Cognitive and affective risk perceptions toward food safety outbreaks: mediating the relation between news use and food consumption intention

Much research on risk perception and health behavior has examined cognitive dimensions of risk but not affective dimensions. To address this gap, this study examines both cognitive risk perception (perceived risk of susceptibility and severity) and affective risk perception (worry) in the context of food safety risks in East Asia. We investigate their roles in independently and jointly predicting intention to consume outbreak-associated food products, as well as mediating the influences of news exposure and attention on intention. Data from a nationwide survey in South Korea (N = 1500) lent overall support for our hypotheses in both cases of processed food from China and seafood from Japan. Our findings show: (1) both perceived risk and worry were negatively associated with food consumption intention, and the association between perceived risk and intention was stronger among those higher in worry; (2) news attention had stronger associations with perceived risk and worry than news exposure, and attention moderated the relationship between news exposure and perceived risk; and (3) perceived risk and worry mediated the associations between news use and food consumption intention. Implications and limitations of the findings are discussed.     

布什访华——新华社新华网与美联社新闻网的比较分析

本文以布什访华活动的报道为个案 ,定量、定性地对比分析了新华社新华网与美联社新闻网的报道内容、版面安排、标题特征及新闻插图等。论证指出 :美联社新闻网在报道布什访华活动时比较严重地背离了“客观性”这一基本新闻原则。     

Arab media,corporate communications,and public relations: the case of Al Jazeera

Over the past few decades, public relations has developed significantly in the West into a sophisticated management function which is recognized as an integral part of any organization's attempt to communicate with various persons, both within and outside the organization, in order to achieve its goals and objectives. However, this is not the case in the Arab world where public relations remains underdeveloped and, even when practised, is relatively unsophisticated. This paper deals with the public relations function in a prominent though controversial Arab media organization: Al Jazeera Satellite Channel. It explores how Al Jazeera has been dealing with internal and external communication issues impelled initially by its role as a satellite broadcaster spearheading changes in a vibrant Arab mediascape and subsequently by its expansion into a global broadcaster. Drawing on James Grunig's four models of communication to analyze Al Jazeera's public relations practices, the case study at hand outlines some of the communication challenges and opportunities the organization has been facing during its 10 years of existence. The case of an indigenous organization like Al Jazeera operating in a culturally distinct environment puts into perspective communications issues and complicates our understanding of how public relations is understood and practised outside the normative Western public relations paradigm.     

Politics of representation in the digital media environment: presentation of the female candidate between news coverage and the website in the 2007 Korean presidential primary

This study analyzes how a female candidate was presented in the news media and on her campaign website, in order to compare the politics of gender representation in news coverage and campaign communication. Content analysis of news coverage of a Korean female candidate and the candidate's website shows that the female candidate was differently portrayed in the two media in presentations of personal trait frames, the linkage between issues and personal traits, and other gender-related characteristics, although the quantity of issue frames did not differ significantly. The findings suggest that although the news coverage still tends to reinforce gender stereotypes regarding a female candidate, the candidate used or articulated gender identities in her campaign website to oppose framing stereotypes in the traditional news media.     

Candidates’ use of informal communication on social media reduces credibility and support: Examining the consequences of expectancy violations

ABSTRACT

This experiment (N= 476) investigates how individuals evaluate political candidates who use informal communication on social media. We use expectancy violations theory (EVT) to predict that informal communication will lead to negative evaluations. Our results suggest that politicians’ use of informal communication on social media leads to expectancy violation, which decreases perceived credibility and lessens intention to support a candidate. This effect was not moderated by sex (male versus female) or age (young versus old) of the candidate, nor of participants being the same sex as the candidate. These findings suggest that political figures should use informal communication on social media with caution.     

从“媒介系统依赖”到“传播机体”——“媒介系统依赖论”发展回顾及新概念

祝建华 :本文描述的“传播机体”理论是“媒体依赖”理论在全球化和新媒体时代的继承和发展 ,用于分析媒体、个人、社群乃至社会各层面之互动关系。陈力丹 :鲍尔 -洛基奇是前任《传播学研究》的两主编之一 ,她与德弗勒的合著《大众传播诸论》1 5年前就在中国出版了中译本 ,因而被我国传播学界知悉。她在理论传播学方面与时俱进 ,现在已经将她早年论证的“媒介依赖论” ,以美国洛杉矶不同文化区域的传播生态作为研究对象 ,发展到了现在的“传播机体论”。本期发表的是她发言的理论部分。     

Individual and community practices for constructing communicative resilience: exploring the communicative processes of coping with parental alienation

ABSTRACT

Parental alienation occurs after parents divorce and intentionally or even unintentionally persuade their children to distance themselves from or reject the other parent. Framed by the communication theory of resilience, this study explores the communicative practices that enable and constrain the targeted alienated parents’ ability to create normalcy at the individual and online community levels. We also examine the relationships between individual-level and online community-level resilience. Findings from 40 narrative interviews reveal communicative practices/processes that enable and constrain alienated parents at both the individual and online support group levels. Findings also suggest that there is a robust relationship between resilience practices at the individual and community levels. Theoretical implications and practical applications are discussed.