The rise of political polarisation in Pakistan has spurred experts to pose the fundamental inquiry: what enduring repercussions will polarised politics have on Pakistan’s democratic framework? The existing evidence provides significant grounds for apprehension. One of the growing issues of political polarisation is its effect on social trust. The present study investigates the relationship between social media political expression, partisanship, and affective and ideological polarisation and social trust. This study gives us understanding about the sentiments of ‘self’ towards proponent’s in-group members and out-group members, referring to a Pakistani sample (n = 413). Further, the scholarship tests the moderating role of media efficacy between affective and ideological polarisation and social trust. Social identity theory and the echo chamber effect provided theoretical support for the research. Six direct and two indirect hypotheses were developed. Partisan identity exhibited positive and significant impact on both affective and ideological polarisation, whereas social media political expression did not exhibit any significant impact on either. However, amongst the two proposed moderating hypotheses, media efficacy moderates only the relationship between ideological polarisation and social trust. The study concludes by discussing its implications in Pakistan’s socio-cultural environment, acknowledging its limitations, and providing recommendations for future scholars.

KEY WORDS:

affective polarisation, ideological polarisation, media efficacy, partisan identity, political expression, social trust

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2025.Vol.16.No.2.12

Today’s customers are not afraid to voice their opinions when they feel that a brand has done wrong. Certain customers even develop brand hate, especially when companies do not respond adequately. Against this backdrop, we investigate the roles of brand attachment and corporate crisis response strategies in shaping brand forgiveness following value-based brand transgressions. We empirically show how different levels of brand attachment and crisis response strategies lead to different levels of brand forgiveness. Our findings reveal that while customers with medium to high brand attachment demonstrate forgiveness levels that are unrelated to crisis response strategies, those with low attachment are significantly influenced by the nature of the response. Specifically, strategies that involve taking responsibility and apologising enhance forgiveness amongst less attached customers. These insights underscore the pivotal role of fostering brand attachment as a buffer against negative outcomes during crises, while emphasising the need for appropriately tailored crisis communication.

KEY WORDS:

brand attachment, brand forgiveness, brand hate, brand transgression, crisis communication, customers, Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2025.Vol.16.No.2.11

The study explores how the social origin of celebrity fame – classified as ascribed, achieved, or attributed – influences public perception of brand image. Grounded in Rojek’s (2001) typology and contemporary celebrity studies, our research investigates whether audiences recognise these fame types and whether such perceptions affect evaluations of product endorsement. A survey was conducted on a convenience sample of 902 participants in Croatia, predominantly female (94.6%) and aged 18 – 25. Our findings indicate that achieved fame is consistently associated with higher perceived impact on brand image, particularly amongst younger respondents. In contrast, attributed and celetoid fame were less influential overall but showed moderate effect amongst Generation Z participants, indicating greater openness to media-constructed visibility. Statistical analysis confirmed age and perceived achievement-based fame as significant predictors of brand image evaluation. The results highlight the importance of authenticity and perceived legitimacy in contemporary celebrity culture, especially in shaping how celebrities influence product image. The study emphasises the role of cultural intermediaries in creating and sustaining celebrity visibility. When strategically mediated, this visibility shapes both the celebrity’s public image and how audiences perceive their connection to specific products. By exploring how fame is framed in media narratives, the study provides insight into the cultural dynamics linking celebrity status, public perception, and product image in the digital age.

KEY WORDS:

brand image, celebrity culture, cultural intermediaries, endorsement value, fame typology, public perception, public relations strategy, young consumers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2025.Vol.16.No.2.10

The systems and mechanisms inherent to generative artificial intelligence have sparked a digital revolution in the field of marketing and marketing communications. Artificial intelligence has enabled marketing entities to create original communication outputs in the form of personalised campaigns, in which deepfake plays a central role. This highly sophisticated generative AI tool is capable of constructing highly realistic yet inherently artificial content within a short period, utilising text, images, videos, and audio. Due to its ability to convincingly manipulate multimedia content, deepfake represents a significant factor in redefining traditional marketing communication concepts while opening new possibilities for content personalisation. For this reason, the objective of this research study is to examine the positive applications of deepfake technology in marketing communication campaigns, focusing on content personalisation, the creation of digital personas, and the enhancement of audience engagement. Through a qualitative case study approach, we analysed the positive aspects of the application and implementation of deepfake in selected communication campaigns: “Malaria Must Die”, “Deepfaked Dolph Lundgren”, and “My Dear Slovaks”. The research findings demonstrate that, despite the predominantly negative perception of deepfake technology by the general public, its targeted use in marketing communication campaigns has yielded the opposite, positive effect. Recipients do not perceive this generative technology with disdain or disapproval in the context of its application in communication campaigns; rather, they regard it as an innovative and interactive element of marketing communication that has the potential to enhance interest in the given brand.

KEY WORDS:

artificial intelligence, digitisation, deepfake, marketing communication campaigns, positive aspects of AI use, reality

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2025.Vol.16.No.2.9

The presented study explores the relationship between digital accessibility and marketing communication in agritourism, with a specific focus on the websites of agritourism farms in Austria, Slovakia and Czechia. The research is grounded in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and examines how various accessibility barriers influence the user experience and the overall effectiveness of online marketing efforts. Using AChecker and WAVE evaluation tools, the study systematically analysed selected websites with an emphasis on elements such as contrast, link clarity, and the presence of non-text content. The identified shortcomings were assessed in relation to the four WCAG principles: perceivability, operability, understandability, and robustness. Quantitative analysis revealed that while understandability was mostly fulfilled, the other principles showed significant deficiencies. The most frequent issues included poor contrast, missing alternative texts, unclear link purposes, and insufficient target sizes. These accessibility gaps not only hinder user interaction, particularly for people with disabilities, but also reduce the communicative potential of digital content and limit its marketing reach. The findings underline the need for greater awareness of accessibility standards amongst agritourism service providers. The study concludes with recommendations for the development of unified methodological guidelines, training programmes and support tools to enhance the accessibility and communicative function of agritourism websites.

KEY WORDS:

agritourism, digital accessibility, marketing communication, WCAG 2.1, website usability

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2025.Vol.16.No.2.8

This study investigates the heterogeneity of online review readers in the tourism sector by developing a comprehensive typology based on empirical data. The main aim of this study is to create a typology of review readers. The research aims at providing a deeper insight into the profiles of the review readers and evaluating the impact of reading the review in different segments. Utilising a data-driven segmentation approach, the authors analysed 2,525 valid questionnaire responses collected from European consumers, primarily in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Through hierarchical and K-means cluster analyses, ANOVA and discriminant analysis, four distinct segments of review readers were identified and validated: Enthusiasts (41%), who heavily rely on reviews for travel decisions; Pragmatists (34%), who consult reviews for practical and financial reasons; Observers (10%), influenced by social context and trends; and Uninfluenceable Readers (14%), who largely disregard reviews. Profiling revealed that while socio-demographic factors such as age, education, and income are related to segment membership, their influence is generally weak compared to behavioural patterns. The findings fill a gap in the literature by offering a nuanced understanding of review readers, with implications for targeted reputation management, tailored marketing communication and platform selection.

KEY WORDS:

communication, cluster analysis, reputation, reviews, segmentation, tourism

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2025.Vol.16.No.2.7

Digital transformation has revolutionised cross-cultural communication, creating both unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges, including the persistent digital divide. This study applies a quantitative bibliometric approach to examine global research trends on the digital divide’s influence on cross-cultural communication from 2000 to 2024. Utilising Scopus-indexed data, the research employs performance analysis and science mapping techniques using VOSviewer and Publish or Perish to analyse publication patterns, identify influential contributors, and uncover thematic clusters. Findings reveal a substantial increase in scholarly output over time, with dominant themes including digitalisation, intercultural competence, and emerging technologies. However, persistent gaps in representation, particularly in marginalised and underrepresented communities, underscore the urgency for more inclusive and equitable academic efforts. The findings offer critical implications for theory and practice, and serve as a foundation for more inclusive, globally informed digital communication practices.

KEY WORDS:

cross-cultural communication, digital divide, digital transformation, bibliometric analysis, VOSviewer

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2025.Vol.16.No.2.6

A survey was conducted on a sample of female employees in the three largest Croatian television stations (HRT, RTL, NOVA TV). The aim of the research is to determine the extent to which mobbing is present in newsrooms, and to identify the most common forms of mobbing that female journalists encounter. The survey reveals that mobbing is a significant problem in this sector. Although around a fifth of the participants have not experienced any form of mobbing, the majority have been exposed to various forms of psychological violence in the workplace. Hostility and boycotting are the most common forms of mobbing from colleagues while boycotting and subterfuge are also often present in cases of mobbing by employers or superiors. Despite the significant presence of mobbing in Croatian television newsrooms, most cases remain unreported. The survey shows that only 12% of participants who have experienced mobbing have reported the problem. Interestingly, older female employees are significantly more likely to be exposed to mobbing than younger colleagues. Mobbing is a serious problem for female employees in Croatian television newsrooms. Although some female employees have not experienced any psychological violence, the majority have faced various forms of mobbing, with hostility and boycotting being the most common. The fact that mobbing is rarely reported is worrying, and it is particularly problematic that older employees are more likely to be exposed to this problem.

KEY WORDS:

communication, female journalists, media, mobbing, newsrooms, television

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2025.Vol.16.No.2.5

Current scholarly debates on period drama acknowledge that the term has always carried a variety of problematic gendered associations. Although the genre is widely popular (not only) in the Western cultural framework, on the silver screen and small(er) screens alike, it has long been delegitimised as inherently feminine. This is why many period dramas, even the most popular ones and especially those offered by internet-distributed television, have struggled to achieve critical acclaim which would allow them to assume the status of quality (or rather prestige, high-end) TV, except for HBO’s male-centric productions such as Deadwood (Milch, 2004 – 2006) and Boardwalk Empire (Winter, 2010 – 2014). The aim of this study is to explore how the period drama Outlander (Moore, 2014 – ongoing) incorporates a variety of narrative and discourse elements typical for high-end television, offering a complex transhistorical portrayal of characters born in different centuries and driven by diverse needs and motivations. This objective is fulfilled by contributing to the wider academic dispute on the formal and content-related differences between period dramas, costume dramas, and historical dramas, as well as on the presumed appeal of contemporary period dramas to female audiences expecting to experience complex displays of femininity and masculinity. The study also utilises narrative and discourse analysis to discuss Outlander’s apparent ability to function as a genre hybrid merging fantasy, romance, and period drama with transhistorical storytelling, and also as a visually appealing and detailed portrayal of intimacy, emotional vulnerability, and female agency, particularly through the characters of Claire and Jamie Fraser.

KEY WORDS:

costume drama, female agency, female gaze, femininity, genre blending, intimacy, masculinity, objectification, Outlander, period drama, romance

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2025.Vol.16.No.2.4

The study explores media audiences’ attitudes and opinions towards technological changes in journalism. Artificial intelligence is one of the most relevant digital communication tools for processing and disseminating journalistic content today. The focus of the study is its use in radio broadcasting. The study aimed to identify the opinions of radio news recipients in the Slovak Republic on the use of AI in journalism and their perception of AI tools. The research presents the results of a questionnaire survey conducted with a sample of the adult population of the Slovak Republic selected by quota sampling (N = 503). The results suggest that voice preferences (AI versus real journalists) are not primarily influenced by the technical quality or comprehensibility of the content itself, but rather by how pleasant the voice is. From a media communication theory perspective, our results confirm the importance of social presence in radio broadcasting while showing that the Slovak audience is not ready for full AI implementation in radio broadcasting.

KEY WORDS:

artificial intelligence, digital communication tools, journalism, media audience, perception, radio broadcasting, technological innovations

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2025.Vol.16.No.2.3