Mapping Nefarious Social Media Actors to Speed-up Covid-19 Fact-checking

This report presents the outcomes of a project aimed at developing and testing a prototype tool that supports and speeds-up the work of fact-checkers and de-bunkers by surfacing and ranking potentially problematic information circulated on social media with a content-agnostic approach. The tool itself is the result of a multi-year research activity carried on within the Mapping Italian News Research Program of the University of Urbino Carlo Bo to study the strategies, tactics and goals of information operations aimed at manipulating the Italian public opinion by exploiting the vulnerabilities of the contemporary media ecosystem. This research activity led to developing original studies, public reports, new methods, maps and tools employed to study the activity of Italian nefarious social media actors aimed at amplifying the reach and impact of problematic information by coordinating their efforts. Tracking these actors proved instrumental to observe the “infodemic” unraveling during the early days of COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. Combining this existing knowledge with a range of original tools and data sources provided by Meta’s Facebook Open Research Initiative (Fort) and by The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at Poynter, the report: documents those early days by highlighting a list of widely viewed and interacted links circulated on Facebook; traces the establishment, growth and evolution of Italian covid-skeptic coordinated networks on Facebook; presents a comprehensive and updated map of the activities performed by these networks of nefarious social media actors; unveils a set of original tactics and strategies employed by these actors to adjust their operations to the mitigation efforts adopted by social media platforms to reduce the spread of problematic information; describes the circulation of three specific piece of problematic information; provides an overview of the outcomes of the testing phase (carried out in collaboration with Facta.news) of a prototype tool that surfaces and ranks potentially problematic information circulated on social media with a content-agnostic approach.

Critical Praxis Through a Social Media Ecosystem

The use of social media in language education is evident in the plethora of online content generated by education organizations. Teachers and learners alike have used platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to access and disseminate learning content in the forms of text, images, podcasts, and videos. However, despite the prevalence of social media in the language-learning sector, its pedagogical use has been limited to learning language features. This chapter analyzes the potential use of an ecosystem of social media platforms to augment varied modes of TESOL instruction, namely live, online, and hybrid, through a critical lens in higher and adult education. The integration of critical content and critical thinking development in social media platforms, in which authentic content is directly consumed, co-created, and disseminated, enables TESOL teachers to help learners become aware of how power shapes information, how to resist coercion, and challenge the status quo.

Innovation in Sports Media Content Production

ABSTRACT – This article investigates the innovation in sports content production by ESPN Brasil over the last decade as it makes changes to its media ecosystem. Qualitative research is the chosen methodology for this paper. Three criteria were established based on theoretical-conceptual perspectives on innovation in journalism: contextualization, engagement, and digital technologies. The data was collected from semi-structured interviews with professionals related to the case under study. It appears that experiments in content production are not separate from other issues in the media industry, such as the crisis in business models and the need for strategic leadership for innovation. The uncontainable pursuit of innovation is just as risky as remaining stagnant, and innovation must be in line with the media company’s main goal. RESUMO – Este artigo investiga a implementação de inovações na produção de conteúdo esportivo feitas pela ESPN do Brasil, durante a última década, realizadas como reflexo das mudanças em seu ecossistema midiático. A abordagem metodológica é qualitativa e, com base em perspectivas teórico-conceituais sobre inovação no jornalismo, foram estabelecidos três critérios de análise: contextualização, engajamento e tecnologias digitais. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com profissionais relacionados ao caso estudado. Constata-se que as experimentações na produção de conteúdo não se isolam de outras questões da indústria de mídia, como a crise nos modelos de negócios e a necessidade de uma liderança estratégica para a inovação. A busca desenfreada pela inovação é tão arriscada quanto se manter estagnado e a inovação tem de ser conectada com o propósito da empresa de mídia. RESUMEN – Este artículo investiga la implementación de innovaciones en la producción de contenido deportivo realizadas por ESPN do Brasil, durante la última década. El enfoque metodológico es cualitativo y, basado en perspectivas teóricas y conceptuales sobre la innovación en el periodismo, se establecieron tres criterios de análisis: contextualización, engagement y tecnologías digitales. Los datos fueron recolectados a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas con profesionales relacionados con el caso estudiado. Parece que los experimentos en la producción de contenidos no están aislados de otros temas de la industria de los medios, como la crisis de los modelos de negocio y la necesidad de liderazgo estratégico para la innovación. La principal conclusión es que la búsqueda desesperada de innovación es a menudo tan arriesgada como permanecer estancada y que la innovación tiene que estar conectada con el propósito de los medios de comunicación.

The AstraZeneca affair. A litmus test of information disorder in the Italian hybrid media ecosystem

In this paper we seek to demonstrate how a variety of information disorder phenomena comes to be at the intersection of legacy and social media interaction. To do so, we collected more than 750.000 tweets and 30.000 news articles related to the adoption of AstraZeneca vaccine in Italy for a period of six months (1st January 2021 - 30th June 2021). Initially, using timestamps of publications and tweets, we tracked the pace of public debate. Then, using a mixed methods approach, we investigated Twitter reaction during the climax of attention toward AstraZeneca. Acting as a litmus test, our study reveals three different but intertwined information disorder phenomena: first, the vaccine debate exhibit a flat progression with few condensed peaks of attention (acceleration phenomenon); second, the two main peaks that involve both journalistic coverage and Twitter discussion generate from news of suspect deaths related to AstraZeneca (sensationalisation phenomenon); and finally, the report of suspect deaths news by mainstream media accounts on Twitter correlates with a polarized and ideological reaction of the connected publics (fragmentation phenomenon). These results highlight how a direct implication of the hybrid media ecosystem's actual configuration could be a resistance in the formation of a public arena capable of sustaining a prolonged and effective debate, particularly with respect to controversial societal issues such as those related to the covid-19 vaccination campaign.

Capítulo 12. Democracy and media transparency: systemic failures in greek radio ecosystem and the rise of alternative web radio

Independent and free media are considered to be an essential component of any democratic society. Especially in countries that have been hit hard by the economic crisis and austerity measures, such as Greece, the need for independent journalism to act as watchdog, on behalf of civil society is more important than ever. However, the clientelistic relationships upon which the whole Greek media landscape is built, leaves little room for a journalism that investigates, exposes and holds those in power accountable. It is within this context, we argue, that alternative web radio stations are emerging, taking advantage of the internet technology in order to create bottom-up journalistic initiatives that challenge the current narratives and seek to constitute a new paradigm of journalism. This paper sets out to examine the general characteristics of the Greek media ecosystem but also goes on to examine the particular conditions that led to the current media crisis. It also discusses the legislative framework surrounding Greek media. Finally, this paper aims to provide a brief overview of the alternative web radios that have emerged in the current media ecosystem, by presenting in three Greek alternative web radio stations, describing their basic characteristics, principles, structures and their views on journalistic practices. Palabras clave: media transparency, radio, television, web radio.

The News Reporter in Nigeria’s Electoral Process

Mass media professionals are increasingly involved in the education of electorates on election matters in the time leading to, the actual election and post-election periods in different media ecosystems. This article examines the outstanding role of the news reporter as a field journalist in Nigeria’s bid for democratic consolidation. Using historical-analytic and direct observation methods, it identifies different categories of reporters according to different approaches to news gathering and reporting. It looks further at the extent of reporters’ commitment to their responsibilities in the Nigerian media ecosystem. In doing this, it highlights the communication techniques news reporters employ to subtly influence the meaning of messages in the news and the election reporter’s competency indices. The study makes critical suggestions aimed at guiding reporters towards wholesomeness in news reporting. That is, scrupulousness with the application of the different approaches that generate equally different implications on the news consumers or members of society. This emphasis is against the backdrop of the reporters’ pivotal role in journalism in the context of an information and communication technology (ICT) culture juxtaposed with the challenges associated with election reporting in the Nigerian polity.

Native Advertising—The Formats and Types of Content Most Demanded by Brands in the Spanish Media

Media convergence and the incorporation of new narratives typical of the consumption habits of younger audiences in the social media environment have led to the proliferation of a wide variety of formats and types of content in the media ecosystem through which the editorial content offered to brands is being distributed. This qualitative research, using in-depth interviews with a qualified sample of branded content managers from the main Spanish media, allows us to determine the main characteristics of the native advertising demanded by advertisers. The results corroborate observations that content channelled through more sophisticated consumption experiences, using both multimedia and interactivity with a clear transmedia approach, tends to be better received by the audience and, therefore, in greater demand by brands. It also confirms that both video and social media formats have grown exponentially when it comes to providing an outlet for branded content. Based on the results obtained, a proposed classification of these products, including definitions, has been drawn up so they can be publicised to the professional world, offering the reflection and precision that their rapid development has not allowed until now.

“DO YOUR RESEARCH”: COVID-19, POST-SOCIALIST EXPERIENCE AND THE NARRATIVE OF INFORMATION INDEPENDENCE AMONG CZECH INSTAGRAM INFLUENCERS

The COVID-19 pandemics highlighted the role of social media influencers as political communicators and drew attention to the question of accountability of influencers and their overall role in the media ecosystem. The aim of the paper is to analyze the role of lifestyle Instagram influencers in shaping the public narrative about COVID-19 as an orchestrated political event aimed at curbing civic freedom in the Czech Republic with focus on two key elements: 1) the politicization of the domestic (space) on Instagram and its gendered nature and 2) the framing of the role of influencers as democratic public voices offering an alternative to mainstream media, within the context of the post-socialist historical experience of totalitarian past. The presented analysis builds on digital ethnography among Czech female lifestyle influencers and content analysis of selected Czech influencers profiles.

PLATFORM SPECIFICITIES: THE PLATFORM BOOKS PANEL

Social media platforms shape our lives on micro, meso and macro levels. They have transformed our everyday practices as individuals, or social practices as small and large groups, and have multiple, entangled impacts on rituals of democracy and cultural (re)production, organization of labor and industry. This panel brings together five papers, each by authors of recently published or forthcoming platform books. Together, the papers offer an analysis of TikTok, WeChat, Tumblr, Instagram and Facebook. Because of the book-length analyses preceding the panel, we are able to distill what is distinct and recognizable about these platforms – what we call ‘platform specificities’ and demonstrate how these specificities are shaping not only the experiences of the users of those platforms, but the social media ecosystem more broadly. The panel contributes to the ongoing discussion regarding platform power, social media and ways of making sense of social media, painting in board strokes plausible future developments to keep an eye on. The extended abstract holds a panel rationale and five extended abstracts for each analyzed platform.