Articles

Global Fear, Hopelessness and Media Overexposure of the Danger of COVID-19: A Cross-cultural Research

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This study analyzes the role of mass media in inducing hopelessness and fear at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was conducted online in three Asian (China, India, and Indonesia) and three European (Bulgaria, Germany, and Hungary) countries. A total of 2617 participants, between 18 and 80 years, completed an online version of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and an additional questionnaire including multiple demographic characteristics. Data obtained show that Asians, compared to Europeans, demonstrated a higher level of hopelessness at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both gender and age have been found to influence levels of hopelessness, but their impact varies across cultures. In addition, data show that some demographic factors such as education, marital status, and established religiosity influence the degree of pessimism and hopelessness. This influence varies in Asian and European cultural environments. For example, highly educated representatives of both cultures display low levels of hopelessness, while those with less education demonstrate extremely high levels of hopelessness. Regarding family status and religiosity, the trends are different. The hopelessness levels increase among single and divorced Europeans and decrease among the married and those cohabiting with a partner. Unlike Europeans, only married Asians demonstrate low levels of hopelessness. Regarding religiosity, the results show that religious individuals display low levels of hopelessness, while among atheists in both cultures, these levels are dramatically high. Findings suggest that media overexposure to the danger of COVID-19, leads to an increase in hopelessness and, in turn, increases in stress, anxiety, and depression.

Mysterious Card Box: Analysis of Creative Thinking Skills in Elementary School Thematic Learning

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The use of media in learning is very urgent. Thematic learning students are required to have the ability to think creatively and complexly. This study aims to determine the use of media in thematic learning to foster students’ creative thinking skills. This study used a qualitative descriptive method which was conducted in three schools involving teachers and fifth grade elementary school students as respondents. Data collection instruments used questionnaires, interviews and observations by providing questions and questionnaires regarding the use of media in thematic learning. The results of data analysis in this study indicate that the lack of use of media in thematic learning. Learners can cultivate creative thinking skills by using alternative media in learning. Mysterious card box media is one of the media that can be used to foster students’ creative thinking skills in thematic learning.

Cultural Practices against Women in Nigeria: The Media Frames and the Challenges

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This study set out to investigate the patterns of framing of cultural practices against women by the media in Nigeria; as well as the challenges of framing the practices in South East Nigeria. The major objectives were to determine the frequency of coverage, the framing patterns and the constraints to media coverage. The survey method was employed to study a sample of 276 journalists in South East Nigeria using the questionnaire as instrument for data collection to determine their opinions about the challenges of media coverage of the practices. Also, content analysis method was employed to study the frequency of coverage of the practices in select radio, television and newspaper contents; as well as to determine framing patterns. In the end, it was found that both radio and television stations gave adequate coverage to the practices while the newspapers’ level of coverage was low. It was also found that the patterns of framing ranges from condemnatory stance to revealing the consequences on the societal development and to clamouring for review, amendment and eradication of the practices. However, challenges of coverage were lack of enabling laws, family and religious link to practices, sacredness and secrecy of the practices, etc.  It is, therefore, recommended that the media, policy makers, NGOs, community leaders, etc should find ways of ameliorating the identified hitches so as to enable hitch-free coverage of cultural practices so that analysis would be pragmatic.