media platforms and diverse population groups.