Communication and the Public

This study investigated how the combination of textual and visual frames influences the attribution of responsibility for arrest and deportation of undocumented migrants and empathy. A 3 visual frame: (no photo, stereotypical photo, counter-stereotypical photo) × 2 textual frame: (episodic, thematic) between-subjects online experiment revealed that including a counter-stereotypical photograph in both episodic and thematic news stories had a positive effect on empathy for undocumented migrants but did not affect responsibility for arrest and deportation. Adding a stereotypical photograph to an episodic news story significantly reduced societal responsibility for arrest and deportation and decreased the level of empathy.

Despite the abundance of studies exploring athletes’ self-presentation on social media, there is a notable scarcity of research focused on the self-presentation performances of disabled athletes within these digital spaces. This study investigates the self-presentation performances of disabled athletes representing Turkey in international competitions, on Instagram. By employing a netnographic approach, 645 highlighted stories from the Instagram of 5 athletes (female = 3 and male = 2) were subjected to analysis. The findings of the study reveal a distinction: Female athletes tend to emphasize their on-stage performances, whereas male athletes direct attention to their off-stage performances. In their on-stage performances, athletes gravitate toward showcasing posts related to awards earned from competitions. Conversely, in their off-stage performances, they opt to highlight familial and interpersonal relationships. This study has determined that disabled athletes prefer to highlight their on-stage performances on Instagram. This platform functions as a realm of validation for their accomplishments.

A limited but growing body of research has explored the role of media and communication in cultivating engaged citizens in the new and established democracies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using representative data from the World Values Survey, this study advances the existing research by examining the differential gains model across four countries that differ in terms of democratization, including Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. Findings suggest that the moderating effect of political talk on the association between news use and political engagement likely varies across countries that differ in terms of democratization. Specifically, we find support for the differential gains model across all forms of political engagement in Kenya, limited support in Nigeria and Ethiopia, and no support for the model in Zimbabwe. Implications for theory and suggestions for future inquiry are discussed.