Postmodernism Problems

The New Paradigms: Artificial Intelligence, Metamedia, and Educational Horizons

Stella Angova, Ivan Valchanov — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The first issue of the 2025 year includes articles by scholars from Bulgaria, Greece, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, and Kenya.

As we stated in the previous issue, all roads lead to AI. We were right because once again, the focus of most authors is technology and the interest in the emergence and integration of artificial intelligence into the media ecosystem, public communications, education, and modern research methods.

The concept of the global web is not new, but it was implemented after its ideologists described its importance in a social context and predicted the emergence of metamedia. Technology in the form of artificial intelligence has led to a change in media content production and information flows. Both optimistic and pessimistic theses are found on this topic. However, it is essential for researchers to apply a critical approach that defends the need for human guidance in implementing AI in news production and to pay attention to the negative side of technology as a barrier to its usage within the media sector. The issue of ethical challenges, which may include incomplete data, copyright and originality, the credibility of sources, the role of agenda-setting and framing in AIGC, the lack of a critical approach, and its relationship with fake news, cannot be left out of scientific interest.

AI and the News: Challenges Arisen From the Adoption of AI in News Production

George Pleios , Michalis Tastsoglou — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0300

It is premature to assess the impact of AI technologies on the media ecosystem. Nevertheless, a preliminary approach may be proposed, provided that it is founded upon verifiable facts, discernible behaviors, tangible constraints, and practical limitations. In considering the potential contribution of AI to the field of journalism, it is important to adopt a patient and critical approach. The deployment of AI should be assessed following its intended purpose, the nature of the data employed, and the degree of impartiality exhibited by the algorithms and intelligent computing systems. This paper presents a concise overview of the implications of integrating Artificial Intelligence-generated content in news production. The essence of this paper is to present a case for the necessity of human guidance, specifically that of professional journalists, in the deployment of AIGC in news production. In this vein, the article offers an outline of the most significant aspects of the utilization of AIGC in journalistic practice. It focuses on six pivotal concerns, which, thus far, seem to undermine the potential that AI has regarding information management. These issues, representing what in this paper is called as negative side of AI, have to do with: i) data incompleteness, ii) copyright and originality, iii) the opacity of sources, iv) the role of agenda-setting and framing in AIGC, v) the lack of a critical approach, and vi) its relation to fake news.

Media Culture and Higher Education in Bulgaria: Integrating Media and Information Literacy Education in Social Sciences

Svetla Tsankova, Stella Angova, Ivan Valchanov — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This paper examines the main challenges facing the integration of media culture education in higher education in Bulgaria. The authors argue for the choice of "media culture" as a course name with the provision of theoretical and practical-applied knowledge for the perception and analysis of the impact of various media forms, public communications and types of content in a cultural, social, educational, technological, and economic context. The undergraduate course was introduced during the academic year 2023/24 for the first time in the curriculum of several majors in the field of social sciences to second-year students of the majors "Media and Journalism", "Media Economics", "Sociology", "Political Science", "International Relations" and "European Politics and Economics" at the University of National and World Economy. The effectiveness of the course in terms of acquired knowledge and skills for critical participation in media processes was assessed through an anonymous survey in Microsoft Forms. 76 respondents answered 12 questions – 10 with option choice and 2 with text input. The results reveal that students felt more adapted to the media world and better prepared to distinguish between different types of information, including disinformation and propaganda. The course also increased their confidence in evaluation and usage of media sources, while developing their critical thinking regarding social processes. Students identified topics that should be separately identified in the curriculum. The study allows for the identification of issues for national discussion from the perspective of challenges to the integration of media literacy education in universities, overcoming key barriers to the introduction and development of media literacy-oriented courses, and the impact and effectiveness of media literacy education in higher education institutions in Bulgaria.

AI-Powered Digital Communication: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities in Education

Jeton Lakna — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0300

Digital communication platforms powered by artificial intelligence are one of the technologies that are changing the digital era and are spreading across many sectors, including education. In today’s educational environment, AI-based digital communication platforms have become so popular that both teachers and students are using AI technology for teaching and learning. Digital communication platforms that are empowered by AI technology can predict the content of various subjects, which allows students to improve their writing skills. They provide suggestions regarding grammar, style, structure, and content, which helps students improve their writing skills and personalize learning. The present study examines some of the trends, challenges, and opportunities of digital communication powered by artificial intelligence. The study applied a quantitative approach. A survey method and a random sample of respondents were used to select respondents and collect data. The ultimate goal of this research paper is to identify the most preferred digital communication platform with artificial intelligence used by students and faculty in higher education.

(Meta)Media - Key Concepts and Characteristics

Bozhidar Valkov Atanasov — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The article explores the concept of (meta)media and their role in the modern media ecosystem, linking the visionary ideas of Paul Otlet and Vannevar Bush with contemporary theories by Lev Manovich, Marshall McLuhan, and Henry Jenkins. It emphasizes the importance of the global knowledge network and the "memex" device as the foundation for digital media systems. Key concepts such as immediacy, hypermediality, and remediation explain how new media transform traditional forms. The author highlights the significance of numerical representation, modularity, and automation according to Lev Manovich, as well as participatory culture analyzed by Jenkins. The main conclusion is that metamedia represent an integrative model that unites old and new media, encouraging active user participation and changing the dynamics of content creation and consumption. Further research is recommended on the interconnections between media forms and user interaction to better understand the future of media.

The Mixed Methods Research Approach: An Overview

Josephine Oranga, Audrey Matere, Evelyn Njurai — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0300

Mixed methods research involves using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies in a single study or inquiry to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the issue under investigation. The methodology draws from the potential strengths of both the quantitative and qualitative methodologies, allowing researchers to explore diverse views and unearth relationships that abound in the intricate layers of multifaceted research questions. This paper, thus, provides the rationale and philosophical underpinnings of the mixed methods approach while also discussing the paradigms (positivistic/interpretivist/constructivist) from which the mixed methods approach is drawn. Consequently, the main advantages of the mixed methods approach are discussed, these include that the approach enables the research questions to be answered in breadth and depth, helps test validity by converging information from different research methods, transcends the limitations of exclusive quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and responds to questions that either qualitative or quantitative methodologies cannot answer alone. Furthermore, mixed methods research fosters and enriches researchers’ experiences and enables the exploration of diverse perspectives while also revealing the relationships between different layers of phenomena. This article further highlights the limitations of the mixed methods approach, which appear measly as compared to its pros. Thus, the limitations are: the need for more time and finances to undertake and accomplish the research, increased research workload, and the need for expert involvement at some or all phases of the research. Undoubtedly, the advantages of the mixed-methods approach far outweigh its limitations, hence, it is concluded that the mixed-methods design provides the best chance of responding to research questions exhaustively by its ability to combine two sets of approaches while, at the same time, making up for the weaknesses of each method.

The Transformation of Institutional PR in Bulgaria

Svetozara Velichkova — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The article is an attempt to analyze the change in the communication paradigm of modern society and how institutional PR practitioners in Bulgaria can effectively communicate through social networks with their audiences. The scientific research methods used are general scientific methods - logical analysis and synthesis, induction, deduction, and observation. The article aims to present the advantages of online communication tools, which are already part of the activities of institutional PR practitioners. The conclusions are that due to the advantages that Web 2.0 communication provides through social networks, institutional PR practitioners in Bulgaria are increasingly starting to use this PR tool in their activities. The article shows that digital PR tools can be effective for PR practice in Bulgaria. It is concluded that institutional PR practitioners must acquire new skills to implement effective digital communication, especially those working in state institutions. They must not only acquire skills but also use the advantages of digital PR tools. For them, improving the communication of institutions with the public should be an important priority.

Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Television

Maria Konstantinova — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0300

In this report, I examine the impact of artificial intelligence on journalism and television in particular, as well as the main positive and negative aspects of the introduction and implementation of AI technology in the media. The purpose of the report is to trace the first steps in the use of artificial intelligence in the media, the strengths and weaknesses of the new technology, and the concerns of people that artificial intelligence will replace them in the profession. When choosing the methodology for conducting the research, the nature of the set goal was taken into account, adhering to the principles of high ethics and efficiency of quantitative and qualitative indicators and criteria. The results highlight various studies that indicate the audience's opinion of the use of artificial intelligence in the media and take into account the opinions of the world's information agencies for the preparation of rules for the use of artificial intelligence in the media. Examples of the use of artificial intelligence in Bulgarian television are also indicated here. The discussion raises the question of copyright and the regulation of the use of artificial intelligence, an issue that has been seriously debated in the European institutions, which at the end of last year reached an agreement on the rules governing the use of AI. In conclusion, it is clear that despite the possibilities of processing and generating information from artificial intelligence, it is far from displacing journalists in their work, because its refinement has not yet reached the point where it has emotions and is creatively directed. All this shows that the limits of artificial intelligence will be set by natural intelligence in the face of people, and it only depends on us how far it will reach in its development and implementation in various fields.

Students' Cognition in the Teaching of Technology. Opportunities for Activity Development

Reyhan Tapdig Hajizade — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The article is based on an experiment conducted among students from the 1st to 4th grades in Baku. The focus of the experiment was placed on the following stages: definition, training, and verification. At the defining stage of the experiment, it was found that primary school teachers poorly use modern educational technologies in teaching, and pay little attention to the development of cognitive activity of young students in technology lessons. A relatively different average level of cognitive activity is observed, and the high level is very small. All this indicates that special attention should be paid to increasing the cognitive activity of students in technology lessons, and this work should be purposeful, systematic, and continuous. The analysis of the experiment results showed that the indicators of the experimental classes are better than those of the control classes. The quality indicator in the control classes averaged 35.7%, whereas in the experimental classes, it was 62.2%. This demonstrates the superiority of the proposed methodology and strongly suggests that the formation and development of students' cognitive activity during technology education in primary grades should always be a focus. As a final result, it was revealed that students from the experimental classes apply the acquired knowledge dynamically due to vital activity (in terms of the speed and quality of task performance) and due to a high level of voluntary efforts to achieve the goal (they insisted on performing the given technological tasks, mobilized their strength, demonstrated complete independence, focused on the task set).