Volum 20 Nr. 1 (2025): Romanian Journal of Journalism and Communication
Revista publică articole teoretice, empirice, critice și studii de caz, precum și recenzii de carte. Sunt încurajate abordările inovatoare și emergente din științele comunicării.
Publicat:
2025-12-04
Articles
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Hybrid journalism in transition: Multi-platform practices and the limits of digital innovation in Moldova
Rezumat
In the Republic of Moldova, journalists work across multiple platforms, from traditional television and radio to online broadcasts on websites and social media, but they rarely achieve full convergence. This study, part of the Worlds of Journalism Study (2021-2025), surveyed 305 journalists in the Republic of Moldova to examine the impact of economic constraints, donor dependence and infrastructure deficits on their multi-platform practices. The results show that 43.6% “never” or “rarely” create content for print, while over 70% publish material regularly on websites. In addition, 57.7% “never” create podcasts and only 6.6% work “always” on news apps. Although the vast majority (96.4%) have a preliminary understanding of the purpose of the platforms, real synergy between them has not yet been achieved: many publications recycle content instead of creating personalized content. However, selective adoption continues, with most journalists being proficient in text, photography and video. This “partial convergence” is driven by budgetary constraints, established editorial traditions and the desire to reach diverse audiences. Data analytics is used sporadically, and automated journalism is in its infancy. Overall, the case of the Republic of Moldova demonstrates a gradual convergence driven by resource constraints and the existence of hybrid journalism, in which individual journalists combine multiple roles. The results suggest that while electronic formats enhance audience participation, structural and economic constraints continue to limit the level of convergent innovation in transitional media contexts.
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Journalism without journalism schools: The specific challenges of journalism education in Hungary and their impact on mobile journalism
Rezumat
This study explores how the structural characteristics and historical development of journalism education in Hungary shape perceptions and practices related to Mobile Journalism (MoJo) within the field of Communication and Media Studies (CMS). Drawing on two empirical investigations – a national stakeholder survey conducted as part of a cross-country research project on MoJo in Central and Eastern Europe, and a content analysis of Hungarian CMS curricula – the paper examines the integration of MoJo in higher education and professional training. Findings reveal that while students generally view MoJo as a legitimate form of journalism, formal education in this field remains limited. The majority of students acquire relevant skills through informal learning, and there is little institutional commitment to teaching MoJo due to structural constraints and a declining interest in journalism as a career path.
CMS curricula rarely include MoJo-related content, and where journalism is present, it is often embedded as a secondary component. Based on these findings, the paper recommends updating existing journalism-related courses and strengthening cooperation with media professionals to enhance MoJo training. Overall, the paper provides insights into the broader educational context influencing journalism innovation in Hungary and offers practical recommendations for aligning journalism education with digital trends.
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Scroll, swipe, vote: The mutations of political communication and the impact of TikTok in shaping electoral archetypes in Romania
Rezumat
In a context where social networks are becoming an increasingly used platform for political communication, TikTok has become a central infrastructure for interaction between voters and political messages from representatives of such organizations, especially among the younger generations. This article explores the relationship between TikTok use and the electoral profiles of Romanian voters, based on a nationally representative survey in which 43% of respondents said they use the platform. The main purposes of using TikTok are watching humorous content (58%) and discovering general news (15%), while only 3% use it for political information. However, approximately 20% of active users say they take into account political information on TikTok “to a great extent” or “to a very great extent”. The article proposes a series of digital archetypes of voters – from the “passive user” to the “politicized consumer” – and analyzes how these digital behaviors overlap with voting intentions, especially in relation to parties occupying both the political mainstream and the opposition constituted as a sovereignist pole or with political figures such as Călin Georgescu – unknown to the general public until November 2024. Through a quantitative approach, the paper highlights the trends of “political infotainment” and the hybridization of civic space with that of digital entertainment. The study provides a framework for understanding new forms of electoral mobilization in a digital environment saturated with intense, short-term, algorithmic and emotional stimuli.
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Between diagnosis and intervention: The phenomenon of disinformation from the perspective of communication professionals
Rezumat
In the current digital ecosystem, characterized by informational disorder, polarization, and the erosion of trust in institutions, the boundaries between reality and fiction are becoming increasingly blurred. The public sphere is marked by the presence of manipulative narratives, hard-to-identify informational actors, and technologies capable of simulating reality with deceptive fidelity (Harris, 2025; Saeidnia et al., 2025). In this landscape dominated by digital algorithms, automatically generated content, and accelerated virality, the present research investigates how communication specialists in Romania define, interpret, and evaluate the phenomenon of disinformation. The general objective is to identify the main vulnerabilities of the informational space, as well as to assess the effectiveness of current counter-strategies. To achieve this goal, a qualitative approach was used, based on 25 semi-structured interviews with specialists active in the academic, institutional, or media fields. The interviews focused on (1) defining the phenomenon, (2) mechanisms of dissemination, (3) effects at the individual, social, and political levels, as well as (4) evaluation of the effectiveness of countermeasures, with an emphasis on media literacy and the role of digital platforms. The results highlight the perception of disinformation as an intentional process, ideologically, economically, or politically motivated. Social networks are seen as the main channels of dissemination, through mechanisms such as echo chambers or recommendation algorithms. The effects include informational anxiety, distrust in institutions, polarization, and the destabilization of democracy. Fact-checking and media regulations are seen as short-term solutions, while media literacy is perceived as the most effective long-term approach. Thus, the conclusions support the need for public policies that include media literacy, the integration of critical thinking into education, and a rethinking of the responsibilities of digital platforms.
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From trust to skepticism: Has influencer marketing reached its breaking point?
Rezumat
Influencer marketing has become a mix of traditional endorsements and digital communication, initially praised for its authenticity and trustworthiness. However, increasing commercialization, saturation, and more critical consumer awareness are testing its effectiveness. While influencers still provide a more natural advertising alternative, issues like perceived inauthenticity, brand control, and declining trust are growing concerns. Authenticity, transparency, and credibility remain the key elements of successful influencer marketing. However, transparency can have paradoxical effects—boosting authenticity but possibly decreasing engagement if content seems too promotional. The type of influencer also matters: micro-influencers often build stronger trust because of perceived accessibility, while macro-influencers risk credibility due to overexposure and commercialization.
This study analyzes two case studies. The first explores the 2023 “Pandoro Gate” scandal involving Chiara Ferragni, fined for misleading claims about charitable donations tied to product sales. The second focuses on Matilda Djerf, whose curated online image clashed with allegations of a toxic work environment. Both cases underscore the fragility of perceived authenticity and its implications for consumer trust.
Findings suggest that influencer marketing is not in decline but at a pivotal moment. For long-term effectiveness, brands must embrace authenticity, prioritize value alignment, and grant influencers creative autonomy. Meaningful, transparent, and audience-aligned strategies are essential to maintain trust and relevance in an increasingly discerning digital landscape. -
Legitimising student activism in times of crisis: A discursive analysis of two Romanian youth organisations on Facebook
Rezumat
This paper explores how two major Romanian national student organisations (the National Council of Students – CNE, representing high school students, and the National Alliance of Student Organisations in Romania – ANOSR, representing university students) construct legitimacy as civic actors through Facebook activism during times of crisis. Focusing on the period 2019–2022, the study examines how these organisations navigated moments of political and social disruption, including the COVID–19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and national education reforms.
Using the legitimation framework proposed by Van Leeuwen and Wodak (1999) and Vaara et al. (2006), along with the concept of destructive legitimation (Vestergaard & Uldam, 2022), the paper analyses Facebook posts through discourse analysis. Results indicate that both organisations employ strategies such as normalisation, authorisation, rationalisation, moral evaluation, and narrativisation to justify their activism, while also engaging in delegitimation of political opponents.
The study contributes to understanding how student movements in post-socialist democracies use digital discourse to assert credibility and mobilise support.
