Interactivity Features of Online Newspapers:Use and Effect on Gratification Among Zambian Readers

Interactivity in online newspapers is the focus of this chapter in eliciting readers’evaluation of Zambian online newspapers.This aspect of the study investigates and characterises the motivations(gratification sought)for use of interactivity features(“process motivation”)and how widely they are used.It also attempts to ascertain the gratification obtained from their use among readers.The probable relationships between use of the interactivity features(“audience interactivity”)and gratification obtained from them(“process gratification”)and the impact of the perceived credibility of the online newspapers on gratification are also examined.Past studies present mixed results on use of interactivity and gratification obtained from it.This study finds that use of interactivity in Zambian online newspapers is at a low level,although among the three broad categorisations of features of online newspapers,interactivity attracts greater use than hyper-textuality and multi-mediality.Human interactivity features-“knowing what others think about an issue”,“chat on the Facebook page of the newspaper”,“ability to navigate on the Facebook page of the newspaper”,and“posting own comments on stories”-are the main motivations for use of online newspapers,the most frequently used,and the most gratifying to the readers.While readers express an interest in interacting with other readers via online newspapers,they seem less interested in posting their own stories as“citizen journalists”and linking up with the publishers and editors.This finding challenges the notion that all new media are catalysts of participatory and cyclic communication.

The Use of a“Rewarding System”for Healthcare Personnel

This work aims to identify a method by the coordinator of the OU(operational unit)for the training of gratified personnel through the use of a rewarding system.The continuous transformations that concern the Italian healthcare scene lead the operators to face always new needs and problems.Professionals can not only be considered as workers but bearers of qualified intellectual,professional and cultural skills.Individual coordinators are required to be real leaders within their operational units and to use their managerial skills in achieving company objectives and in evaluating the personnel they manage.The main factor to which difficulties in the management of staff are related concerns the motivation,defined as a state of mind together with aspirations,needs,orientations,that pushes people to act and to use a behavior characterized by commitment,perseverance and determination.The need to better rationalize the resources available,to promote high quality health care,improving safety,efficiency and appropriateness has led the general management and coordinator of the OU to use the reward systems.With the introduction of this procedure aimed at enhancing the merit and encouraging virtuous behavior during the provision of health services,the public employment reform participates in the evolution of the regulatory framework and it turns on the change that is taking place in the world of work.

Social Media Use for Information-Sharing Activities Among Youth in Malaysia

Social media are popular among youth for sharing information. This study tries to explore the popularity of the social media sites, the level of use of the social media sites, the types of information-sharing activities involved on the social media sites, to compare youth of various background in relation to information-sharing activities, and to analyze the relationship between the level of social media use and the information-sharing activities among youth. This study employs a quantitative research design, using survey method with questionnaire as the research instrument used for data collection. In this study, youth aged between 17-40 years old nationwide were surveyed. The study was developed based on the user and gratification theory （Blumler ＆ Katz, 1974）. Findings showed that youth always （five to seven days per week） use social media to share information including personal information. Results also showed that youth used the social media more for sharing negatively-oriented information compared to the positively-oriented information. Although there were more items on the positively-oriented information-sharing activities but more youth spent their time on the negatively-oriented information-sharing activities. The results are supported by a strong relationship between frequency of use and the negatively-oriented information-sharing activities.

Worldviews, Media Use, and Attitudes Toward Science in 1957： A Structural Equation Test of Cultivation Theory

A structural model of cultivation theory is tested by using a national data set from 1957, before television became a dominant medium in the United States. Support is found for the basic tenet of cultivation theory, namely, that media use shapes people＇s perceptions and beliefs. Print media use predicts one＇s worldview, both of which predict attitudes toward science. By examining attitudes toward science before television became a dominant medium, this study extends the theory beyond the field＇s primary research focus on the relationship between television and violence.

The Catastrophe of Corruption in the Sustainability of Foreign aid:A Prediction of Artificial Neural Network Method in Indonesia

The rising corruption levels in Indonesia are becoming a cause for concern and raise doubts about their impact on the stability of foreign aid in the country.Therefore,this study aims to predict the long-term viability of foreign aid in Indonesia based on international perceptions of corruption and corruption cases in the country.Data were obtained from World Governance Indicators,the Indonesian Ministry of Finance,and the World Bank,and the study used a backpropagation artificial neural network(ANN)for prediction.The results from ANN are compared to linear models and vector autoregression(VAR).The finding shows that ANN outperforms the other models based on the coefficient of determination and MSE values.Furthermore,it highlights the strong relationship between corruption perception and foreign aid sustainability with an R-value of 0.991.According to the ANN estimation,gratification has a significant impact on foreign aid.In response to this finding,the study recommends the Indonesian government take action to combat corruption in maintaining the international trust and ensuring the stability of foreign aid.