The present research seeks to increase understanding of cognitive dissonance by exploring the various information sources that may influence the negative feelings that may arise during post-purchase evaluation. Specifically, the author focuses on the impact of consumer opinion seeking, traditional media search, internet search and social media search on cognitive dissonance by employing two studies. In Study 1, depth interviews are collected and analyzed in an effort to gain more insight into the search process and consumers perceptions of the helpfulness and credibility of different information sources. Categories of information sources, categories of which sources were deemed most helpful or credible, and categories of post-purchase evaluations as they relate to cognitive dissonance are drawn from the interviews. Conclusions are drawn from this analysis and a proposed model is provided informed by the emergent categories. The development of hypotheses is also discussed. Study 2 explores the impact of credibility of sources within social media on online furniture purchase decisions. A survey is developed to empirically examine the relationships represented in the model. A pretest is conducted with a sample of 207 respondents. The results of the pretest are used to make changes to the survey instrument for the main study. The main study is conducted using three samples of participants that gained information from one of three sources of information: 1) friends and family member, 2) retailer or 3) other individual (“others”) the participant does not know personally. The findings from the main study indicate that trustworthiness of the source positively impacts consumers’ perceptions of source credibility. Moreover, the results from each of the three samples also provide evidence that cognitive dissonance is less likely to occur when consumers have a positive attitude toward source of information. These findings are especially relevant for retailers as they should develop strategies to enhance trust among their customers in order to increase perceived credibility. In the same vein, retailers should focus on crafting approaches that foster favorable customer attitudes in order to reduce the occurrence of cognitive dissonance. Additional results of the main study are presented along with managerial implications and ideas for future research.

本研究以Ha & McCann(2008)從資訊環境、廣告操縱和思考出發點等差異所提出的整合性分析架構，以及Dentsu(2006)提出媒體企畫從AIDMA模式轉化為AISAS的論點，探討新科技環境帶來媒體企畫思維和架構改變的同時，國內媒體代理商如何為廣告主擬定媒體企畫？策略為何？影響因素為何？又如何在資源有限又須更有效地觸達日趨複雜的消費者前提下，認知行銷環境上的變化？本文研究對象為台灣地區綜合媒體代理商之資深媒體企畫、購買及研究人員，主要採取量化的問卷調查，並以質性研究之深度訪談做為輔助。問卷調查採分層方式進行樣本配置，共發出102份問卷，回收101份，回收率為99%。統計分析方式包括描述性次數分配、T檢定、因素分析、相關分析和迴歸分析。 研究發現主要包括以下四個部分： 1.媒體企畫思維將轉向為以「電視」為主的傳統媒體，和以「網路」為主的新媒體之「雙核心」式的跨媒體企畫思維。 2.數位時代的廣告媒體企畫不以單一媒體為企畫重心。傳播媒體必須能與其他媒體有效整合，或擁有獨特傳播功能，才能保有優勢。 3.關於媒體企畫所需求的測量指標，仍以與廣告曝光相關的量化指標需求度較高，但需加上消費者對廣告活動的回饋情形，才能完整瞭解廣告效果。 4.媒體代理商仍傾向以透過媒體虛擬形塑出的集體社群進行傳播，並引導社群間的互動、分享，以及消費者對廣告活動的涉入。媒體代理商所需求的消費者資訊仍以集體社群為主，而非個人化的資訊尋求行為。 / The media scenario has become so complex that the information for media selection and planning is specific to the target, for a sophisticated segmentation of the media in relation to a segmented target, a specific combination, distribution and designing of advertisements in the media. This study explores how media agencies frame media planning packages for advertisers in the new era, changing media planning and implementation due to the new technology environment. It examines what are the influencing factors for media planning and buying agencies’ strategy. How do they cognize the change of marketing environment with the premise of limited resources and the necessity of effectively reaching increasingly complex consumers? The study is based on two theoretical contentions. One is an integrated model that Ha & McCann (2008) raised from the divergence of information processing, consumer or advertiser control, and media or consumer-centered strategies. The other that Dentsu (2006) raised is media planning has changed from AIDMA model to AISAS model. Subjects of the thesis consisted of senior media planners, buyers, and researchers of media agencies. The study adopts mainly quantifiable investigation and qualitative in-depth interviews as an auxiliary source. The sampling for quantifiable investigation adopts stratified sampling. The study was sent out to 102 respondents in total and received 101 returns; the response rate is 99%. The main findings are as follows: 1.Media buyers will change their planning and designing due to various reasons when making media mix decision. Television remains a significant medium for integrated communication, while the internet can be a first communication strategy to reach alternative audiences. 2.While emphasis on different audiences in the digital era, media planners tend to focus on multimedia strategies. For traditional media, it can remain advantageous position if the planners integrated effectively with new media with different effects. 3.Media planners tend to use quantifiable advertisement criteria as measurement before they make decisions. They also use various consumer service feedback to create advertisement campaigns for help understand whole advertising effect. The quantitative and iterative nature of media planning makes it an attractive tool for media planning. 4.Media agencies still tend to conduct interviews and collect information from wide variety of community groups. The growing trend of interactive media needs to engage with community groups for further information for interactive marketing strategies.

Studiens syfte är att förstå hur nyhetskonsumenter med olika nivå av institutionaliserat kulturellt kapital uppfattar innehållet i traditionella medier, högerpolitiska alternativmedier och högerextrema alternativmedier för att se hur dessatolkningar kan ge upphov till annorlunda sätt att se på en och samma företeelse med skilda vinklingar. Tidigare studier inom fältet har fokuserat på vilka typer av medier nyhetskonsumenter med olika bakgrund konsumerar men inte så mycket på hur innehållet uppfattas. Det är något som denna studie bringar klarhet kring. Studien är en kvalitativ intervjustudie där sex nyhetskonsumenter med olika bakgrund, beroende på utbildning och yrke, fått läsa och svara på frågor om tre olika nyhetsartiklar som behandlar samma händelse, attacken mot Notre-Damekatedralen i Nice den 29 oktober 2020. Intervjuerna har sedan analyserats utifrån encoding/decoding-perspektivet och ett klassteoretiskt perspektiv. Resultatet visar att den allmänna uppfattningen av artiklarna är relativt likartad respondenterna emellan. Resultatet visar även att varken traditionella medier eller alternativa medier uppfattas som objektiva eller trovärdiga. Det klassteoretiska resultatet visar att respondenter med ett högre kulturellt kapital applicerar ett mer kritiskt förhållningssätt genom att i större utsträckning applicera sina egna åsikter på de iakttagelser som görs. / The purpose of this study is to understand how news consumers with different levels of institutionalized cultural capital perceive traditional and right-wing alternative media in order to see how these interpretations may give rise to different ways to view the same phenomenon with different angles. Previous studies within the same field have focused on what types of media news consumers with different backgrounds consume, but not so much how the content is perceived. How the content is perceived is something this study brings clarity to. This is a qualitative interview study where six news consumers with different backgrounds, depending on education and occupation, are asked to read and answer some questions regarding three different news articles. These articles cover the same story, which is the attack against the Notre-Dame cathedral in Nice on October 29th in 2020. The interviews have been analysed through the encoding/decoding-perspective, as well as class theory perspective.   The result showcases that the general perception of the articles is relatively similar between the different respondents. The result also shows that neither the traditional nor the alternative media is perceived as objective or trustworthy. Furthermore, the result from a class theory perspective also shows how respondents with a higher cultural capital applies a more critical approach by applying their own opinions to a greater extent on the observations that are made.

The dissertation analyzes current potential and possible future development of new and traditional media. The main purpose of this paper is to find and describe the possibilities of news sites development in the near future.. After theoretical analysis of traditional and new media, I propose three dominant influences for nowadays media: participatory culture, news content changes and technologies. Based on these particular influences, 2-dimensional model of nowadays media system potential is built. From this model, I derive premises and possible future risks for media, with emphasis on news sites.

Covid-19 pandemin har påverkat många länder runt om i världen. Folkhälsomyndigheten i Sverige införde restriktioner och rekommendationer för att skydda samhällets befolkning från att smittas av viruset. I samband med pandemin har det uppkommit ett överflöd av nyheter gällande covid-19 inom både traditionella och digitala medier. Syftet med studien är att undersöka om Folkhälsomyndigheten har påverkats utifrån de olika nyhetsmedier som informerat om covid-19 men även om det finns ett samband mellan studiens fynd och Folkhälsomyndighetens kommunikationsinsatser. Studien har använt sig av source credibility (Hovland et al. 1953) och media credibility (Westley & Severin, 1964; W.Roper, 1959; Bucy, 2003) teorierna som teoretiskt ramverk, relevanta forskningsstudier inom trovärdighet och medier och Folkhälsomyndighetens pandemiberedskapsrapport. Det empiriska underlaget i studien utgår från tolv semistrukturerade intervjuer som genomförts med respondenter inom två åldersgrupper, 20–25 år och 65–70 år. Det har genomförts en tematisk analys för att hitta likheter och skillnader mellan respondenternas svar vilket utformat teman, public service och trovärdighet, nyhetskomsumption, källhänvisning och trovärdighet, språk och det visuella i samband med trovärdighet, respondenternas bild av Folkhälsomyndigheten, massinformation, Folkhälsomyndighetens påverkan av nyhetsmedier, digitala och traditionella medier och Folkhälsomyndighetens expertis. Studiens resultat visar att det uppkommer en svårighet med att mäta respondenternas trovärdighet till Folkhälsomyndigheten genom nyhetsmedier då det uppkommer andra faktorer som är mer påtagliga än faktorerna expertis och tillförlitlighet inom source- och media credibility teorierna. Dessa faktorer är respondenternas livsstil, vanor, journalistik, visuell påverkan, källhänvisning och public service. Det fanns samband med faktorerna och Folkhälsomyndigheternas sex kommunikationsstrategier och genom att myndigheten tar hänsyn till åldersgruppernas faktorer för trovärdighet kan det gynna deras risk- och konsekvensbedömningar inom kommunikationsarbetet inför kommande pandemier. Slutsatsen är att Folkhälsomyndighetens bild inte har påverkats av nyhetsmedierna. Digitala och traditionella medier har inte varit avgörande för respondenternas uppfattning av Folkhälsomyndighetens trovärdighet. Studien belyser även komplexiteten med trovärdighetsbedömningar då respondenterna hade svårigheter med att särskilja avsändaren, meddelandet och mediet. / The Covid-19 pandemic has affected many countries around the world. The Swedish Public Health Agency introduced restrictions and recommendations to protect society's population from being infected by the virus. In connection with the pandemic, there has been an abundance of news regarding covid-19 in both traditional and digital media. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether the Swedish Public Health Agency has been affected based on the various news media that informed about covid-19, but also whether there is a connection between the study's findings and the Swedish Public Health Agency's communication efforts. The study has used the source credibility (Hovland et al. 1953) and media credibility (Westley & Severin, 1964; W. Roper, 1959; Bucy, 2003) theories as a theoretical framework, relevant research studies in credibility, media and the Public Health Agency's pandemic preparedness report. The empirical basis of the study is based on twelve semi-structured interviews conducted with respondents in two age groups, 20–25 years and 65–70 years. A thematic analysis has been carried out to find similarities and differences between the respondents 'answers, which designed themes, public service and credibility, news consumption, source reference and credibility, language and the visual in connection with credibility, respondents' image of the Public Health Agency, mass information, Public Health Agency's influence on news media, digital and traditional media, and the Swedish Public Health Agency's expertise. The results of the study show that there is a difficulty in measuring the respondents' credibility to the Public Health Agency through news media as other factors arise that are more obvious than the factors expertise and reliability within the source and media credibility theories. These factors are the respondents' lifestyle, habits, journalism, visual impact, source reference and public service. There were connections with the factors and the Public Health Authorities 'six communication strategies, and by the authority considering the age groups' factors for credibility, it can benefit their risk and impact assessments in the communication work before future pandemics. The conclusion is that the Public Health Agency's image has not been influenced by the news media. Digital and traditional media have not been decisive for the respondents' perception of the Public Health Agency's credibility. The study also highlights the complexity of credibility assessments as respondents had difficulty distinguishing between sender, message and medium.

Introduction : La pandémie de COVID-19 a eu un impact négatif sur la santé mentale de la population. Les médias sociaux ont aussi largement contribué à la propagation des théories du complot sur la pandémie. Cependant, l’impact spécifique des diverses sources d’information et des croyances complotistes sur le fardeau psychologique de la pandémie au Canada reste encore méconnu. Objectifs : Ce mémoire vise à mesurer l’association entre l’exposition à différentes sources d’information sur la pandémie et les symptômes anxiodépressifs dans la population adulte du Canada, puis à analyser le rôle modérateur des croyances complotistes sur cette relation. Méthodes : Il s’agit d’une analyse secondaire des données d’une enquête transversale internationale en ligne à propos de l’impact des communications médiatiques sur les réactions psychologiques et comportementales à la pandémie. Les données analysées sont celles des participants canadiens de la collecte de novembre 2020 (n=9 522 adultes). Les quartiles (Q) d’intensité d’utilisation des sources institutionnelles, des médias traditionnels et des sources informelles (ex. : médias sociaux) ont été inclus dans des analyses de régression logistique multivariable ayant pour variables dépendantes les symptômes anxieux (GAD-7) ou dépressifs (PHQ-9). Dans des modèles subséquents, l’ajout d’un terme d’interaction a permis de tester l’effet modérateur des croyances complotistes sur l’association entre l’utilisation des sources informelles et les symptômes anxiodépressifs. Résultats : Une utilisation élevée des sources informelles est associée à une plus grande probabilité de symptômes anxieux (Q4 : ratio de cotes ajusté (RCa)=1,35 [IC95% : 1,12-1,64]), mais pas dépressifs. L’utilisation des sources institutionnelles est associée à une probabilité accrue de symptômes anxieux (Q3 : RCa=1,28 [1,07-1,52] ; Q4 : RCa=1,46 [1,20-1,78]) et dépressifs (Q4 : RCa=1,41 [1,17-1,69]). Les résultats pour l’utilisation des médias traditionnels ne sont pas statistiquement significatifs. Les croyances complotistes sont associées à une probabilité plus élevée de symptômes anxieux (Q3 : RCa=1,34 [1,10-1,62] ; Q4 : RCa=1,94 [1,60-2,35]) et dépressifs (Q2 : RCa=1,31 [1,10-1,56] ; Q3 : RCa=1,44 [1,21-1,73] ; Q4 : RCa=2,43 [2,03-2,92]). Toutefois, l’interaction entre les croyances complotistes et les sources informelles d’information n’est pas statistiquement significative. Conclusion : Ces résultats suggèrent la possibilité de moduler les interventions de santé publique en fonction des habitudes de consommation de l’information et du niveau de croyances complotistes pour mieux cibler et soutenir les personnes présentant un risque accru de développer des symptômes anxieux ou dépressifs. / Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of the population. Social media and their display algorithms have also made it possible to disseminate conspiracy theories about the pandemic in the public space. However, the contribution of various sources of information and conspiratorial beliefs to the psychological burden of the pandemic in Canada is not well known. Objective: This thesis aims to measure the association between exposure to different sources of information on the pandemic and anxio-depressive symptoms in the general adult population of Canada, then to analyze the moderating role of conspiracy beliefs on this association. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of data from an international online cross-sectional survey about the impact of media communications on psychological and behavioral reactions to the pandemic. The data analyzed are those of Canadian participants from the November 2020 collection phase (n=9,522 adults). Quartiles (Q) of intensity of use of institutional sources, traditional media and informal sources (including social media) were included in logistic regression analyzes with anxious (GAD-7) or depressive (PHQ-9) symptoms as dependent variables. An interaction term between conspiratorial beliefs and informal sources was added in separate models to examine their potential joint effect. Results: Significant use of informal sources is associated with a greater probability of having anxious symptoms (Q4: adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=1.35 [95% CI: 1.12-1.64]), but not depressive symptoms. The use of institutional sources is associated with an increased probability of both anxiety symptoms (Q3: aOR=1.28 [1.07-1.52]; Q4: aOR=1.46 [1.20-1. 78]) and depression symptoms (Q4: aOR=1.41 [1.17-1.69]). The use of traditional media is not associated with anxious or depressive symptoms. Conspiratorial beliefs are associated with an increased likelihood of symptoms that are both anxious (Q3: aOR=1.34 [1.10-1.62]; Q4: aOR=1.94 [1.60-2.35]) and depression (Q2: aOR=1.31 [1.10-1.56]; Q3: aOR=1.44 [1.21-1.73]; Q4: aOR=2.43 [2.03-2.92]). However, the interaction between conspiracy beliefs and informal sources of information is not significant. Conclusion: These results suggest the possibility of modulating public health interventions according to information consumption habits and the level of conspiratorial beliefs, to better target and support people at increased risk of developing anxious or depressive symptoms.

This study explored how social media are setting the agenda of the traditional media and re-defining the role of the journalists. Content analysis was done to analyse the coverage of Jacob Zuma stories in newspapers and on Facebook, from the 1st of February until the 30th of June 2018.The sample for the study was drawn from three local newspapers, the Citizen, the Sowetan, the NewAge (AfroVoice), as well as the Facebook page called #Zumamustfall. This was done to determine if newspapers which are traditional media were being influenced by social media in what stories to report on. Results from the study showed that social media are influential in building an agenda for the traditional media and in particular, with the Zuma story. In the same vein, it emerged that traditional and social media set the agenda for each other. Based on these findings the research recommends that other social media sites including Twitter be used in similar research to determine their effects on agenda setting of traditional media (newspapers). / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication Science)

The objective of this study is to put forward informed C4D recommendations to help organizations like UNICEF combat the situation for Syrian refugee children and youths in Lebanon, who through displacement and resettling into the complex Lebanese socio-political landscape may be at risk of becoming a lost generation. This paper focuses on the prevention and elimination of actions such as bullying, sexual harassment, gender-based violence, and early marriage.Conceptual framework: the communication theoretical framework considers Bourdieu’s habitus model as well as the uses and gratification model. Concepts conducive to social cohesion include citizenship, communitas and cosmopolitanism.Methodology: data were gathered through a variety of primary and secondary sources. The former includes semi-structured interviews with subject matter experts and analysis of UNICEF’s external communication practices. The latter comprises the collection, assessment, comparison and summarizing of various reports about Lebanese media.Findings: Lebanon has a pluralistic media landscape, though it appears fragmented, reflecting its socio-political sectarian situation. The media in Lebanon is criticized for lack of public service. The arts scene seems to fill a void in terms of examining the collective memory in respect of not only the civil war (1975-1990) but also of social issues arising as a result of globalization and modernity. Syrians in Lebanon consume Lebanese media as much as media from their own country. Interpersonal communication channels appear to be the preferred mode of communication among both the host and the refugee communities, although among the youth social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook are commonplace. Among the traditional media channels, television appears to be popular. The representation of Syrian refugees in Lebanese media is varied, with about one fourth of the published material portraying Syrians as a security issue.Results: a series of C4D recommendations that use sports and the arts as an overarching theme.