FCRP - Dis/Information

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Branding Romania as a ”Tech Country”. Nation Branding in Times of Digital Disruption
(‘Henri Coanda’ Air Force Academy Publishing House, 2020) Cheregi, Bianca Florentina; Bârgăoanu, Alina
In the age of “digital disinformation 2.0” (Bârgăoanu, 2018) and “digital deceit” (Ghosh & Scott, 2018), nation branding has become part of a new paradigm of strategic communication between states, trying to seduce various audiences. According to Korjus (2017), the next big industry to face digital disruption will be our nations. For instance, Estonia’s brand image is based on the idea of a digital state, both for domestic and foreign audiences. In Denmark, Casper Klynge has become the first nation state ambassador to Silicon Valley, describing his job as “techplomacy” (Baugh, 2017). The nation-state is responding to the new communications environment by reinventing itself in the current climate of intercultural dialogue for Europe. An interesting case is to be found in contemporary Romania, ranked 46th in the world, in terms of digital competitiveness at global level (World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, 2019). Overall, the aim of our research is to investigate technology as a soft power (Nye, 2004) instrument for Romania and to analyze how journalists and public actors construct the topic of new technology as a competitive advantage. In doing so, our research revolves around 50 news articles, published in the Romanian quality press (Adevărul, Gândul, România Liberă), employing mixed methods such as framing analysis (Entman, 1993) and critical discourse analysis. The results show that journalists have an active role in constructing technology as a public issue in Romania, related to future policy-making and regulation endeavors, as well as the future of public diplomacy.
Branding Romania in the Age of Disruption.Technology as a Soft Power Instrument
(Editura Accent, 2020) Cheregi, Bianca Florentina; Bârgăoanu, Alina
"In the age of disruption and in today’s platform society (Van Dijck et al., 2019), communication between nation states is influenced by the development of technology. The nation state is responding to the new communication environment through “techplomacy” and through the use of Artificial Intelligence as a strategic asset in the global tech race. Artificial Intelligence (AI), including the strategies to come up with viable AI, has a big potential for nation branding, being also a competitive advantage for countries worldwide. In this context, the aim of our research is to investigate technology as a soft power (Nye, 2004) instrument for Romania and to analyze how the nation brand is constructed in relation to technology. In doing so, our research revolves around the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy for Romania, presented at the IT&C Summit on May 8, 2019, and 50 news articles, published in the quality press (Adevărul, Gândul, România Liberă) employing mixed methods such as framing analysis (Entman, 1993) and critical discourse analysis (Van Dijk, 1993). The results show that there are four dominant media frames: (1) artificial intelligence, (2) the 5G technology, (3) education and (4) smart city, while both journalists and public actors have an active role in constructing technology as a public issue in Romania."
Crisis of confidence in vaccination and the role of social media
(Elsevier, 2021-12) Durach, Flavia; Buturoiu, Raluca; Craiu, Dana; Cazacu, Cristina; Bârgăoanu, Alina
Introduction: The aim of this paper is to review the current situation of vaccine hesitancy, with emphasis on children with neurological disorders, and to present the role social media plays in this situation. Methods: A literature review using the following search words was performed: vaccine* OR immune* AND hesitancy OR confidence AND social media. Results: The search retrieved 277 results; 17 duplicates and 234 irrelevant articles were excluded. 43 articles were fully analyzed. Conclusions: An increasing number of parents are becoming vaccine hesitant. Their motives are complex and nuanced and involve factors related to vaccine safety and efficiency, perceived personal risks and benefits, socio-demographic and psychological characteristics. Attitudes toward vaccination differ in adolescents from their parents. In children with neurological disorders, factors involved in vaccination decision included physicians' knowledge of neurological diseases and parents’ concerns that vaccination would exacerbate the chronic disorder. Unfortunately, the current pandemic is associated with an increase in vaccine hesitancy and brought forward unique determinants. The social media platforms can be a tool for the anti-vaccine movement to spread misinformation, but it can also be valued as a way for promoting health and pro-vaccine information.
Cyber Influence Defense: Applying the DISARM Framework to a Cognitive Hacking Case from the Romanian Digital Space
(NASK – National Research Institute, 2024) Bârgăoanu, Alina; Pană, Mihaela
One of the main lessons learned in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine starting in February 2022 is that for- eign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) operations are closely coupled with cyber threats. Regardless of whether cyberattacks are followed by an information manipulation compo- nent and vice versa, the merger of the two can be an early indica- tor of the potential for a conflict to escalate from the cyber area to the ground. Our article is premised on the idea that today’s highly technologised information ecosystem is a fertile ground for cyberattacks and information manipulation in the context of FIMI; more specifically, it enables cognitive hacking, meaning hacking the human mind and human cognition altogether through techno- logical disruption and cyber pressure. Starting from this premise, the aim of the article is to highlight the technological determi- nants of cognitive hacking and identify silent or emerging threats that bypass technological sensors and seek to disrupt and manip- ulate the information environment. The empirical part is based on observation as a descriptive method, which is used to analyse a case of cognitive hacking carried out via a YouTube malvertis- ing campaign targeting Romanian users. This case study is anal- ysed qualitatively by matching the DISinformation Analysis & Risk Management (DISARM) framework with evidence collected through Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools, following an innovative analysis structured according to the purposes, actions, results and techniques (PART) model. The extensive analysis of the identified case shows that applying the DISARM framework to cyber-enabled operations can be useful for anticipating and responding to FIMI threats, even when such operations do not appear to have a spe- cific, immediately identifiable purpose.
Does Fake News Lead to More Engaging Effects on Social Media? Evidence from Romania
(De Gruyter Mouton, 2020) Corbu, Nicoleta; Bârgăoanu, Alina; Buturoiu, Raluca; Ștefăniță, Oana
This study examines the potential of fake news to produce effects on social media engagement as well as the moderating role of education and government approval. We report on a 2x2x2 online experiment conducted in Romania (N=813), in which we manipulated the level of facticity of a news story, its valence, and intention to deceive. Results show that ideologically driven news with a negative valence (rather than fabricated news or other genres, such as satire and parody) have a greater virality potential. However, neither the level of education nor government approval moderate this effect. Additionally, both positive and negative ideologically driven news stories enhance the probability that people will sign a document to support the government (i. e., potential for political engagement on social media). These latter effects are moderated by government approval: Lower levels of government approval lead to less support for the government on social media, as a consequence of fake news exposure.
East-West Divide in the European Union: Legacy or Developmental Failure?
(European Institute of Romania, 2021) Volintiru, Clara; Bârgăoanu, Alina; Ștefan, George; Durach, Flavia
EU goes through a realignment process in the context of the demise of multilateralism, yet the impact of this process on the 11 new Member States from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is rarely discussed. There is a persistent East-West divide in the EU that is mainly socio-economic, even though often narrated as a political divide between older and newer Member States. The article explores in depth the current developmental metrics in CEE and argues that the progress that has been achieved in overall levels of convergence in the EU is yet to be reflected at subnational level, where great disparities persist. It is the developmental divide that continues to inform political divisions in Europe.
Fake News Going Viral: The Mediating Effect Of Negative Emotions
(University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, 2021-11-13) Udrea, Georgiana; Bârgăoanu, Alina; Corbu, Nicoleta; Durach, Flavia
In recent years, “fake news” has become a buzzword used to describe a variety of disinformation practices identifiable both in the traditional media, and in the digital environment. The goal of our paper is to investigate fake news, aiming at both clarifying the concept and discussing the possible integration of ideologically driven information under this large umbrella, as well as investigating conditions under which various types of fake news have the potential to go viral. In this study we consider ideologically driven news as a form of disinformation, by the mere reason that there is a clear intention to deceive behind this type of news. At the same time, we argue that, compared to no more than one-two decades ago, ideologically driven information is potentially much more harmful, by virtue of the potential of being shared, easily further disseminated within echo-chambers and with the help of filter bubbles. In line with recent studies, we contend that, at its core, the fake news problem concerns the economics of emotion, specifically how emotions are used and often abused to foster audience’s attention, engagement, and willingness to share content. In this context, and under the recent political circumstances in Romania (marked by anti-government protests and public opposition to the ruling political party), our aim is to better understand how people’s susceptibility to disseminate deceitful information is enhanced by various forms and valences of politically biased fake news, and what is the role of specific emotions in explaining this process. Bulding on Tandoc et al.’s classification of fake news, we propose a 2x2x2 experimental design, in which we manipulated intention to deceive, level of facticity and valence. The survey experiment (N=813) tests two positive (enthusiasm and contentment) and two negative (anger and fear) discrete emotions as mediators of the main effect of potential of viralisation effects (i.e. how likely users are to share fake news on a social network). Results show that negatively biased fake news enhances people’s willingness to share the news story, while positively biased fake news has no significant effect on the viralisation potential. Moreover, the potential for viralisation is mediated by negative emotions, but not by positive ones.
Fake News or Disinformation 2.0? Some Insights into Romanians’ Digital Behaviour
(European Institute of Romania, 2018-06) Bârgăoanu, Alina; Radu, Loredana
This paper focuses on digital behaviour, self-assessment of vulnerabilities to digital disinformation, and patterns of trust as exposed by Romanian citizens. By corroborating the data of the first national public opinion survey on fake news and disinformation (implemented between February and March 2018) with the Special Eurobarometer no. 464 – Fake News and Disinformation Online – implemented in the same time frame (February 2018), we capture the perceptions and attitudes of Romanian citizens over the use of new media and news trustworthiness, and we also compare the Romanians’ online behaviour with the average European’s. As similar research reveals, digital disinformation affects resilience of citizens in Member States and in the European Union overall, it “threatens the democratic political processes and values” (European Commission, 2018: 12), the integrity of elections and political processes, and should therefore, be approached as a legitimate public concern. Our paper opens the floor for more dedicated research and applied policies - at both the Member States and EU levels - aimed at mitigating the rising and ever worrying fake news phenomenon.
Key Words Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Comparing the Media and the Public Agenda
(Babeş-Bolyai University, 2021) Buturoiu, Raluca; Gavrilescu, Mihai
Based on recent ramifications of the traditional agenda-setting model, this paper aims at analyzing the convergence of the media and the public agenda in times of crisis. Specifically, drawing upon the network agenda-setting theory, this article explores the main key words associated with COVID-19—related topics in both the media and the public agendas. Main findings suggest that the media used context dependent key words to refer to the pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020, both television and online news stories referred to issues related to the virus itself, to the measures taken to limit its spread, and to some medical conditions, while in January 2021 media focused on key words related to vaccination and immunization. In terms of public agenda, results show that people tended to refer to pandemic-related issues mainly in negative terms, due to both media exposure and, presumably, personal experiences. These results offer valuable insights into the dynamics of both media and public agenda in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing fertile ground for better understanding how media shape several public attitudes and behaviors.
Media Coverage in Times of Crisis. Intermedia Agenda-setting of COVID-19 – related Topics
(College of Communication and Public Relations, NUPSPA, 2021) Buturoiu, Raluca; Voloc, Anca
In times of crisis, the media play a crucial role in offering people information and updates related to the ongoing events. Thus, the media implicitly shape public opinion on the issues they cover and, as a result, influence public attitudes and behaviors. In this context, this paper aims at analyzing the media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, by means of quantitative content analysis (N=1511) conducted on both television and online news stories released during March 18-31 2020, this study sheds light on the agenda-setting effects of the media and the phenomenon known as intermedia agenda-setting. Main results show that, in spring 2020, both television and online news stories extensively covered COVID-19 topics, focusing on domestic issues such as decisions taken by the authorities in order to manage the pandemic, effects of the virus, and statistics. Furthermore, results show a relatively high intermedia agenda-setting effect within the Romanian media environment. Content published online (either in the form of social media content or online stories) is frequently “borrowed” and cited in both online and television news stories, leading us to the idea that digital media might have become mainstream information sources.
Media Exposure to Conspiracy vs. Anti-conspiracy Information. Effects on the Willingness to Accept a COVID-19 Vaccine
(Polskie Towarzystwo Komunikacji Społecznej, 2021) Udrea, Georgiana; Buturoiu, Raluca; Dumitrache, Alexandru Cristian; Corbu, Nicoleta
The COVID-19 pandemic opened the doors for a corresponding “infodemic”, associated with various misleading narratives related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As the way to stop the pandemic was unveiled, misleading narratives switched from the disease itself to the vaccine. Nevertheless, a rather scarce corpus of literature has approached the effects of these narratives on the willingness to take a vaccine against COVID-19. This study investigates how exposure to conspiracy narratives versus information that counter these narratives influences people’s willingness to get vaccinated. Based on an experimental design, using a sample of Romanian students (N=301), this research shows that exposure to factual information related to COVID-19 vaccines meant to debunk conspiracy theories leads to higher willingness to vaccinate. Furthermore, this study shows that young, educated Romanians consider distant others to be more influenced by conspiracy theories on this topic, and, therefore, more prone to exhibit hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination.
Narrative of Technology Use from Older Media Generations in Romania
(Sciendo, 2023) Răducu, Roberta
Research on information and communication technology (ICT) and studies on aging revealed that, despite initial assumptions of technophobia among older adults they actually embrace ICT when perceived as beneficial for their specific needs, for example, to stay connected with loved ones. Considering the current technological era and the transformative impact of social media and the new communication and information devices upon the way generations consume information, it is only logical for research to focus on exploring the unique characteristics of the information used within each group. In addition, there is a scarcity of data coming from national statistics regarding the prevalent utilization of ICT among older adults, coupled with a growing significance of exploring generational media consumption in light of their unique historical and cultural context. Therefore, the current paper exposes the usage narratives and particularities of older media generations in Romania, based on qualitative research conducted in February-July 2021 as a part of a larger doctoral project. 18 respondents aged 52 to 79, 8 males and 10 females, took part in 17 family interviews exploring the complex dynamic between modern technology use and the historical and cultural space occupied by different generations. Results show that these two generations prefer the technology that appeared during their formative years and matured while the generations also matured and use the technology that appeared after their formative years only because of external motivation (working environment, keeping in touch with loved ones that use a different technology).
Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: The Role of Trust and the Influence of Social Media
(2024-02-21) Bârgăoanu, Alina; Buturoiu, Raluca; Durach, Flavia
The study discusses the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Romania. We implemented a national survey using an online panel (N = 1006), representative for the online population of Romania aged 18 or higher, conducted on 13–26 October, 2020, by the national pollster QUESTIA. Results show a predictive model of people’s willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine, in which trust in the actors and institutions involved in the management of the crisis is the strongest predictor, followed by the belief in toxic or misleading narratives about vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic, and media consumption patterns. Education is a moderator of the relationship between trust and the willingness to vaccinate. Implications for professionals in the social work fields, as well as for policy-makers are discussed. Results could be used as a starting point for developing recommendations for evidence-based health communication in the context of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
Predictors of Engagement on Social Media and Instant Messaging Platforms during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Romania
(2022-12) Corbu, Nicoleta; Bârgăoanu, Alina; Durach, Flavia; Ștefăniță, Oana
The COVID-19 pandemic raised important questions about news patterns of interaction on social network sites (SNS) and instant messaging platforms (IM), especially in the context of the massive replacement of face-to-face interactions with mediated interactions, due to the restrictive measures taken in many parts of the world. In this context, by means of a national survey conducted in Romania (N=1160), we investigated people’s willingness to engage on social media and instant messaging platforms about the topic of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that people are eager to share information about the topic on both SNS and IM, less interested in getting involved in debates, and even less in voluntary work. All these behaviors are predicted by trust of SNS and news consumption on these platforms, perceived size of the personal digital network, belief in conspiracy theories about the virus, uncertainty about the impact of the crisis, and level of education.
Profiles of News Consumption in a High-Choice Media Environment: Evidence from Romania
(IČO, 2022) Buturoiu, Raluca; Corbu, Nicoleta; Boțan, Mădălina
During the last two decades, media and information environments have changed in a fundamental way. Generalized low levels of trust in media sources, incidental news exposure, and higher probability to be exposed only to views similar to their own and echo chambers are just some of the most important challenges within the current, high-choice media landscape. All of them have major ramifications for the information environment as a whole and, particularly, for the way in which they could influence people in becoming informed citizens. In this paper, we explore how news consumption patterns of mainstream and social media are associated with trust in media sources and other news consumption related phenomena, such as incidental news exposure and echo chambers. Theoretically, this study starts from the idea that today, within the current media environment, people tend to consume cross-media information1. In other terms, people’s news media diet consists of different media sources and media content2 . Some recent research studies investigating people’s media diets put forward “profiles” showing how people consume media content, in an attempt to find out patterns of news consumption and how they might affect various democracy related aspects.3 Drawing on a news repertoires approach, the presented study aims at investigating news media consumption patterns among Romanian people. By means of a national survey (N=1,000), this study explores the main characteristics of news media consumers in Romania, in an attempt to shed more light on people’s media diets (what they actually consume) within the current, high-choice media landscape. The main findings from our study reveal that minimalist news users are the most prevalent category among the investigated sample. Compared with all the other types of news users, minimalist news users have the lowest levels of trust in both mainstream and social media sources. At the same time, they are less prone to be accidentally exposed to news stories, but more prone to be stuck in echo chambers, in environments where they encounter information that reflects or reinforces their own views. From a socio-demographic point of view, all types of consumers share more or less the same characteristics, with an age-related significant difference. These results offer important insights into the way in which news consumption patterns are associated with certain perceptions and attitudes that might result in letting citizens be less informed or even uninformed. Implications for democracy are further discussed.
Scaling up the transatlantic partnership from security to prosperity: Economic resilience in Eastern Europe
(Atlantic Council, 2023-09-19) Volintiru, Clara; Crișan, Camelia; Ștefan, George
Tackling Disinformation: EU Regulation of the Digital Space
(European Institute of Romania, 2020-06) Durach, Flavia; Bârgăoanu, Alina; Nastasiu, Cătălina
This paper provides an overview of current responses to fake news and digital disinformation inside and outside the EU, and assesses the advantages and disadvantages of each solution. Four approaches emerge: (1) self-regulation (i.e. actions undertaken on a voluntary basis by the digital platforms); (2) co-regulation (i.e. cooperation framework between EU-level and national-level authorities, the internet platform companies, media organizations, researchers, and other stakeholders); (3) direct regulation (i.e. legal measures & sanctions); and (4) audience-centred solutions (i.e. factchecking and media literacy). We argue in favour of the co-regulation approach, while drawing attention to some current challenges in the response against disinformation. Furthermore, we need to go beyond the understanding of disinformation as an information/ truth fraud, and draw additional measures to reflect the particular understanding of disinformation as a form of users’ engagement fraud.
Teachers’ views on disinformation and media literacy supported by a tool designed for professional fact-checkers: perspectives from France, Romania, Spain and Sweden
(2022-09) Nygren, Thomas; Frau-Meigs, Divina; Corbu, Nicoleta; Santovena-Casal, Sonia
The current media eco-system has become more and more polluted by the various avatars of “fake news”. This buzz term has been widely used by academics, experts, teachers and ordinary people, in an attempt to understand and address the phenomenon of information disorder in the new media environment. However, studies have rarely questioned what teachers, key stakeholders in the media literacy field, actually understand by “fake news”, and to what extent the new digital tools available to fact-check are actually viable solutions to fight disinformation actively. In this context, we conducted focus groups (N = 34 people interviewed in 4 focus groups) with teachers in four countries (France, Romania, Spain and Sweden), in order to assess their understanding of “fake news”, as well as their perception of possible measures to combat the phenomenon, with a particular focus on digital tools. The findings show that the understanding of the concept of “fake news” differs from one country to the other, but also within the same country, with a common feature across countries: intention to deceive. Additionally, respondents identified lack of media and information literacy (MIL) in education as a major gap for combatting information disorders. Furthermore, they find that the use of digital tool for professional fact-checking needs to be repurposed or followed by pedagogical instructions to fit into the complexity of educational practices. Our findings highlight possible solutions for MIL in education using a combination of technocognition and transliteracy as theoretical framework and scaffolded pedagogical design for better adoption of fact-checking techniques.
The COVID-19 Infodemic–An Accelerated Version of the New Digital Ecosystem
(College of Communication and Public Relations, NUPSPA, 2020) Bârgăoanu, Alina; Durach, Flavia
The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in terms of its quasi-simultaneous global reach and its multilayered character (medical, economic, political, geopolitical and social). It is also unprecedented because it is the first pandemic of the digital age, thus offering an accelerated version of the digital eco-system: interconnectedness across countries, regions, and even continents; globalization/ trans-nationalization of the national/ local communication spaces coupled by the circulation of global polluted narratives which are strikingly similar in terms of content in spite of their appearance of being tailored, even “extremely personalized” to fit local characteristics; and the preeminence of digital platforms within the communication ecosystem, including the semi-private or downright private ones such as WhatsApp or Facebook private messaging applications. Out of these emerging features, we will focus our analysis on the last interconnected two: globalization of seemingly local narratives and the emergence of the WhatsApp or Facebook private instant messaging applications as prominent transmission/ contagion means. We will do so by carrying an in-depth case study of Romania, which may offer an insight into more generalizable trends.
The Discursive Construction of ‘Good Parenting’ by Romanian Parenting Influencers
(Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations, 2023-07) Toader, Florența
This article analyzes promotional and educational content published online by newly emerged parenting influencers in Romania to endorse parenting education programs, workshops, seminars, or books. The paper aims to investigate how these programs construct ‘good parenting’ practices at a discursive level, what (de)legitimation strategies they use to promote products or services, and how they shape power relations between experts and parents. The study uses a multidimensional thematic, critical, and pragmatic discourse analysis approach. The results show that, through discursive strategies, influencers portray ‘good parenting’ as an anxiety and value-driven process. This approach is rooted in a parental determinist view that emphasizes the influence of parental actions on children’s health and well-being. On the other hand, parenting expert influencers depict the ‘good parent’ as a ‘conscious parent’ (a parent that is both child-conscious, and attentive to their own needs and emotions) who should reform old parenting practices to ensure a secure relationship with their children and correct old parenting mistakes. The paper contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the changing nature of parental culture in post-industrial countries, with a particular focus on Romania.

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