Asian Journal of Media and Communication

Virtual Mirrors and Distorted Reflections: Investigating Social Media’s Influence on Body Image and Eating Behaviour of Young Adults in Mumbai

2024-01-28T20:50:04+00:00

In the vortex of virtual mirrors, young adults find themselves at the epicentre of body ideals and dietary trends. This study examines the relationship between social media, body image and eating behaviours of urban young adults in Mumbai. It explores usage patterns, analyses the impact of body-centric content on perceptions and behaviours, and assesses the youth’s awareness of social media’s potential influence on eating disorders and mental health. The primary empirical data were collected through an online survey, utilizing a semi-structured questionnaire from 360 respondents in Mumbai who were selected based on specific criteria, i.e. aged 15 – 29 years and regularly use social media. This study found that social media has become the foreground of body image ideals, weight loss endeavours, and dieting trends which are not necessarily fact-based. The practice of photo editing, dietary changes, and the act of comparing oneself to others on social media are prevalent among respondents. These findings provide insights into the complex role of social media in young adults’ lives, underscoring the need for targeted interventions and fostering responsible online behaviours through media literacy.

Shortcut to Rebuilding Public Trust: Fact-Checking Journalism by YNA in South Korea

2024-05-28T10:46:53+00:00

This study investigated how the emergence and practice of a fact-checking movement in South Korea have assisted the revival of journalism with a primary focus on truth-seeking and information verification. It examined in what ways Yonhap News Agency (YNA), a leading news agency in South Korea, fact-checked social and political issues, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study employed in-depth interviews with fact-checking journalists at YNA. In addition to that, to trace YNA’s fact-checking activities and cross-check the findings from the interviews, this study conducted textual analysis of YNA’s fact-checking articles, examining their claims, evidence, and judgments. This study found that YNA’s fact-checking services contributed to preventing the spread of the ‘infodemic’ in South Korea. YNA’s fact-checking journalism can be considered as one form of ethical journalism that ensured incorrect information did not pass through journalistic gates in the pre-internet era. This study underscores the significance of fact-checking journalism in enhancing the quality of journalism worldwide.

From National to Local: Media-citizen Councils as Independent Co-regulation at the Community Level

2024-10-10T07:34:37+00:00

Following Miranda & Camponez (2019), media regulation or accountability in the Philippines has evolved from mandated/professional in 1965, to mandated/shared, to voluntary/professional in the late 1980s, and to voluntary/shared in the early 2000s. Today, the Philippine Press Institute is leading a multisectoral effort to establish community-based media-citizen councils outside Manila, signifying a shift from the national to local. Applying key informant interviews to collect the empirical data, this study has interviewed the Media-Citizen Council officers and members through face-to-face interviews or Zoom meetings. This study found that these media-citizen councils are local in nature. They were established in the different regions of the country to address media-related issues and complaints within their media companies and communities in their specific regions. These councils are also expanding their scope from traditional newspapers to include the broadcast and the emerging social media, and extending membership to locally-relevant stakeholders.