Dana Weimann-Saks - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Dana Weimann-Saks

Journal of International Communication, Apr 18, 2024

Media, War & Conflict

This study, conducted in Germany and Israel in May 2021, compares German and Israeli news media c... more This study, conducted in Germany and Israel in May 2021, compares German and Israeli news media consumption concerning the Russian–Ukrainian war using a structured online questionnaire. A total of 1,310 and 509 valid questionnaires were completed in Germany and Israel, respectively, examining differences in how news consumers used media to access information. Specifically, objective and subjective proximity to Ukraine and Ukrainians, interest in politics and media perceptions were examined as potential predictors of use patterns of various media. For most variables, Germans and Israelis similarly sought news about the war, especially in mainstream news media. In Israel, objective and subjective proximities to Ukraine were the most significant predictors for consuming mainstream news media, with interest in politics and media trust being less important. In Germany, the latter factors predicted mainstream news media consumption more strongly than ties and subjective proximity, while t...

Studies in conflict and terrorism, Mar 10, 2024

European journal of public health, Sep 1, 2020

Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management

This study aimed to examine the use of internet as a source of health-related information (HRI), ... more This study aimed to examine the use of internet as a source of health-related information (HRI), as well as the change in attitudes following the online search for HRI. The current study sample included 88 participants, randomly divided into two experimental groups. One was given the name of an unfamiliar disease and told to search for information about it using various search engines, and the second was given a text about the disease from a credible scientific source. The study findings show a large percentage of participants used the internet as a source of HRI. Likewise, no differences were found in the extent to which the internet was used as a source of HRI when demographic were compared. Those who searched for the HRI on the internet had more negative opinions and believed symptoms of the disease were worse than the average opinion among those who obtained the information about the disease from a credible scientific source. Internet clearly influences the participants’ beliefs...

The European health psychologist, 2017

The aim of this study was to examine which kind of Anorexia-related messages (moderate/extreme) a... more The aim of this study was to examine which kind of Anorexia-related messages (moderate/extreme) are more common on television and how those messages affected young women. An empirical study was performed in two parts: 1. 21 Anorexia-related stories that were broadcast on TV news of commercial TV channels were categorized with a coding page. 2. A random sample was performed (by distributing questionnaires around different online social networks) on 291 women, aged 13-35. The study population was randomly divided into two groups. Every participant requested to complete one online questionnaire that differed in the video message attached to them: extreme/moderate Anorexia-related message. Each questionnaire comprised two parts: 1. “EAT 26” questionnaire includes statements that diagnose Eating Disorder Patterns (EDP). 2. A questionnaire that examines the participants' attitudes, reactions and feelings about the video message attached. Analysis of the stories from TV news broadcast ...

Media Psychology, 2017

The identity of protagonists in persuasive narratives was varied to test the impact of audience-c... more The identity of protagonists in persuasive narratives was varied to test the impact of audience-character demographic similarity on identification. In Study 1, sex and nationality, both traits that were pretested to be important to participants' self-identity, were varied, but demographic similarity did not increase perceived similarity, identification or persuasion. In Study 2, age and city of residence, traits that were central to the story, were varied, but again similarity on these demographic traits had no effects. Given previous research, these were surprising findings. The failure to find the expected effect of demographic similarity on identification and its implications for the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development of identification are discussed within the framework of narrative response theory. According to several theories of media effects, media characters serve as models for audience imitation and learning. The degree to which audience members identify with the modelling character is among the several known variables that are likely to cause such imitation (Moyer-Gusé, 2008). But what increases identification with media characters? One possible predictor of identification is the demographic similarity between characters and audiences that may contribute to the desire and ability to identify with fictional characters. Several scholars have written about this possibility, speculated about it, and examined correlations between similarity and identification, and even tested it experimentally. But there is mixed evidence about whether or not similarity is a condition for, or even increases, identification with fictional characters. This question is of central importance to the understanding of how and why identification occurs. Moreover, it also has implications for media industries in that it underlies the question of whether in order to achieve significant identification, characters (and, hence, actors) must conform to the strict demographic characteristics of their desired CONTACT Jonathan Cohen

“Stealing Sunshine” is a trial advocacy technique whereby an attorney discloses, in the opening s... more “Stealing Sunshine” is a trial advocacy technique whereby an attorney discloses, in the opening statement or on direct examination of a witness, information that seems advantageous to the opponent’s case, before the latter elicits or reveals it, in order to mitigate its expected impact on fact-finders. Our study is the first to examine the efficacy of this tactic, both theoretically and empirically. Given the primacy of our work, we drew on existing literature on a related courtroom technique commonly known as “stealing thunder,” which is - in a sense - the mirror image of the tactic under scrutiny. We hypothesized that stealing sunshine, just like stealing thunder, would be helpful to a litigant’s case.We experimentally tested the efficacy of the tactic when used by the prosecution in a criminal case. The results support our hypothesis. We found, inter alia, that fact-finders’ assessments of the measure of guilt and of the appropriate level of punishment in the Stealing Sunshine co...

Studies in Media and Communication, 2012

The study aims to focus on parental awareness, attitudes and behavior regarding children's use of... more The study aims to focus on parental awareness, attitudes and behavior regarding children's use of the world's largest social network-Facebook. Data were obtained from 195 Israeli parents, Jews and Arabs whose children are above and under the age of 13 (official age to start registration to Facebook). Analyses included variance analyses, correlations, and regressions. The results indicated that parents have moderate to low levels of awareness, involvement, and monitoring in their children's Facebook usage. However significant differences were found between mothers and fathers, as mothers expressed less positive attitudes toward Facebook and greater need for guidance than fathers. Arab parents expressed higher levels of monitoring and of need for guidance than Jews. Our findings highlight the need for usage regulation and for guidance for parents in order to help them direct their children toward safe and responsible use of the internet.

Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Apr 22, 2022

The Journal of International Communication

International Journal of Web Based Communities

The Agenda Setting Journal, 2017

Agenda-setting research has been performed for more than four decades, both in traditional and on... more Agenda-setting research has been performed for more than four decades, both in traditional and online media, and the tools employed for this task have been very much accepted by media researchers around the world. Nevertheless, analysis of the public agenda in new media, particularly across social networks, requires re-thinking these same tools, which creates a series of methodological and theoretical challenges. The present paper seeks to illuminate these challenges and propose possible solutions for some of them.

Israel Affairs, 2016

The emergence of new media, primarily social networks, raises questions about the interactions at... more The emergence of new media, primarily social networks, raises questions about the interactions at play between 'new' and 'old' media in terms of the media and the public agendas. This topic is particularly relevant during elections. By analysing news from three Israeli television channels and using an online monitoring system to analyse user discourse over six weeks preceding Election Day, this article seeks to trace the shaping processes of the media agenda and public agenda along the axes of 'new media/old media' and 'free user discourse/professional media discourse' .

International Communication Gazette, 2022

COVID-19 ushered in almost unprecedented socioeconomic and political challenges. A typical social... more COVID-19 ushered in almost unprecedented socioeconomic and political challenges. A typical social reaction during such emergencies is rumormongering, which has intensified since the advent of social media. This study explored factors affecting users’ willingness to spread pandemic-related rumors in Wuhan, China and Israel. We tested a multi-variant model of factors affecting the forwarding of COVID-19 rumors. In an online survey conducted in April–May 2020, users of each country's leading social media platform (WeChat and WhatsApp, respectively) reported on patterns of exposure to and spread of COVID-19 rumors, as well as on their motives for doing so. Despite major differences between the two societies, interesting similarities were found: in both cases, individual drives, shaped by personal needs and degree of negative feelings, were the leading factors behind rumormongering. Exposure to additional sources of information regarding the rumors was also a significant predictor, b...

Law & Contemp. Probs., 2011

Sunshine" is a trial-advocacy technique whereby an attorney discloses, in the opening statement o... more Sunshine" is a trial-advocacy technique whereby an attorney discloses, in the opening statement or on direct examination of a witness, information that seems advantageous to the opponent's case, before the latter elicits or reveals it, in order to mitigate its expected impact on fact-finders. We hypothesize that stealing sunshine is indeed helpful to a litigant's case. This study is the first to examine the efficacy of this tactic, both theoretically and empirically, contributing to the growing literature on the impact of various trialadvocacy techniques on decision-makers' perceptions and trial outcomes. 1 Given the primacy of our work, we draw on existing literature on a related courtroom technique commonly known as "stealing thunder," which is-in a sense-the mirror image of the tactic under scrutiny. II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK A. Stealing Thunder James W. McElhaney was probably the first to use the term "stealing thunder" to describe a trial technique in which an attorney divulges information

Criminal Justice and Behavior, 2020

This research examined the role of guilt and shame proneness among people in custody in shaping a... more This research examined the role of guilt and shame proneness among people in custody in shaping attitudes toward restorative justice (RJ) and in predicting the effectiveness of RJ practices. Study 1 (n = 110) examined the correlation between participant guilt and shame proneness and willingness to participate in an RJ process. It revealed that proneness to guilt, but not to shame, was correlated with willingness to participate in an RJ process. Mediational modeling showed that guilt proneness predicted willingness to participate in an RJ process via its strong correlation with regret and remorse. Study 2 (n = 133) examined whether shame and guilt proneness affects the effectiveness of an RJ practice. It revealed that high guilt proneness predicted high willingness to participate in RJ, whereas shame proneness moderated the effectiveness of an RJ practice. These results can help practitioners and researchers develop interventions to promote the effectiveness of RJ programs.

Perspectives on terrorism, 2014

A consideration of terrorism as communication necessarily draws attention to the development of c... more A consideration of terrorism as communication necessarily draws attention to the development of counter narratives as a strategy for interrupting the process by which individuals become radicalised towards violent extremism. As the Internet has become a critical medium for psychological warfare by terrorists, some attempts have been made to challenge terroristic narratives through online social marketing and public information campaigns that o�耀er alternative narratives to the terrorists’ online audiences. ‘Say No to Terror’ is one such campaign. �怀is article reports on a study that examined the master narratives in the ‘Say No to Terror’ online campaign and applied concepts of ‘noise’ and persuasion in order to assess whether the key elements of the ‘Say No to Terror’ campaign align with the application of “noise” as a counter strategy against terrorists’ appeal on the Internet. �怀e study found that while the master narratives of ‘Say No to Terror’ align with suggestions based on e...