Platform Affordances, Produsage, And The Attention Economy: From Red (Taylor’S Version) To The Life Of A Showgirl,
2026
Auckland University of Technology
Platform Affordances, Produsage, And The Attention Economy: From Red (Taylor’S Version) To The Life Of A Showgirl, Angela Rose Asuncion
The Manuscript: Journal of Taylor Swift Studies
Social media platforms increasingly operate as infrastructures of visibility, shaping the conditions under which cultural content is produced, circulated, and recognised (van Dijck et al.; Nieborg and Poell). This article examines Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) and The Life of a Showgirl as two distinct visibility configurations emerging from the affordances and algorithmic logics of TikTok and Instagram. Drawing on platform studies (Abidin), celebrity theory (Dyer; Marshall; Marwick), and participatory culture and produsage (Jenkins; Bruns), the study employs a QCA-inspired configurational approach (Ragin) to analyse how clusters of affective cues, aesthetic strategies, parasocial signals, and circulation patterns generate contrasting visibility …
Media Framing Of The Bawku Conflict In Ghana: An Analysis Of Cultural Biases, Narratives, And Peacebuilding Implications,
2026
Bowling Green State University
Media Framing Of The Bawku Conflict In Ghana: An Analysis Of Cultural Biases, Narratives, And Peacebuilding Implications, Falilatu Saaka
Master of Arts in Media and Communication Plan II Graduate Projects
This research examines the media framing of the Bawku conflict in Ghana, focusing on how cultural biases shape the portrayal of ethnic disputes and influence public perception. Utilizing a qualitative discourse analysis grounded in Framing Theory and Afrocentric critique, the study analyzes ten news reports from major Ghanaian media outlets to identify patterns of bias, narrative construction, and ideological positioning. Findings reveal that media coverage predominantly emphasizes security and stability, often at the expense of addressing deeper political, economic, and historical factors. Language, imagery, and sourcing choices tend to reinforce stereotypes, skewing public understanding towards ethnic dichotomies, particularly between the …
Between The Middle Kingdom And The Middle Way: An Analysis Of State Power And Sacred Authority In The Sino-Tibet Conflict,
2026
Pepperdine University
Between The Middle Kingdom And The Middle Way: An Analysis Of State Power And Sacred Authority In The Sino-Tibet Conflict, Madison M. Berry, Aimee N. Ebeling, Jayden A. Hanson
Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research
This research paper addresses the growing concerns of the Sino-Tibetan conflict by analyzing the relationship between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) through an intercultural communication and negotiation lens. By analyzing historical relationships between the two parties and comparing them to similar contemporary situations, this paper examines the sinicization of the Tibetan people. By exploring the “Old Tibet” and “New Tibet” narratives, while acknowledging the centrality of the Dalai Lama to both parties, it also addresses territorial disagreements and the contrasting understandings of sovereignty and modernization, which fuel the conflict. Finally, a policy framework …
Current Situation, Problems, And Countermeasures Of Science And Technology Societies In China Under Global Technology Governance,
2026
Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development, Beijing 100038, China; International Cooperation Center, National Development and Reform Commission, Beijing 100045, China
Current Situation, Problems, And Countermeasures Of Science And Technology Societies In China Under Global Technology Governance, Yangyang Li, Yaoyu Nie, Xiaoxiao Xiong, Guangxi He
Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)
The “15th Five-Year Plan” period presents both opportunities and challenges for scientific and technological societies in China, meaning that they shall further refine their functional positioning beyond traditional academic exchanges and provide full-chain services. Since the reform and opening up, the development of science and technology societies in China has flourished, and their governance capacity has been continuously enhanced, playing a sustained role in gathering scientific and technological talent, participating in national and social governance, and driving multi-dimensional innovation. Nevertheless, there are also problems such as low management efficiency, insufficient integration into the national innovation system, and overall low level …
Protecting Free Speech And Promoting Civility: The Dueling Responsibilities Of American Colleges And Universities,
2026
James Madison University
Protecting Free Speech And Promoting Civility: The Dueling Responsibilities Of American Colleges And Universities, Tara N. Parsons
International Journal on Responsibility
Freedom House estimates that 75% of the world’s population lives in countries that experienced a democratic decline in 2020. Even in long established democracies, liberal democratic values have been shaken. As democracy requires an enlightened citizenry cultivated by a college education, many American universities and colleges adopt civic instruction and engagement as a core responsibility and mission. However, growing anti-intellectualism has drawn increased scrutiny and suspicion towards the programming, curriculum, and core values of universities. Powerful political figures regularly accuse universities of stifling conservative voices and discouraging free speech. The tension between free speech and civic dialogue requires a reframing …
Hungary For More? Russian Storm-1516 Narratives And Engagement Tactics Targeting Hungary’S 2026 Parliamentary Election.,
2026
Clemson University
Hungary For More? Russian Storm-1516 Narratives And Engagement Tactics Targeting Hungary’S 2026 Parliamentary Election., Ella Murray, Darren Linvill, Patrick Warren
Media Forensics Hub Reports
This report identifies and analyzes a coordinated influence operation aligned with the Russian Storm-1516 ecosystem and targeting Hungary’s 2026 election. The campaign leverages a network of inauthentic social media accounts to disseminate fabricated narratives, amplify political attacks, and undermine trust in Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar and the TISZA party. The campaign reflects a broader evolution in Russian influence operations, combining established narrative laundering techniques with new amplification strategies. These include the use of fabricated media outlets, paid influencers, and a network of commercial marketing accounts with links to Africa. The campaign leverages likely compensated influencer accounts as well as …
The Sensationalizing Of Presidential Assassinations In Mass Media Throughout American History,
2026
Bellarmine University
The Sensationalizing Of Presidential Assassinations In Mass Media Throughout American History, Lindsay E. Smith
Undergraduate Theses
This project explores how mass media has shaped the public response to presidential assassinations across American history. By examining the deaths of Abraham Lincoln (1865), James A. Garfield (1881), William McKinley (1901), and John F. Kennedy (1963), we can trace how evolving media technologies – such as newspapers, yellow journalism, radio broadcasts, and live television coverage – have sensationalized violence, politicized tragedy, and transformed periods of national mourning into mass spectacles. The thesis analyzes reporting methods, narrative framing, and the news industry to show how each has influenced emotional response, political landscapes, and eventual presidential legacy. Ultimately, we find that …
The Wandering Role: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Gamal Abdel Nasser,
2026
DePauw University
The Wandering Role: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Gamal Abdel Nasser, Ethan Nichter '26
Honor Scholar Theses
In the mid-twentieth century, Gamal Abdel Nasser emerged as a powerful figure in Egypt and the rest of the Arab world, seeking to uplift the region in the era of decolonization. While contemporary scholars have analyzed Nasserism as a contradiction of itself, an ideology that originated as liberation but resulted in autocratic rule, less attention has been paid to instead break down what made Nasserism so appealing to his audience. I draw upon Max Weber’s theory of charismatic authority and Maurice Charland’s concept of constitutive rhetoric in interpreting Nasserism in three phases: as a political theory, as a ruling ideology, …
Beyond The Badge: How Internal Culture Contradicts External Service In Urban Police Departments,
2026
Chapman University
Beyond The Badge: How Internal Culture Contradicts External Service In Urban Police Departments, Rowan Bari Eiselman
Educational Studies Student Papers and Posters
This ethnographic study examines how gendered workplace culture and mental health culture shape officer retention in two urban police departments: the Orange Police Department and the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th District. Through ride-alongs, observations, and informal interviews with nine current and retired officers (four female, five male) across various ranks conducted between March and April 2026, this research reveals a troubling contradiction: departments tasked with serving diverse communities struggle to support diversity within their own ranks. Female officers navigate professional isolation, prolonged competence-proving expectations, and implicit career-versus-motherhood choices, with experiences varying significantly between the more supportive Orange PD and …
Eyes Wide Shut: Sex Trafficking In The Black Community,
2026
Postive Change Consultants, USA
Eyes Wide Shut: Sex Trafficking In The Black Community, Stephany Powell
Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence
No abstract provided.
Next-Generation Democratic Cyber Statecraft - Balancing The Signal: Shutdown Shocks And Democratic Digital Governance,
2026
Pepperdine University
Next-Generation Democratic Cyber Statecraft - Balancing The Signal: Shutdown Shocks And Democratic Digital Governance, Scott M. Di Panni
School of Public Policy Capstones
This paper develops Next-Generation Democratic Cyber Statecraft (NG-DCS), a unified strategic doctrine for democratic governments to contest the cognitive domain against authoritarian adversaries. Drawing on twenty-six years of cross-national panel data (1999–2024) spanning 213 countries, game-theoretic modeling, and qualitative case analysis, the paper establishes three interconnected empirical and theoretical foundations. First, cross-national OLS regression across 160+ countries demonstrates that regime type is the dominant structural determinant of internet freedom (R²=0.615, β=2.513, p< 0.001), explaining more than twice the variance attributable to per-capita wealth (R²=0.268). Democratic governance, not economic development, produces open digital environments. Second, a two-way fixed effects (TWFE) difference-in-differences study exploiting government-ordered internet shutdowns as discrete policy interventions finds that digital restrictions causally degrade V-Dem governance quality by 0.21–0.38 standard deviations (p< 0.001 across all specifications). Treatment effects are immediate (β=−0.302 at k=0) and persist through five post-treatment years (β=−0.246 at k=+5), indicating structural rather than transitory governance damage. Parallel trends validation (p=0.352) and Callaway–Sant’Anna heterogeneity-robust estimation (ATT=−0.230, SE=0.077) support causal identification. Instrumental variable triangulation (2SLS β=−0.949, p=0.005) confirms that simultaneity was attenuating, not inflating, the primary estimates. Third, formal game-theoretic analysis reveals that the current U.S.–adversary equilibrium is (Restrain, Escalate)—the risk-dominant but Pareto-inferior outcome of a Stag Hunt structure. China, Russia, North Korea, and Venezuela each occupy structurally distinct positions (Stackelberg commitment, asymmetric two-level, autarky, and reactive trigger, respectively), requiring differentiated doctrinal responses rather than a uniform strategic playbook. Generative AI and algorithmic governance are shown to accelerate cognitive vulnerability by collapsing influence operation costs and exploiting engagement-optimized platform architectures that systematically degrade deliberative capacity in democratic populations.
Understanding The Life Satisfaction Gap In Political Consumerism: Buycotting Vs. Boycotting,
2026
John Carroll University
Understanding The Life Satisfaction Gap In Political Consumerism: Buycotting Vs. Boycotting, Neleen S. Leslie-Piper, La Toya M. Russell
AMTP Proceedings 2026
Drawing on approach–avoidance motivation, regulatory focus, warm-glow reward, and self-determination theory, this study examines whether political consumerism, specifically boycotting and buycotting, is associated with life satisfaction in environmental and social issue contexts. Using survey data from Prosper Insights, we compare life satisfaction across buycotters, boycotters, and indifferent consumers and examine how Big Five personality traits and demographics moderate these relationships. We predict higher life satisfaction among buycotters than boycotters, and anticipate a moderating effect of personality traits. Our findings advance marketing theory and practice by linking political consumerism to consumer well-being.
Fear In The Forecast: Do You Believe The Government Controls The Weather?,
2026
Chapman University
Fear In The Forecast: Do You Believe The Government Controls The Weather?, Gabriella Bartsch
Honors Papers and Posters
Weather manipulation by the government is among the most widely believed conspiracy theories in America, with over 49 percent of Americans subscribing to this belief. As belief in weather-related conspiracies continues to gain traction, understanding the political and social factors that drive these beliefs becomes increasingly essential. In this study, data from the Chapman Survey of American Fears, a representative national sample of U.S. adults, as well as a qualitative content analysis of X/Twitter posts from 2020 to 2026, are used. This research examines how political partisanship and conspiratorial predisposition are reflected in media consumption and levels of institutional trust, …
Rock On! Examining The Relationship Between Armed Conflict And Rock Protest Music,
2026
University of South Carolina - Columbia
Rock On! Examining The Relationship Between Armed Conflict And Rock Protest Music, Dylan Conner Dunn
Senior Theses
This thesis explores the relationship between rock protest music and wars, armed conflicts, and other related events. The purpose of this research is to explore how such specific events, or war and conflict in general, influence rock songwriters. This paper examines a series of nine rock songs ranging across five decades, from the Vietnam War to the 2010s. A variety of artists wrote and recorded these songs, ranging from hard rock to classic rock, to folk rock and beyond. Some are more audially intense, lyrically visceral, and featuring explicit language, whereas others are much more stripped-back and “family-friendly.” Each of …
Conservation Communication In Web 2.0: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Alveus Sanctuary's Strategies On Twitch.Tv,
2026
University of South Carolina - Columbia
Conservation Communication In Web 2.0: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Alveus Sanctuary's Strategies On Twitch.Tv, Hope Denison
Senior Theses
This thesis examines how environmental creators can effectively transmit conservation messages in the evolving Web 2.0 media environment. The case of Alveus Sanctuary, a virtual sanctuary and education center on Twitch.TV, is used to explore the strategies currently used to engage audiences and raise ecological awareness online. Thematic analysis of interviews with the sanctuary’s founder revealed that Alveus combines traditional environmental education with an influencer business model to engage online audiences, leveraging parasocial behavior, interactivity, and collaboration to garner support. A quantitative content analysis of social media posts revealed that these strategies effectively induce parasocial engagement in online spaces. These …
Operation Overload - Matryoshka's Next Layer,
2026
Clemson University
Operation Overload - Matryoshka's Next Layer, Leland Fecher, Patrick Warren, Laura Adams, Bb Fonseca, Kylie Gilbert, Alexa Gubanich, Lexi Katramados, Miles Rockow, Alexander Sharp, Katelyn Smith, Lee White
Media Forensics Hub Creative Inquiry Reports
For this project our team expanded our search for inauthentic actors to new locations, specifically Bluesky. With the help of internet watchdogs Antibot4Navalny and dTeam, we began investigating a network known as “Matryoshka”1, aka “Operation Overload”2, aka “Storm-1679.”3 We discovered the network was stealing the identities of moderately known people of influence ranging from political candidates to university staff members. Because Twitter/X users had not created versions of themselves on Bluesky, due to its relatively new arrival on the social media scene, their identities were ripe for the taking by nefarious actors. During the time we observed this campaign (January …
From Data To Intelligence: A Review Of Recent Technological And Theoretical Advances In Computational Communication Science,
2026
Department of Communication of Science and Technology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Intelligence, Hefei 230026, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Science Education and Communication, Hefei 230026, China
From Data To Intelligence: A Review Of Recent Technological And Theoretical Advances In Computational Communication Science, Mengxiao Zhu, Zongting Ge, Jiaojiao Ji
Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)
Against the backdrop of a platform society and the rise of multimodal content, communication processes are increasingly mediated by algorithms, while digital traces continue to expand in scale and granularity. Building on the 2009 and 2020 “computational social science” initiatives as an intellectual lineage, open science and testable evidence have gradually become field-wide norms. Building on prior work, this study traces a “actors–content–platforms/algorithms–audience–effects” pathway to clarify what computational communication studies and what its central questions are, and to review how artificial intelligence is used across the 5W elements of the pathway. We further review international institutionalization driven by scholarly societies …
Science And Technology Communication And Construction Of China’S International Discourse System: Strategic Significance, Current Challenges, And Innovative Pathways,
2026
School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Science And Technology Communication And Construction Of China’S International Discourse System: Strategic Significance, Current Challenges, And Innovative Pathways, Haonan Du, Ting Wang
Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)
Against the backdrop of a new round of scientific and technological revolution with the ongoing restructuring of the global governance system, science and technology have become central to competition in national comprehensive competitiveness and struggles for international discourse power. China’s science and technology have achieved a historic leap from “catching up” to “running alongside” and even “leading in certain areas”, providing solid strength support for the construction of an international discourse system. However, the transformation of scientific and technological advantages into discourse advantages remains insufficient, and the international community holds a dual perception of China’s technological advancements—recognition alongside concerns. The …
Theoretical Construction And Practical Transformation Of “New Science Popularization” In Process Of Chinese Modernization,
2026
School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
Theoretical Construction And Practical Transformation Of “New Science Popularization” In Process Of Chinese Modernization, Ting Wang, Haonan Du, Tian Zhu, Shihui Yang, Rongting Zhou
Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)
Rooted in the historical context of China’s national strategy-driven science popularization (SP), this study analyzes the local practical integration of “science popularization” and “science and technology communication”. It proposes a theoretical framework for “new science popularization” suitable for a strong state-strong society collaborative governance environment, based on the fundamental hypotheses of “innovation-driven development”, “systemic coupling”, and “nodal creation”. The core argument introduces the “One Body, Two Wings; Three Layers, Three Stages” dynamic system model. This model elucidates how SP, under the unity of national strategy and human development, achieves a spiral evolution—from knowledge interconnection and literacy co-shaping to ecosystem co-creation—through …
Innovation-Oriented Science Popularization (Iosp): A New Paradigm For Frontier Science Communication And Innovation Capacity Building,
2026
School of Economics and Management, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Innovation-Oriented Science Popularization (Iosp): A New Paradigm For Frontier Science Communication And Innovation Capacity Building, Yong Ge, Yifei Li
Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)
Under China’s strategy of becoming a science and technology powerhouse, traditional transmission-oriented science popularization inadequately addresses youth demands for frontier technology practice, constraining source innovation in talent cultivation. Informed by international approaches such as learning by doing and responsible research and innovation (RRI), together with domestic Chinese practices, this study formulates innovation-oriented science popularization (IOSP) as a new paradigm focusing on frontier technologies, deep experiential learning, and innovation capacity building. IOSP establishes a systematic implementation pathway through four integrated dimensions: layered content design, virtual-real fusion, industry-academia-research-user linkage, and multi-scenario coverage. Taking the Shanghai Youth Science Innovation Practice Workstation as a …
