Mapping the infotainment literature: current trajectories and suggestions for future research

ABSTRACT

Academic interest in what has been termed “infotainment” has grown considerably since the term was coined in the 1980s. Today, the burgeoning field of infotainment research has become an important interdisciplinary field of study producing numerous political, cultural, and social insights. Nevertheless, infotainment remains highly contested, multifaceted, and incoherent, both as a term and a field of study. Preliminary attempts have been made to give greater conceptual clarity and standardization to the term, although their success has been limited, leaving difficulties in analyzing and comparing findings in a unified manner. In this review essay I outline the findings from a comprehensive literature review by delineating three mains trajectories of infotainment research: (1) research on soft news programming; (2) research on traditional news media; and (3) research on media systems and global infotainment. To conclude, I offer three suggestions for future infotainment research, arguing that scholars should attempt to achieve standardization and conceptual clarity within, rather than across research trajectories, that political theory should be more explicitly incorporated into the literature for the purposes of standardizing methods and clarifying normative debates, and that research should also focus on the synergies between contemporary trends in political campaign/communications strategies and trends in infotainment.     

Best Practices for Journalistic Balance: Gatekeeping,Imbalance and the Fake News Era

ABSTRACT

The concepts of balance and fairness are considered pillars for ethical journalism. However, balance is not clearly defined within the working profession, and more importantly, the construction of a balanced news story is often subjective to its creator and institution, leading to calls of imbalance by both the public and political figures. This study examines the construct of balance and if there is a connection between imbalance and fake news from the perspective of news journalists within the United States. Interviews with television journalists across the U.S. show the definition of balance is widely varied, with a need to expand beyond the traditional two-sides-of-the-story model; a recognition that the expanse of the Internet has created a force of un-vetted gatekeepers allowing for imbalanced reporting, and that the threat of fake news could seriously harm balanced journalism.     

Removal of Organic Acids from Indoor Air in Museum Storage Rooms by Active and Passive Sorption Techniques

ABSTRACT

Adsorbent materials can be used for the removal of organic acids from air in storage rooms with heritage collections. The organic acid removal efficiency of two commercially available activated carbon air-filters were tested in situ in two unoccupied stores with densely packed collections. One filter was designed for outdoor type pollutants (Filter A), while the other was designed for organic acids in indoor air (Filter B). Furthermore, the acetic acid removal efficiency of a desiccant silica gel rotor used for dehumidification was measured in a laboratory at different relative humidity levels. Finally, passive removal of acetic acid by silica gel and unfired clay brick were tested in a chamber, and for clay brick at room level as well. Filter B had the highest removal efficiency. The removal efficiency of both filter types depended on the airflow and the filter performance varied considerably in situ from the values reported from standard laboratory tests. Increasing the filter airflow reduced the removal efficiency from 77% and down to 7% for Filter A, and from 92% to 24% for Filter B. There was almost no effect of active air filtration on the concentration of organic acids when this was measured in the middle and in the corner of the storage rooms away from the ventilation inlets. The desiccant dehumidifier removed 98–100% of the acetic acid from the air, independently of the relative humidity. The desiccant rotor will, however, only be running when there is a need for dehumidification and as a result will only periodically remove pollutants. The high acid removal efficiency by dry silica gel was furthermore demonstrated in a chamber test. A clay brick wall in a test room established a concentration gradient across the room and reduced the concentration of organic acids by 56% compared to close to the emission source.     

论命题推理前提假值的先舍后取——兼及命题推理有效必然性的理论阐释

推理的目的在于使前提的真传递到结论，因而必须舍去前提中的假值。结论是以扩大断定范围的方式必然地保有前提的真。在验证推理是否有效时，将前提的真与假值均考虑在内，看结论是否完全包含了前提断定的事态(真)，以确定推理是否必然有效。     

电视对新闻报道的影响

电视对新闻报道产生了广泛而深远的影响.给新闻报道注入了新的活力,为人们接收新闻提供了更多选择。但电视出现 后,也产生了一些值得反思的现象。本文对此作了初步的探讨。     

我国的反垄断立法

阐述了反垄断的现状和必要性，介绍了反垄断立法应该从我国的实际国情出发，借鉴国外的成功经验，体现效率优先、兼顾公平的法律理念，构建一种有效竞争的目标模式。     

基于网络的文献传递服务软件——Ariel和Prospero

Ariel和Prospero是两种基于网络的文献传递服务软件，文章讨论它们的特点、使用方法、系统要求等问题。     

怎样保护和发展球队的有生力量

9月7日中卡之战,米卢从十强赛全局战略的高度出发,把注意力放在了“保护和发展球队的有生力量以争取比较更有把握地争夺最后胜利“这样一个中心问题上.     

图书馆在信息传播系统中的作用和地位

本文提出了一个与图书馆相关的信息传播模型 ,依据该模型 ,讨论了图书馆在信息传播系统中的作用和地位 ,认为当代图书馆应有一种危机意识。同时讨论了有关图书馆的几个热点问题     

Defining diabetes and assigning responsibility: how print media frame diabetes in New Zealand

Research has analyzed media framing of cause and solution responsibility attribution in diabetes discourse. Studies have not similarly engaged with how media frame diabetes ‘effects’, an integral framing component because it comprises the ‘problem definition’ of diabetes. Moreover, the combination of causal attribution and effects provides a ‘moral evaluation’ on who carries the burden of the disease. This paper asks ‘how does the New Zealand print media frame diabetes definition and responsibility attribution?’ We identify key frames used to discursively construct Gestational, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes discourse. Content and thematic analysis reveal that media predominantly discuss diabetes without type-specification and with a high reference to obesity and behavioral choices as causal factors. Diabetes is defined as an individual’s medical concern, which when mismanaged results in amputation, blindness, kidney disease and coronary disease. We consider the implications of media coverage on public response to diabetes as a societal concern.