Mass Communication

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://repository.aab-edu.net/handle/123456789/52

The Mass Communication community showcases scholarly publications and research outputs authored by faculty and researchers in the Faculty of Communication. This collection includes journal articles, working papers, conference proceedings, and other academic works that contribute to the understanding of theory, policy, and practice. It aims to promote open access to high-quality media and communication research conducted within the institution.

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Navigating media literacy in the AI era: Analyzing gaps in two classic media literacy books
(AAB College, 2025-07-09) Saliu, Hasan
The migration of the public into online platforms, the full mediatization of everyday life, the transformation of individuals into media entities via social media, the emergence of new forms of bottom-up censorship, and the involvement of non-human actors (such as AI) as media communicators and producers, have profoundly reshaped contemporary society. For these reasons, this study aims to analyze these pivotal transformations and assess how effectively they are addressed by two seminal media literacy texts, which have dominated the 21st century with media literacy editions, one by author James Potter and the other by Stanley Baran. Utilizing a problematization methodology, the research identifies gaps in these texts’ coverage of contemporary media phenomena and concepts. These two classic texts lack concepts that are very influential in today’s online life, such as mob censorship, social media literacy, post-truth and the role of AI in online communications. Moreover, integrating artificial intelligence into media production necessitates a practical approach to media literacy. This paper advocates for a holistic approach to media literacy education that equips learners with the skills needed to navigate and critically engage with today’s media landscape effectively.
Gutenberg’s death in the Balkans: news values in Kosovo and Albania
(AAB College, 2025-07-09) Saliu, Hasan
When the audience shifted online in the age of social media and platformization, the gulf amongst journalists on what constitutes news today grew. Television journalists and editors continue to feel that the public should be provided with the information they need, i.e. the elite-centric method, whereas digital journalists and social media managers believe that the public should be presented with what the public wants, i.e. the popular-centric approach. As a result, the aim of this article is to investigate the news values considered by journalists and editors in Kosovo and Albanian media. The results of in-depth semi-structured interviews with journalists, editors, and social media managers demonstrate that Kosovo, which has the youngest population in Europe, has no paper press since the beginning of 2020, although the press in Albania survives for traditional third-age readers. Televisions are elite-focused; however, in Kosovo, televisions adapt items for social media, aimed at a younger audience. In both countries, digital journalism is increasingly audience-focused, with sensation, entertainment, and conflict as the primary news values. Regardless of the standardized methods, the article proposes that different countries be evaluated for newsworthiness based on their political and socioeconomic environments.
Përdorimi i facebook-ut për ndryshimin e profilit publik të politikanit
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Sinani, Resul
Në trinomin e aktorëve të komunikimit politik: institucione politike-media-audiencë, mediat sociale në dekadën e fundit kanë hyrë fuqishëm duke gjetur një përdorim të gjerë nga politikanët. Përveç mediave tradicionale, mediat sociale si facebook apo twitter, janë bërë mjet i fuqishëm në shërbim të politikanëve për promovimin e tyre, duke i afruar ata me elektoratin. Rrjeti social facebook është duke u përdorur gjerësisht nga politikanët e të gjitha niveleve në Kosovë. Nga qëllimet e shumta për të cilat po përdoret, facebook po përdoret edhe për ndryshimin e profilit publik të politikanëve. Si rast studimi është marrë përdorimi i facebook-ut nga kryeministri Hashim Thaçi1 gjatë fushatës së fundit elektorale në Kosovë. Ai, sidomos përmes fotografive selfie, që i ka realizuar në çdo aktivitet elektoral ka arritur që të marrë vëmendjen e opinionit dhe të mediave, si dhe ka arritur të krijojë një trend dhe një model të ri të politikanit. Përmes këtij veprimi dhe përmes kësaj strategjie të marketingut politik, ai ka arritur që të ndryshojë profilin e tij politik, nga një politikan autoritar i cili nuk është shquar për afërsinë me elektoratin, duke u shndërruar në një politikan të tipit intim apo politikanit yll. Për të agrumentuar këtë shndërrim apo ndryshim të profilit politik, kam realizuar një hulumtim të opinionit, rezultatet e të cilit mbështesin hipotezën e këtij punimi shkencor. Të anketuarit në përqindje të lartë vërejnë dhe konstatojnë këtë ndryshim. Në vijim të këtij argumentimi gjithashtu kam realizuar edhe intervista me dy ekspertë të medias dhe njohës të aktivitetit dhe profilit politik të politikanit që është marrë si rast studimi.
Diaspora as a Communicating Actor in Public Diplomacy Compared to Public Government Diplomacy in the Case of Kosovo
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Sinani, Resul
During the past two decades Kosovo has often been a subject of the news, and taken airtime in the most powerful international media through which it became known to the world public opinion. The highest presence was during the 1998-1999 war and especially during the period of the NATO bombing campaign against Serbia when almost everything was broadcast live. This picture of Kosovo still prevails in the world's public opinion and it identifies Kosovo with the war, thus as a post-conflict society. Ever since the proclamation of independence of 17th of February 2008 its governments have tried to change and improve this image through public diplomacy, but despite these attempts the tone of the stories in the world media, which as we know is more attracted to negative than to positive news, especially when it comes to small countries like Kosovo has not changed. This article deals with the attempts of the public diplomacy of Kosovo and the news it has produced during 2014-2015 for the international media and the world public compared to the news and the image that was projected by the members of Kosovar diaspora for the world opinion. These arguments that the potential of the diaspora is many times greater while the image is completely positive when compared to the potential and the image that comes from within Kosovo, which is completely negative.
The impact of the content of the television programming upon the politicization of the Kosovo society
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Sinani, Resul
The effect of the media over the society is the object of the studies of the social science of communication since its founding up to today. A lot of scientific theories explore, argues and explain the connections and the effect of the media over the public. The purpose of this paper is to evident and argument the effect that the media, especially the TV programming has on the politicization of the Kosovar society, which is manifested in a large number of conversations that have to do with politics. In order to argument the direct link between the content of the TV programming (as a media) and political conversations among citizens, this writing will present the results of measuring the contents of the four biggest TV stations in Kosovo: RTK, KTV, RTV 21 and Klan Kosova. What was measured is the amount of programs that have political content within a week at the time when the viewing is at its peak, or in what is known as prime time, from 17 00 to 24 00 h. It also involves an opinion poll of the public which was asked about the influence of the content of TV programs on their daily conversations. The results of programming contents prove a very high percentage of political programs on these four TV stations (RTK 1, KTV, RTV 21 and Klan Kosova), whereas the results of the public polling prove the direct influence of the contents of this programs on the daily conversations.
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OR PUBLIC GLOCALIZATION? RETHINKING PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN THE POST-TRUTH ERA
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
Public diplomacy is the communication of state and non-state actors with foreign publics for beneficial objectives. Nowadays, in this connected world, public diplomacy activities have changed. Scholars are divided into two main groups regarding these activities: the first group rates listening as the most important dimension of public diplomacy, whereas the other group considers information management to be its main activity. The choices of both groups, however, are based on the communication period before the emergence of social media, deep mediatization, fake news and the post-truth era. Therefore, this article aims to review the hierarchical taxonomy by analysing new communication considerations. It concludes that in the post-truth era, with 4.5 billion of the world population using online platforms and with a billion messages sent every day, listening no longer serves as the main dimension of public diplomacy. Information management now serves as the main form of communication, whereas public diplomacy has become public glocalization.
RETHINKING MEDIA DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC DIPLOMACY TOWARDS A NEW CONCEPT: DIGITAL MEDIA DIPLOMACY
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
Modern digital media have enabled the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to talk to foreign parliaments while his country is at war. Zelensky’s virtual communications are not aimed at enhancing Ukraine’s international image, as in traditional forms of public diplomacy; rather, they seek to obtain military assistance and reach a mutually beneficial outcome for his country. These, however, are activities of media diplomacy, a concept that scholars have abandoned over the last two decades in favour of public diplomacy. Through a critical review, this study examines the division between these concepts and other related concepts and analyses the role of the media in international communications, including those in times of war. The widespread use of technology and social media, as well as the specific diplomatic communications that have allowed Zelensky to talk to the world, have led to the conclusion that the current concepts of media diplomacy, public diplomacy, and digital diplomacy are not appropriate in the current circumstances. Therefore, a new concept is proposed: digital media diplomacy.
Cultural Diplomacy of Kosovo after the Declaration of Independence
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan; Llunji, Venera
The article analyzes a segment of the cultural diplomacy of non-state actors of Kosovo who have communicated with foreign audiences through the international media in the period after the country's declaration of independence in 2008. Analyzing the content of media coverage for non-state actors, the article examines the given messages of these actors in some powerful international media, which relate to the possibility of increasing the international image of the new country. The article finds that Kosovar non-state actors have continuously communicated with the global and regional public because it has been impossible for state actors to convey any positive message to the latter. The article, moreover, shows that Kosovar famous athletes and artists or world champions represent the soft power of Kosovo, because they have found enough space to be exposed in the international media. A significant feature of cultural diplomacy in the case of Kosovo is that the presence of hundreds and thousands of foreign peacekeepers in a country with as much security as other Balkan countries is also seen as an opportunity to influence the country's international image.
THE SPECIFICS AND COMPLEXITY OF EU PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
The European Union (EU) is responsible for important public diplomacy programmes, including Erasmus+. Most European countries engage in activities to enhance their international image parallel to the efforts of the EU itself. By comparing the public diplomacy activities of the USA, as the founder of public diplomacy, and those of the EU, this paper aims to identify the EU’s distinctive features in its image-enhancing endeavours. The paper concludes that the EU and the USA often show that they hold different values, ones that make them more attractive to foreign publics. The paper also notes the soft power held by EU member states continues to be much stronger than the effects of the EU’s public diplomacy activities in boosting their image.
REPORTING IN DAILY PAPERS IN KOSOVO ON LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EVENTS
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Sinani, Resul
This paper presents the results of the survey on the amount of reporting on local cultural events in relation to the international ones, as well as comparing the flow of this reporting among newspapers taken as a case study: ‘Koha Ditore’, ‘Zëri’ and ‘Kosova Sot’. According to research in different countries, reporting on international cultural events prevails in relation to local ones. The results of this research show that the reporting situation is almost the same with other daily newspapers in Kosovo.
Portrayal of Woman in Beer Advertising in Kosovo (Case of PEJA Beer)
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Sinani, Resul
Beer advertising is often criticized for representing male protagonists in a leading and dominant role in relationship to women, introducing the female figure according to gender stereotypes. In such stereotyping, the woman is reduced to a sexist object of seduction. In order to investigate how the female figure is portrayed in the advertisements of the largest beer company in Kosovo, PEJA Beer, this paper examines the content of its advertisements. From the analysis of the advertising content that appeared on television between 2008 and 2019, we found that the man appears in the leading and dominant role whereas the woman is often presented through gender stereotypes. The research results show that there are more cases of advertisements in which there is no participation of women. In fact, only one advertisement is realized with a female protagonist. However, the perception to the female as an object of seduction and sexuality is extended in this advertisement. Therefore, the paper argues the hypothesis that the advertising of PEJA beer adopts gender stereotyping: The man adopts the dominant role with the woman in the background and portrayed as a temptation object with sexist elements.
The Control of Information in Traditional Media through the Social Ones
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Sinani, Resul
The usage of social media by Kosovar politicians is almost absolute. Politicians of all levels have their accounts on Facebook as well as other social networks. They use those for various reasons, starting from contacting the voters and supporters during the election campaigns as well as during the time they are in the office, up to presenting their stands and ideas that have do with different issues of public interest. For many of them, especially for low-level politicians the social media, mainly Facebook, have become the only place where they express themselves, since they find it almost impossible to become a part of the traditional media, especially of those on the national level, like newspapers, radio or television. Whereas for high-leveled politicians, concretely the heads of main institutions like the prime-minister, the head of parliament or the president, who refuse to be interviewed and be present in political shows where they could face questions from the journalists or the public, they are using Facebook statements in order to avoid direct questions from the journalists about the political subjects of the day. By making it impossible for them to take direct answers through their journalists the traditional media (newspapers, radio, TV) have to quote the posts that the politicians are making on Facebook. The kosovar journalists and the heads of media see this tendency of politicians, especially of the prime minister as the lack of transparency, avoidance of accountability, control of information and setting the agenda of the media. This paper attempts to argument the hypothesis that the high level politicians, the heads of main state institutions in Kosovo are controlling the information in traditional media through the usage of social media. In order to argument this hypothesis as a case study we have taken the Kosovar (ex)PM Hashim Thaçi whose almost every status and update has been quoted by the media. We have also interviewed journalists and editors of Kosovar media houses who have expressed their thoughts about the subject, while supporting the hypothesis of this paper.
THE CHALLENGES ON NATIVE LANGUAGE INFORMATION DURING OCCUPATION: METAMORPHOSES OF THE ALBANIAN LANGUAGE MEDIA IN KOSOVO
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Sinani, Resul
The history of the media in Kosovo is connected to the destiny of the Kosovar people themselves. The right for information in Albanian language was a right that was gained in coherence with other rights which the Kosovar people gained through its history and the realization of these rights came in a time when Kosovo was a part of ex-Yugoslavia, which starts with the fall of the Ottoman Empire and ends with the Kosovar war of 1999. Ever since the end of WWII, in Kosovo, Albanian language media start functioning, newspapers, radio and later on TV, as government media, same as it was for all the media that functioned in the Eastern system, to which Yugoslavia belonged to. In the last years of existence of the former SFRY the Albanian media became a part of the national Albanian agenda and they mirrored the political requests of Kosovar Albanians for more rights within the ex-Yugoslav state, up to the point of making Kosovo the seventh republic within the federation. This was opposed by the Republic of Serbia which, amongst many other actions that were undertaken to damage the rights and freedoms of native Albanians in Kosovo, also shut down the Albanian Language media, respectively the only daily newspaper “Rilindja” as well as Prishtina Radio and Television (RTP). In a situation of information blackout in Albanian language two magazines, “Zëri i Rinisë”, which was weekly, and “Bujku”, which was a professional agricultural newspaper went through metamorphosis by turning themselves into newspapers that followed daily actualities and they started publishing more frequently than usual until “Bujku” which was by then staffed by ex-Rilindja workers turned into a daily newspaper. At the same time the journalists from RTP at first secured a 5 minute slot for transmitting Albanian Language news on “Radio Zagreb”, while later they secured transmission space on “Radio Tirana” as well as on the satellite transmissions of the Albanian Television (TVSH). This article, through interviews made with people who were some of the characters in this story brings the facts of this metamorphosis and speaks of its importance, while bringing to mind a model, in which journalists and media workers reacted to the state of occupation, and have managed to spread the news to the audiences in their native language.
THE ROLE OF TELEVISION ON NATIONAL SOCIOCULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Sinani, Resul
New Media Advertisement and Subsequent Effects on Purchase Intention of Consumers: An Empirical Study
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Kelmendi, Jeton; Sinani, Resul
In the present scenario, no one is away from the fast blowing wind of online advertising or more clearly stated as new media advertising. The objective of the paper is to analyse the effect of new media advertisement and the consumer buying behaviour. Simple random sampling is employed in the quantitative research methodology. Data was acquired by questionnaire sent among new media users. A 5-point Likert scale was used to evaluate the questionnaire's suitably designed questions. The sample size chosen is 360 in total. In order to evaluate the impact of the new media advertisement on consumers, different variables have been determined such as, attention grabbing, entertainment, credibility, creative characteristics, emotional appeal. The results of the analysis indicate that the new media advertisements have the greatest impact on consumers' purchasing decisions among all available options. The author hopes to provide insightful analysis of the new media advertisement by relating these findings to pertinent theories from the theoretical framework.
Raportimi i Televizioneve Kombëtare të Kosovës dhe njohuritë e qytetarëve për procesin e Integrimit Evropian
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Sinani, Resul
Shteti i Kosovës aspiron që në të ardhmen të jetë anëtare e Bashkimit Evropian. Për ta arritur këtë ka përpara një proces të gjatë, apo një rrugë integruese që duhet përshkuar. Njohja e kësaj rruge nga qytetarët e vendit (krahas njohjes së domosdoshme që duhet ta kenë politikanët), do ta lehtësonte dhe ndihmonte këtë proces. Në kumtesën me temën ‘Raportimi i Televizioneve Kombëtare të Kosovës dhe njohuritë e qytetarëve për procesin e Integrimit Evropian’ shtrohet dhe argumentohet hipoteza se “Njohuritë e qytetarëve të Kosovës për procesin e integrimeve evropiane varen nga raportimi i televizioneve kombëtare rreth procesit të integrimit evropian”. Mbështetur tek rezultatet e hulumtimit të opinionit rreth njohurive të qytetarëve të Kosovës për procesin e integrimit në BE, konstatohet se ata dinë shumë pak rreth këtij procesi dhe për vetë BE-në, ndërsa shumica e tyre e dëshirojnë integrimin e Kosovës në këtë organizëm, pa ditur edhe aq për pasojat apo përfitimet që i sjellë për vendin anëtarësimi në BE. Hulumtimet tregojnë se qytetarët e Kosovës, njohuritë e tyre rreth këtij procesi më së shumti i marrin nga mediat, ngase këtë gjë nuk kanë mundësi, ose kanë shumë pak mundësi që ta bëjnë nga lëndët në shkolla, qofshin ato të ciklit fillor dhe të mesëm apo të atij universitar. Për të konstatuar dhe argumentuar lidhjen e raportimit të Televizioneve Kombëtare të Kosovës dhe njohurive të qytetarëve të Kosovës për procesin e integrimit evropian do të maten dhe analizohen raportimet për këtë tematikë në edicionet e lajmeve qendrore të RTK, KTV, RTV 21 dhe KLAN Kosova.
THE NEW NATURE OF CULTURAL DIPLOMACY IN THE AGE OF ONLINE COMMUNICATION
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
Countries undertake different actions to improve international image in order to benefit politically, economically, culturally, etc. This is made through actions of public diplomacy, where cultural diplomacy is an important dimension. It doesn’t use media as mediating channel, but communication with foreign public is carried through different exchanges, visits, tourism, diaspora, etc. This makes communication more reliable than information and influencing foreign public through media. However, lately, online communication through different platforms, where people from different cultures and countries exchange messages, has also changed the nature of traditional cultural diplomacy. This enables creating an image for their country or receiving an image for another country, whereas on the other hand and simultaneously this makes communication with the foreign public more complex and unmanageable.
The Evolution of the Concept of Public Diplomacy from the Perspective of Communication Stakeholders
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
The purpose of this article was to analyse the concept of public diplomacy from the perspective of communication actors. Public diplomacy implies the communication between state and non-state actors and the foreign public, and the process of informing, influencing, establishing long-term relations and realizing foreign policy goals. While most studies to date view such communication activities as social interactions, some scholars consider them to be foreign policy activities, in which case the concept of public diplomacy is explained in terms of an interdisciplinary approach. Through the critical literature review, this article argues that public diplomacy shows the interaction between different communication stakeholders and the foreign public, where the former give direct messages and often achieve the desired effects through communication channels. By analysing public diplomacy activities carried out by communication actors, the article concludes that the concept of public diplomacy
MULTIPLE TARGET AUDIENCES, CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PRISTINA-BELGRADE DIALOGUE
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
Political actors often use media to convey messages of self-praise to the public. In such cases, they give the media only the information representing their positive side. When the developments in society pose increasing public interest as was the case with the last agreement between Pristina and Belgrade which is treated in this paper, the parties pay more attention to presenting themselves as winners against each other, rather than being concerned with informing the public about the real content of the international agreement. The findings of the paper show that a message giver, which could be either the Serbian party or the Albanian party of Kosovo, has at the same time four groups of message receivers: the country’s opposition, its electorate, the opposing parties and the international mediation party. Considering that their message is addressed to those four different types of public, the findings show that the givers of the message do not hesitate to massage the message in order to impact the four different groups of public, and use media only as a transmission channel of their public relation strategies.
Public Diplomacy and Related Concepts from the Perspective of Lasswell’s Communication Model
(AAB College, 2025-07-14) Saliu, Hasan
The purpose of this article is to explore the differences between public diplomacy and similar concepts that relate to the country’s international image. Concepts such as public diplomacy, traditional diplomacy, foreign policy, international public relations, propaganda, national branding, etc., are often seen as synonymous. A mere observation of these concepts is provided in the literature review. These concepts are elaborated based on the communication actors’ perspective, the inter-communicating parties, the message providers, the message recipients, and the mode of communication, whereas identifying the differences and distinctions between them is realized according to the Lasswell communication formula. The conclusions show that this communication approach provides more potential to identify the differences between these concepts as compared to the current approaches, which view them from an interdisciplinary perspective.