Should the media tell you when they use AI to report the news? What consumers should know: Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the media landscape, both for news organisations and consumers. Applications such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing AI are creating new possibilities to assist in writing and researching the news, but these also raise …
Social media content in times of war: an expert guide on how to keep violence off your feeds: There are some practical ways to filter the amount of violent and graphic content you see on social media. bubaone Social media platforms are a great source of information and entertainment. They also help us to maintain …
How to redesign social media algorithms to bridge divides: Social media platforms have been implicated in conflicts of all scales, from urban gun violence to the storming of the US Capitol building on January 6 and civil war in South Sudan. Scientifically, it is difficult to tell how much social media can be blamed for …
Community radio: young South Africans are helping shape the news through social media: The number of South African internet users has nearly doubled in the past decade. One 2023 study of 45 developed countries suggests that South Africans even lead the world when it comes to the amount of time spent in front of screens, …
Is someone using your pictures to catfish? Your rights when it comes to fake profiles and social media stalking: Ekateryna Zubal/Shutterstock If you’ve ever used a dating app, you’ve probably experienced the disappointment of meeting someone who doesn’t look quite like their photos. You may have even been a victim of catfishing, where someone creates …
Israel-Gaza conflict: when social media fakes are rampant, news verification is vital: As news of Palestinian militant group Hamas launching a deadly attack on Israel and Israel’s threat of retaliation began to filter across news networks and social media platforms, a wave of misinformation and fake videos rose alongside. In a “tech-first” society, it is …
Three steps for getting over social media envy – advice from a psychologist: iSOMBOON/Shutterstock In the past, you may have envied your neighbour when they bought a new car or went on holiday abroad when you could not. Although these feelings of envy would have been perfectly valid, they were isolated incidents that would last …
Chimpanzees are not pets, no matter what social media tells you: Miriam, a rescued chimpanzee brought to the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in 2018. Jake Brooker, CC BY-NC-ND Trading wild chimpanzees, including their meat and body parts, is illegal. And yet, social media influencers and companies still reap profits from sharing “cute” images and videos of …
Polycystic ovary syndrome: losing weight can help but many sufferers are vulnerable to bad advice on social media: There are millions of #pcosdiet posts on social media. Krakenimages.com/ Shutterstock Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal condition which affects how the ovaries work, is thought to affect 20% of women worldwide. Yet despite how common the …
Brand-backed influencer campaigns can be hard to spot – how to tell if a company is behind a social media post: Prostock-studio/Shutterstock Nearly three-quarters of Generation Z (people born between 1996 and 2010) follow at least one influencer on social media platforms and 44% buy things based on influencers’ recommendations. This age group consists of …
South Africa’s media often portrays foreigners in a bad light. This fuels xenophobia: A refugee child in South Africa plays on a road side after attacks on foreigners in 2008. Photo by Alexander Joe/ AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDER JOE/AFP via Getty Images The media’s huge influence comes from the fact that it’s capable of affecting …
The Reigning Social Media Platform in South Africa: In the digital age, the landscape of social media marketing is ever-evolving. With a plethora of platforms available, each with its unique features and audience demographics, it’s crucial for businesses to identify where their target audience spends most of their time. For those looking to tap into …
Bed rotting: the social media trend the Victorians would love, especially writer Elizabeth Gaskell: Brooklyn Museum/Wikimedia Social media has created a number of crazes recently under the theme of “wellness” and the latest, it seems, is “bed rotting”. It involves retreating to bed, indulging in snacks and TV, ignoring life’s responsibilities, and only emerging again …
Why does the FA give the Lionesses less social media support than England’s men? It needs to up its game for the Women’s World Cup: Piotr Piatrouski/Shutterstock During the 2022 European Championship, The Football Association’s (FA) @England account tweeted about the women’s team 80% less than the dedicated @Lionesses account did. According to my research, …
Looking for work? 3 tips on how social media can help young South Africans: Young people are especially quick to adapt to new technology. i_am_zews/Shutterstock South Africa has a growing unemployment rate. Statistics show the unemployment rate to be above 60% for those aged 15-24 and over 40% for those aged 25-34 years. Rankings from …
Fake news: EU targets political social media ads with tough new regulation proposal: Shutterstock/icongeek26 Throughout Europe, strict rules govern how traditional media operates during elections. Often that means imposing a period of silence so that voters can reflect on their choices without undue influence. In France, for example, no polls are allowed to be published …
Young people are abandoning news websites – new research reveals scale of challenge to media: shutterstock Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock The crisis in journalism caused by the traditional news media’s struggles to cope with the digital revolution has been well documented over many years. But news organisations now face a much more fundamental change driven by generations who …
Silvio Berlusconi: the property developer who became a media tycoon – and Italy’s most flamboyant prime minister: Silvio Berlusconi, who has died at the age of 86, was born into a middle-class family in Milan, a city heavily affected by the second world war. He attended a private school belonging to a religious order, and …