Abstract Appreciating employees is a communicative behavior, however, research focused on communication is limited. This systematic review synthesized 41 records on employee appreciation to derive research recommendations. Research recommendations are related to (a) examining cultural differences, (b) examining differences in work environments and interindividual differences, (c) examining the match of wanted and received appreciation, (d) using more varied methods, (e) validating available and developing new instruments, (f) conducting meta-analyses and including under-researched concepts, (g) focusing on employee appreciation, (h) examining pitfalls and suitable strategies for conveying appreciation, and (i) examining the circular process of appreciation. This systematic review provides (communication) scholars with new research ideas which place employee appreciation at the center—and which are also of great interest for organizations.

ABSTRACT This paper explores the consistent alignment of mediated intergroup contact and persuasive communication in prejudice reduction. Through a systematic review of literature, it provides a comprehensive overview of indirect mediated contact research (parasocial/vicarious contact) within the immigrant minority outgroup context. The study draws insights, particularly in message design, from persuasive communication for anti-immigrant prejudice reduction. Utilizing O'Keefe's [2016a. Communicator factors. In D. J. O’Keefe (Ed.), Persuasion: Theory and research (Third edition, pp. 130–157). SAGE] classification (message variables, recipient variables, and communicator variables), the review illuminates prevalent variables in current mediated contact studies and identifies opportunities and challenges for future research. The findings underscore the need for a more rigorous application of variables and geographical expansion in mediated contact empirical research. These results are discussed along with implications and recommendations for future research.

ABSTRACT This article offers a chronological review of Jornal Nacional, Brazil's popular TV news programme, covering eight presidential elections post-redemocratization. With 108 texts analysed, including journal articles, conference papers, theses, and dissertations, the study focused on ‘Jornal Nacional’ and ‘presidential election’ keywords. It reconstructs a detailed historical account of pivotal electoral moments in Brazilian politics as portrayed on TV. The most significant discovery is the enduring scrutiny of the 1989 Lula vs. Collor debate's shortened version aired by the newscast. Notably, there's a lack of English-language publications on this topic. Brazil's economic fluctuations from 1989 to 2018, ranking between 6th and 12th globally, emphasize the need for international research attention to its political mass communication coverage.

ABSTRACT Academic conferences, particularly international conference venues, have been suggested as a way to overcome inequality within academic associations. In this study, we assess the national diversity of 18 annual conferences of the International Communication Association (ICA) between 2005 and 2022 and compare the composition of conference contributors to that of ICA members. Our results show that although the overall national diversity of ICA conferences has more than doubled since 2005, and closely mirrors ICA membership, the effective number of contributing countries is still very low. National diversity differs substantially between divisions and depending on the conference venue, with non-US venues exhibiting significantly more national diversity. We discuss measures to evaluate and improve ICA’s national diversity at different levels.

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in substantial international scientific research from high-income countries, with fewer contributions from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Utilizing a field theory approach, we contend that these output variations may underscore challenges faced by LMIC researchers in obtaining international academic recognition. Through a systematic review of Brazilian and international Communication research during the pandemic, we identify differences in research interests, constructs, methods, and use of academic references. While international literature prioritizes quantitative surveys, Brazil emphasizes qualitative content analysis. We also observe dissimilarities in covered topics and a limited number of shared references. Research traditions and distinct resource allocations pose additional barriers to international publishing, hampering academic exchanges between these communities.

ABSTRACT In a proclaimed age of ‘post-truth,’ scholars have raised concerns about the spread of false information and the questioning of epistemic authorities. In this paper, we develop an analytical model to capture the digital transformation of knowledge order. Drawing on insights from social epistemology, sociology and history of knowledge, and media history, we identify epistemic practices as basic elements of knowledge order. We then analyze how epistemic practices are organized into an overarching structure of knowledge phases, contexts, roles, and hierarchies. Digital media tend to destabilize the traditional knowledge order. This destabilization is characterized by a more flexible order of phases, a dissolution of boundaries between contexts, an opening of professional roles to new actors, and a flattening of hierarchies.

ABSTRACT Immersive media forms that can elicit high levels of spatial presence have become popular tools for persuasive communicators. While the research community agrees that immersive persuasive messages should be especially effective, there is less consensus concerning the underlying psychological mechanism. Consequently, it seems necessary to systematize and consolidate the research field. This systematic literature review therefore analyzes 108 empirical articles and identifies four major research strands that focus on (1) affect and emotion, (2) altered perception and storage, (3) depth of processing, and the (4) valence of cognitions. The divergent assumptions are ultimately brought together in a conceptual four-step model of persuasion by spatial presence. Potential inhibitors of persuasion are furthermore discussed and included in the model.

ABSTRACT Efficacy constructs play central roles in health, political, computer-mediated, environmental, and mass communication research. In this review, we sought to organize and evaluate the efficacy concepts that have accumulated in media effects scholarship. First, we characterize how media effects researchers have studied efficacy constructs, both as perceptions and as message features. We discuss key conceptual and methodological issues for each efficacy construct. Second, we offer a conceptual matrix that puts prominent efficacy constructs in conversation with one another. We conclude with recommendations for media scholars studying efficacy. Ultimately, our review underscores the need for greater clarity and consistency in the study of efficacy as a predictor, outcome, mechanism, and moderator of media use and exposure.

ABSTRACT The present review examines whether commonalities and differences can be detected in the content of eudaimonic entertainment. We focused on two features: the fundamental human needs that were threatened, and the specific virtues that were portrayed. The results showed that the examined materials often included a combination of portrayals of threats to the fundamental human needs for safety, health and relatedness, and portrayals of the virtue of humanity, like love and kindness. Two subcategories could be distinguished in the materials, one in which the focus is on the portrayal of virtue as an answer to threatened needs, and one in which the focus is on the portrayal of threatened needs in which characters struggle even though they also have virtue.

This article refers to:Indexing theory during an emerging health crisis: how U.S. TV news indexed elite perspectives and amplified COVID-19 misinformation