#IAMCR2025 Day 2 – International Association of Media and Communication Research, Nanyang University

First half of today was consumed with meeting with colleagues, but I managed to sneak in the afternoon sessions:

POP – The child’s play in/of popular media culture

“We All Love Cinderella But…”: How Young Nigerian Parents Engage with Portrayals of the Female Gender in Disney-Animated Films
» Dr. Chinedu Ononiwu (Nigeria)1, Dr. Chikezie Uzuegbunam (South Africa)2 (1. Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, 2. School of Journalism and Media Studies Rhodes University)

• Finding of Media Consumption patterns: Viewing varies through lifestyle, Disney films as tools for bonding, Access across multiple platforms, Globalised and cultural integration, Co-viewing and mediation opportunities
• Critical engagement with media content, active mediation through discussion, Restrictive mediation driven by cultural values, gendered mediation responsibilities, media literacy shapes mediation style
• Intentional selection of empowering narratives, Active dialogue and emotional engagement, challenging gender stereotypes, mother-daughter value translation
• Q: Can you unpack the difference between gatekeeping fathers and dialogue encouraging mothers

Mexican Representation in U.S. Children’s Animation
» Ms. Jimena Abreu (Canada)1 (1. Simon Fraser University)

• How US construst race and gender in Mexican children’s animation
• Machismo encompasses strength, while female is the nurturing mother
• Latino Critical Communication Theory –
• Coco – low paying jobs, Latinos are represented in blue collar work (shoemaker), border crossing into the afterlife (US/Mexico border), Frida character, Mamá Imelda, is framed through historic pain; Abuela Elena is the mother/maker, and religious

CPT – ‘Breaking’ news? The challenges of AI and media governance

AI and news: another nail in the coffin?
» Dr. Michael Davis (Australia)1, Prof. Monica Attard (Australia)1 (1. UTS Centre for Media Transition)

• Born from a post ChatGPT time in 2022
• 64% of journalists have not used ChatGPT in their practice in the previous year.
• How are newsrooms implementing GenAi? What are the perceived opportunities and risks?
• Phase 1 – journalists are very cautious. One year later journalists are becoming experimental, especially for background tasks
• Benefits don’t outweigh the costs is the overall feeling here (Nine, ABC)
• Biggest perceived threat is not editorial, rather loss of editorial control to black-box AI tools, platform distribution, walled gardens (if one’s journalistic output is then wrapped up in GenAI journalism, three is no control of how the news brand is represented)

A Small Nation’s Perspective: Singapore’s Policy Approaches to AI in the Creative Media Industries
» Dr. Pei-Sze Chow (Singapore)1, Dr. Sherwin Chua (Singapore)1 (1. Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University)

• [contact for DP work – follow up for P&I]
• Small industry in Singapore, positioning itself as hub for AI innovation,
• “leader in AI innovation” (Yeap & Lee 2024)
• Theoretical Framework – Sustainability Development Goals
• Press releases, policy documents, govt. reports in terms of national AI strategy, skills framework for media workers in AI (“upskill, retrain, embrace AI”)
• Finding: Labour impact: Upskilling, adapt individual responsibility, focus on enterprise oriented support
• Finding: Professional and cultural: diminished creative labour protection and recognition; AI safety prioritised, cultural inclusion, representation and under explored.
• Finding: Ethical AI use: technical issue, risks overshadowing cultural sustainability, policy driven by general AI ethics, specific creative-sector concerns not addressed

Anticipated Affordances and AI Adoption: Exploring Chinese Journalists’ Pre-Usage Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence in Media Industries
» Dr. Runping Zhu (China)1, Mr. MA zhipeng (China)2, Mr. Zhexi Gu (United States)3, Mr. Liheng Chen (China)1, Ms. Jiayue Fan (China)1 (1. Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (UIC), 2. mazhipenggo@foxmail.com, 3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

• Political capital – the higher the AI knowledge, the more powerful the entity becomes
• AI news programs
• Cultural/symbolic capital – a tug of war between experience and technology