Professional Journals Research Articles

Publisher's Comment: JBC Volume 47, Number 1, 2023.

Welcome to the Journal of Biocommunication, the professional journal of the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI) and the BioCommunications Association (BCA). This JBC, issue 47-1, represents our first issue of the 2023 publishing year. We would like to thank our Management Board, our editors, our advisors, and our authors for their contributions to the success of our Journal. Our JBC Showcase features a memorial tribute to medical illustrator and educator, Steven Joseph Harrison. Steve was inducted as a Louis Schmidt Laureate in 2009 by the BCA, and he was a recipient of the AMI's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. Our JBC Gallery features the award-winning images and media from the BCA's 2022 BioImages exhibition. We appreciate the ongoing support from our JBC community around the world. In particular, we acknowledge the support of the AMI and the BCA. It's a privilege to be chosen as the professional academic journal of these two organizations.

Selecting and Editing of Readers’ Letters in the Late 19th-Century Finnish Press

This article shows that readers’ letters were selected and edited in late 19th-century Finnish newspapers for a variety of reasons. The criteria for selection and editing fit the four rules identified by professor of journalism Karin Wahl-Jorgensen for the selection of readers’ letters in modern newspapers and it also demonstrates the 1890s newspapers’ role as gatekeepers and the continuing professionalization of journalists. The editors considered the selection and editing of readers’ letters demanding and frustrating, but they also saw themselves as men of principle, the defenders of the free word. The research sources include the correspondence columns and the editors’ writing instructions to the readers in the 1890s press of the Grand Duchy of Finland.

‘No time to think’: Overloaded journalists trim practices to save time

Australian journalists suffer time poverty in under-resourced workplaces, with most indicating that they skip reporting practices to save time. This article argues that convergence of factors including the industry’s biggest workforce cut in history, global technological changes, economic losses during the 2012–20 period and unforeseen COVID-19 workforce stressors have caused chronic journalist time stresses, which in turn often undermine ethical practice. Study of 288 surveys and interviews of Australian journalists contributes a small body of valuable research on the commonality of time poverty experienced by professional journalists, and the tactics used by sufferers when there is not enough time to do all ideal work-time tasks. Analysis of collected qualitative data informs critical discussion of how time poverty can undermine journalism method. In conclusion, this article finds an overworked, underpaid and insufficiently resourced labour force remains an under-recognized legacy of journalism’s mass job-cuts era.

Legal Protection of Journalists' Rights Based on Law No 40 of 1999 on Freedom of the Press

This thesis is entitled legal protection for the journalist profession by raising several issues including the following: (a) abuse or physical violence against journalists who are carrying out their duties, (b) deletion, falsification of news reports produced by journalists, (c) intimidation or pressure on journalists to stop or limit the delivery of news or reports relating to the public interest, (d) prohibiting access or blocking journalists from gathering information or covering an event. Based on the main points calculated in the background, the researcher can analyze it to determine the formulation of the problem as follows what are the forms of criminalization of journalists' rights of profession and the legal protection of the rights of journalists who are criminalized by other parties. The research methods as researchers in a scientific or scientific way to get a discussion of theoretical studies. This research method consists of: (1) The type of research method used in this writing is the normative legal research method. (2) descriptive approach (3) and sources of legal materials consisting of secondary, primary and tertiary sources of legal materials, then also processing of legal materials and analysis of legal materials. Then the literature review section consists of (1) an overview of previous research, (2) an overview of journalists and the press, (3) an overview of legal protection, (4) an overview of victims. This literature review serves as a theoretical basis in outline so that it can complete the discussion and theory sections which consist of: (1) Forms of criminalization of the rights of the journalist profession, (2) Legal protection of the journalist profession which is criminalized by other parties.

Russian Political Propaganda Media Discourse: Definition of the Concept, Structure and Boundaries, Characteristics of Subjects

The relevance of this article is due to the practice of broadcasting ideas about the basic political and ideological constants of the state and power, which is widespread in modern Russian political propaganda media discourse. The article presents an overview of the research on propaganda, political propaganda, its properties, methods. The study revealed the theoretical heterogeneity of the concept of "political propaganda", general signs and patterns of this phenomenon. The research task is to summarize the results of the scientific discussion, offer our own definition of the political propaganda discourse of the mass media and describe its structure. The author developed the definition of the political propaganda discourse of the mass media. In modern Russian mass media, there is a clear polarization of the discourse under study: it seems possible to single out state and opposition subdiscourses, or varieties, of political propaganda media discourse. The article presents an analysis of the field structure of the Russian political propaganda discourse using the example of the characteristics of the subjective and genre-format organization of one of its varieties — the state political propaganda media discourse. The authors carried out zoning and systematization of the media activities of the subjects of the state propaganda media discourse. The study found that the role of "pivot", core texts for this variety is played by texts created by the subjects of political communication and broadcast in the media. The totality of multi-genre and multi-format media products of professional journalists and representatives of the cultural elite of Russia, distributed through various media channels, constitutes the near-core zone of this discourse. On the periphery media texts are created by non-professional journalists and users. The content-thematic principle becomes unifying for the political propaganda discourse of mass media: it is a single ideological system with a characteristic set of concepts, values, and assessments. The article outlines the vectors for further study of this phenomenon.

An evaluation on research and publication ethics policies of journals publishing in the field of veterinary sciences in Türkiye

The research quality and publication of journals in any field are crucial because they show the development in the field. This study aimed to examine the research and publication ethics policies of the professional journals that continue to publish in the field of veterinary sciences and reveal the current situation. In this study, journals publishing in the field of veterinary sciences were searched through DergiPark, Web of Science database, and their websites. The features of these journals, the indexes in which they are indexed, statements about research-publication ethics, and the national and international academic institutions were gathered under appropriate headings. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques such as frequency and percentage. Moreover, 11.5% (n = 3) of the veterinary journals in Türkiye were indexed in SCI-E, 3.8% (n = 1) were indexed in E-SCI, 57.7% (n = 15) were university journals, 42.3% (n = 11) published two issues per year, and 57.7% (n = 15) of journals had publication languages as Turkish and English. Therefore, the number and quality of publications in journals in veterinary sciences have increased in recent years. They comply with “national peer-reviewed journal” criteria and the COPE and ICMJE criteria, wherein the TR index, one of the most comprehensive scanning platforms in Türkiye, has also adopted their principles in several parameters. However, there is no common standard for journals.

“Let’s Not Tank the Reputation of This Organization.” How Newsroom Social Media Policies Exacerbate Journalism’s Labor Crisis

ABSTRACT This study explores the tension between journalists’ personal social media accounts and newsroom social media policies to understand how newsroom managers exacerbate journalism’s labor crisis by de-professionalizing the field through restrictive policies. To analyze this tension, we conduct a critical discourse analysis of (1) managerial discourses collected from newsroom social media policies and scholarly literature and (2) journalistic discourses collected from in-depth interviews with 37 U.S. journalists. We find that newsroom social media policies require journalists to make four sacrifices in service of their organization’s reputation: individuality, opinion, voice, and privacy. This leaves journalists feeling frustrated by their lack of agency when it comes to engaging with the public and pursuing social media success. We conclude that this conflict contributes to journalism’s human resources crisis by limiting journalistic professionalism and autonomy, both of which are crucial for job satisfaction and journalism’s democratic mission.

BiblioGorizont – the digest by the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology: The first two years. The selected review of publications of 2021–2022

BiblioGorizont – the digest by the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology: The first two years. The selected review of publications of 2021–2022

Library and information sphere through the prism of scientific journals

The authors analyze scientific journals that are relevant for the publication of works by library and information researchers. The study methodology is based on the selection of peer-reviewed journals indexed in the Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI), embracing various thematic headings in the area of library and information studies. The list of journals comprises 38 titles within the following RSCI headings: Librarianship, Library Studies, Information Studies, Economics, Economic Studies, Sociology, and Science Studies. The presence/absence of the journal in the RSCI, RSCI, the White List and in the List of the Higher Attestation Commission with the indication of significance/importance category assigned to the journal (Q1, Q2, Q3) is shown. The findings of the study demonstrate that researchers in the library and information sphere have a relatively little choice for publishing their papers in scientific professional journals that meet all the requirements. The authors also examine thematic open access platforms (aggregators) and provide examples. They discuss the Portal for the Periodicals in Librarianship, Bibliography and Book Studies. The platform approach expands visibility of journals, especially of the regional ones, which contributes to the scientific research and science promotion.

Working the Boundaries of Social Work: Artificial Intelligence and the Profession of Social Work

Artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic decision-support are relatively new technologies within the field of social work. This paper investigates how the social work profession in Denmark responds to the current technological changes. Analysing articles from professional journals associated with the Danish Association of Social Workers, online content on the association’s website, and interviews with key actors involved in the association’s work on technology, this paper shows how professional agents legitimize and criticise these technologies, thereby performing different kinds of boundary work. The paper will show how such boundary work, carried out by the profession of social work in Denmark, change over time, and how, in the discussion on artificial intelligence, the profession reinforces its own position within the welfare state, demarcates the boundaries between the profession of social work and other occupational groups, and formulates a new professional project.

The concept of ‘new media’ among Jordanian news producers

The aim of this study is to understand how Jordanian journalists view social media networks as being related to the news industry in Jordan and the extent of their dependence on these networks in producing news. It also explores the opinions of Jordanian journalists on the pros and cons of these networks through the lens of the relationship between these networks and professional journalism. This study uses the qualitative approach by conducting interviews with a number of professional journalists. The findings indicate that Jordanian journalists perceive social networks as an essential and beneficial development. There is optimism among journalists about the relationship between professional journalism and social media. Also, social networks have brought several benefits to professional journalism. The results also show that journalists firmly believe that social networks cannot be considered a substitute for traditional media.

Study of the Role of ZOOM Platform in Collaborative Learning from the Perspective of the Kabul University Lecturers

This paper examines the different qualities of the Zoom platform with a focus on its advantages and disadvantages in a collaborative learning style from Kabul University’s lecturers’ perspective. The study explored the role of both humans and technology in shaping the higher education system. The descriptive methodology is used to collect data through a questionnaire with sixteen questions. The statistical population is Kabul University, and the target population is the professors of Journalism, Computer Science, Psychology, Social Sciences and Agriculture faculties who were selected by cluster sampling method. The findings of this research indicate that the majority of the participants of this study believe that the use of Zoom can facilitate the process of collaborative learning and can increase the interaction between students and professors. Participants of this study considered sharing in discussions easily and cheaply as one of the noteworthy advantages of Zoom technology.

‘평양’ 연구의 과거와 현재

As much as Seoul in South Korea, Pyongyang is exposed to many media outlets as the capital of North Korea, and people seem to have clearly different interest in Pyongyang from other cities in North Korea. Then, it arouses our curiosity regarding when researchers started getting interested in Pyongyang and how it was manifested and expanded. To satisfy such curiosity, this study aimed to comprehend and review all the previous studies on Pyongyang, which had been conducted in South Korea since the 1970s, and analyze their characteristics. In particular, by comprehending and investigating all the Pyongyang-related theses, domestic general academic journal articles and domestic professional academic journals, books and reports, published from the 1970s to 2022, this study intended to examine the trend of research on Pyongyang by topic, period and research subject.
 Research on Pyongyang was originally conducted as part of the research on cities in North Korea, but it constantly changed in quantity, depending on the political circumstances of South Korea and North Korea. After 2018, however, there appeared a new trend of analyzing Pyongyang from a perspective of area studies. Especially, after Kim Jong-un took power, the emphasis on ‘urban culture’ began to appear on a large scale in North Korean public discourses. At the same time, South Korean researchers showed more academic interest in North Korean urban society, culture and discourses and started conducting more analyses related to the field, and qualitative research improvements are still being made in this field through interdisciplinary research between different academic fields.
 For North Korean studies, it is quite restrictive to access related data and even impossible to go on an on-site survey despite the nature of urban studies. Therefore, any research in this field should be conducted with such limitations. Thanks to many researchers’ interest shown and research achievements made so far, researchers are more likely to define how the current Pyongyang has been made and even its physical landscape. It is anticipated that there will be more researchers showing constant interest in this field for an active expansion of research on Pyongyang.

The Trends and Highlights of Mathematics Textbook Research in Korea via Topic Modelling

The purpose of this study was to analyze the overall trends of mathematics textbook research in Korea. For this purpose, we collected 455 research articles on mathematics textbooks from all the articles published in seven domestic professional journals of mathematics education. We used topic modelling based on latent Dirichlet allocation algorithms to extract topics that reflected not only overall trends but also the trends by each curriculum revision period, including the top 10 words and three representative papers that best indicated each topic. The most frequent topic that appeared across almost all curriculum periods was concept and term, which focused on specific concepts and their definitions, examples, and representations used in textbooks. Another topic, comparing textbooks, was also popular, recently including more foreign textbooks. Topics such as storytelling and mathematical competency were emergent in a specific curriculum period, indicating the close relationship between textbook research and curriculum revisions. Based on these findings, this paper concludes by sharing several implications for future mathematics textbook research in Korea, discussing which topics continue to be studied and in what directions, as well as which topics need to expanded and why.

A move to the bright side? When journalism is invited into internal communication

PurposeJournalists moving into corporate communication have for many years been regarded as a move to the “dark side”. This paper turns the lens to explore how trained journalists working as internal communication practitioners due to their journalistic self-concept and skills can contribute to internal communication.Design/methodology/approachAn interview study was conducted with twelve trained journalists working with internal communication in different types of organizations. Three indicators of professionalism, namely autonomy, altruism and expert knowledge, were used as categories to structure the interviews and analysis.FindingsThe respondents perceived that their journalistic self-concept and skills helped them identify the employee perspective, write relevant stories and deliver them quickly. Furthermore, their courage and lack of fear of authorities enabled them to challenge decisions made by their senior managers, especially regarding how, what and when to communicate.Research limitations/implicationsThe three indicators of the journalist profession, – autonomy, altruism and journalistic knowledge and skills – may help establish internal communication that is relevant, transparent and trustworthy.Practical implicationsOrganizations may benefit from building their internal communication around the three indicators of the journalist profession. They could, for example, host independent internal media that present the employees’ perspective and maintain a critical attitude to the organization in a relevant and compelling manner.Originality/valueFew studies have explored the role of journalists working as internal communication practitioners and their contributions to internal communication.

Communist Quality: Dairy Production at the Leningrad Dairy Combine, 1965-1982

ABSTRACT Throughout the twentieth century, particularly post-WWII, dairy became a staple part of the “modern” diet throughout many parts of the globe due to new technologies in pasteurization and production. Dairy’s significance was felt in the Soviet Union as well, which used food to improve the standard of living and open another avenue of competition with the West. This study makes two main arguments: Soviet dairy and its ideas of quality were modern in their belief in scientific controls and implementation of new technologies but were distinctly Soviet in that state and scientific actors were the ones to define what was quality in dairy production. While consumer concerns were embraced, they were to be rationalized and filtered through the rational actors in the ministries and enterprises. Using quality reports from the Leningrad Dairy Combine and the Soviet Ministry of Meat and Milk Production, along with articles from professional journals from 1965–1982, this study highlights how Soviet officials had to contend with the Brezhnev era’s focus on consumer abundance while ensuring it remained rational. To reconcile these factors, the Soviet Union sought examples of quality dairy products from foreign countries both in the socialist and capitalist blocs while the Leningrad Dairy Combine tried to address subjective factors of quality like color in “tasting commissions” and address the causes of complaints from the ministry and local shops. However, Soviet consumers were never involved in these processes, setting Soviet dairy, and by extension, Soviet modernity apart from other dairy-rich societies in the West.

Impossible is nothing even in times of COVID-19. Effective strategy lessons from the Real Madrid F.C

ABSTRACT The Real Madrid F.C. was one of the few major European football teams that avoided financial losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the team improved its performance on social media and in terms of web traffic achieving the number one spot for both indicators. This exploratory study sets out to shed light on the strategies used by the club. The methodology uses a content analysis of professional and academic journals, official websites, surveys and managerial reports as well as in-depth interviews with academics, team managers, and fans. Findings reveal that nurturing existing relationships with sponsors and building new sponsorship agreements were key factors to survive in times of crisis. Our research also illustrates the importance of enabling supporters to build consumer-brand relationships and be active in the creation of their own brand experience. Lastly, the study shows that CSR initiatives strengthened the relationship between the club and its followers.

Analisis Pengelolaan Sumber Daya Manusia dalam Upaya Peningkatan Kualitas Kinerja Individu: Studi Kasus di Kantor PWI SUMUT

Currently, with the rise of the media, the flow of information received by the public is different, professional journalists are an important pillar in informing the public. As a basis for action and improving the quality of life, human resource development has many things needed because it has important aspects in increasing productivity (Effendi and Sulistyorini, 2021). The purpose of this research is to find out the implementation of management and development of human resource management in the North Sumatra PWI organization. The research conducted by this writer uses a qualitative approach where the data is obtained without using numbers. The researcher chose a qualitative approach because it felt clearer and broader in the discussion. The use of a qualitative approach is intended to obtain original and natural data. This means that data is in accordance with the real situation and has deep meaning. PWI Sumut has carried out well the development of its human resources and encouraged its members to behave professionally in carrying out the profession as journalists through the training provided. Starting from the development of knowledge and skills, deepening the code of ethics, and competency tests which become formal development in the journalist profession. Although there are still some members who violate the journalistic code of ethics.
 Keywords: human resources, improving the quality of performance, North Sumatra PWI office

In Memory of Ken Mellor

This article is dedicated to the memory of Ken Mellor, a teacher and a supervisor of Transactional Analysis in psychotherapy, who passed away in July 2023 in Australia. Ken Mellor made a great contribution to the development of Transactional Analysis and to the emergence and development of a new field Spiritual Transactional Analysis. He published many of his papers in professional journals including the Transactional Analysis Journal of the International Transactional Analysis Association (ITAA). This article focuses on his contributions to the expansion and development of Transactional Analysis and on the connection that he saw between the foundations of Transactional Analysis theory and spirituality. It describes his ideas and additions to Eric Bernes ideas on autonomy. In one of his articles published in the Transactional Analysis Journal (TAJ), Ken draws on his spiritual experiences and practices to suggest specific steps that can be taken to arrive at autonomy. To the well-known components described by Eric Berne awareness, spontaneity, and readiness for intimacy Ken added another important component that Eric Berne had not written about.

The Use of Digital Media Tools in Nigeria: A Panacea against Gender Discrimination, Female Journalists Representation and Participation in Journalism

Globally, the use digital tools in media practice have bridged the gap between the existing dichotomy (Male and Female) in journalism. It has revolutionized news coverage by eliminating the need for traditional procedures and protocols associated with professional journalism, such as being physically present on the field for balanced and newsworthy reportage. Moreover, digital media tools have reduced gender-based discrimination in media organizations, which used to assign men to more physically demanding roles while relegating women to menial tasks. Despite this paradigm shift orchestrated by digital media, female journalists are still being relegated to the extent that only few female journalists rise to the top in organizational hierarchical placement. In Nigeria, female journalists continue to face barriers such as unequal opportunities and unfair treatment in media organizations. One of the major issues is the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in media organizations. In this regard, this research present four major fronts from scholarly researches using Textual Analysis to identify the extent and effects of gender discrimination against female journalists in digital media practice in Nigeria; examine factors that contribute to gender discrimination against female journalists in media practice in Nigeria; assess the impact of gender discrimination on the representation and Participation of female journalists in digital media practice in Nigeria and explore the strategies female journalists in Nigeria use to overcome gender discrimination in digital media practice