Digital Commons Network^™

Genwriter 2.0: A Hybrid Case-Based And Llm Rewriting Approach For Mitigating Implicit Gender Cues In Text, Shweta Soundararajan, Sarah Jane Delany

Conference papers

Gendered language is the use of words or phrases that indicate an individual's gender. Although useful in some contexts, gendered language can reinforce gender stereotypes and introduce bias, particularly in machine learning models for tasks involving people such as recruitment or occupation classification. When textual content about individuals, such as biographies, contain gender cues, models can learn spurious associations between gender and other characteristics of individuals, such as profession, potentially resulting in unfair outcomes such as reduced hiring opportunities for women.

To address this challenge, we propose GenWriter 2.0, a hybrid approach that integrates Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) with Large …

Harnessing Kenyan Aquaculture Through Social Media: Impacts, Challenges And Strategic Directions, Domitila Kyule, Jonathan Munguti, Mavindu Muthoka, Esther Magondu, Menaga Meenakshisundaram, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Kevin Obiero, Cecilia Githukia

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Aquaculture is increasingly important for food, nutrition and livelihoods in Kenya, but the sector still faces persistent constraints in extension delivery, farmer learning, input access, market coordination and information reliability. This review examines how social media and related digital communication tools are shaping aquaculture development in Kenya, with attention to impacts, challenges, governance needs and strategic directions. A systematic literature review of studies and institutional sources published between 2015 and 2025 was conducted. The search identified 388 records, of which 45 sources were included in the final synthesis after screening, eligibility assessment and quality appraisal. Because the evidence was heterogeneous, …

Misplay Or Malice? Players’ Interpretations Of Poor Gameplay In Competitive Team-Based Multiplayer Online Games, Valerie Yu, Benjamin H. Detenber, Sonny Rosenthal

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Research on perceptions of gaming toxicity has focused on its verbal forms, while gameplay-related forms remain relatively understudied. Furthermore, assessments of gameplay actions as toxic may depend on situational considerations. The present study used a controlled experiment to examine player interpretations of gameplay sabotage using pre-recorded gameplay scenarios from the game, League of Legends. We found that the presence of gameplay sabotage elicited stronger negative emotions and triggered greater player-reported intentions to retaliate and correct the offending player than in comparable instances of unintentional poor gameplay. Further exploratory analyses suggested that participants rated poor gameplay as less acceptable in more …

Ephemeral To Empowered? International Comparison Of Women’S Participation In Web Series Production, 2012–2019, Nicola Evans, Marion Mccutcheon, Emilia King, Joel Bassaget, Steinar Ellingsen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Women are significantly underrepresented in above-the-line roles in film and television, but anecdotal evidence suggests they are gravitating to web series. To explore this, the authors built the largest known international archive of web series released during 2012–2019 and analysed women’s participation. In the top five web series producing countries in the West, women achieved or approached parity with men in producing, directing and writing, but not cinematography. Do achievements in low-budget, transitory media count for anything? Drawing on ephemeral media scholarship, we discuss the potential of such forms to disturb entrenched patterns of gender discrimination in screen industries worldwide.

The Representation Of Suicide In Spanish Teen Fiction Tv Series: Narrative Trends And Media Literacy Implications, Patricia Palomares-Sánchez, Victoria Soto-Sanz

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

The present study analyses the narrative treatment of suicide in Spanish youth fiction television series produced between 2015 and 2024, aiming to identify representation trends in relation to the recommendations for responsible media coverage and their implications for media literacy. The methodology underpinning this study encompasses eight fiction TV series and combines quantitative research, derived from data collection and analysis, with a qualitative component, focusing on the interpretation and analysis of the results. Findings indicate that the representation lacks due caution in depicting the method and location of suicide, which increases the risk of imitation. Although the narratives present alternatives …

Implications Of Similarities And Differences Amongst Media Literacy Skills And Trust Across Communities Of Color, Erica Weintraub Austin, Nadia Ishrat Alamgir, Alexandra Elenitsa Fil, Sultana Ismet Jerin, Di Mu, Albert Junior Nyarko, Folake Racheal Okor, Pearl Omolara Oladele, Hae Yeon Seo, Andrew D. Sutherland

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

A 2020 survey of U.S. adults found that nonwhite respondents tended to report lower levels of media literacy than white respondents. However, their media literacy skills were associated with better COVID-19 knowledge and less acceptance of COVID-19 disinformation. This secondary analysis of the dataset (N=1264) explored how aspects of media literacy and media trust varied across communities of color. No significant differences in online information efficacy were found. White respondents scored higher than Hispanic/Latiné and Native American/Indigenous respondents on media literacy for source, and higher than Black and Hispanic/Latiné respondents on media literacy for content. White respondents also …

The Role Of Media And The Digital World In The Formation Of Digital Identity And First Impressions, Author Information Removed

JMLE Submissions Open for Review

This study investigates the relationship between media literacy, identity structures, and social perception among Georgian higher education students and explores how Media Literacy affects the Formation of First Impressions through the mediating roles of Social Identity and Digital Identity. The results demonstrate a strong positive correlation between Media Literacy and both Social Identity and Digital Identity. While the direct link between literacy and impression formation was non-significant. The mediation model revealed a psychological mechanism: Media Literacy significantly reduces superficial reliance on digital profiles only by strengthening a conscious and reflective Digital Identity. In the Georgian context, these findings suggest that …

Integration Of Media Pedagogy In Teacher Education Classrooms, Author Information Removed

JMLE Submissions Open for Review

In an era where classrooms are increasingly influenced by media and socio-cultural dynamics, teacher education must evolve to incorporate critical dimensions like gender sensitization and media literacy. This study explores the role of media pedagogy in developing gender awareness among pre-service teachers in India. The study focuses on conceptualization of media pedagogy, intersectionality and teacher education classrooms and adopts an interdisciplinary approach for media and gender. A module was developed and then implemented with 30 preservice teachers, followed by focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with 10 teacher educators. The research study is guided by Methodology for Interdisciplinary Research (MIR) …

Criteria For Determining The Level Of Media Literacy Development Of Students In The Summative Assessment System, Bakhtiyor Kadirov, Dilnoza Kadirova, Rashid Omanov, Anvar Allamurodov, Asqar Kholturayev

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

The integration of digital technologies into education necessitates how students’ media literacy is developed and assessed. High school students require skills in critical thinking, digital content evaluation, and the identification of manipulative information.This study examines the effectiveness of summative assessment in measuring media literacy skills and explores the impact of an artificial intelligence-based digital platform enriched with augmented and virtual reality modules. An empirical design was employed involving 120 students from five schools assigned to control and experimental groups. The experimental group engaged with AI-supported media literacy platform over a ten-week period. Data were collected through pre- , post-tests, summative …

Genocide In Gaza? Social Media Discussions Of Violence In Israel And Gaza, Timothy Williams, Andreas Dafnos

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This article conducts social network and topic analyses of German-language posts on X that discuss genocide and terrorism in Israel and Gaza in the first six months after the October 7 attacks and compares these to broader English-language discourses on the platform. The comparison reveals subtle differences in how Israeli violence and governance and Palestinians are discussed and who is seen as complicit in supporting violence. Markedly, German-language posts discuss what constitutes antisemitism more and employ a more restrained language towards Israel as a state and its political actors than English-language posts. We tie these findings back to the idiosyncrasies …

Beyond Technical Proficiency: A Multidimensional Analysis Of Digital Citizenship And Civic Engagement Among South Korean College Students, Author Information Removed

JMLE Submissions Open for Review

This study investigates how specific sub-dimensions of digital citizenship predict civic engagement among South Korean college students (N=497). Using hierarchical multiple regression with gender and SNS usage time as covariates, this research analyzes four subdimensions of digital citizenship—digital literacy, participation, critical perspective, and ethics—alongside three layers of civic engagement: sense of community, social responsibility, and sociopolitical participation. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that while digital literacy functions as a baseline competency, digital participation and digital ethics serve as the most consistent predictors of civic engagement. Notably, digital participation was strongly associated with sociopolitical action, suggesting a meaningful spillover effect, while a …

Examining Conditional Indirect Media Effects Through Normative Perceptions: The Role Of Traditional Family Gender Role Expectations And Stigmatizing Beliefs In Human Papillomavirus Vaccination, Moonsun Choi

Communication ETDs

This dissertation examines how indirect media effects operate through normative perceptions within a gendered and stigmatized health context of HPV vaccination. Specifically, this study investigates how these normative mediation processes are conditioned by traditional family gender role expectations at the norm formation stage and stigmatizing beliefs about HPV vaccination at the normative influence stage. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with mothers of children aged 9 – 12 in the United States in June 2025. The key findings show that while gendered perceptions of HPV vaccination persist, the underlying normative mechanism operated in similar ways across gender-referent contexts. Injunctive norms were …

Borderline Personality Disorder (Bpd) And Witness Memory: A Beginner’S Guide For Criminal Justice, Forensic Mental Health, And Legal Professionals, Jerrod Brown Ph.D., M.A., M.S., M.S., M.S.

Forensic Scholars Today

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with emotional instability, impulsivity, interpersonal difficulties, identity disturbance, and stress-related dissociative symptoms that may influence cognitive functioning. Research suggests that BPD may contribute to difficulties with attention, executive functioning, and memory, particularly during periods of emotional distress. These issues, combined with common co-occurring conditions such as trauma exposure, substance use disorders, and sleep disturbances, may affect the encoding, storage, retrieval, and recall of information. This article examines current literature on BPD and discusses how symptoms and associated factors could influence witness memory in forensic and legal settings. Because findings remain mixed, the presence of …

Health Literacy, Health Information Seeking Behavior, And Vocal Hygiene Amongst Video Game Voice Actors In The United States, Wendy Lau

Master's Theses

Video game voice actors (VGVAs) perform vocally demanding tasks to bring video game characters to life, and are at high risk for voice disorders. This exploratory study aims to characterize vocal health in VGVAs by investigating the relationships between health literacy, health information seeking behavior, and vocal hygiene practices. Thirty-one VGVAs completed an anonymous online survey. Data were analyzed using a mixed-methods approach: quantitative health literacy scores were calculated, and qualitative data underwent inductive thematic analysis in NVivo. Results show that VGVAs are highly proactive with their vocal health due to their desire for career longevity and their professional vocal …

Establishing E-Prodeskel, An Integrated Village Information System For The Empowerment Of The Local Community In Kediri, Ani Budi Astuti, Eni Sumarminingsih, Wayan Firdaus Mahmudy, Maulina Pia Wulandari, Wigbertus Ngabu, Nur Kamilah Sa'diyah, Gusti Ayu Putu Rawi Rotchildi, Izza Lailatul Kasanah, Yusuf Gladiensyah Bihanda, Akbar Satya Nugraha

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

Digital transformation has become an important strategy for strengthening community empowerment by improving access to public information, governance transparency, and village services. However, many rural communities in Indonesia still face challenges in managing accurate village profile data and utilizing digital technologies to support good governance and sustainable development. This study examines a community engagement program in Purwokerto Village, Kediri Regency, Indonesia. The program intended to develop and implement E-ProDesKel (Elektronik Profil Desa Kelurahan or Electronic Village and Wards Profile), a web-based portal for an integrated village profile information system. The program adopted a participatory approach starting from an assessment …

Cognitive Media Literacy In The Digital Age: Structural And Behavioral Dimensions Of Inequality, Elif Pınar Aciyan Şen, Murad Karaduman

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

The expansion of digital technologies has not only transformed media production and consumption but also reshaped the cognitive conditions through which individuals interpret information. Drawing on W. James Potter’s (2004) cognitive model of media literacy, this study explores how cognitive dimensions of media literacy relate to digital inequalities among adults. To operationalize the model, index variables were developed for its four subdimensions, knowledge structures, personal locus, competencies, and skills, using multiple theoretically defined item domains. Based on a stratified face-to-face survey with 400 adults in Antalya, Türkiye, multiple regression analyses reveal that age and education are the strongest predictors of …

Review Of Supernatural: A History Of Television’S Unearthly Road Trip By Erin Giannini, Duane Ebesu

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

No abstract (book review)

Fostering Responsible Ai Use In Communication: An Integrated Approach To Digital Literacy Education, Omer Keynan, Liron Mishkin Drezner, Yuval Gozansky

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The paper presents an innovative approach to teaching digital literacy to eighty-two B.A. communication students, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI). Over a semester, students developed proficiency in using AI tools for content creation while exploring their ethical implications. The course integrated practical skills with ethical considerations, providing hands-on experience with AI platforms and facilitating critical discussions on issues such as AI biases. For their final projects, students created social media campaigns using AI tools, accompanied by introspective reports on their creative process and ethical reflections. We aimed to equip future communication professionals with skills to navigate AI-driven content creation responsibly. …

Mapping Media Literacy Assessment: A Systematic Review To Connect The Dots, Lara Azar, Casey Frechette, Hafsa Zia, Joy Amulya

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The goal of this study was to address persistent challenges in assessing media literacy by reviewing assessments developed between 2011 and 2020. We combined landscape analysis, research synthesis, and grounded theory to select assessments, identify key attributes, iteratively code, analyze, and create an integrated synthesis of approaches to media literacy assessments. The analysis classified media literacy constructs by learning dimension (knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors) and participation mode (consumption, engagement, creation). The results showed that while most assessments focused on consumption-oriented constructs, engagement- and creation-oriented constructs were also included. Assessments primarily served three research purposes: evaluating media literacy levels in populations, …

How To Incorporate Media Literacy Into General Education Curricula, Dennis O. Frohlich, David Magolis

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Media literacy scholars have long championed the inclusion of media literacy courses in all levels of education, from K-12 to collegiate levels. Universities’ general education curricula are one possible site for inclusion of a media literacy course. However, with each discipline vying for a spot in a university’s general education system, a course in media literacy can easily be overlooked or excluded. In this paper, we detail our efforts to successfully incorporate several media literacy courses into our university’s general education curriculum. This is a process we went through twice under two different general education systems. This paper will detail …

Too Close For Comfort: Indigenous ‘Genre’ Film As Impactful In Pedagogies Of Reconciliation, Brendan M. Burrows

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This article examines the pedagogical potential of Indigenous-created genre film—specifically, Jeff Barnaby’s Rhymes for Young Ghouls (Barnaby, 2013)—in promoting critical engagement with the legacies of colonial violence in Canada. Drawing on Susan Dion’s (2009) concept of the perfect stranger and film activist Ariel Smith’s analysis of Indigenous horror cinema, the study examines how three educators responded to the film and reflected on its curricular applications. Using constructivist grounded theory and cultural studies frameworks, the research reveals both the transformative promise and institutional constraints of integrating emotionally intense media into classroom settings. Findings suggest that while the film evokes affective responses …

Integrating Ai Into Media Analysis Projects: Students’ Insights On Using Chatgpt, Serpil Yalcinalp, Hacer Turkoglu

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This research aims to explore students’ perspectives on their use of ChatGPT during a media analysis project in a media literacy (ML) course. Additionally, it investigates what the assigned media literacy project has contributed to them. Qualitative analysis results from 48 students indicated that they believed their media analysis positively contributed to their media awareness of messages, media genres, social justice, technical aspects, and analytical skills, such as inquiry and creativity. Many students appreciate ChatGPT, noting that it encourages learning across disciplines through deep searches and dialogues with the tool. They especially appreciate its contribution when they compare the results …

Demographic Context Of Media And Information Literacy (Mil) Skills Among Senior High School Students In Ghana, Patience Emefa Dzandza Ocloo, Aurelia Ayisi, Abena Animwaa Yeboah-Banin, Annie Oye

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper explores the media and information literacy (MIL) competencies of young Ghanaians in senior high schools. It is premised on the rising spate of misinformation, online security breaches, and the avalanche of content young people must navigate. Together, these factors demand young persons to be new media savvy in order to use the affordances of the current media ecology to their benefit. To advocate for comprehensive MIL education in senior high schools in Ghana, the study adopts a comparative analysis logic to examine demographic differences that attend young people’s media and information literacy. A nationwide survey of 1200 senior …

Fact-Checking In The University: The Experience Of The ‘Verificatón Electoral’ As A Model Of Teaching Innovation, Irene Larraz, Samuel Toledano, Jordi Rodríguez-Virgili, Félix Arias Robles, Ángeles Durán, Marta Pérez-Escolar, Rocío Zamora Medina, Rubén Ramos Antón, Óscar Espíritusanto Nicolás, Miguel Ángel Esteban Navarro, Marcos Bermejo Gil

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This article analyzes the experience of Verificatón, a teaching innovation project based on a live fact-checking hackathon aimed at identifying and combating disinformation in the electoral context. The initiative, developed by the fact-checking media outlet Newtral in collaboration with nine Spanish universities, brought together a hundred journalism students. The results show that this experience facilitates the adoption of the fact-checking methodology in the students' professional practice and contributes to overcoming the competency gap in university journalism education. The case study validates this training proposal, which, framed within an electoral scenario, reinforces students’ learning of the role of critical thinking in …

Content Literacy In The Digital Age: Integrating The Development Of Digital Language Skills Into Civic Education, Cedric Lawida, Ina-Maria Maahs

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The digital transformation creates new demands on reading and writing. This entails the expansion of the goals of content literacy to explicitly include the development of digital reading and writing skills. The study explores how a social media project at a school in Germany supports students in developing digital language competencies. In the civics education project politik.informiert (informed politics), students create and share political content via an Instagram channel. The qualitative case study, based on observations and interviews, finds that the project offers rich opportunities for digital reading and writing, especially in researching information, evaluating sources, and producing audience oriented …

The Role Of Media Literacy In Shaping Campus Student Leaders’ Perceptions Of Media Activism, Online Risks, And Social Support, Srividya Ramasubramanian, Minnie S. Mcmillian, Shumaila J. Bhatti, Shannon Burth, Julius Matthew Riles, Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz, Melody Wilson

Journal of Media Literacy Education

in social movements. Within contemporary contexts, media is an important site through which campus student leaders raise awareness, share relevant information, distribute online petitions, and shape public discourses on various social issues. Media literacy is an essential skill for student leaders to be effective in their activist initiatives and be able to cope with the inevitable pushback through trolling and cyberbullying that such activism would likely bring up. This survey (N = 855) with college student leaders across three universities explores how they rate themselves on media literacy skills, how well they understand the risks involved with media activism, and …

Empowerment Or Oppression? College Students’ Interpretations Of Sex And Relationships In The Popular Media, Nicola Mcclung, Riana Pella

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Scholars have long emphasized the harmful effects of overtly sexist and oppressive media images on young people’s understandings of sex and relationships. Yet, this emphasis on explicit harm leaves a gap in understanding how college students interpret subtle, hidden, and ambiguous media messages. To address this gap, we asked 196 California college students at a large public university to critique a range of mainstream media content— from overtly oppressive, to affirming of nondominant gender identities, to containing mixed messages about empowerment and oppression. Responses were coded using our media literacy scoring guide for assessing students’ ability to critically analyze media …

Automated Media: Challenges And Opportunities For Media Literacy Education, Arnaud Claes, Jerry Jacques, Antonin Descampe, Victor Wiard

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This paper offers a theoretical reflection on the evolving landscape of automated media, focusing on how automation and so-called Artificial Intelligence (AI) are reshaping traditional media-related practices and the competences required for media literacy. It examines how automated media technologies, such as recommendation algorithms and generative AI, might reshape the critical skills necessary to navigate a complex digital ecosystem. By framing AI-driven media practices through a social-action perspective and treating media as human activities, we argue that media literacy models should encompass competences related to the operation of computational automata, particularly through the management of inbound and outbound information flows. …

Tiktok Vs. Instagram: How Audiences Engage With James Charles, Kristina M. Hart

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This study examines how audiences engage with beauty influencer content across social media platforms, with a focus on James Charles on TikTok and Instagram. While existing research highlights the importance of authenticity, content strategy, and influencer characteristics in driving engagement, less attention has been given to how engagement varies across platforms and how users express interaction qualitatively. To address this gap, this study employs qualitative content analysis to examine 100 audience comments, with fifty comments collected from each platform.

Using thematic coding, comments were categorized into four primary forms of engagement: audience participation, product interest, entertainment, and trust/credibility. In addition, …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence In The Indonesian Film Industry, Louisa Christine Hartanto, Patrisia Amanda Pascarina, Cosmas Gatot Haryono

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

This study explores how stakeholders in the Indonesian film industry perceive the emergence and use of artificial intelligence (AI). Framed by Roger's Diffusion of Innovation theory, this study explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is positioned as an emergent technological innovation, spreading via communication channels across the film industry's social ecosystem. This approach illuminates how distinct categories of adopters collectively construct the meaning of AI and shape their varied responses to its encroachment on creative labour. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, the study draws on data from two Focus Group Discussions involving directors, actors, government experts, academics, emerging filmmakers, students, and …