Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Infographic
An infographic is a structured visual representation of information, data, or research insights designed to communicate complex ideas quickly and clearly. By combining visual elements—such as charts, diagrams, icons, and typography—with concise explanatory text, infographics enable readers to grasp key messages at a glance while retaining conceptual depth. In an academic context, an infographic does not replace the original research; rather, it serves as an accessible entry point to it.
  • 69
  • 16 Dec 2025
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Synthetic Media: Deepfakes, AI-Generated Content, and Authenticity in the Digital Society
Synthetic media are digital artifacts (image, video, audio, text, or multimodal content) that are wholly or partly generated or materially manipulated by artificial intelligence (AI), particularly by deep-learning models. In consequence, their form, source, identity signal, or evidentiary relation to recorded events becomes partly or wholly artificial. A deepfake is the best-known subclass: AI-generated or AI-manipulated image, audio, or video content (including audio-only voice clones and still images) that realistically depicts an existing or fictitious person, object, place, or event and could falsely appear to be authentic. Contemporary scholarly and legal usage defines deepfakes by their technological origin and their capacity to deceive rather than by the creator’s intent, so disclosed and beneficial applications (accessibility, dubbing, entertainment, and research) are synthetic media as well. They are distinguished from cheapfakes (or shallowfakes), which achieve deception through conventional, non-AI editing such as selective cropping, slowing, or recontextualization. The social significance of synthetic media is not intrinsic but depends on consent, context, disclosure, and distribution, and on the institutional conditions under which audiences judge authenticity across the expanding volume of AI-generated content (AIGC) in the digital society.
  • 60
  • 17 Sep 2026
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Representations of Victimhood in Media Reporting of Armed Conflicts
Victimhood in media discourse refers to how individuals or groups subjected to harm are represented and made visible to the public. These representations shape whether audiences respond with empathy or emotional distance, in particular as it pertains to mass violence events such as wars. News texts can humanize suffering by providing personal detail, evocative language, and contextual depth; or they can neutralize it through detached, fact-focused reporting. The extent to which people are perceived as “worthy victims” depends not only on the words and images chosen but also on the surrounding narrative—whether the event is framed as intentional harm or an unfortunate incident, whether victims are named and individualized or rendered as anonymous masses. In this way, media reporting does not merely record suffering but actively constructs hierarchies of victimhood, influencing who appears deserving of compassion and whose suffering remains invisible or muted.
  • 49
  • 03 Mar 2026
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Health Communication in the Age of Platforms: Drivers of Misinformation and the Crisis of Medical Expertise
Misinformation has emerged as a significant threat to both society and public health, with social media acting as a major conduit for its dissemination. This contributes to harmful health outcomes and undermines trust in authoritative institutions. In addition, the dismantling of scientific authority seems to be a symptom of the post-truth era, where “alternative facts” are presented in the public debate as indisputable evidence of the inherent limitations of scientific infallibility. The prevalence of misinformation on social media platforms stems from multiple, interconnected factors, including individual-level influences such as cognitive biases, as well as systemic aspects of social media’s information architecture. Unlike scientific institutions that adhere to the principles of evidence-based knowledge, social media platforms operate under an attention-driven model that favors virality over factuality. Addressing these challenges effectively requires coordinated, multi-level, and multidisciplinary interventions targeting users, content creators, technology companies, health authorities, and governments to restore public trust and safeguard the credibility of medical expertise.
  • 47
  • 19 Nov 2025
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Storytelling in Advertising
Storytelling in advertising is an organising principle through which narrative meaning can be constructed at different but interconnected levels, from individual advertisements to campaigns and more enduring brand narratives across changing media environments. It provides the narrative logic through which individual advertisements can function as narratives in their own right while also contributing to broader narrative structures, allowing audiences to interpret them within wider cultural frameworks. Although its forms have evolved with successive developments in advertising media, storytelling continues to rely on the narrative processes through which meaning is constructed. The distinction between the narrative content (tale) and its modes of expression (telling) explains how similar stories may be communicated differently as advertising adapts to new media. Storytelling therefore encompasses a wide range of narrative strategies while preserving its underlying narrative function. The emergence of generative artificial intelligence marks the latest stage in this historical development. Narrative production is increasingly distributed across human creators and computational systems. The construction of narrative meaning nevertheless continues to depend on human judgement, which remains central to advertising storytelling.
  • 46
  • 11 Sep 2026
Topic Review
Social Media Platform
A social media platform is a digital service that enables users to create, share, access, and interact with content and other users within an online communication environment [1]. These platforms provide technological features such as user profiles, content feeds, messaging, commenting, sharing, and network connections that facilitate different forms of interpersonal and mass communication. Examples include social networking sites, video-sharing services, microblogging platforms, and discussion-based communities, which vary in their functions, audience structures, and modes of interaction [2]. Platform design, algorithms, content moderation policies, and participation rules influence how information is distributed, which voices gain visibility, and how users engage with public issues . In political communication, social media platforms serve as spaces where political actors, news organizations, civic groups, and members of the public disseminate information, express opinions, mobilize support, and participate in political discussion. Their communication features and governance arrangements shape the opportunities and constraints for information exchange, public engagement, and collective action in digital society.
  • 25
  • 14 Oct 2026
Topic Review
Social Media Ecosystem
A social media ecosystem is an interconnected sociotechnical environment comprising digital platforms, users, organizations, content, communication practices, and technological infrastructures that collectively shape online interaction and information exchange [1][2]. Its components include social networking sites, content-sharing services, messaging applications, user communities, and the algorithms and interface features that organize the creation, distribution, and visibility of digital content. Users, businesses, public institutions, media organizations, and other participants contribute to this ecosystem by producing content, maintaining social relationships, exchanging information, and engaging in public discussions [2][3]. The relationships among these actors and platforms extend beyond individual services, as users move between digital spaces and connect online activities with offline social contexts [4]. The ecosystem evolves as platforms change their technical features, governance policies, and recommendation systems, while user practices and communication needs also develop [1][4]. In media studies and communication research, the social media ecosystem provides a perspective for examining how platforms, social relationships, and information flows interact to influence public discourse, community formation, and patterns of digital participation.
  • 23
  • 14 Oct 2026
Topic Review
Social Movements
Social movements are collective efforts by individuals, groups, and organizations to promote or resist social, political, or cultural change through sustained interaction and coordinated action [1][2]. They typically involve shared goals, common grievances, or a collective identity that connects participants and distinguishes the movement from other social actors [3]. Unlike isolated protests or temporary gatherings, social movements often develop through informal networks, shared interpretations of social issues, and a range of activities, including demonstrations, public campaigns, advocacy, community organizing, and other forms of collective action. Their development is shaped by access to resources, political opportunities, relationships with authorities and opponents, and the cultural meanings through which participants frame their demands. Collective identity and solidarity can help sustain participation over time, while movement strategies and forms of expression may evolve in response to changing social conditions [4]. Social movements may seek institutional reform, expanded rights, cultural recognition, environmental protection, or more fundamental transformations of existing social arrangements.
  • 21
  • 14 Oct 2026
Topic Review
Social News
Social news refers to news content that is produced, selected, circulated, or discussed through socially mediated digital environments, where user participation and network interactions influence how information gains visibility and reaches audiences [1]. It encompasses news shared through social media platforms, as well as forms of digital journalism that incorporate social media practices, audience engagement, and participatory content distribution. Users contribute to social news circulation by posting links, recommending stories, commenting on reports, and sharing information within their social networks [2]. On dedicated social news platforms, users may also submit content, vote on stories, or rank items, allowing collective judgments to influence which information receives prominence. These processes can broaden access to news and facilitate public discussion, but they may also shape news exposure through social relationships, selective sharing, platform algorithms, and users’ judgments of relevance or credibility. In political communication, social news is significant because the circulation and discussion of political information through social networks can influence public attention, political awareness, and participation. Its distinctive feature is the role of social interaction and user participation in the selection, distribution, and interpretation of news
  • 18
  • 15 Oct 2026
Topic Review
Social Machine
A social machine is a sociotechnical system in which human participants and computational technologies interact to produce outcomes that neither could achieve as effectively in isolation [1][2]. Social machine is particularly associated with Web-based environments, where digital platforms coordinate human contributions through computational processes, interfaces, and rules [1][3]. Participants may create and share content, contribute knowledge, classify information, solve problems, or coordinate collective activities, while technological components support communication, organize contributions, and process the resulting data. Examples include collaborative knowledge platforms, crowdsourcing systems, online communities, and citizen-science projects, in which individual contributions can be integrated into shared outputs. Social machines differ from conventional automated systems because human participation is an integral part of their operation rather than merely an external source of input [3][4]. Their effectiveness depends on the design of participation mechanisms, the distribution of tasks, the quality of communication, and the coordination between human judgment and computational processing. In knowledge management and communication, social machines enable distributed knowledge creation, collaborative problem-solving, and large-scale information exchange.
  • 17
  • 14 Oct 2026
Topic Review
Social Media Analytics
Social media analytics is the systematic process of collecting, preparing, processing, and analyzing data generated through social media platforms to identify patterns, interpret online interactions, and derive insights into individual and collective behavior [1]. It combines quantitative and qualitative methods, including text mining, sentiment analysis, social network analysis, topic modeling, and statistical analysis, to examine user-generated content, communication networks, engagement patterns, and the circulation of information [1][2]. In communication and political research, social media analytics can be used to investigate public opinion, political discourse, civic participation, information diffusion, and responses to public events or policy decisions [3]. The analytical process typically involves defining a research question, collecting relevant data, cleaning and organizing the data, applying appropriate methods, and interpreting the results within their social and political contexts. Although social media data can provide timely insights into public expression and interaction, its interpretation requires attention to platform-specific user populations, sampling biases, data access restrictions, and privacy and ethical considerations. Social media analytics thus supports the systematic study of digital communication and its relationship with broader social and political processes.
  • 15
  • 13 Oct 2026
Topic Review
Social Media Dynamics
Social media dynamics encompass the changing patterns of interaction, communication, participation, and information exchange that emerge among users and within digital platforms over time [1]. These dynamics are shaped by user behavior, social relationships, platform features, content visibility, and algorithmic systems that influence how information is created, circulated, interpreted, and discussed [2]. They include processes such as information diffusion, audience engagement, the formation and transformation of online communities, public opinion development, and the emergence of collective behaviors, including cooperation, polarization, and conflict [3]. Social media dynamics are also influenced by external events and broader social contexts, which can alter patterns of attention, participation, and discourse across platforms. In media studies and communication research, examining these processes helps explain how digital communication networks evolve, how narratives gain or lose visibility, and how online interactions may influence public discussion and social relationships. Their analysis requires attention to temporal changes, differences among platforms and user groups, and the reciprocal relationships between individual actions and wider communication patterns.
  • 15
  • 13 Oct 2026
Topic Review
Social Tagging
Social tagging is a collaborative information-organizing practice in which users assign freely chosen keywords, or tags, to digital resources such as webpages, images, publications, and videos [1][2]. Unlike traditional classification systems based on predefined categories, social tagging allows users to describe content according to their own interests, interpretations, and information needs. When tags are shared and aggregated across users, they form a collectively generated classification structure, commonly known as a folksonomy [3]. Social tagging supports resource discovery, browsing, and knowledge sharing by connecting content through user-generated labels. However, differences in terminology, ambiguity, and inconsistent tagging practices can affect retrieval accuracy [4].
  • 13
  • 22 Oct 2026
Topic Review
Communication Context
Communication context encompasses the circumstances and conditions in which communication takes place and through which messages are produced, conveyed, interpreted, and understood. It includes physical and situational features, the relationships between communicators, and broader social, cultural, psychological, and temporal factors [1]. These elements influence how individuals select communication strategies, assign meaning to verbal and nonverbal cues, and interpret the intentions of others. Communication context is therefore not merely the setting in which an interaction occurs; it is an integral part of the communication process. Its influence can extend from individual interactions to wider social and media environments.
  • 4
  • 05 Nov 2026
Topic Review
Communication Technique
Communication technique is a specific method or set of actions used to convey, receive, interpret, or respond to messages in order to facilitate effective interaction. Techniques may involve verbal strategies, such as questioning, paraphrasing, clarification, and feedback, as well as nonverbal behaviors, including eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, and vocal cues [1][2]. Their selection and application depend on the purpose of the interaction, the communication context, and the needs of the participants. Communication techniques can help improve message clarity, encourage participation, manage misunderstandings, and support the development of interpersonal relationships [2][3]. They are commonly developed and refined through practice, observation, and feedback.
  • 4
  • 06 Nov 2026
Topic Review
Pragmatic Communication
Pragmatic communication is the use and interpretation of verbal and nonverbal signals to convey and understand meaning in relation to the social and situational context. It involves recognizing communicative intentions, interpreting implied meanings, using language appropriately, and adapting messages to the participants, purpose, and circumstances of an interaction [1][2][3]. Relevant features include turn-taking, conversational management, topic maintenance, speech acts, politeness, and the interpretation of indirect or context-dependent expressions [2][4]. Pragmatic communication therefore extends beyond the literal meaning of words to encompass how meaning is negotiated and understood through interaction. It is important in interpersonal relationships, social participation, and the development of communicative competence.
  • 4
  • 06 Nov 2026
Topic Review
Critical Thinking Competencies
Critical thinking competencies are the integrated cognitive abilities and dispositions that enable individuals to examine information, evaluate arguments, interpret evidence, and make reasoned judgments. They include skills such as interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, explanation, and self-regulation, as well as dispositions such as open-mindedness, intellectual curiosity, fairness, and willingness to reconsider existing beliefs [1]. These competencies support the identification of assumptions and biases, the assessment of the credibility of information, and the development of evidence-based conclusions and decisions [2]. In educational settings, they are developed through inquiry, reflection, problem-solving, and engagement with diverse perspectives.
  • 4
  • 06 Nov 2026
Topic Review
Communication Competence
Communication competence is the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately across different interpersonal, social, and cultural contexts. It involves the integration of communication knowledge, motivation, and skills, enabling individuals to convey and interpret messages, manage interactions, adapt their communication behaviors, and respond to the expectations of others [1][2]. Effectiveness concerns the extent to which communication achieves its intended goals, whereas appropriateness reflects its suitability to the norms, relationships, and circumstances of a particular interaction [1]. Communication competence is context-dependent and can be developed through experience, feedback, education, and deliberate practice [2][3].
  • 3
  • 05 Nov 2026
Topic Review
Communication Ethics
Communication ethics is the study and application of moral principles to communicative practices and interactions. It examines the ethical responsibilities of individuals, groups, media organizations, and institutions in creating, sharing, interpreting, and responding to messages [1][2]. Key principles include truthfulness, accuracy, fairness, respect, accountability, and consideration for the rights and well-being of others [2][3]. Communication ethics also addresses how power, cultural differences, and social inequalities shape communication, as well as the ethical implications of decisions about what to communicate, how to communicate, and whether to speak or remain silent. It provides a basis for evaluating communication practices across interpersonal, organizational, public, and mediated contexts.
  • 3
  • 05 Nov 2026
Topic Review
Communication Model
A communication model is a conceptual or graphical representation of the elements, relationships, and processes involved in communication. It simplifies complex communicative activities to illustrate how messages are created, transmitted, received, and interpreted, as well as how participants, channels, feedback, and contextual factors interact [1][2]. Different models emphasize different aspects of communication. Linear models describe the one-way transmission of messages, interactive models incorporate feedback between participants, and transactional models present communication as a simultaneous and dynamic exchange of meaning. Communication models provide analytical frameworks for understanding communication processes, developing theories, and guiding research across interpersonal, organizational, and mass communication contexts.
  • 3
  • 05 Nov 2026
  • Page
  • of
  • 5
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Reprints

>>
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Medieval Royal Iconography
Write an Entry
Feedback