Social Influence and Political Communication Commons^™

Political Orientation And Its Effect On Engagement And Perception Of The Arts, Parker Robert Mckenzie

Communication Studies

Utilizing the Symbolic Interactionism Theory (Gusfield, 2011), this study explored the relationship between political orientation and one’s engagement with and perception of art forms. The study utilized qualitative methods analysis to analyze similarities between participant responses. Findings from participants revealed the following themes: engagement with history leading to a more profound understanding of art, art causing real-life inspiration, and engagement with art leads to the formation of sub-cultures. Additionally, interviews revealed that people choose not to engage with certain art based on political orientation, people who consider themselves to be “spiritual” engaged with art differently, and many people’s perception of …

A Rhetorical-Sociological Understanding Of Emotion, Amy Boone

All Dissertations

This project presents a rhetorical-sociological understanding of emotion while foregrounding the place and role of language. Born from Sara Ahmed’s work in The Cultural Politics of Emotion, it presents a simplified equation (contact + orientation = emotion) as both a prescriptive and descriptive formula for making sense of human emotional experience. Starting with an exploration of the difficult-to-understand affect system, this dissertation identifies both rhetoric and affect as energies which cannot be understood apart from their traces, the things they move, produce, and become. As a way to get at these often-invisible forces, two trace studies are conducted which explore …

Charge The Cockpit Or Die: An Anatomy Of Fear-Driven Political Rhetoric In American Conservatism, Daniel Hostetter

Senior Honors Theses

Subthreshold negative emotions have superseded conscious reason as the initial and strongest motivators of political behavior. Political neuroscience uses the concepts of negativity bias and terror management theory to explore why fear-driven rhetoric plays such an outsized role in determining human political actions. These mechanisms of human anthropology are explored by competing explanations from biblical and evolutionary scholars who attempt to understand their contribution to human vulnerabilities to fear. When these mechanisms are observed in fear-driven political rhetoric, three common characteristics emerge: exaggerated threat, tribal combat, and religious apocalypse, which provide a new framework for explaining how modern populist leaders …

"This Is How The West Ends": A Content Analysis Of Conservative Youtubers Notions Of Western Excellence, Michelle Johnson

Undergraduate Research Symposium 2024

In 2023, YouTube was one of the most used social media platforms in the United States alone. While existing scholarship (Finlayson 2022) has observed linkages between right-wing social media and distrust in institutions of government, family, and others, I seek to understand how conservatives use YouTube as a means to teach their audience racialized, gendered, and nationalistic ideas about the Western hegemonic order. To examine this issue, I conducted an in-depth qualitative content analysis of three key conservative content creators: Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, and Michael Knowles. Two videos were chosen within each creator's profile using keyword searches such as …

Language Representation Diversity In Independently Translated Literature, Cecilia Too

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

The purpose of this survey is to determine the diversity of language representation in translated literature. Specifically, this study will examine three independent presses and one imprint that publishes literary works, both fiction and nonfiction. This paper surveys the languages represented in the translated works published by these presses over the course of five years, from 2018 to 2022. A case study of one independent press, Other Press, is conducted to further study the genre and country representation in translated literature. This study finds that European languages, particularly Western European languages, are overrepresented in translated literature by more than a …

Between Pages And Politics: An Interdisciplinary Exploration Of Book Bans, Hannah Morrison

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Across the United States, school boards are being inundated with requests to ban books. While these conversations are often localized, what the rise in censorship across the country suggests is that there is a fierce movement behind censoring young adult literature. What is frequently erased in these campaigns are stories of people of color and queer communities, alongside topics such as sexuality, drugs, or violence. The presiding conclusion within childhood studies on how we have reached a point where censorship is abundantly common in American schools is that public discourse views children as less than or not fully formed, thus …

Zeitgeist Of The 2010s And Impact On Fashion Trends, Sophie Scott Anderson

Senior Theses

The zeitgeist of the 2010s can be examined through shifts in technology, politics, economy, environment, religion, and entertainment. This research explores how fashion serves as both a mirror and a driver of societal change during this transformative decade. Trend diffusion itself evolved from the traditional theories of trickle-up and trickle-down because of the prominence of influencer culture, giving average consumers the platform to influence numerous like-minded consumers. Defining the 2010s zeitgeist requires an analysis of the significant patterns in the technological and sociocultural environment through as many sources as possible for a holistic approach. Sociologically, fashion has been accepted as …

Changing Healthy Living Behavior In The Post-Pandemic Era: New Communication Culture, Kinkin Y. S. Putri, Yasir Riadi, Annisa Putri Suwito

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

Changes in human life from 2019 to 2023 were reported to shift behavior, with an emphasis on well-being. In this context, the paradigm of healthy living is important, manifesting as a new cultural phenomenon. Therefore, this research was carried out to explore the transformation of post-pandemic healthy living behaviors into new cultural practices. The paradigms of health communication, healthy living attitudes, and new communication culture were also examined. Previous research supported the hypothesis and a quantitative approach was used by distributing questionnaires in several cities. Meanwhile, the validity and reliability tests of the variables enabled the continuation of the bivariate …

Cybersecurity Leadership In Safeguarding Election Voter Data (Case Study: Implementation Of The Sidalih Information System By The Indonesian General Election Commission), Muhammad Iqbal Khatami, Rahayu Rahayu

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

This research aims to determine the cybersecurity leadership of Indonesia's General Election Commission (KPU RI) in protecting voter data within the Voter Registration Information System (SIDALIH). With the increasing use of information technology in elections, including SIDALIH, these systems have become vulnerable to cyber threats. Previous cyberattacks during Indonesian elections highlight the critical importance of cybersecurity, especially in protecting voters' personal information. Given the growing complexity of cyber threats, organizations need responsive leadership and effective communication governance, with a focus on cybersecurity leadership. The primary research question examines how KPU's cybersecurity leadership ensures voter data security during SIDALIH's deployment in …

Street Art And A New Space Of Democracy In Post-Soeharto Indonesia: Reading Anti-Tank Project Posters, Ali Minanto

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

This article deals with the intertwine between street art and the practice of democracy in post-Soeharto Indonesia. It attempts to investigate the role of street art in the contemporary political landscape of Indonesia, especially two decades after the reformasi (reformation) movement. Reformasi, which was marked by the collapse of the New Order regime in 1998, is regarded as a turning point in Indonesia's democracy after 32 years of authoritarian government. Street art took a crucial part in that historic moment as a medium of protest. This study shows cases of the Anti-Tank Project, one of Yogyakarta’s street artists, posters with …

When The Opposition Dominates The Conversation (Twitter Network Analysis About The Controversial Indonesian Constitutional Court Decision), Rifki Nur Priyansyah, Rudi Reynal Sulaiman, Ferdi Raihan Firdaus

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

The Constitutional Court of Indonesia decided to grant a request of the Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to extend the term of office of the KPK from 4 years to 5 years. This brought up public attention on Twitter, including members of the House of Representatives (DPR). Social network analysis was used to discover how the discussion appeared on the Twitter network and the actors involved (using indegree, outdegree, and betweenness centrality derived from graph theory). The Netlytic program recorded 6,195 uploads from May 25, 2023, to June 1, 2023. the Gephi application detects 3377 nodes and …

From Millennial To Generation Z: The State Of Digital Literacy Among Youths Dealing With Disinformation During Elections, Wasisto Raharjo Jati

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

The role of the younger generation in politics has played an important role in shaping Indonesian democracy. Since the era of the independence revolution until the post- reform era, young people have become central actors to be a guardian of democracy, especially participation in elections. Although the active role of young people is mostly carried out in various extra-parliamentary ways, such as street demonstrations, young people are now increasingly focusing on efforts to combat disinformation/misinformation in cyberspace. This stance is in line with the current development of democracy which leads to the digital world so that young people are also …

News Deserts And Voter Turnout: How Local News Shortages Decrease Voter Participation, Lauren Penington

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

How does local news impact a county’s registered voter population, associated voting patterns, and political participation? Electoral turnout is one of the most studied topics in political science, and substantial research exists into demographic factors — including race, age, and socioeconomic status — that influence an individual’s likelihood to vote. Recent studies have begun to examine the impact of societal factors — such as the internet, social media, and news — on an individual’s ability to and likelihood of fulfilling their civic obligation. This paper explores the relationship between expanding news deserts and decreasing voter turnout, proposing that as a …

Examining Active News Avoidance Across Countries: A Multilevel Moderation Analysis Of News Interests, News Trust, And Press Freedom, Gabriel Miao Li, Fan Liang, Qinfeng Zhu

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Previous studies have identified various individual factors explaining news avoidance, but the understanding of how these factors function within the broader political information environment is limited. This study, leveraging a large-scale cross-national survey, reveals that the relationships between individual news interests, news trust, and news avoidance differ across countries with varying levels of press freedom. In nations where the press is strong and free, personal preferences minimally influence individuals’ active avoidance of hard news. News avoidance is not solely a product of individual-level attributes. Rather, the impact of these individual factors is significantly shaped by the overarching political information environment.

Kidfluencers: New Child Stars In Need Of Protection, Mikayla B. Jayroe

Arkansas Law Review

Despite the explosive growth of social media and various lobbying efforts, the legal system has fallen woefully behind in extending labor protections to children engaged in social media production. This Comment will offer a solution to the current gray area surrounding kidfluencers and the lack of protections they are afforded. First, this Comment will discuss the emergence and growth of the kidfluencer industry and explore the legal history of child labor laws in the United States, specifically evaluating protections historically provided to child actors. Second, this Comment will explain why posts by kidfluencers should be considered work, explore the harms …

توظيف اللوبي الفلسطيني في أمريكا لمنصة فيسبوك في هندسة الجمهور الأمريكي, Aseel Abu Fardi, Omar Abu Arqoub

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف المقال تحليل خطاب مؤسسات اللوبي الفلسطيني في أمريكا المستخدم لهندسة الجمهور الأمريكي من خلال صفحات فيسبوك، والتعرف على الأطر التي وظفها لتأطير موضوعاته وقضاياه، بالاستناد إلى نظرية التأطير الإعلامي. تنتمي هذه الدراسة إلى حقل الدراسات الوصفية التحليلية، باستخدام أداة تحليل المضمون لعينة الدراسة المكونة من 247 منشوراً من منشورات صفحات مؤسسات اللوبي الفلسطيني على منصة فيسبوك خلال النصف الثاني من العام 2021. وخلصت الدراسة إلى مجموعة من النتائج أبرزها، تركيز خطاب اللوبي على الموضوعات الإنسانية والسياسية والحقوقية القانونية، يليها الموضوعات الثقافية الأكاديمية، كما أن الأطر الإعلامية الأكثر توظيفاً في خطاب اللوبي هي: إطار المسؤولية، وإطار الصراع، وإطار الاهتمامات الإنسانية. …

An Analysis Of The Framing Of Supreme Court Decisions And Their Impact On The Voting Rights Of Marginalized Citizens, Nicole Anna Barlia

Communication Studies

The purpose of this paper was to examine how news media convey the impact and severity of decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the voting rights of marginalized citizens. Specific articles that discussed the decisions of the cases were looked at using Entman’s framing theory (1993) and considering the watchdog perspective (Donohue et al., 1995). An inductive, thematic content analysis was conducted to find common themes throughout articles in the top five newspapers in the nation. Themes that emerged were (1) threats to voting, (2) politicization of the Court, (3) polarization, (4) watchdog perspective, (5) judicial activism, (6) vote …

Age And Ideology: The Emergence Of New Political Cleavages In Thailand’S 2566 (2023) Election, Napon Jatusripitak, Jacob Ricks

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The Move Forward Party’s victory in Thailand’s 14 May 2566 (2023 CE) election surprised most observers, defying widespread predictions of a Pheu Thai win. Departing from traditional vote-mobilization strategies, Move Forward’s campaign focused largely on social media and broad calls for political reform while eschewing the vote-canvassing networks and economic policy promises that had delivered victory after victory for Pheu Thai. Does Move Forward’s win indicate changes in Thai voting behaviour? Relying on data from an original survey collected the week before and the week after the election, as well as observations from fieldwork, we identify two political cleavages that …

Green Fame On Tiktok Analyzing Digital Persuasion Appeals On Climate Change Discourse Among The Public And Youth., Sherry Ayad

Theses and Dissertations

In a constantly changing media ecosystem, TikTok is gaining prominence and attention, particularly among youth and Gen Z. The platform’s unique affordances are recently being utilized by young voices to promote self-expression and social activism. Consequently, TikTok’s changing nature is giving space for serious social and political issues impacting the future of young generations on topics such as climate change. By analyzing the top N=400 TikTok videos from the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), this study contributes to rare knowledge of utilizing TikTok’s affordances in scientific and political topics such as …

Trust Me: Film + Q&A; (February 22, 2024, 5:30 Pm, Sheldon Museum Of Art) [Poster], Sheldon Museum Of Art, University Of Nebraska-Lincoln

Sheldon Museum of Art: Catalogs and Publications

Poster for Trust Me: Film + Q&A held February 22, 2024 at 5:30 PM at the Sheldon Museum of Art (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States).

Poster blurb:

In today's information landscape, how do you know whom--and what--you can trust? Watch the award-winning, feature-length documentary Trust Me, which explores how media technology is influencing society and what we can do about it.

A Q&A with Rosemary Smith, filmmaker and managing director of the non-partisan Getting Better Foundation, follows.

More information about the screening is available at https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/trust-me-documentary-to-screen-at-sheldon/.

More information about the film is available at https://www.trustmedocumentary.com/ …

Reducing Loneliness And Improving Social Support Among Older Adults Through Different Modalities Of Personal Voice Assistants, Valerie Jones, Changmin Yan, Marcia Shade, Julie Blaskewicz Boron, Zhengxu Yan, Hyeon Jung Heselton, Kate Johnson, Victoria Dube

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

This study examines the potential of AI-powered personal voice assistants (PVAs) in reducing loneliness and increasing social support among older adults. With the aging population rapidly expanding, innovative solutions are essential. Prior research has indicated the effectiveness of various interactive communication technologies (ICTs) in mitigating loneliness, but studies focusing on PVAs, particularly considering their modality (audio vs. video), are limited. This research aims to fill this gap by evaluating how voice assistants, in both audio and video formats, influence perceived loneliness and social support. This study examined the impact of voice assistant technology (VAT) interventions, both audio-based (A-VAT) and video-based …

No Ela Without Ella: Understanding The Naming And Crafting Of Gendered Subjectivities In Puerto Rico, Carmín Quijano Seda

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

At the beginning of the 20th century, the official metadiscourses about gendered job titles sedimented the idea that names or indexes pointing to women should be interpreted as unskilled, cheap, or even free labor in Puerto Rico (Azize, 1985; Muñiz Mas, 1998; Baerga-Santini, 1999). For this reason, Puerto Rican women organized and fought for equality in work settings. Furthermore, they became more active in politics and the government. Nevertheless, the Estado Libre Asociado (ELA) and local media discourses and interpretations about women’s labor discouraged them from participating in more senior positions (Acevedo Gaud, 2012).

However, this interpretation seemed to have …

What Does One Billion Dollars Look Like?: Visualizing Extreme Wealth, William Mahoney Luckman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The word “billion” is a mathematical abstraction related to “big,” but it is difficult to understand the vast difference in value between one million and one billion; even harder to understand the vast difference in purchasing power between one billion dollars, and the average U.S. yearly income. Perhaps most difficult to conceive of is what that purchasing power and huge mass of capital translates to in terms of power. This project blends design, text, facts, and figures into an interactive narrative website that helps the user better understand their position in relation to extreme wealth: https://whatdoesonebilliondollarslooklike.website/

The site incorporates …

Pro-Environmental Behaviour Of Two Norway's Mainstream Mass Media, Mohammad Farras Fauzi, Henny Saptatia Drajati Nugrahani

Journal of Strategic and Global Studies

This research aims to analyze the critiques of mainstream mass media in Norway in response to the plastic waste issue in the Nordic region based on pro-environmental behaviour.. The study will also examine the constraints or challenges faced by mass media in Norway in their agenda to combat plastic waste. In this process, the research will identify the strengths and weaknesses of mass media in shaping perceptions and driving positive actions in plastic waste management. The study will also analyze how mass media engages stakeholders, including the government, non-governmental organizations, and industry, in efforts to combat plastic waste in Norway. …

The Impact Of Interaction Time And Verbal Engagement With Personal Voice Assistants On Alleviating Loneliness Among Older Adults: An Exploratory Study, Changmin Yan, Kate Johnson, Valerie Jones

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Faculty Publications

Background: Loneliness in older adults is a critical issue that negatively affects their well-being. The potential of personal voice assistant (PVA) devices like Amazon’s Alexa Echo in reducing loneliness is an emerging area of interest, but it remains under-researched. Objective: this study aims to investigate the effect of interaction time and verbal engagement with PVA devices on reducing loneliness among older adults living alone. Method: In this experiment, individuals aged 75 and older (n = 15), living alone, were provided with Amazon Alexa Echo devices. They were instructed to interact with the device at least five times a day …

Countering Electoral Disinformation: Training Module For Media, Centre For Excellence In Journalism, Iba

CEJ Research and Publications

This curriculum has been designed with the view to increase the ability of media practitioners, election and human rights monitors and the youth to respond to election-related information manipulation by identifying the various types accurately and quickly through an election- specific curriculum, CSO-focused capacity building activities and an improved distribution network.

She Speaks For Millions: The Emergence Of Female Diplomatic Voices In The Russo-Ukrainian War, Amber Brittain-Hale, Amber Brittain-Hale

Education Division Scholarship

This research critically investigates the public diplomacy strategies deployed by a cohort of influential female European leaders on Twitter during the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022-2023. The study comprises eight leaders - Kallas (Estonia), Marin (Finland), von der Leyen (President of the European Commission), Metsola (President of the European Parliament), Sandu (Moldova), Simonyte (Lithuania), Zourabichvili (Georgia), and Meloni (Italy) - representing millions of constituents. By mirroring the analytical attention given to Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this study scrutinizes the distinct approaches and dif erences in emotional, cognitive, and structural language use between these influential female figures and President Zelenskyy in their …

The Power Of Polish: Exploring The Impact Of Nail Adornments On Perceptions Of Attraction, Sara Demichele

Honors Theses

Understanding the significance of nail adornments in shaping perceptions of attractiveness and mate value provides insights into human behavior and preferences. In the current investigation, participants rated human nail length and color on physical attractiveness and partner desirability measures. Results revealed significant effects of nail length and color across different demographic groups. Medium-length nails consistently received higher ratings for physical attractiveness, cuteness, and partner desirability compared to short and long nails. White-colored nails were generally rated most attractive, while blue and black nails received the lowest ratings. Additionally, participants reported a moderate association between having manicured nails and feelings of …

Religious Symbolism In Rhetoric Of Right Populist Parties, Serhii Kostiuchkov, Dmytro Garaschuk, Viacheslav Serhieiev, Kateryna Volkova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article explores the use of religious symbolism in the populist rhetoric of Poland's Law and Justice (PiS) party and Hungary's Fidesz party. Both parties leverage historical and cultural narratives emphasizing Christianity's role in their national identities to legitimize their political agendas and mobilize support. The study examines how these populist leaders incorporate religious imagery and language to create a moral dichotomy between the “righteous people” and the “corrupt elite,” thereby deepening societal divisions and undermining democratic governance. In Poland, the PiS party's close alignment with the Catholic Church reinforces its nationalist and anti-EU stance, while in Hungary, Fidesz employs …

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …