Communication Strategies Research Articles

Why Politicians Won't Apologize: Communication Effects in the Aftermath of Sex Scandals

Abstract A startling feature of the countless recent sex scandals involving politicians has been the almost complete lack of public apologies. This note explores the electoral incentives politicians face when crafting communication strategies in the aftermath of sex scandals. We focus on two communication strategies – denials and apologies – and assess their impact on incumbent support across a wide range of scandals that vary in terms of the seriousness of the charges as well as the availability of evidence. Using data from a series of survey experiments, including over 10,000 respondents we find that citizens punish incumbents who apologize, even in the case of accusations that appear the least serious in the eyes of voters. Moreover, apologies fail to generate political support compared to denials, even in cases when voters are exposed to evidence. This suggests that in most cases apologies are simply not politically viable communication strategies.

Eco-Friendly OTOP Production for Sustainable Society: A case study of Thailand

The government of Thailand launched the OTOP program as a grassroots economic development strategy in 2001, and it has been functioned nationwide. However, some instances of environmental pollution occurred over a decade due to human activities. This research aimed to develop an environmental education strategy that enhance eco-friendly production and respond to the sustainability concept. The participatory action and survey research were applied. The policy makers and key informants were the target groups of this study namely; 10 policy executives, 25 entrepreneurs, and 20 OTOP representatives, meanwhile, structured-questionnaire was applied among 411 consumers. The results showed that the awareness level for pollution problems and participation in environmental conservation activities among the stakeholders were high. Majority of participants have high level of knowledge, attitude, skills and practices on eco-friendly production. The strategy based on sufficiency economy philosophy was developed, whereas four strategies with specific goals, measures, and 19 associated projects included. Expert evaluation and quality assessment were carried out, and showed that the strategy is highly rated in terms of satisfaction and confidence. As recommendations, the government agencies and stakeholders should promote targeted education and awareness programs about integrated eco-friendly OTOP production. Comprehensive learning centers, integrated budgets, initiatives for green marketing and communication strategies should be encouraged. Further in-depth research should be conducted for creative OTOP and green products to get better understanding about the overall market dynamics and respond to the sustainable concept of society.

Vaccination Communication Strategies and Uptake in Africa: A Systematic Review

Background: African countries experience high rates of infectious diseases that are mostly preventable by vaccination. Despite the risks of infections and other adverse outcomes, vaccination coverage in the African region remains significantly low. Poor vaccination knowledge is a contributory factor, and effective communication is crucial to bridging the vaccination uptake gap. This review summarises vaccination communication strategies adopted across African countries and associated changes in vaccine uptake. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in five bibliographic databases between 2000 and 2023 and supplemented with an additional Google Scholar search. Studies with data on vaccination communication and uptake in the English language were considered. A narrative synthesis was performed, and findings were presented in text and tables. Findings: Forty-one studies from fourteen African countries met the inclusion criteria. Several communication strategies were implemented for 13 different vaccines, mainly childhood vaccines. Mass campaigns and capacity building were the most common strategies for the public and health workers, respectively. Community-based strategies using social mobilisation effectively complemented other communication strategies.Overall, vaccination uptake increased in all countries following vaccination communication interventions. Barriers and facilitators to optimising vaccination communication at systemic and individual levels were also identified. Key barriers included lack of vaccine information, access issues, and high cost, while facilitators included improved vaccine education, reminders, trust-building initiatives, and community involvement. Conclusions: This review highlights effective vaccination communication strategies implemented across Africa as well as systemic and individual barriers and facilitators influencing vaccination uptake. The findings can inform strategies for vaccination communication and campaign planning to improve vaccination coverage in Africa.

Harnessing the Power of Emotions: How Women of Color Use Emotional Appeals in Their Campaign Messages

Women of color are running for political office at higher rates in recent U.S. elections, and existing scholarship is only starting to investigate the communication strategies of women of color and how voters respond to their campaign messages. We shed light on how women of color use emotions in campaign messages and how voters respond to these emotional appeals. We employ an analysis of campaign advertising data across multiple election years from the Wesleyan Media Project to show that both white women and women of color rely heavily on enthusiasm in their campaign messages, even though white women use anger appeals at higher rates than women of color. We complement these results with an original survey-based experiment to examine how emotional appeals affect voting preferences for women of color candidates. Our results suggest that when women of color employ positive emotions, the effects of these messages do not differ when compared to positive emotions from white women. We also find that positive emotions in messages are especially beneficial for Black women candidates compared to negative emotions in messages. These results offer insights into how women of color can build effective communication strategies to broaden their representation in U.S. decision-making bodies.

Attractions and Repulsions: How Competitive is the Hungarian Civil Service Today?

Purpose: The aging of civil servants poses the greatest risk for public institutions in Europe, making it increasingly difficult for employers to offer a suitably motivating atmosphere and attractive working conditions for different generations. Lately, research has been focusing on the tools and human resource (HR) and communication strategies that can help retain talented workforce and increase their loyalty. The purpose of the study is to investigate the competitiveness of the Hungarian civil service through a literature review, exploring how attractive or repulsive a civil service career is in the Hungarian labour market. Finally, the article presents some suggestions on how governments can proactively attract and retain the talented next generation of civil servants.Design/Methodology/Approach: The article is partly descriptive and synthesizing, drawing on extensive, comprehensive knowledge and systematization of domestic and international literature and legislation.Findings: The greatest challenge in public administration HR management today is replacing the older generation, transferring knowledge and practical experience, as well as winning over generations Y and Z and creating attractive working conditions for them. The article summarizes the options to address these staffing challenges based on the literature and practice offering numerous solutions to recruitment and retention issues.Practical Implications: Public administration has always been considered a special field, with operating principles and processes differing significantly from those of the private sphere. A wide range of specialized literature has researched, through the explanation of generational change, the HR tools necessary for attracting and retaining today’s employees. Some of the proposed tools and measures may differ from the traditional organizational culture of the public administration. This article lays the grounds for the next empirical phase of research, which will investigate the main motivators for public administration employees and the factors that drive their commitment. This phase will also examine whether the motivators and commitment factors differ from those in the private sector and how the unique characteristics of public administration manifest in this field. By presenting development trends in Hungary, this study aims to contribute to the scientific discourse on the specific characteristics of this issue in Central and Eastern Europe.

Children’s Exposure Factors and Risk Perception of Sanitation Challenges Along the U.S.–Mexico Border

ABSTRACT In the rural U.S.–Mexico border towns, transboundary sanitary sewage overflows (SSOs) are of concern. The high concentrations of pathogens present in SSOs poses a threat to the shared ecosystem and communities’ health and well-being. Concerns related to an SSO effluent situated adjacent to a school in Naco, Arizona led to an academic-government-school partnership to assess children’s exposure factors, environment and health related risk perceptions, and risk communication preferences. A survey administered to school staff (n = 9) and parents (n = 31) observed a lower hand/object-to-mouth behavior for children ages 4–6 compared to values in the literature, and the need to further assess exposure factors for children over six. While there was a general negative risk perception to SSOs, approximately half of respondents did not have/were not sure of any SSO-related events. Using the Bioregion/One Health and cross-border governance frameworks, this study highlights the governing barriers that exist during SSO events and underscores the need for community participation, effective intervention, and risk communication strategies.

Semiotic Analysis of Fallout Video Games Posters

This article analyzes the Fallout video game series posters using the semiotic method to explore the relationship between images and communication. Posters serve as visual communication tools, conveying game information through a mix of visual elements. This study highlights the importance of color, design, typography, imagery, and layout in capturing the game's essence and attracting players. By examining posters from Fallout (1997) to Fallout Shelter Online (2019), the research reveals how each poster encapsulates the game's post-apocalyptic narrative and themes. It also discusses cultural representations and ideological messages in these posters, emphasizing visual communication strategies in video game promotions.

Patient/anesthesiologist intersubjective experiences and intravenous supplementation during elective cesarean delivery: A prospective patient-reported outcome study

IntroductionThis prospective, observational study investigated the impact of patient/anesthesiologist interactions and socioeconomic factors on administering intravenous analgesics and anxiolytics during elective Cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia. The study explored the role of emotional experiences and psychosocial characteristics on intraoperative administration of intravenous adjuncts. MethodsThe study included 502 patient/anesthesiologist dyads from two hospitals in Israel. Patients and anesthesiologists completed questionnaires assessing pain, anxiety, medication requests, and subjective experiences. Logistic regression models were used to analyze associations between variables and medication administration. ResultsOut of 502 patients, 110 (21.9 %) received intravenous supplementation. Only 40.6 % of patients who requested analgesics received them, while anxiolytics were administered four times more often than analgesics. Patients with higher salaries and those speaking the same language as the anesthesiologist were less likely to receive supplementation. Anesthesiologists feeling more attached to or close to patients were more likely to administer medication, while those motivated to protect patients were less likely. ConclusionThe study revealed a substantial gap between patient requests for analgesics and their administration, as well as an overreliance on anxiolysis compared to analgesia. Unconscious attitudes related to patient factors and subjective physician perceptions played a role in medication decisions. The findings emphasize the need for better pain assessment and management training, and awareness of implicit biases in healthcare settings. Future research should investigate optimal communication strategies and address unconscious attitudes to improve patient-centered care.

Moms and micro-influencers: A new profile for brands on Instagram

Influencer marketing has become a fundamental tool in advertising. At the same time, the presence of minors on social media has become widespread, especially on their parents’ channels, as seen with micro-influencer mothers (those with less than 100 000 followers). This study aims to understand their communication and engagement strategies through an exploratory data analysis of the Instagram activity of five micro-influencers during five months (August to December 2022), analyzing 276 posts. The research shows that, like instamoms, the profiles studied feature several brands employing different advertising techniques, often lacking transparency regarding their commercial relationships. Most posts that showcase brands do not include any disclosure about a commercial collaboration. Fashion brands appear more frequently, but the food sector is particularly concerning, as many promote unhealthy products. Minors play an essential role by appearing in the most-liked and commercial posts. The results highlight the involvement of minors in profiles that fail to comply with key industry regulations, despite a great deal of advertising activity occurs, along with a lack of transparency from both micro-influencers and brands.

A dynamic event-triggered approach for observer-based formation control of multi-agent systems with designable inter-event time

This paper addresses the leader-following formation control problems for generic linear multi-agent systems under directed topology with designable inter-event time. A synthesis approach combining controller and observer design is developed under a dynamic event-triggered communication and control scheme. The proposed feedback control, state estimation, and event-triggered rules are distributed, and only local information is required for each agent to implement these algorithms. The proposed dynamic event-triggered protocol incorporates model-based estimation and clock-like auxiliary dynamic variables to prolong the inter-event time and economize the network resources. Furthermore, the inter-event time is designable, which allows more flexible tuning of communication frequency with only minor performance degradation. Sufficient conditions for formation control are established by linear matrix inequalities. The proposed method exhibits significant improvement over the dynamic event-triggered control methods described in the existing literature. Compared to the existing static event-triggered strategy, the proposed approach significantly reduces the utilization of communication resources while preserving asymptotic convergence to the desired formation. Comparative simulations demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed theoretical results.

Disclosure Practices in Muslim Patients and the Impact on End-of-Life Care: A Narrative Review.

Context: Non-disclosure practices hold significant weight in end-of-life care for Muslim communities, where cultural and religious beliefs are deeply intertwined with healthcare decision-making. This narrative review explores the complexities of medical decision-making and disclosure practices among terminally ill Muslim patients, examining how these factors shape palliative care delivery. Objectives: The primary objective of this review is to investigate the impact of non-disclosure practices on end-of-life care in Muslim populations, focusing on key themes that influence medical decision-making. Additionally, the review identifies ways in which Healthcare Provider (HCP) can navigate these culturally sensitive issues to enhance care. Methods: A comprehensive narrative review was conducted, utilizing articles from CINHAL, PsychINFO, Scopus, and PubMed databases published between 2009 and 2024. An initial search yielded 2025 articles. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 12 studies were included for analysis. The SANRA guidelines for narrative reviews were followed, and the SPIDER framework was used for qualitative synthesis. Results: Of the 2041 articles initially retrieved, 2014 were excluded after screening, 8 were duplicates, and 7 full texts were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria. The final review included 12 studies. Three key themes emerged: (1) cultural, religious, and emotional factors driving requests for non-disclosure, (2) the prominent role of family in medical decision-making, and (3) healthcare provider communication challenges contributing to disparities in palliative care access. Conclusion: Non-disclosure practices present significant barriers to effective palliative care in Muslim communities. To improve care outcomes, culturally competent communication strategies and family-centered decision-making models are crucial.

Determinants of an unfavorable treatment outcome among tuberculosis patients in the Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health challenge in Ethiopia. TB treatment outcomes were suboptimal compared to the expected target of the national TB control Program. The provision of standard anti-TB treatment is the primary component of the directly observed treatment, short-course strategy. The aim of this study was to assess the TB treatment outcomes and the determinants of an unfavorable treatment outcome. The study used a cross-sectional study design at baseline and record review to identify treatment outcomes. A total of 1,161TB patients were recruited from eight randomly selected districts and one town administration in the Jimma Zone, Ethiopia. Treatment outcomes were grouped into favorable and unfavorable. Of the total participants, 86.9% had a favorable treatment outcome, and 5.7% an unfavorable treatment outcome. The rest were transferred out and not recorded cases. Women were more likely to experience an unfavorable treatment outcome [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.96, 95% CI 1.06, 3.64]. Patients who were perceived to not be stigmatized were less likely to have an unfavorable treatment outcome (AOR = 0.32, 95% CI 0.15, 0.73). Patients who had a monthly income of > 3,500 Ethiopian birr were less likely to have an unfavorable outcome than patients who did not have a regular income (AOR = 0.04, 95% CI 0.01, 0.45). The observed treatment success rate is lower than the World Health Organization's target of successfully treating > 90% of detected TB cases. It is imperative to ensure that information, education and communication/behavior change communication strategies consider the needs of women and patients with perceived TB stigma. Furthermore, designing locally acceptable and affordable interventions may help to address the financial challenges of TB treatment adherence.

Creativity in crisis communication: a systematic review

This systematic review explores the concept of creativity in crisis communication, a widely used but poorly conceptualised phenomenon. It draws on empirical research and case studies to highlight the diversity of creative approaches during major crises such as natural disasters, health crises, or conflicts. The focus is particularly on situations where these crises are protracted, and creativity is required to deal with the “fog of warning” caused by repeated alerts. It is also important to exercise creativity in order to control the meaning of information and combat the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Creativity in crisis communication during major crises is described as the dynamic generation of novel and contextually relevant strategies using unconventional or metaphorical elements to engage audiences, reshape their understanding, and drive behavioural change for effective crisis resolution and recovery. The study provides a framework for understanding creativity in crisis communication by synthesising existing academic knowledge. Using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses methodology, 42 articles were analysed and categorised into three areas of communication: meaning making, behaviour framing, and reputation preservation. The framework illustrates the multiple facets of creativity: metaphorical creativity promotes critical reflection; visual representation enhances accessibility; humour and creative solutions engage and motivate diverse audiences; artistic elements, serious games and creative scenarios facilitate behaviour change. This framework underscores the critical role of creativity in crisis contexts, bridging the gap between standard communication and innovative, contextually relevant strategies in crisis communication strategies.

The relationship between sports communication strategies and sports image creation with sports communication performance in Thailand

This research aimed to develop a model of the relationship between sports communication strategies and sports image building with sports communication performance in Thailand. This research was mixed-methods research between quantitative and qualitative research, quantitative methodology was used to test the cause-and-effect relationship between sports communication strategies and sports image factors with sports communication performance in Thailand. Data were collected using questionnaires with 151 mass media organizations that conduct sports communication activities in Thailand. And qualitative methodology was conducted using phenomenological methods from in-depth interviews and the results of in-depth interviews were confirmed by holding focus groups with 3 members of the Thai Journalists Association who supervise sports mass media members and 2 sports communication scholars. Data was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results of research hypotheses founded that 1) sports communication strategies have a direct effect on the sports communication performance in Thailand and have an indirect effect on the sports communication performance in Thailand through sports image creation, 2) sports communication strategies have a direct effect on sports image creation, and 3) sports image creation has a direct effect on sports communication performance in Thailand. The analysis founded that the hypothesized model was consistent with the empirical data and passed the criteria with a χ2 value of 13.78, p-value of 0.79, χ2/df value of 0.72, GFI value of 0.98, AGFI value of 0.95, and RMSEA value of 0.00. The benefits of this research can explain the causal relationship between sports communication strategies and sports image creation and the effectiveness of sports communication in Thailand. The results of the study can be used to manage sports communication in Thailand, leading to sustainable performance for the sports industry.

What’s love got to do with it? A biophilia-based approach to zoonoses prevention through a conservation lens

E.O. Wilson coined the term biophilia, defining it as an innate affinity to the natural world. The concept of nature connectedness is used in environmental psychology as a measure of feelings and self-perceptions of connectedness to nature. Researchers have found a wide variety of positive effects associated with nature connectedness, including better mental health and wellbeing, increased altruistic and cooperative behavior, and heightened empathy. When these feelings of empathy are directed toward nature and applied to conservation actions, they can overcome the effects of compassion collapse, a phenomenon observed to lower study participants willingness to engage in altruistic behavior when there are many or diffuse victims of a disaster. Biophilia is an important concept in conservation, but it has not been widely applied to zoonoses prevention. The public health community has often relied on fear-based (biophobic) messages, which can drive the very interactions they were intended to avoid (e.g., media reports of bat zoonoses leading to culling activities and destruction of bat habitat) and exacerbate the ecological drivers of spillover. Communication strategies rooted in biophilia may be more effective at generating empathy for both ecological and human communities, leading to greater willingness to leave zoonotic pathogen hosts and their habitats alone, further reducing spillover events and the ecological conditions that make spillover more likely. Given the intertwined nature of human and ecological health, it is critical that the conservation and public health communities speak in a unified voice.

دور الاتصال في إدارة الأزمات في شركة أرامكو السعودية

This study addresses the role of communication in crisis management in the field of public relations at Saudi Aramco, highlighting the importance of effective communication as a strategic tool in enhancing the ability of institutions to deal with crises. It aims to understand how communication affects institutional performance, especially in light of the difficult circumstances that institutions may face during crises. The study used a descriptive methodology to collect data, focusing on how to use different means of communication, including social media platforms, to enhance internal and external communication. The role of public relations in building trust with the public was also reviewed, which contributes to improving the institution's reputation during crises. The results show that good planning for communication means is an essential element in crisis management, as it requires clearly defining responsibilities for each individual in the team, and providing the necessary information to all concerned parties. In addition, the study concluded that continuous training for the crisis management team is necessary to develop their skills in dealing with crises effectively. The study recommended the need to enhance the use of social media platforms as a tool for immediate communication with the public, which helps in enhancing and developing mechanisms for direct communication with the public in all its spectrums and the optimal continuation of improvement and development processes for the operations and services provided by the company, which contributes to maintaining the positive and distinctive mental image enjoyed by the company. In conclusion, the study emphasizes that effective communication is a vital element in crisis management, and institutions must invest in developing integrated communication strategies to ensure their rapid and effective response to challenges.

Visual political communication on Instagram: a comparative study of Brazilian presidential elections

AbstractIn today’s digital age, images have become powerful tools for politicians to engage with their voters on social media platforms. Visual content possesses a unique emotional appeal that often leads to increased user engagement. However, research on visual communication remains relatively limited, particularly in the Global South. This study aims to bridge this gap by employing a combination of computational methods and qualitative approach to investigate the visual communication strategies employed in a dataset of 11,263 Instagram posts by 19 Brazilian presidential candidates in 2018 and 2022 national elections. Through two studies, we observed consistent patterns across these candidates on their use of visual political communication. Notably, we identify a prevalence of celebratory and positively toned images. They also exhibit a strong sense of personalization, portraying candidates connected with their voters on a more emotional level. Our research also uncovers unique contextual nuances specific to the Brazilian political landscape. We note a substantial presence of screenshots from news websites and other social media platforms. Furthermore, text-edited images with portrayals emerge as a prominent feature. In light of these results, we engage in a discussion regarding the implications for the broader field of visual political communication. This article contributes by showing the ways Instagram was used in the digital political strategy of two fiercely polarized Brazilian elections, shedding light on the ever-evolving dynamics of visual political communication in the digital age. Finally, we propose avenues for future research in the field of political communication.

Full-space programmable circularly polarized metasurface for space-multiplexing wireless communications

The programmable metasurface has been proved to be an effective tool to dynamically tailor electromagnetic (EM) waves. However, how to achieve real-time and independent controls of circularly polarized (CP) waves in the transmission and reflection spaces is still a challenge. To address this problem, we propose a full-space programmable CP metasurface, which can independently manipulate the CP waves in transmission and reflection spaces in real time by controlling the bias voltage. The polarization states of reflected and transmitted CP waves can be independently customized through elaborate meta-atom design. As a proof of concept, we designed, fabricated, and measured a full-space programmable CP metasurface that can realize copolarized reflection for right-handed circularly polarized (RCP) waves and cross-polarized transmission for left-handed circularly polarized (LCP) waves. Simulated and measured results verify that the wavefronts of reflected and transmitted CP waves can be independently manipulated in real time by reprogramming the reflection and transmission phase coding sequences. Based on the full-space programmable CP metasurface, a space-multiplexing wireless communication scheme is established, successfully delivering two different images along preset reflection and transmission channels.

Older Adult Learners’ Willingness to Communicate in English during Task Performance

The article primarily intends to explore older adults’ willingness to communicate (WTC) during dyadic work, as well as to identify communication strategies (CSs) applied in the course of task performance. The instrument comprised biodata items, In-Class WTC Level Scale, and In-Class WTC Self-Assessment Scale. The data analysis revealed that the older adult learners (sixteen students) were eager to communicate in English in class during an information-gap activity. The task type seemed to exert a positive influence on their WTC, and they appreciated the role of the interlocutor. The results also showed a strong positive correlation between in-class WTC level and the duration of learning English indicating that the older adults’ WTC enhanced as the length of learning English increased. The participants employed mainly direct strategies, namely retrieval, self-repair, and self-paraphrasing. Retrieval was the most commonly used as it helped to gain time to express thoughts effectively. When it comes to interactional strategies, the age-advanced learners applied repetition requests and confirmation which suggested the partner played a vital role in achieving a communicative goal.

How social media are changing pediatricians and pediatrics? – A claim for regulation

BackgroundSocial media has revolutionized the way healthcare professionals communicate with the public, particularly in Pediatrics. With over 5 billion users globally, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have become increasingly popular even among caregivers in recent years. These channels offer unique opportunities to improve public health education, allowing pediatricians to reach a wide audience with evidence-based content.Main bodyHowever, the risks associated with misinformation pose significant challenges to health professionals and medical organizations. In response, new recommendations for the proper use of social media in pediatric health communication should be proposed, aiming to provide a network where pediatricians can collaborate, share evidence-based information, and develop effective strategies for digital communication. With the growing use of artificial intelligence in healthcare and the rise of parental self-care practices, pediatricians must actively curate and share reliable information.ConclusionThis could serve as a new hub for ensuring that accurate, high-quality evidence-based information is disseminated, balancing the benefits of digital health advancements with the ethical responsibility of safeguarding patient care. By prioritizing professionalism, ethical communication, and technological adaptation, the aim should be to foster a more informed and health-conscious community.