Abstract This article presents a systematic review of scholarly research on the political uses of WhatsApp, with a particular focus on studies conducted in or about the Global South. While research on digital politics has largely centered on open, platform-visible spaces such as Twitter and Facebook, WhatsApp constitutes a distinct political communication environment: encrypted, mobile-first, and shaped by vernacular practices that complicate visibility, data access, and governance. Drawing on a dataset of 239 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2016 and 2024 and indexed in Scopus, the review maps dominant themes, methodological approaches, geographic distributions, and patterns of authorship and collaboration in the field. The findings show that scholarship has overwhelmingly focused on misinformation, elections, and activism, often framing WhatsApp primarily through risk, harm, and regulation. In contrast, everyday political communication, participatory vernaculars, democratic affordances, and the mundane political uses of encrypted messaging remain comparatively underexplored. Methodologically, the literature is skewed toward surveys and content analysis, with limited use of ethnographic, critical, or computational approaches capable of engaging encrypted environments on their own terms. The review also reveals persistent structural asymmetries in knowledge production, including disparities in funding, institutional affiliation, collaboration patterns, language of publication, and epistemic authority, particularly between Global North institutions and Global South research contexts. Adopting a decolonial perspective, the article argues that the study of encrypted messaging platforms requires methodological and epistemological approaches attentive to opacity, infrastructural inequality, and locally grounded political practice. By theorizing the political affordances of encrypted communication and identifying key empirical and conceptual blind spots, the review contributes to debates in political communication and platform studies while positioning the Global South as a site of theoretical and methodological innovation rather than merely empirical application.
Abstract Structural inequalities continue to influence global communication in the digital age, despite assumptions of digital equity. While digital platforms have transformed the scale and speed of information spread, ownership and control over data, algorithms, governance systems, and infrastructure remain concentrated. This article reexamines the New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO) as a critical framework for analyzing contemporary global communication. It argues that neoliberal globalization did not remove communication imbalances; instead, they were reshaped by platform expansion, platform capitalism, and data extraction. Drawing on decolonial theory, political economy, and Global South scholarship, the study introduces NWICO 2.0. The framework conceptualizes global communication as a structured system that organizes global power. It identifies 9 interrelated dimensions through which digital inequality is structured and contested. By focusing on communication structures rather than information flows, the article makes 3 contributions. First, it reconceptualizes communication as constitutive of global modernity. Second, it highlights the Global South as a site for theoretical development. Third, it suggests a framework for communicative justice based on infrastructure, diverse knowledge, and data ownership. NWICO 2.0 offers a unified perspective for examining the structural and knowledge-related aspects of digital power, placing communication at the center of today’s global hierarchies.
Abstract News and politics constitute a small fraction of people’s information diets, and many individuals avoid news and public affairs information, a phenomenon that has a range of detrimental democratic consequences. Extensive research investigates the extent and the effects of news avoidance and news non-use. This article contributes to this scholarship in two ways. First, we conduct a systematic review of 125 studies, which empirically test the predictors of news avoidance and non-use to identify individual, social, and algorithmic/design factors associated with this phenomenon. We find that extant research focuses on individual over broader structural factors. Second, we propose a multi-actor framework for solutions to news avoidance and non-use. We outline strategies by news organizations, governments, and platforms, showing how each actor is suited to address distinct aspects of the phenomenon. As these are likely insufficient or uninterested in intervening, we also propose three additional sets of solutions: nudges, non-political content, and media literacy. We also show that the subfields proposing and testing the various strategies are largely disconnected from the scholarship on news avoidance and non-use. In doing so, we present a research agenda to clarify the correlates of news non-use and to understand what strategies might best address this problem.
Abstract Communication has long been recognized as a “variable field,” with researchers investigating media and communication phenomena at multiple levels of analysis. Despite early discussions in the 1990s and 2000s emphasizing the importance of multilevel analysis for theory development, little is known about the adoption and evolution of multilevel modeling (MLM) within the discipline. This study addresses this gap by analyzing 287 articles employing MLM, published in communication journals between 1990 and 2024. The findings reveal a steady increase in MLM studies over time, accompanied by diversification across various subfields. Most studies feature two levels of analysis, and multilevel regression is the most commonly used statistical approach. Moreover, there has been a shift in recent years toward the use of the open-source R package for analysis instead of proprietary software tools. However, the scholarship is predominantly produced by authors affiliated with institutions in the United States and Europe, further highlighting persistent inequities in the field.
Abstract This meta-analysis reviews the findings from 54 studies (N = 25,582) examining the associations between children feeling caught between parents and children’s adjustment. The cumulative evidence indicates meaningful, positive associations between children feeling caught and both internalizing symptoms of distress (r = .241, k = 47, 95% CI: .209, .273) and externalizing behavior problems (r = .193, k = 22, 95% CI: .133, .251). Both of the overall observed effect estimates were heterogenous. Whereas tests of moderation revealed no significant differences in the average effect sizes based on divorce status, children’s age, race, or research design, gender moderated the average effect size for feeling caught and externalizing behavior problems, such that the average association grew in magnitude as the percentage of male children increased across the sample of primary studies. Implications for family systems theory are discussed.
Abstract There is robust evidence that media trust and political trust are weakly to moderately correlated with each other—but why is this so and under which conditions? By integrating current research on media trust and political trust, this paper reviews four explanations for the media–politics trust nexus. The first explanation sees media trust as a foundation for building political trust. The second explanation focuses on negative media coverage of politics that decreases political trust, which spills over to media trust. The third explanation relates to the similar origins of institutional trust, and the fourth explanation argues that media trust and political trust are mutually dependent. The paper then discusses the strength of the trust nexus and the different implications that result from low to high trust in both institutions.
Abstract This content analysis examines how the “Big Four” communication journals (i.e., Communication Research, Human Communication Research, Communication Monographs, and Journal of Communication) have represented qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research from their common starting publication year of 1974 through 2024. We analyzed 6,847 articles to examine how the research represented in the “Big Four” has changed over the last 50 years, and what institutions, countries, and authors are publishing the most qualitative and quantitative research in these journals. Our findings underscore the overall dearth of qualitative research published within the “Big Four,” as well as the historical and continued exclusion of qualitative research. We discuss the implications of these findings for the field of communication studies writ large.
Abstract This article investigates the communicative mechanisms underlying the normalization of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as it evolves from a contentious innovation to a more widely accepted sexual health approach. By synthesizing qualitative research on the lived experiences of early users of the first PrEP medication (Truvada) among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM), we examine how these men communicatively negotiate the novelty, stigma, and normative tensions surrounding PrEP, and how these practices contribute to its normalization. A thematic synthesis of 28 studies identifies 2 key modes of communication: (a) intrapersonal self-talk to establish coherence, negotiate propriety, and deconstruct stigma and (b) interpersonal communication work to counter stigma and manage PrEP use disclosure. Our findings advance a communication-centered perspective on normalization, illustrating MSM PrEP users’ communicative practices in integrating PrEP into their lives, reshaping personal, relational, and cultural scripts about HIV prevention and sexual relations.
Abstract This study investigates linguistic and textual patterns in retracted communication studies to identify potential markers of research integrity breaches. Analyzing 367 retracted articles from the Retraction Watch database, classified using Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, it employs computational linguistics to examine the relationship between discursive markers and COPE-classified misconduct. Specifically, it investigates whether retracted abstracts exhibit lower readability or lexical diversity, indicating epistemic instability. Employing SSCI-SciBERT embeddings, dimensionality reduction, and density-based clustering, the study assesses semantic structure across retraction categories. Readability indices, lexical diversity, and syntactic features were compared against a matched corpus of 367 highly cited, nonretracted Web of Science articles. Results indicate that retracted abstracts exhibit reduced type-token and hapax legomena ratios, increased named entity density, and higher sentence counts. Multivariate analyses reveal statistically significant differentiation across COPE-aligned categories, particularly in subjectivity and booster usage. Supervised classification models, notably Support Vector Machine and Logistic Regression (cross-validated AUC = 0.90), achieved robust discrimination between retracted and nonretracted texts within the sampled corpus, demonstrating the predictive power of abstract-level linguistic features alone. Interpreted through Hyland’s stance framework and Information Manipulation Theory, findings suggest that rhetorical imbalance and textual opacity are statistically associated with retracted communication abstracts, warranting further theoretical investigation.
Abstract In today’s digital environment, where audiences seek relevant news across platforms, news recommender systems (NRS) personalize news feeds, presenting both opportunities and challenges for different stakeholders. Despite increasing industry and academic interest in NRS, a comparative perspective across media systems remains absent. This systematic literature review addresses this gap by exploring the opportunities and challenges related to NRS studied across media systems in Western Europe and the United States (U.S.) and highlights current research gaps. Using Hallin and Mancini’s framework and Brüggemann et al.’s clustering for our comparative analysis, as well as Smets et al.’s multistakeholder perspective, we perform an in-depth analysis of 59 publications from Web of Science, Scopus, and Litmaps. Our findings reveal that (a) NRS research is concentrated in the U.S., Netherlands, and Belgium, (b) more interdisciplinary studies are needed to understand the nuanced effects of NRS across media systems, and (c) research on NRS implementation in newsrooms is not a one-size-fits-all process.
We explore decolonized pedagogies in journalism and media education, focusing on dismantling the enduring influence of colonialism in media systems and curricula. Historically, colonial powers used media to propagate Eurocentric values, marginalizing Indigenous voices and perspectives. This legacy continues to shape contemporary journalism and media education, reinforcing Western dominance in media practices and narratives. Decolonized pedagogies challenge this by rejecting Eurocentric frameworks and integrating Indigenous knowledge systems, postcolonial theories, and alternative epistemologies into educational curricula. We argue that despite calls to decolonize the field of journalism and media education, more work needs to be done to bring decolonial perspectives to pedagogy in the field, particularly in the Global South. Drawing on curricular analysis and pedagogical experiences from Ghana, we present the pervading discourses on media decolonization and highlight how these discourses can be extrapolated to build a more robust, critical, and decolonial curriculum. Key aspects of this approach include fostering critical consciousness, promoting ethical media practices, and encouraging inclusive, relational learning that respects local and Indigenous storytelling methods. Ultimately, decolonized pedagogies aim to create a more equitable and representative media landscape, empowering students to engage critically with global media systems while centering marginalized voices and perspectives.
Abstract The current paper proposes an integrative theoretical model, starting from the notion that the current television landscape is characterized by heterogeneous content reflecting and reproducing our changing and conflicting societal discourses. Assumptions of prior entertainment television theories, such as those of Cultivation Theory, might fall short when it comes to disentangling the outcomes of heterogeneous content in diverse audiences. Thus, theory building is needed. This article therefore proposes the Processing of Heterogeneous Content model, integrating research on transportation and self-referencing. The model aims to induce an imperative shift in television effects research by urging researchers to step away from a so-called homogeneity approach and introducing a heterogeneity perspective. This way, a more nuanced understanding of television effects can be reached.
Abstract The rise of populist communication on social media has attracted increasing scholarly attention since the late 2010s. However, the global research landscape on this phenomenon has not yet been comprehensively mapped, and there is also an absence of meta-research in the field to identify the quantitative design challenges scholars face. This article fills those gaps and suggests that the field should refine research designs. The study employs a two-stage empirical strategy. First, it conducts a scoping review of 122 peer-reviewed quantitative studies to synthesize major findings on populist communication on social media platforms. Second, it examines methodological and contextual factors associated with confirming, partially supporting, or rejecting hypotheses in a subset of 62 studies with Quasi-Poisson regressions. The results suggest that none of the examined variables affect the number of supported or partially supported hypotheses per study. However, multicountry designs, the inclusion of noncampaign periods, and longer timeframes are associated with a higher likelihood of rejecting hypotheses. These patterns point to an asymmetry in the evidence base: research design features predict hypothesis rejection more consistently than they predict hypothesis support. Consequently, we outline recommendations that can address these issues in future research.
Abstract Communication research aspires to global relevance, yet its knowledge production remains stratified between a dominant Core and a marginalized Periphery. Using computational topic modeling on 114,211 articles from Latin American and Core international journals (2003–2023), this study maps the epistemic rift between these regions. Results reveal pronounced divergences in focus: Core scholarship concentrates on “Digital Media and Technology” (13.7% vs. 3.1%), while Latin American research prioritizes “Society and Identity” (36.9% vs. 24.4%), reflecting a historical commitment to social praxis and contextual responsiveness. This responsiveness manifests as high temporal volatility in Latin American topics, contrasting with the stability of Core agendas. However, this epistemic autonomy incurs a structural cost: Latin American origin is the strongest negative predictor of academic capital (β = -0.708), indicating that the field’s definitions of excellence systematically devalue regional specificity. While cross-region cooperation offers partial mitigation (β = 0.462), the findings highlight a strategic paradox where maintaining local relevance results in global invisibility, suggesting that bridging this gap requires not only institutional repair but a fundamental shift in the citation cultures that govern disciplinary recognition.
Abstract This scoping review assesses the current state and characteristics of sibling caregiving research, which has been historically understudied in the communication field. Eligible articles included in the final sample needed to be (1) published in communication journals or interdisciplinary journals that frequently publish communication research, (2) primary research studies utilizing participants, and (3) accessibly published by March 2025. Following the five-step scoping review methodology, 21 total articles taken from one NCA journal, three other communication journals, and four interdisciplinary journals comprise my sample. I categorized each article in terms of its paradigm, theory (if any), and definition of sibling caregiving (i.e., the type of care provided and the care context). Three articles used homegrown communication theories, 11 used interdisciplinary theories, and seven were atheoretical. Regarding paradigm, 10 articles used the interpretive paradigm, 10 used the post-positivist paradigm, and one used both. Seven articles were clear about their definition of sibling caregiving by referring to specific tasks, and 14 referred to broad caregiving activities. This review concludes with opportunities for future directions for communication scholars that include clearly defining sibling caregiving, expanding the use of communication theory within studies examining sibling caregiving, and broadening the scope of sibling caregiving research.
Abstract In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has garnered considerable attention within the field of communication. To examine how AI has been quantitatively studied in this domain, a systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines. The review identified and analyzed 87 quantitative studies published in SSCI-indexed communication journals from 2018 to March 2025. Through thematic analysis, key research themes were identified, and the findings were discussed in light of the theories and models employed. Furthermore, this article introduces the Heuristic-Synthetic Framework of AI-Communication Research, grounded in theories and enriched by insights from existing scholarship, aiming to synthesize the current scholarship and provide a structured foundation for future research. Doing so, this study deepens our understanding of the field and offers valuable guidance for future research.
Abstract Intercultural communication in health care is often conflated with interactions between health care providers and immigrant and minority patients. However, another important yet understudied dimension involves communication between international medical graduates (IMGs) and domestic patients. Although this topic has received attention from the field of medicine, it has rarely been investigated from a communication perspective. This article reviews existing studies on IMG–patient communication to identify research trends. In addition, this article introduces three communication perspectives, including intergroup, interpersonal, and sociolinguistic, to conceptualize IMG–patient interactions. Relevant communication theories and concepts from each perspective are introduced to guide future research. By applying these perspectives, communication scholars can advance the understanding of intercultural communication in health care and provide new insights into IMG–patient interactions.
Abstract The flourishing research on polarization abounds with more or less explicit calls for depolarization and includes various recommendations for how to depolarize, prompting questions about both the evidence base and the normative assumptions guiding the scholars’ conclusions. To assess both, we conducted a systematic literature review of social science literature on (de)polarization. Our findings reveal that most scholarship focuses on polarization, neglecting a systematic examination of depolarization. Although studies do provide evidence for both some factors that drive polarization and depolarization, the recommendations explicitly endorsed by the researchers remain disconnected from the empirical evidence provided in their studies. Recommendations seem to be more closely linked to normative assumptions about desirable ways of communicating, envisioning societies that align with deliberative democracy. We call for making both the normative and evidence base of one’s conclusions more explicit and reflect the connection between the two.
