Mediascape

The global media has turned a blind eye to the issue of human trafficking, focusing on conflict around the globe instead. It is estimated that some 2,5 million people are victims of trafficking each year but the issues are not covered in great depth by the world’s media. Incidentally, last week marked world human trafficking awareness week. The United Nations, which is at the forefront of the...

Some four out of five (79 per cent) students in Ireland admit accessing social media at school, with 44 per cent of students accessing it between one and five times in every school day. More than 1,000 individuals between the ages of 13 and 18 participated in the BT Young Scientist Survey. When asked about the duration of the average single visit to social media sites, 26 per cent claimed to spend...

Readers abandoning print newspapers in favour of online news may want to consider the effect it’s having. A study conducted by a researcher at the University of Houston (UH) finds those who read printed news publications read more news and also remember more news than those who read news online. “As the US public gets its news more from online newspapers and less from print, new questions have...

Most media researchers, parents and pediatricians agree that exposure to violent media can increase aggression in children, according to a new study. It found that 66 per cent of researchers, 67 per cent of parents and 90 per cent of pediatricians agree or strongly agree that violent video games can increase aggressive behaviour among children. Majorities of these groups also believe that...

Enterprises around the world are preparing to enter the digital age, with over USD 30 trillion in market capitalisation across eight key verticals ready for disruption. The prediction comes from globalisation advisory and management consulting firm Zinnov, which in September launched its study 'Enterprise Digital Transformation-The next era is already here'. The study has identified the market...

One of the most vexing problems with the multilateral system is the chronic lack of broad public interaction that tends to characterise discussion and debate at the United Nations and elsewhere. While efforts at “stakeholder input” do irrefutably important work, they are rarely able to bring to the table truly broad public input — even when the issues under negotiation could eventually have...

Readers – at least in the UK and US – are feeling increasingly deceived over sponsored content. In fact, over one-third of British and American readers of online news say they have felt “disappointed or deceived” on realising subsequently that an article that they had just read had been paid for by an advertiser. This finding poses significant risk of damage to the reputation of digital...

The US media is failing to question presidential candidates on their denial of climate change. Quite miserably. Seven major newspapers and wire services surveyed by not-for-profit research organisation Media Matters have failed to indicate that candidates' statements conflict with the scientific consensus on the issue in approximately 43 per cent of their coverage. In case of broadcast and cable...

In the complex media landscape of Pakistan, ethnicity has emerged as a key indicator in predicting media credibility. Researchers have concluded that in a scenario where ethnic composition is critical to national politics, minority ethnic groups tend to find domestic television to be less credible, and international television or traditional media to be more credible, than do members of the...

EFF has noted and protested when authorities deliberately cut off Internet access in times of unrest. As a restraint on the freedom of expression of those affected, communication blackouts during protests are unconscionable. But recent research by Anita Gohdes, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Mannheim, suggests that Internet shutdowns are becoming part of a toolkit for more violent...