Self-harm and suicide trends have taken a new turn in the era of GenAI and communicative chatbots. Recent OpenAI's own report suggests that 1.2 million weekly ChatGPT users appear to be expressing suicidal thoughts, and 80,000 users are potentially experiencing mania and psychosis. At the same time, OpenAI and other AI companies are facing lawsuits in several countries alleging that their chatbots encouraged vulnerable individuals to harm themselves. These lawsuits have sparked a growing scholarly debate about responsibility, safety, and the ethical use of chatbots in mental health services. GenAI can offer timely informational support and help identify suicide risk factors; it also presents significant risks, including the potential to amplify existing vulnerabilities and its inability to provide sustained care. Suicide prevention efforts now face novel challenges, with users, families, mental health professionals, psychiatrists, clinicians, and technology companies struggling to navigate rapidly evolving AI-mediated care. This article contended that researchers and clinicians should be cautious about the promises and pitfalls of GenAI around mental health support. We also discussed key considerations for designing and implementing ethical AI systems to strengthen transparency and regulations to develop humane technology that empowers users, families, and clinicians in promoting mental wellbeing.

The birth of Tilly Norwood in 2025 as a synthetic or AI-generated actress marks a provocative moment: a flashpoint at which Hollywood's workers, writers, producers, directors, artists, musicians, and institutions are being asked to reevaluate what it means to be a performer . This commentary contends that Tilly Norwood both crystallizes and accelerates structural shifts in the entertainment industry. Her existence exposes tensions around hegemony, cost, authorship, culture, and emotional resonance that synthetic talent may shift human agency away from human performers. To understand this new development in the media and entertainment industry, we used the meaningful work conceptual framework. This framework hypothesizes that when people consider their work as meaningful, it leads to a positive outcome in their general life. In addition, we discussed potential concerns in the Hollywood industry related to regulation and co-optation to this emerging phenomenon. We concluded by proposing a new line of research in the media and entertainment industry that examines the growing tension between AI and human creativity.

This study analyzes 308 news articles published by 19 newspapers across 19 countries to examine the actors behind deepfakes, the associated threats, and the proposed solutions. Using the Russia-Ukraine war as a case study, the authors examined how newspapers frame deepfake-related actors, threats, and solutions during the conflict. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze the data, and framing theory to interpret the findings. Findings reveal that the actors responsible for creating, distributing, and supporting deepfakes include state and political entities, technology companies and developers, criminal networks, covert channels, and propaganda agents. The threats posed by deepfakes span political, ethical, legal, social, security, and economic domains. Proposed solutions to counter deepfakes fall into several categories: technical, policy-based, regulatory, institutional, and educational. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on modern warfare, AI-generated disinformation, deepfakes, and the rapidly changing digital information ecosystem in the post-truth era.

The birth of Tilly Norwood in 2025 as a synthetic or AI-generated actress marks a provocative moment: a flashpoint at which Hollywood's workers, writers, producers, directors, artists, musicians, and institutions are being asked to reevaluate what it means to be a performer . This commentary contends that Tilly Norwood both crystallizes and accelerates structural shifts in the entertainment industry. Her existence exposes tensions around hegemony, cost, authorship, culture, and emotional resonance that synthetic talent may shift human agency away from human performers. To understand this new development in the media and entertainment industry, we used the meaningful work conceptual framework. This framework hypothesizes that when people consider their work as meaningful, it leads to a positive outcome in their general life. In addition, we discussed potential concerns in the Hollywood industry related to regulation and co-optation to this emerging phenomenon. We concluded by proposing a new line of research in the media and entertainment industry that examines the growing tension between AI and human creativity.

Using a computational approach, this study analyzes and compares news coverage of the novel coronavirus in six major newspapers (i.e. China Daily, The Korea Times, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Guardian, and The Times) from four countries (i.e. the U.S. the UK, South Korea, and China) that were severely affected in the beginning of the recent pandemic. Results show similarities and differences in how these elite newspapers used major frames of COVID-19 including medical, social, and containment during the first months of the pandemic. China Daily, however, adopted an additional frame of fending off. Statistical test results also indicated differences in how these outlets incorporated fear appeal messages into their news content. Specifically, the Western news organizations were significantly more likely than the Asian outlets to use fear in their coverage. Findings are discussed in the context of differences in the journalism culture and media coverage of the pandemic in the four studied countries.

When seeking climate change-related information online, social media users often rely on various heuristic cues to assess the credibility of the content. This study applied the Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM) to examine the intertwined role of three heuristic cues - perceived expertise, message style, and bandwagon effect - in influencing users' evaluation of online-endorsed misinformation about climate change. Using a 2 (perceived expertise: absent vs. present) x 2 (MS: long vs. short) x 2 (bandwagon: strong vs. weak) between-subjects factorial design (N = 320), the study revealed significant two-way interactions: perceived expertise and MS influenced both perceived credibility and sharing intention. Similarly, perceived expertise and bandwagon significantly affected sharing intention, while bandwagon and MS impacted perceived credibility. A moderated-moderated mediation analysis was conducted to explore the combined effects of heuristic cues on sharing intention, mediated by perceived credibility. The results indicated that the bandwagon cue's effect on sharing intention, mediated through perceived credibility, was conditional on short messages but not on professional expertise (PE) cues. These findings provide robust evidence that sharing intentions can persist even when credibility perceptions are low, offering new insights into the complex relationship between heuristic cues that commonly coexist on social media platforms. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

This Crosscurrent notes the rising phenomenon of online platform migration and technology non-use, fueled by the emergence of new social media platforms and increasing societal polarization. As platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Meta face backlash over issues such as misinformation, fact-checking, conspiracy theories, and toxic discourse, alternatives like BlueSky, Mastodon, and Threads are attracting users. Revisiting the concept of platform migration and disconnective practice , this Crosscurrent contribution highlights both temporary and permanent shifts, exploring motivations through the lens of push-pull theory, including dissatisfaction with platform policies, peer influence, and the pursuit of safer, more inclusive digital spaces. I contend that migration extends beyond individuals to entire communities, reshaping social connections and digital ecosystems. In addition, while migration and disconnection may be related, they remain distinct concepts within the broader study of disconnection in our hyper-connected, globalized society. By studying platform migration as both a personal and collective act, this Crosscurrent underscores the need for interdisciplinary scholarship to understand its societal impact and implications for the future of online discourse.

With the rapid advancements in technology over the past 2 decades, it has become crucial to understand people’s attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and its associated risks. Given the increasing access to the AI technologies, it is imperative to examine how young people in non-Western societies like Pakistan perceive AI risks and benefits. We conducted an online survey of college students who had used AI technology in the past 6 months. The results of our study indicate that the majority of college students view AI technology positively and perceive it as an opportunity to enhance workplace productivity. In addition, most of the respondents are optimistic about the future applications of AI in their individual lives and society. This research contributes to the literature on how college students in Pakistan perceive AI in their daily lives and offer implications for future scholars interested in studying AI technology use in non-Western countries.

For fact-checks to be effective, they must first and foremost reach people. Yet, little is known about what determines engagement with fact-checks and how to enhance their reach. We conducted a pre-registered online survey experiment in Pakistan (N participants = 302, N observations = 1208) investigating the effectiveness of fact-checking, and the determinants of engagement with fact-checks and misinformation. We found that fact-checking reduced misperceptions, especially among the most misinformed. Trust was an important moderator of the effectiveness of fact-checking and of engagement with the fact-checks and misinformation. For instance, fact-checks were more effective among participants who trust the news the most and least effective among participants who trust social media the most. Participants more concerned about misinformation were more likely to like and share fact-checks on social media. Understanding and promoting engagement with factual corrections on social media is a pressing challenge to increase the quality of our information ecosystem.

The present study examines the factors influencing international students’ intentions to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). Our results showed that attitude toward GenAI use, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, enjoyment, subjective norms, novelty, trust in technology, perceived value, and AI literacy were positively associated with intention to use GenAI. Fear of plagiarism had a negative relationship with intention to use GenAI. Our mediation analysis suggested that trust in technology, perceived ease of use, fear of plagiarism, perceived usefulness, and AI literacy indirectly influenced GenAI usage intention via attitude and perceived value, underscoring both the appeal and concerns of GenAI in learning. This study contributed to the TPB, VAM, and TAM frameworks by incorporating fear of plagiarism, trust in technology, and AI literacy to demonstrate how cognitive, affective, and value-based factors collectively influence the adoption of GenAI technologies among international students.

GenAI has revolutionized higher education across the globe. One group that is particularly impacted is international students. We examined the factors influencing international students' intentions to use GenAI. We recruited participants studying in the U.S. through an online survey. Our results suggest that attitudes toward GenAI use, PEU, PU, enjoyment, subjective norms, novelty, trust in technology, perceived value, andAI literacy are positively associated with the intention to use GenAI. Fear of plagiarism had a negative relationship with the intention to use GenAI. Trust in technology, PEU, fear ofplagiarism, PU, and AI literacy indirectly influence GenAI usage intention via attitude and perceived value, underscoring both the appeal and concerns of GenAI in learning. This study contributes to theoretical frameworks on technology adoption and use by demonstrating (i.e., the TPB, VAM, and TAM) how cognitive, affective, and value-based factors collectively influence the adoption of GenAI technologies and offers policy and practical implications for higher education.

This study examined the coverage of artificial intelligence (AI) in newspapers from 12 countries by analyzing news articles (N = 38,787) collected from 12 mainstream English newspapers, between 2010 and 2023. We used LDA topic modeling to identify prevalent frames in the news articles and SentiStrength to examine sentiments in the news headlines. Framing theory was applied in interpreting our results. Our analysis identified nine frames across newspapers: AI impacts on businesses, economy, and jobs (37.40 %), AI transformations in education and research (17.70 %), AI in national security and global partnerships (11.20 %), AI disruptions in media and creative industries (9.6 %), AI-based innovative solutions (7.30 %), AI regulations, ethics, and data privacy (6.40 %), AI competition and market dynamics in tech industries (4.90 %), AI in healthcare and climate change (3.47 %), and AI in politics, elections, and public opinion (2.03 %). A comparative analysis suggested that the Global North newspapers gave relatively lower coverage to AI-based innovative solutions and AI in healthcare and climate change while AI regulations, ethics, and data privacy and AI disruptions in media and creative industries received minimal coverage from the Global South newspapers. Our overall sentiment analysis indicated that 21.04 % of news headlines evoked negative, 13.33 % positive, and 65.63 % neutral sentiments. The Global North newspapers such as The Guardian and The NYT framed AI negatively in the 24 % of their news headlines, while the Global South newspapers such as China Daily and Bangkok Post framed AI positively in the 14.5 % of their news headlines.

The impacts of climate change on human health are a critical public health concern, with previous studies highlighting its clear effects on well-being. Understanding how state and territorial health agencies (STHAs) are addressing these emerging risks is important. This study conducted 26 in-depth interviews across the U.S. to explore the perceptions and communication strategies of STHA officials regarding climate change's impact on human health. Additionally, the study sought to identify the primary challenges faced by these officials to effectively communicate the impacts. Thematic analysis of the data revealed three major themes: community building and coalitions, climate denialism on social media, and misinformation about climate change and its effects on human health. These findings offer valuable insights for climate change and public health communication. The importance of the STHAs' development of technical and informational capacity to effectively communicate climate-related risks and threats is emphasized.

This study investigated the memorable messages about mental health that international students (N = 199) received from various sources since arriving on campus in the U.S. Utilizing the memorable messages framework, we examined the types of messages (normalizing, strategizing, minimizing) they received and their association with message satisfaction, mental health stigma, and attitude toward help-seeking. The most frequently recalled messages were normalizing messages (49.2%), followed by strategizing messages (31.7%), and minimizing messages (9.5%). Participants who recalled normalizing and strategizing messages reported higher satisfaction and a more favorable attitude toward help-seeking compared to those who recalled minimizing messages. These findings offer theoretical implications for memorable messages and immigrant populations, as well as practical implications for campaign messaging and design. These results can guide university officials in tailoring their efforts to meet the mental health needs of this vulnerable population.

While journalism scholarship has extensively investigated the actors shaping news content, there is a paucity of research on how different factors influence newspaper editorial agendas for sustainable development issues. To bridge the gap, this longitudinal study examines newspaper editorials during two distinct periods in a developing country: T1, when the SDGs were adopted in 2015, and T2, when two state officials with a pro-development agenda came into power in 2018. A quantitative content analysis was performed on (N = 11,453) editorials collected from six mainstream Pakistani newspapers published in English and Urdu languages. Results suggest that the SDGs' launch year failed to influence editorialists to sufficiently emphasize human development issues. However, when powerful news sources, prioritizing sustainable development over internal and external disputes, discussed these issues, their influential positions and government public relations support steered editorialists to shift focus from conflict-oriented content to human development. Concurrently, editorialists, though sporadically, also functioned as advocate journalists. Under the influence of this professional role, they allocated more coverage to issues such as rising inflation and unemployment, reflecting the hardships faced by common people, despite attempts by powerful sources to downplay these public concerns. This role positioned them as key influencers in shaping the editorial agenda.

Science journalism in Global South is hindered by several factors, including the absence of local science stories, insufficiently trained science journalists, and a communication gap between communities of scientists and journalists. Drawing on observations from South Asian science journalism and employing the communities of practice framework, this essay proposes ideas for a multi-stakeholder collaboration that aims to bridge the gap between science and journalism in the Global South and to bring science journalism to the mainstream, through a shared goal, partnership, resources, literacy, mentoring and content production. We propose a sustainable institutional interfacing structure — a reciprocal and iterative Coalition for Science Journalism (CSJ) — between science advocacy organizations (SAOs) that produce science knowledge, professional media associations (PMAs) that promote professionalism, and media organizations (MOs) that disseminate information.

The Global South (or Low-Income Countries, LICs) long has been advocating for the establishment of a Loss and Damage (L&D) Fund to address vulnerability and limited adaptation capacity in response to disasters exacerbated by climate injustices, which finally gained international recognition of late. This essay focuses on two key moments that led to this landmark agreement: at COP19, when Philippines climate delegate Naderev "Yeb" Sano advocated for L&D in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan; and during COP27, when global leaders invoked the historic floods in Pakistan as the agreement was reached. We consider how these two disasters were invoked during the passing of L&D in ways that critically interrupted the prevailing spiral of silence to articulate "disasters" to "climate" and "climate" to "justice" in the global climate policy arena. These discourses reveal, then, part of the expanding imaginary emerging to address human agency and inequities in an age of the climate disasters, including the idea of a "global majority."

This study examines the induction of information technology and the use of image-repair focused crisis response strategies on social media by Pakistan Railways amid a recent crisis. A mix-method based content analysis (i.e., qualitative and quantitative) to investigate whether and if so, how Pakistan Railways used Benoit's suggested image restoration strategies on social media to repair its image among customers and in print media. Our results show that Pakistan Railways predominantly used reducing the offensiveness of event (40%), followed by corrective action (34.6%), evasion of responsibility (10.6%), denial (8%) and mortification (6.4%) strategies, respectively. In addition, the use of image-repair focused crisis response strategies significantly varied by social media platform. An analysis of the publics' emotions found in their online comments reveals that, during the course of the organizational crisis communication, negative public emotions gradually subsided into ambivalent ones; and contrary to a highly negative newspaper coverage tone in the beginning of the crisis, the introduction of the Twitter handle has associated with more positive media coverage afterward. Theoretical and practical implications, especially the need for advancing social-mediated crisis response effectiveness in developing countries, are discussed.

Polio vaccine hesitancy remains high in Pakistan due to various socio-political, religious, and economic factors. To address this, the government of Pakistan and its international partners such as UNICEF have devised a multipronged communication strategy to counter resistance to polio vaccine in hard-to-reach areas of the country. In this strategy, mainstream news media has been identified as a key stakeholder, as they have the potential to reach a wide range of population and disseminate easy to understand messages including both visuals and text. However, less scholarly attention has been paid to how mainstream news media in Pakistan frame polio and polio vaccine in their visuals. This study aims to fill this gap. Using visual framing as a theoretical framework, we analyzed 115 images from three selected newspapers published from 2010 to 2022. Our results suggest that the newspapers depicted hard-to-reach areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province which were more affected by polio and highlighted the criminality and securitization of polio vaccine in the country. In addition, female polio healthcare workers, who are instrumental in eradicating the disease, have been given marginal coverage, reflecting the importance of gender sensitivity in the region. Overall, this study contributes to the fields of visual communication, health communication, and international communication, particularly related to the Global South.

This commentary explores the critical issue of air pollution policies and public engagement in Pakistan, a nation consistently ranked among the world's most polluted. Prolonged exposure to diverse pollution sources leads to severe health consequences, making public education and engagement pivotal for successful environmental policy implementation. By using the National Clean Air Policy (NCAP) as a case, we identified key barriers to public engagement in Pakistan and emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts through an integrated approach among civil society organizations (CSOs), news media, research institutions, and the public. In addition, we introduced the term communities of care to encourage more inclusive, participatory policy making approaches aimed at addressing air pollution crisis in the country. Finally, we argue that the elitist model of policy making, which historically dominated, should give way to a more participatory and inclusive approach to enhance policy implementation.