Official Press Research Articles

Assessing the Impact of Mass Media in Investigation of Cases in the Criminal Justice System of Uganda

This article assesses the impact of mass media in investigation of cases in the criminal justice system of Uganda. The study reveals that the media, through its depictions of crime, significantly influences public perception and understanding of criminal justice. Moreover, we found that the evolution of technology, specifically social media, plays a substantial role in media criminology. On this note, the article calls for force media liaison officers should be formally members of management teams within serious crime investigations, at least for the initial phase of the investigation when press interest is likely to be at its height. Second, investigators could achieve this by participating in joint exercises with media liaison and exposing them to a variety of media handling scenarios and exercises. Third, we should also consider introducing investigators to the principles of media handling in criminal investigations at an earlier stage in their careers. Fourth, there should be more effort to improve communications between press and media officers, as well as CID. This could be achieved through a combination of workshops and short secondments of junior officers in media offices. Finally, as part of ongoing family liaison, we should monitor and address the media’s impact on the relatives of victims. At the earliest opportunity, family liaison officers should provide relatives with copies of all formal press statements. Keywords: Court trial, Crime, Criminal justice system, Investigation, Mass media.

The coverage of basic and applied research in press releases on EurekAlert!

Research organisations routinely reach out to the media via press releases to announce research news and promote advances in science. This paper explores the presence of basic and applied research in press releases issued through EurekAlert!. Using a scientometric approach to classify research papers featured in press releases into basic and applied research, we found that more than half of the press releases in our dataset were related to basic research. This trend was particularly notable in life and earth sciences, physical sciences, and engineering fields. In contrast, press releases in the biomedical and health sciences, as well as in social sciences and humanities, were more frequently associated with applied research. Additionally, we present findings on the similarity and readability of press releases compared to their corresponding research papers, which confirm the role of institutional press officers in making research papers more accessible to the public and media. This adaptation appears to be more pronounced for basic research.

Cyprus and Africa in the Makarios Era: Igniting the ‘Hot’ Solidarity Against Western Imperialism

ABSTRACT This paper examines a relatively understudied topic in the literature of Cypriot political history, namely the relations between Cyprus and African countries during the Makarios era. Drawing upon the official archives of the UN, USA, UK, and the Republic of Cyprus (specifically the Press and Information Office, PIO, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MFA), as well as Cypriot newspapers, this research is grounded in historical analysis. The main findings of the paper suggest that Makarios perceived the Zurich-London status quo in Cyprus as contrary to principles such as self-determination, democracy, independence, and sovereignty, prompting him to engage in an international struggle for change. Makarios’s attitudes towards Cyprus aligned with African countries’ collective struggle under frameworks such as AAPSO, the Non-Aligned Movement, and G-77, both for themselves and the rest of the world. In various international forums, notably the United Nations, Cyprus and African nations provided mutual support against Western imperialism. Their collaboration extended beyond the Cyprus Problem to encompass the rights of people struggling for independence against colonialism all around the world and those seeking democracy in the face of racist regimes in Southern Rhodesia and South Africa.

Deciphering dictators’ discourse on Indigenous democracy: a case of Karimov’s Uzbekistan

ABSTRACT Why do dictators ‘indigenize’ democracy? This article analyses discourses on democracy in a consolidated authoritarian regime to show how it assists in authoritarian regime-building. The article shows that in the case of Uzbekistan, Karimov’s rhetoric selected and essentialised features of an Uzbek nation, such as community, solidarity and fairness. The regime imposed such features on the Indigenous self-governing institutions, known as mahalla, to foster authoritarian control by turning community to guarantee ideological coherence, by imposing state hierarchy in the name of solidarity and by establishing local networks of patron-client relations in the name of fairness. Through quantitative content and critical discourse analyses of Karimov’s speeches from 1995 to 2015 published by the official press in Russian, the authors operationalise Karimov’s rhetoric on Indigenous democracy and through the analysis of legal acts that governed mahalla, they illustrate how such interpretations strengthened the authoritarian regime.

Towards Prosperity and Peace: The Beginnings of the European Project in the West German Governmental PR Film Der erste Schritt

Films that advertised the rising status of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) as a partner in Western economic and military alliances were an integral item of the Adenauer administration’s PR arsenal. Produced through the state-funded newsreel system Deutsche Wochenschau under the direction of the Federal Press Office, these films provided an effective way to reach out to the electorate and explain and highlight the successes of democracy in a post-fascist country. PR films also emphasized the FRG’s role as an integral partner in the emerging European project. This article examines Der erste Schritt: Die Geschichte eines Briefes, a 1951 film advertising the Schuman Declaration as the necessary “first step” to overcome the socio-economic devastation of postwar Europe. The film reveals its producers’ agenda to manipulate the collective memory of the war-ridden Franco-German Erbfeindschaft and replace memories of animosities with images of pragmatic cooperation. Through a focus on the First World War as a tragic, but heroically fought confrontation between the nations, the film helps its audiences bridge the more recent and more conflicted Second World War past. The film’s narrative argues for a unified Europe by vividly describing its absence vis-à-vis the post-Second World War destruction in central Europe, and by drawing favourable comparisons with the large, unified economic territory of the United States. Compared to later PR films that accompanied Konrad Adenauer’s and Charles de Gaulle’s policy of reconciliation in the early sixties, Der erste Schritt in 1951 does not try to manufacture an image of friendship between the two countries. Instead, through the sentimental frame narrative of a letter by a young French woman to a West German politician, the film’s narrative insists that only economic cooperation, the abolition of inner-European borders, and the sharing of resources can lay the foundation for lasting peace and prosperity in a war-torn Europe. The article closes with an overview on how the film was used in PR deployments that advertised the European project. In sum, Der erste Schritt provides an important perspective on the Adenauer administration’s early imaginations of Europe, and how these images were put to work to further the FRG’s still ongoing process of consolidation during its founding years.

Achilles’ heel: elderly COVID-19 vaccination policy in China

BackgroundDespite high overall COVID-19 vaccine coverage, the continuously low elderly vaccination rate in mainland China remains a dangerous threat as the country shifts away from its zero-Covid policy. This retrospective study uses the Multiple Streams Framework to examine how macro-level factors may explain poor elderly vaccination outcomes.MethodsWe performed a thematic analysis of qualitative data obtained from 95 official press conferences from October 20, 2020, to February 27, 2023, vaccination-related policy documents, and media coverage, using both inductive and deductive coding approaches.ResultsOur findings suggest that in the problem stream, elderly vaccination was not a “focusing event” during the initial vaccine rollout, resulting in delayed outreach to this population. Additionally, ideologically driven complacency and discrepancies in top-down implementation undermined elderly vaccination in the political stream. In the policy stream, precautious and ambiguous statements, inconsistent policy content, radical shifting media messages, and less age-friendly digital technologies also affected elderly vaccination.ConclusionsThe poor convergence of the three streams led the elderly to be the Achilles’ heel of China’s COVID-19 containment strategy. Future studies should focus on priority identification, adoption of enforcement measures, and timely and effective policy dissemination. The empirical lessons from China can inform and optimize elderly vaccination policy design and implementation in the post-pandemic era.

Gabinetes y medios de comunicación: una lucha desigual que empobrece la información

This article aims to analyse the transformation of relationships between press offices and media professionals, especially concerning the strategies of institutional communication departments to convey their messages while bypassing journalistic quality filters. The study explores how this occurs and the challenges in preventing it within media newsrooms. To achieve this, twelve in-depth interviews were conducted with industry professionals who have held or currently occupy key positions in institutional communication offices and have prior experience in the news media or have even returned to media roles. The results highlight the demanding immediacy and precarious working conditions faced by many journalistic newsrooms. These conditions contribute to a greater ease for institutional messages to be initially published without any filter or in-depth analysis by journalists. This paves the way for communication offices to effectively place their messages in the public domain and achieve the desired impact.

Черкешенки и советская власть: о ходе «раскрепощения горянки» на страницах журнала «Труженица Северного Кавказа» (1925-1927 гг.)

The article is devoted to the study of the representation of the processes included in the extensive set of measures called ‘emancipation of the mountain woman’ on the pages of the magazine ‘Tru-zhenitsa Severnogo Kavkaza’, the official press organ of the women’s department of the North Caucasian regional executive committee on the example of work with Circassian women. This study examines the demonstration to the public (in particular, to the female masses) of the results of the Soviet authorities’ activities regarding the Circassian women who inhabited the territory of several autonomous regions of the Soviet Union: Adygeya (Cherkessia), Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia: it highlights its various directions such as education, the elimination of domestic and political illiteracy, the involvement of women in industrial work, the opening not only of clubs for women but also of artels and workshops. The article presents the materials of the magazine reflecting the work of the Soviet authorities with Circassian women for 1925-1927, up to the time when the magazine was renamed.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel? The Staging of Expertise During the COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign

In this paper, we compare the governmental and public framings of expertise in the Dutch Covid-19 vaccination campaign in the period between January 1st and April 30th, 2021. Specifically, we collected all statements regarding vaccination on three interrelated stages: (1) the official press conferences; (2) Twitter, for responses to government policies; and (3) political motions that were put forward by Members of Parliament in the days following the press conferences. We combine an interactional framing approach with a discursive psychological perspective to get insights into how framings between stages modify, contest, or build upon each other. We argue that the press conferences show a persistent technocratic framing, in the sense that a direct line between science and policy is assumed and promoted. Unlike the first period of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, experts are not often quoted initially, but key political actors themselves act as responsible for the message that there is light at the end of the tunnel, if only citizens will get vaccinated. Once the AstraZeneca vaccine comes under fire, however, experts are again held accountable for the policy message. Throughout, governmental policies are disputed on Twitter and in Parliament, albeit in different ways, by making hidden moralities relevant, such as the government’s assumed complacency, rigidity, and inability to explain policies with the available evidence.

조선 역관 김지남의 『북정록』과 백두산정계

In the 51st year of the Kangxi reign (1712), the Korean translator Kim Jinam followed Mukden (Chinese: Mukedeng), the chief officer of Wula (today’s Jilin Province) of the Qing Dynasty, to investigate the boundary between the Qing Dynasty and Korea, and left a diary “Northern Expedition Record” that recorded the whole process, which is an important material for studying the boundary definition of Mukden. Due to his old age, Kim Jinam himself could not climb Changbai Mountain to personally experience the process of checking the river source and erecting a monument to delimit boundary, but he recorded the content of the quick report and official press of the Korean witnesses. Due to this record is not his personal experience, the content is inevitably vague, and the place name information is simple, so there are certain limitations to judge the source of Tumen River and the demarcated river determined by Mukden only referring to the “Northern Expedition Record”. And it is necessary to refer to other literature, especially the map data of both sides, to understand the whole picture and distinguish that the “upstream of Dahongdan River” determined by Mukden actually means to the Hongtu River, but not the Hongdan River today.

The topic of the liberation of Baku is on the pages of Azerbaijan newspaper

On May 28, 1918, immediately after the declaration of state independence, a friendship treaty was signed between the government of Azerbaijan and the Ottoman state. Article 4 of that agreement, signed in Batum on June 4, 1918, stipulated that military assistance would be provided to the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic if necessary. Taking advantage of this opportunity in the complex military and political situation, the government of the Republic officially appealed to the Ottoman state for military assistance. Based on that request, a limited number of Ottoman military forces were sent to Azerbaijan. With these forces, the Caucasian Islamic Army was created on the basis of the existing national military forces of Azerbaijan. The peak of the struggle of the Caucasian Islamic Army for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was the liberation of Baku from the Armenian-Bolshevik and foreign forces on September 15, 1918. In order to study the history of the liberation of Baku from foreign forces, there is also interesting information on the pages of "Azerbaijan" and "Azerbaidjan" newspapers, which are the official press bodies of the government of Azerbaijan. The current article is devoted to the analysis of the information published on the "Azerbaijan" and "Azerbaidjan" pages about the liberation of Baku by the Caucasian Islamic Army.

Violence and Power of the Modern British Monarch

Violence and Power of the Modern British Monarch

In Case You Haven't Heard…

ADAW asked representatives of the press offices of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and its parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, to respond to our question: Why did they weaken the privacy and not strengthen the anti‐discrimination provisions of 42 CFR Part 2 in their final rule issued last month? Congress required this to be done in the 2020 CARES Act. Neither office responded to our question. ADAW asked again this week, as promised. Still no response. We will continue to push for an answer. This time, we're also asking what they're going to do about it. Patients lose confidentiality for the rest of their lives with the first consent to release substance use disorder treatment information. And it can go to anyone, anywhere, anytime if they do consent. It's not only patients who don't like this; treatment providers don't either, because patients aren't going to want to go to treatment if this will happen. Still no response.

Internet-Based Media as Information Sources in Risk Communication: Comparing Three Media Sources During COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of the interplay between centralized media regulation, media commercialization, and the surge of We Media in contemporary China on media coverage and people’s information-engaging behaviors during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Using a content analysis and a survey, this study compares the topics and attitudes featured in media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the official press, the market-oriented press, and medical We Media in China. It investigates how media sources affected people’s affective responses to the pandemic and engagements with risk information. The findings suggest that the official press prioritized coverage of measures undertaken by governmental and medical departments and featured a more optimistic attitude. In contrast, the market-oriented press and medical We Media paid more attention to the pandemic situation and self-protective behaviors, respectively. Exposure to official press was positively associated with optimistic emotions, whereas exposure to medical We Media increased anxiety. Accessing market-oriented press was positively associated with information sharing and information avoidance, whereas accessing medical We Media was only positively related to information avoidance. Compared to the other media sources, exposure to the official press had lesser impact on people’s engagements with risk information.

MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS: THE CASE OF KYIV CITY STATE ADMINISTRATION

This article analyzes the crisis communication tools used by local authorities before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, during the pandemic, and following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and the subsequent introduction of martial law. The focus is on using media technologies in communication with residents of the capital to manage the crises stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, using the Kyiv City State Administration’s crisis communication as a case study. The study identifies the media technologies and platforms employed by the Kyiv City State Administration during this period. It traces shifts in priority media technologies after the outbreak, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine while also analyzing the quantitative audience dynamics on the Administration’s media platforms. Specific examples are presented and analyzed. The use of observation methods, systematic analysis of official press releases and public statements, and comparative analysis of official reports from the Kyiv City State Administration enable us to track the evolution of media technologies in the crisis communication of the Kyiv city government. It is noted that as the nature of the crises evolved, not only did the media technologies used for communication between residents and the city government of Kyiv change, but so did the content of the messages. It is established that emergencies have shaped a specific toolkit for communicative interaction between the Kyiv City State Administration and the residents of Kyiv. In particular, in crisis conditions, the city authorities adopted a direct approach to information dissemination through media platforms, providing rapid and reliable information that has contributed to safeguarding the lives and health of citizens.

DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL GAS EXCHANGE INFRASTRUCTURE: EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE AND UKRAINE

The aim of this paper is to summarise the conditions and problems of the development of the gas market exchange in European countries, and to identify the necessary elements for its successful functioning in Ukraine. Methodology. The study is based on the historical and logical methods of analysing the development of the infrastructure of energy exchanges in Germany, Austria, Italy, Romania and Poland. The paper uses empirical (observation, comparison) and theoretical (analysis, synthesis, systematisation, generalisation) research methods. In general, the years of analysis cover the period from 2007 to 2023 due to the launch of natural gas trading on the analysed exchanges. In order to analyse the dynamics and show the evolution of natural gas trading on the European energy exchanges, information on volumes and structure of the natural gas segment was collected from their annual reports, official press releases and newsletters for the years 2007-2021 (EEX and EEX Group), 2019-2022 (CEGH, also using Energy Community data), 2021-2022 (GME), 2020 (ANRE, TGE). To analyse the dynamics of the UEEX development, a sample of data for 7 years has been presented, collected from annual reports, press releases and additional sources of analytical data due to the lack of official data for some periods. In order to examine changes in the structure of UEEX natural gas trading volumes, monthly trading volumes for 2020-2023 were collected and grouped by short-term and medium- and long-term products. Results. This paper examines the importance of exchange trading in the natural gas market. Based on the experience of European countries, such as EEX in Germany, CEGH GE in Austria and GME in Italy, BRM in Romania, and TGE in Poland, it can be said that each country has its own characteristics and path to a liberal market. The German and Austrian cases showed that cooperation and integration inevitably lead to the growth of exchanges, as happened with the start of the PEGAS cooperation, when the Italian government-regulated exchange did not show such a rapid growth trend. Other elements that ensured the development of exchange trading in natural gas were identified: diversification of the market and commodity portfolios, improved clearing, a reliable control and accountability system, a combination of market mechanisms and state supervision, and the development of technology. It was concluded that Ukraine has the prerequisites and potential for the functioning of the natural gas market on a liberal basis. At the same time, there is a need to further develop the institutional environment for exchange trading, and the above elements could be areas for improvement. The practical implications are that an energy exchange is a key institution of a liberal gas market, and a strong exchange infrastructure ensures efficient trade and regional integration. Value/originality. The analysis of the experience of European countries allows to draw conclusions about the successful development of infrastructure and provide recommendations for the development of the Ukrainian energy exchange, as well as identify areas for the development of regulatory policy to ensure the successful launch of exchange trading in gas on national markets.

Rzecznik prasowy klubu sportowego – obowiązki zawodowe oraz kompetencje interpersonalne wspomagające komunikację z mediami i kibicami

Press officer for a sports club – professional responsibilities and interpersonal skills to support communication with the media and supporters The subject of this article is the profession of a press officer of a sports club, his/her professional duties and interpersonal competences which support communication with the media and fans. The monograph cites the historical context of the emergence of the press officer profession, the typographical hierarchy of press officers. The monograph also distinguishes the scope of duties and relevant interpersonal competences. Supporters of the sports club are also described, as well Dominika Stawicka, Szymon Żyliński 120 as the media – transformations, development of social media, references to television stations cooperating with the organisation. The most important element of this article is the research, which was preceded by the selection of an appropriate methodology and research tools. The aim was to interview ten selected press officers representing football and volleyball clubs and analyse them in detail. Thanks to the research sample we were able to obtain a complete picture of the press officer, his/her duties, and relevant features. The press officer profession in Poland is a discipline which has been developing since the 1970s. of XX century. The importance of this profession has been shown in this work, as well as a view on how their work changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Image of Russian Pan-Slavism in German Official Press at End of 19th Century

The aim of the research is to reconstruct the image of Russian Pan-Slavism in the German official press during the Bismarck era. The study examines the characteristic features of this image and its evolution over time, with particular attention given to the relationship between the image of Russian Pan-Slavism and the development of Russiangerman relations. The key source for this research is official newspapers, which were used by the German government to influence public opinion within the country and to transmit unofficial messages to ruling circles in other European states. The relevance of this research lies in the significant impact that historically established images and perceptions have on international relations in the modern world. The study concludes that the official press referred to the stereotypical image of Russian Pan-Slavism as a dangerous threat to the European world, which existed in German society, and contributed to its further strengthening. This image was widely used in the second half of the 1880s during a serious crisis in Russiangerman relations.

Viktor and Sergiy Kochetov “Non-approved Moments”

Since the 1960s, the Kharkiv School of Photography has evolved as a result of photography’s exclusion from official culture and the absence of photographic institutions in both pre-Independent and Independent Ukraine. Therefore, the immediate circle of colleagues served as the primary reference group for artists. As a result, the Kharkiv photographers developed a habit of working together, inadvertently obscuring the concept of authorship. The article examines the working methods of the father-and-son duo of Viktor (1947–2021) and Sergiy Kochetov (born 1972). They both worked as photojournalists and aimed to depart from the cliched imagery of the official press. Through the intensive hand colouring of their black and white pictures, the photographers focused on the unstaged (post)Soviet reality. Stages and focuses of collaboration are reviewed, showing the mechanisms they transgress the conventional notion of authorship.

Platelet distribution width is associated with cardiovascular mortality in an adult general population

Platelet distribution width (PDW), a marker of platelet size heterogeneity used as a readout of processes leading to platelet production and destruction, was recently reported to tag platelet activation variability. As platelets participate in the pathogenesis of many acute and chronic diseases, we evaluated PDW as a predictor of all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Longitudinal analysis was performed on 17,334 participants (52% women, mean age 55.6±12 years) in the Moli-sani study cohort, without a history of hematological diseases. Baseline PDW measurements were categorized in tertiles, the lowest acting as the reference. A multivariable Cox-proportional hazard model was used to estimate the association between PDW and mortality. Over a median follow-up of 11.6 years (interquartile range 10.7-12.5), 1,535 deaths [37.7% cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 36.5% cancer] were ascertained. As compared to those in the first PDW tertile (14.6-16.0 fL), individuals within the highest tertile (16.6-20.4 fL) had an increased risk of all-cause [hazard ratios (HR):1.20; 95% CI: 1.04-1.37] and CVD mortality (HR:1.29; 1.03-1.62). No association between PDW and cancer mortality was found in the whole sample. Subgroup analyses by two age classes (35-65y, ≥65y) showed that the association of PDW with both all-cause and cancer mortality was more apparent in the elderly (HR:1.34; 1.14-1.58, P for interaction =0.028 and HR:1.37; 1.01-1.85, P for interaction =0.020, respectively). We conclude that PDW-associated increase in CVD mortality risk could be related to accelerated/altered activation, production, or destruction of platelets, leading to several clinical conditions and death. In the elderly, PDW involvement in all-cause and cancer mortality should be further investigated. *Moli-sani investigatorsSteering committee: Licia Iacoviello, Giovanni de Gaetano, Maria Benedetta Donati. Scientific secretariat: Marialaura Bonaccio, Americo Bonanni, Chiara Cerletti, Simona Costanzo, Amalia De Curtis, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Alessandro Gialluisi, Francesco Gianfagna, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Teresa Di Prospero. Safety and ethical committee: Jos Vermylen, Renzo Pegoraro, Antonio Spagnolo. External event adjudicating committee: Deodato Assanelli, Livia Rago. Baseline and follow-up data management: Simona Costanzo, Marco Olivieri, Teresa Panzera. Data analysis: Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Marialaura Bonaccio, Simona Costanzo, Simona Esposito, Alessandro Gialluisi, Francesco Gianfagna, Sabatino Orlandi, Emilia Ruggiero, Alfonsina Tirozzi. Biobank, molecular and genetic laboratory: Amalia De Curtis, Sara Magnacca, Fabrizia Noro, Alfonsina Tirozzi. Recruitment staff: Mariarosaria Persichillo, Francesca Bracone, Teresa Panzera. Communication and press office: Americo Bonanni. Regional institutions: Direzione Generale per la Salute - Regione Molise; Azienda Sanitaria Regionale del Molise; Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione Ambientale del Molise; Molise Dati Spa; Offices of vital statistics of the Molise region. Hospitals: Presidi Ospedalieri ASReM: Ospedale A. Cardarelli, Campobasso; Ospedale F. Veneziale, Isernia; Ospedale San Timoteo, Termoli (CB); Ospedale Ss. Rosario, Venafro (IS); Ospedale Vietri, Larino (CB); Ospedale San Francesco Caracciolo, Agnone (IS); Casa di Cura Villa Maria, Campobasso; Ospedale Gemelli Molise, Campobasso; IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.