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Research finds rhetoric around #MeToo often focused on punishment, not causes of violence

A new study from the University of Kansas reveals that everyday people often focus on punishment as a solution to gender-based violence rather than examining its causes. Commenters regularly called for imprisonment and stripping perpetrators of power and resources, with some even advocating for poverty as a form of punishment.

SourceUniversity of Kansas·JournalCritical Studies in Media Communication·TypeMeta-analysis·DateAug 3, 2026

Study identifies product-category differences in language associated with click-through rates in Japanese Instagram advertisements

Researchers analyzed a large dataset of Japanese Instagram ads to identify linguistic patterns linked to click-through rates. The study found that word choices for supplement and cosmetic ads differed significantly, with risk-related words boosting CTR in supplement ads, while motion-related language increased CTR in cosmetic ads.

SourceUniversity of Tsukuba·JournalPLOS One·DateMay 11, 2026

Missing information can misinform

A study by Marta Serra-Garcia examines how incentives in the online attention economy shape scientific communication, finding that attention-driven summaries are not more likely to be factually inaccurate but tend to include less information. The research reveals a trade-off between engaging content and conveying accurate details.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalAmerican Economic Review·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 7, 2026

Should emojis be used in workplace communications?

A new study by the University of Ottawa found that emojis can negatively affect perceptions of competence and appropriateness in professional settings. The researchers discovered that using positive emojis with negative messages can create a sense of dishonesty, while negative emojis can lower overall competence perception.

SourceUniversity of Ottawa·JournalCollabra·TypeSurvey·DateApr 8, 2026

Study finds emphasis on conversation facilitation helps journalists re-engage communities

A study found that pairing student journalists with communities through structured conversation can help rebuild trust and teach future reporters how to listen to and investigate the needs of overlooked communities. The program resulted in 27 conversations involving students and 135 community members, generating a complete curriculum f...

SourceUniversity of Kansas·JournalJournalism Practice·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 16, 2026

Creative talent: has AI knocked humans out?

A large-scale study reveals that generative AI models have reached the threshold of average human creativity, but the most creative individuals still outperform even the best AI systems. The study also highlights the importance of human guidance and parameterization in modulating AI creativity.

SourceUniversity of Montreal·JournalScientific Reports·DateJan 21, 2026

Learning about public consensus on climate change does little to boost people’s support for action, study shows

A new study based on data from Germany found that learning about widespread public support for climate action policies initially makes people think such policies are more politically feasible, but these effects are small and short-lived. The study challenges common expectations about the power of public consensus to drive climate action.

SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalJournal of Environmental Psychology·TypeSurvey·DateJan 15, 2026

Innovative strategy trains bilingual clinic staff as dual-role medical interpreters to bridge language gaps in primary care

A new training program equips bilingual staff with medical interpretation skills, increasing qualified interpreter status to 72% among participants. The innovative approach leverages heritage-speaking staff's linguistic and cultural strengths to address the high need for qualified medical interpreters in primary care.

SourceAmerican Academy of Family Physicians·JournalThe Annals of Family Medicine·DateNov 24, 2025

Study shows how kids learn when to use capital letters - it’s not just about rules

A new study found that English-speaking children learn to capitalize words based on their position in a sentence, rather than just memorizing rules. The research suggests that students benefit from spelling exercises that focus on the meaning and structure of sentences, not just individual word spellings.

SourceSociety for Research in Child Development·JournalChild Development·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 3, 2025

AI wrote nearly a quarter of corporate press releases in 2024

A recent study reveals that large language models have been used in nearly a quarter of corporate press releases in 2024. The researchers found an increasing trend in the use of AI-assisted writing across various sectors, with significant growth in UN and US press releases.

SourceCell Press·JournalPatterns·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateOct 2, 2025

Science journalists as brokers of trust

A new JCOM study reveals that science journalists act as 'knowledge brokers,' negotiating with their audiences to convey accurate information. The researchers found that public trust in science is not uniformly declining, but rather fragmented and dependent on social, political, and media contexts.

SourceSissa Medialab·JournalJournal of Science Communication·TypeObservational study·DateSep 22, 2025

AI risks overwriting history and the skills of historians have never been more important, leading academic outlines in new paper

A new paper highlights the importance of human historians in capturing emotional complexity behind world events as AI struggles to accurately represent Holocaust survivors' experiences. Historians possess skills that AI lacks, including the ability to capture human suffering and preserve fracture and silence.

SourceTaylor & Francis Group·JournalRethinking History·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateSep 15, 2025

Extremists use gaming platforms to recruit - study

A study reveals how extremist groups exploit video games to recruit and radicalize impressionable users on gaming-adjacent platforms. The research highlights the challenges faced by moderators in detecting and reporting harmful content, and emphasizes the need for better understanding of these platforms and their subcultures.

SourceAnglia Ruskin University·JournalFrontiers in Psychology·TypeSurvey·DateJul 31, 2025

Study finds engagement journalism training reduced 'horse race' political coverage, boosted more substantive content

A study found that journalism engagement training reduced the prevalence of 'horse race' stories and boosted more substantive, community-oriented content. The training program, Democracy SOS, worked with journalists and news outlets across the country to promote solutions-focused coverage and increase transparency.

SourceUniversity of Kansas·JournalJournalism & Mass Communication Quarterly·TypeMeta-analysis·DateApr 29, 2025

PING

Professor Andrew Brodsky's book 'PING' offers a four-part framework to transform research insights into action. The framework includes Perspective, Taking, Nonverbal cues, and Goals, which help individuals communicate more effectively in virtual environments.