Asian Journal of Media and Communication

Environmental Issues in South African Broadcast Media: A Content Analysis of Coverage, Framing, and Source Representation

Zanele Mokoena — 2024-12-23

This study explores the coverage of environmental issues in South African broadcast media, focusing on patterns, frames, and source representation, applying agenda-setting and framing theories. Employing a content analysis methodology, 360 prime-time news segments from three major broadcasters – SABC, eNCA, and Newzroom Afrika – were analyzed between July 2023 and June 2024. The findings revealed that climate change dominates coverage, accounting for 32% of environmental reporting, followed by natural disasters (21%) and water issues (17%). Economic and policy frames were the most prevalent, highlighting financial impacts and regulatory measures, while health perspectives were underutilized. Government sources were cited most frequently (44%), with limited representation of scientists, NGOs, and local communities, which comprised only 10% of sources. Coverage exhibited a mixed tone, balancing optimism about solutions with urgency about challenges. Despite a focus on global narratives, local environmental issues and grassroots perspectives were underrepresented, indicating a disconnect between media reporting and the lived experiences of South Africans. The study underscored the need for more inclusive and diverse coverage, advocating for the integration of scientific insights and community voices. These findings offered practical implications for media practitioners, policymakers, and environmental communicators, emphasizing the importance of balanced reporting to foster public engagement and informed policy discourse. This research provided a foundation for future studies on environmental journalism, especially in the context of developing countries, and highlighted the potential for media to act as a catalyst for environmental awareness and action.

Hybrid Times Call for Hybrid Measures: Reflecting on the Information Bubbles Phenomenon in Light of the Nature-culture Debate

Sara Monteiro Machado — 2024-12-23

In the digital era, algorithms have assumed a mediation role historically associated with journalism, limiting and prioritizing information in a personalized manner for each user. This curation contributes to the formation of information bubbles that reinforce selection effects and potentially feed preexisting beliefs. Although it is not a consensual view, several authors believe this phenomenon increases polarization, posing significant challenges to democratic discourse and societal cohesion. This paper reflects on information bubbles in the context of Bruno Latour’s and Edgar Morin’s perspectives on the nature-culture dichotomy. Together, these perspectives help us understand the algorithmic personalization of information as a hybrid (arising from the interaction between humans and non-humans) and complex phenomenon (multidimensional, engaging various parts of knowledge), where the central role of non-human actors and the continuous interaction between the whole and the parts are evident. It is concluded that addressing the information bubbles conundrum will require: (1) abandoning simplification and reductionism, while accepting contradiction and controversies, (2) mapping and analyzing the interactions between actors, (3) conducting inter- and transdisciplinary research, and (4) developing hybrid solutions.

An Immersive Musical Exploration of Nature in Virtual Reality Environment

Mirjana Dokic — 2024-12-23

Rapid ecological, cultural and social changes pose huge problems for humanity since they represent a great danger to the future of the planet Earth. These current transformations encourage art-science research which has proven to be a valuable means for communication of such challenges. Creative media artists effectively address and critically discuss the impact of cultural and social changes on environment. In the field of virtual heritage, they combine virtual reality and cultural and natural heritage offering an opportunity for the audience to become an integral part of the immersive heritage experiences. This conceptual article offers theoretical reflections on the role of hybrid audiovisual media, as a fusion of virtual reality, music and soundscape, in communicating the importance of natural heritage protection. Conceptual framework of this research combines concepts from new media theory and theory of musical emotions including BRECVEMA framework. Following new media theory, with aim to communicate meaning, this project includes creation of the Virtual Heritage Exhibition, representing natural heritage of Hong Kong, and in particular Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark and Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin. Musical content and semiotics are in the form of sonification, while visual semiotics are audio-reactive visual effects applied to the natural landmarks in the virtual reality 360 videos. To evaluate if the goal of creating audio-visual virtual heritage environment that allows intercultural communication and learning for the audience is achieved, user experience evaluation is based on the concepts of and theory of musical emotions including BRECVEMA framework.

Concentrated, Corporate, and Camouflaged: The Nature of AI News Coverage in Indonesia

Rio Tuasikal — 2024-12-23

The adaptation of artificial technology in society requires a healthy public discourse. This necessitates nuanced and diverse views provided by mainstream media. However, there has not been empirical understanding of editorial practice towards AI in Indonesia, and whether news outlets have cited balanced voices. Drawing from a similar study in the United Kingdom, this paper seeks to identify the primary news sources and topics on the coverage of AI in Indonesian media outlets. This paper analyzed 777 news articles from January to June 2024, published by five major news sites namely Liputan6.com, Detik.com, Kompas.com, tvonenews.com, and Tempo.co. This paper found that of 1025 news sources, people representing the business sector dominated the conversation (55.6%), far beyond government (16.39%) and academics (13%). We also found that of 777 published articles, more than half discussed the AI industry itself (58.9%), compared to AI impact on society and labor (23.5%), and misuse and regulation (16.2%). We conclude that these media outlets have failed to provide varied viewpoints for the public, paving avenues for asymmetrical business-led debate, and allowing promotional messaging to camouflage as journalism reports.

The Ambivalence of the Internet and Technology upon the Comic Industry

Adhani Juniasyaroh Emha — 2024-12-23

The advent of the internet and technology has brought ambivalence to the comic industry. On one hand, they provide consumers and comic enthusiasts with easy access to their favorite comics without needing to visit bookstores. On the other hand, they have exacerbated the issue of piracy. This paper is based on a qualitative comparative study, comparing two types of official and illegal comic publications on internet platforms, including Webtoon, CIAYO, Mangareader, Mangafox, and Bato. This paper outlines the distribution process of legal printed and digital comics and reveals how comic piracy is perpetrated and proliferated, particularly on internet-based platforms. This study shows that the ambivalence of technological development is inevitable in the comic culture industry. Piracy in the world of comics is inevitable. Illegal groups assume that translations, re-uploads and the like will make it easier for readers to understand comics, but they are still illegal. On the other hand, legal comics have also taken various measures to minimize piracy. Comic industries, especially those that operate online, have implemented measures to protect their authors’ works from piracy. For instance, Webtoon, a platform created by Naver, has disabled the screenshot function on readers’ devices, preventing them from capturing images of comics that could be misused.