Volume 4, Issue 2

Study purpose This research examines perspectives, attitudes, and behavioral intentions regarding AI among college students in Brazil and the United States. We chose Brazil and the United States, as they are leading countries in terms of AI adoption in Latin America and North America, respectively. Methodology This study used a mixed-methods approach of combining online surveys and in-person interviews with college students majoring in journalism and mass communications in Brazil and the United States. Main findings Our findings identified similarities and differences between the two groups in terms of familiarity with AI, perceived AI efficiency, concerns about AI, AI self-efficacy, intention to learn about AI, and career optimism. For example, our research showed that students with higher levels of familiarity with AI and perceived efficiency demonstrated higher levels of AI self-efficacy. These college students are optimistic about potential benefits of AI, while at the same time exhibiting concern about its negative consequences. Social implications Given the rapidly growing deployment of AI in media and other related fields around the world, it is important that journalism and mass communications programs update their curriculum to help students better prepare for their future careers. In doing so, we should include voices of instructors and students in journalism and mass communications programs across the globe so that our approaches to the topic reflect realities and aspirations of countries with different levels of AI adoption and use. Practical implications Our research highlight needs for instructors to be better educated on AI so they can lead thoughtful, nuanced, and substantive discussions on AI in their classrooms. Academic associations including the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication could serve as information and networking hubs for developing curriculum around this topic and sharing lessons learned among instructors. Originality/value Given the implications of AI for media and communication environment, it is important to understand how future communication specialists understand and perceive AI, which is the topic of the current study. Our comparative analysis offers implications that can be beneficial to those who study or practice international communication or communication technology, especially in the context of higher education.

Study purpose This study explores how globalization influences U.S. media coverage of China’s digital technologies, focusing on global trends and political, economic, and security concerns. Using Giddens’ and Robertson’s globalization theories, it examines how U.S. media frame China’s technological rise and its connection to U.S. policies, contributing to the literature on media, technology, and globalization in the digital age. Methodology This study used mixed methods of quantitative content analysis and critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine 2,106 China-related digital technology reports from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal from 2016 to 2023. It analyzed how these outlets frame China’s technological rise in global competition and security, while exploring U.S. government policies on China’s digital technology. Main findings The study highlights how digital technology is intertwined with the global market economy, where neoliberal practices create double standards, deepening polarization and distorting competition. It emphasizes digital technology’s role in shaping U.S. national security, market policies, and tech development. The study also identifies rising anti-globalization sentiments within the U.S. digital sector and the growing prevalence of “techno-nationalism” in American media coverage of China’s tech advancements. Social implications The study explores how digital technology, shaped by neoliberal practices, exacerbates polarization and distorts competition in the global market. It highlights its role in shaping U.S. policies on national security and tech development, noting rising anti-globalization sentiments in the U.S. sector. The study also observes the growing presence of “techno-nationalism” in American media coverage of China’s technological rise. Practical implications The findings provide insights for policymakers, businesses, and media professionals on the geopolitical and economic impacts of technological competition. The study highlights how media narratives influence public opinion and decision-making in the digital era. Furthermore, it offers actionable recommendations for policymakers, businesses and media. Originality/value This research integrates globalization theory and technology diffusion frameworks to analyze U.S. media coverage of China’s digital technology, offering insights into how media frames China’s rise in terms of national security and global competition. It enhances understanding of media, technology, and global power for scholars, analysts, and policymakers.

Purpose This study was conducted to investigate the Canadian mainstream online media report of Huawei, the Chinese IT company and critical actor in China’s OFDI attempt, and how the media deviate or conform to the Government’s and the social and political elites’ position(s). Design/methodology/approach Content analysis and discourse analysis were performed to analyse the news articles from The Globe and Mail concerning Huawei from the beginning of 2018 to March 2019. Public opinions, represented by the Nanos polls available from the news articles were also analysed. Findings We found that Huawei was mainly framed as national security threat vs valued partner in the national debate whether to allow Huawei to contribute to Canada’s 5G construction before the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, and the centre of the Sino-West conflict after the critical incident. The Globe and Mail tried to index multiple sources, while sticking to the long-formed schema about China and Chinese enterprises, which has a deep effect on the public opinions. The journalists rose to be the predominant source of the news report and seemed to be acting on their own after the critical incident, showing an event-driven tendency. Practical implications It helps the readers to understand the bias embedded in media report in its political contexts. Journalists should take caution because they could reenforce the same schema even though efforts have been made to maintain media’s democratic façade. Social implications It shows that MNCs and international media have a much closer relationship than we expect. The media in the western world could make or break a MNC’s prospect in a country. Originality/value It contributes to the contextualization of such media theories as indexing hypothesis and cascading activation model. In an era of anti-globalization and media war, such theories need to be re-examined especially when it comes to the report about foreign affairs concerning a country and its MNCs from a different ideological camp.

Purpose U.S. Texas State Senate Bill No. 147 (SB147), introduced by Texas Republican State Senate Lois Kolkhorst, proposes restrictions on property purchases in the State of Texas, specifically targeting entities and individuals from North Korea, Iran, Russia, and China. Despite its rejection in the State House on May 24th, 2023, the bill has received notable public endorsement from diverse interest groups. The current project examines the public discourse on Twitter (now the X) between November 14th, 2022, and May 27th, 2023, regarding SB147. Methodology Utilizing the theoretical framework of actor-network theory and scapegoating, the project conducts a social network analysis and semantic analysis of the public discourse on Twitter (now X) surrounding SB147. Findings The project reviews the public response to SB147, identifying instances where certain actors are unfairly blamed or targeted within the context of this legislative proposal. Practical Implications It is important for researchers and policymakers to understand the structural composition of discourse surrounding SB147, as it reveals the central themes and arguments that shape public opinions and policy outcomes. Social Implications The project highlights the broader societal and political implications of SB147, and such scapegoating practices directed towards the Asian Community.

Study purpose This study draws on theories of conspicuous consumption, cultural capital, and impression management to explore how Chinese university students perceive the display of luxury goods consumption on social media as a means of communicating identity, social status, and privilege. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was employed, using an online survey with open-ended questions to gather qualitative and quantitative data from 329 Chinese university students. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify critical patterns in participants’ perceptions of the display of luxury goods on social media. Findings The findings reveal that participants perceive the display of luxury goods on social media as a strategy for self-presentation and identity construction. This practice is influenced by cultural norms, particularly the concept of “face” (mianzi), which refers to maintaining social reputation and gaining respect within one’s community. While some participants associate luxury displays with elevated social standing and economic power, others critque them as performative acts and disconnected from authentic markers of privilege. Social implications The study highlights the role of social media in shaping cultural narratives of identity and privilege, particularly in collectivist societies like China. It underscores how digital platforms mediate the performance of luxury consumption, reflecting both global trends and localized cultural dynamics. Practical implications Marketers and social media practitioners can leverage these insights to design culturally relevant strategies that align with Chinese consumers’ motivations for luxury consumption. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by integrating global theories of luxury consumption with the unique cultural constructs of Chinese society. It explains how social media shapes the intersection of identity, status, and privilege in digital spaces.

Purpose Guided by the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication model (CERC, Reynolds and Seeger 2005. Crisis and emergency risk communication as an integrative model. Journal of Health Communication 10(1). 43–55.), the present study aimed to study how X (formerly Twitter) users sensemaking and efficacy based message. Additionally, the study also aimed to understand how the World Health Organization (WHO) responded to the emerging conversation. Methods Unsupervised machine learning was conducted on 6.1 million tweets between January and March 2020 to understand sensemaking about COVID-19 among X users. Additionally, content analysis was used to examine if the World Health Organization (WHO) responded to popular emerging conversations via content on their own X handle. Findings The majority of dominant topics in COVID-19 tweets from January to March 2020 related to understanding the virus and the crisis it caused. X users tried to make sense of their surroundings and re-create their familiar world by framing events. Content analysis revealed that WHO engaged in effective social listening and responded quickly to dominant X conversations to help people make sense of the situation. Practical Implications The initial stage of COVID-19 pandemic was marked with uncertainty. However, WHO had a robust communication strategy and addressed the dominant conversation during the time frame including debunking misinformation. Originality/Value The present study fills the research gap by situating the themes in the context of the health crisis and extending the CERC model to user-generated content via the lens of sensemaking and efficacy messages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the study segmented the timelines into smaller time intervals to understand how sensemaking evolved over time.

The article presents the results of an analysis of the work of six Russian TV channels (Channel One, Russia 1, NTV, STS, TNT, Friday!) with social media: VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Telegram, RuTube, YouTube, and in particular the performance of Telegram accounts of the selected channels. The year 2022 brought about the biggest change in Russians’ digital habits, which cannot even be compared with the transformation of pandemic times. Two-thirds of the time Russians spent online in 2022 was spent on the largest types of activity: 21 % on social networks, 18 % on video and 15 % on messengers. The researchers attribute the redistribution of the audience share between social networks and messengers not to a decrease in one activity and growth of the other, but to a spillover between the platforms and hybrid formats. The blocking of some social networks in Russia has led to an outflow of users from these platforms. This has also been one of the growth drivers for the hybrid Telegram, which also serves as a social network. Telegram’s growth peaks are related to Russians’ logical need for news sources during a period of turbulence. A significant portion of the time users spend on the site is spent reading Telegram feeds. Despite the evidence of the growing influence of social media in Russia, traditional television remains the number one media in terms of accumulated reach. Based on an analysis of the Telegram accounts of six Russian TV channels over four random weeks in 2022 and 2023, an attempt was made to identify the changing digital content strategies of the TV channels in the face of turbulence. A sample of TV channels was selected based on average annual ratings as well as thematic segmentation. Formally, all six TV channels are now “equalized in rights” and are among the publicly available channels of the first and second multiplexes. The following parameters were analysed in each of the weeks: number of posts, comments, views, and likes. On the basis of all audience and channel activities, the Engagement Rate, a coefficient of user involvement in the published content (posts), was determined. In addition, on the basis of the entire array of material, the most popular publications were identified and the forms of presentation were analysed. The specific objectives of the study were to identify content strategies, monitor and record the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the activities of the selected television channels on the rapidly growing Telegram platform, and determine the audience response. Based on the results of the study, it is possible to identify an audience demand for news agenda, on the one hand, and for distracting content – rather than entertainment – in a period of turbulence, on the other hand. Television channels are forced to reinvent themselves in the changed social media space that they struggled to explore a few years ago. It seems that the Big Three channels are only trying to find their content strategies in Telegram, trying to copy the content strategies of other and previous social media, with NTV being the most successful. The “news” content Telegram is best suited for youth entertainment channels – TNT, STS, Friday! They successfully adapt interactive forms developed on other networks and use content created for other networks.