KOME

The Spread of News Deserts in Chile

2024-07-23T10:26:19+02:00

News deserts are areas where the local community lacks reliable media outlets such as newspapers in the context of a global crisis in the press that weakens local civil society through its effect on democracy, social cohesion, and identity. This study focuses on the remote Aysén region of Chile which despite being territorially the third largest region in the country has the smallest population (108,306). This research employs a triangular methodology, incorporating a quantitative dimension using public data with systematic searches, a régiónál news desert media map and a social network metrics analysis, alongside qualitative methods such as a case study on the territory with semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation conducted between January and February 2023. The findings indicate that 20% of Aysén is at significant risk of becoming a news desert while 40% is already classified as such. The limited availability of diverse sources of information, the lack of adequate digital infrastructure, and the economic challenges faced by small media outlets are among the key contributing factors. Furthermore, the study posits potential solutions, including the establishment of collaborative networks and the advancement of mobile journalism, with the aim of reinforcing local identity and public institution strategies. Although the insights presented are primarily focused on the Aysén region, they could be extended to other Latin American and global regions facing comparable media vulnerabilities.

Perceptions of Self-Efficacy with Misinformation

2025-01-13T12:58:33+01:00

Resilience to misinformation has been conceptualised and defined as an intangible resource belonging to a country, a measure of the capacity of its citizens to deploy discerning and cognitive skills to determine the veracity or falsehood of information, as well as be aware of the degree of the problem. This conceptualisation allows for value to emerge from cross-country and cross-time analyses of data on perceptions of self-efficacy in curbing misinformation. Using data from Eurobarometer, this research conducts analyses at whole-country level, and 1. identifies key components of individuals’ perceptions about their resilience to misinformation; 2. produces a factor with which cross-time observations can be operationalised; 3. shows evolution over time (2018–2022) for European citizens from 27 countries. Overall, results disclose a growing trend, and this is so for both specific individual attitudes and skills, as well as the resulting factor as a whole. The causes and implications of the findings are discussed to provide hints on how to improve public policies, such as taking into account self-perceptions of efficacy in fighting misinformation alongside media literacy strategies that engage citizens in curbing misinformation.

Building Political Identity through Visual Affective Polarisation on Instagram

2024-11-21T14:33:21+01:00

This article compares the power of visual affective polarisation on Instagram among six European far-right political parties with the aim of enhancing academic knowledge about the manner in which these parties construct their political identity through visual symbols, rhetoric, and imagery to appeal to their target audiences and convey their ideologies. Through quantitative content analysis of Instagram visuals posted on Instagram by the six main European far-right parties during a two-month period, we focused on content-related and format-related variables, as well as technical features, to analyse those visuals as denotative, connotative and ideological systems from the visual framing model perspective. Findings revealed significant differences in the visual framing strategies among these European far-right political parties, pointing to the complexity in identifying a common pattern in their strategic visual communication regarding affective polarisation. This study contributes to the existing literature on visual communication and affective polarisation strategies in politics.

Generating a Deepfake Frame

2025-01-08T11:43:11+01:00

This study investigates the understanding of deepfake, a highly realistic AI mimicry technique that is rapidly evolving to produce increasingly realistic videos and explores the construction of a deepfake framework through the lens of audience communication using framing theory. It identifies three key findings. First, the public discourse on deepfakes forms a concept hierarchy emphasising technology and its entertainment applications, with core concepts including AI, voice, actor and job, while peripheral concerns such as consent and company receive less focus. Second, employing the BERTopic algorithm, latent themes in public discussions were categorised into two dimensions: social dynamics and cultural phenomena. Third, sentiment analysis reveals predominantly neutral or negative attitudes, indicating concerns over the risks and societal impacts of deepfake technology. The deepfakes framework developed here provides a structured approach to understanding these impacts, highlighting the need for ethical considerations in technological development, regulatory measures and public education.

Speaking for the Unheard

2024-11-26T11:33:30+01:00

This study investigates the impact of restrictive environments on LGBTQ+ scholarship in the Global South, focusing on publication patterns, research themes and the role of international collaboration in enhancing research visibility. Analysis was conducted on data from 57 countries over a 30-year period (1993–2023) from Scopus using bibliometric and network analyses to explore the barriers scholars face when addressing LGBTQ+ issues in regions where these topics are socially or politically censored. The findings reveal a steady increase in LGBTQ+ research from the Global South, with a strong focus on identity and health-related themes, while political and legal discussions remain underrepresented. Collaborations with Global North scholars significantly boost visibility and citation impact, although issues of equitable power sharing within these collaborations persist.
The study concludes that international partnerships, while crucial in amplifying marginalised voices, must ensure equitable contributions from scholars in the Global South to promote a more inclusive and balanced body of knowledge.

Building Bridges in Academic Publishing and Research

2025-05-27T09:39:40+02:00

This study explores the publication practices and collaboration networks of the Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies in order to understand its contribution to global academic knowledge production and the way in which semi-peripheral academic institutions can navigate global academic hierarchies, achieve greater visibility, and foster equitable knowledge production. The analysis shows that fellows at the institution overwhelmingly prioritise high-impact journals, with approximately 70% of their work published at Q1-ranked venues. This focus underscores the institute’s dedication to academic excellence and its commitment to increasing the global visibility of Hungarian research. Most of the publications are concentrated in Western academic journals, especially those based in the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, reflecting the extant academic networks of the fellows, and the institution’s strategic emphasis on high-quality, internationally recognised publication outlets. However, while international journals dominate, a smaller, yet significant, portion of publications appears in local journals, indicating a balance between global engagement and local impact. Situated within a world-systemic framework, this paper argues that Institutes for Advanced Studies can act as bridges between semi-peripheral academic institutions and leading global research networks. By supporting international collaboration and emphasising impactful publishing, the Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies not only enhances its own reputation but also serves as a model for other institutions seeking to raise their profile in the competitive landscape of global academic publishing.

Personalised vs. Non-Personalised Peer Review Requests

2025-06-06T13:09:51+02:00

Peer review is and will remain the cornerstone of research publishing, but finding the right candidate to write an evaluation report for submitted manuscripts can be a challenge for academic publishers. Reaching out to peer reviewers always leaves a written trail (both for reasons of editorial accountability and quality control) and generally starts with an email inquiry from the editors. The content and style of these emails can influence how the recipient responds to the request, and analysing them could offer publishers valuable insights on how to design such initial contacts for optimal efficacy. This article is aimed at presenting a database and preliminary results for such analysis, consisting of 854 anonymised peer review requests sent out through traditional email, academia.edu and
researchgate.net private messages between 2018 and 2022. It was found that personalised peer review requests had a higher response rate and higher ratio of submitted reports than non-personalised ones, and personalisation has the best results with peers of low academic seniority. Requests sent through academic social media had a response rate comparable to personalised email messages but received significantly fewer refusals and resulted in more completed evaluation reports, especially when female academics were targeted.