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This exploratory study attempts to explain how journalistic routines for covering violent conflict lead to the construction of ethnocentric news. A distinction is made between two sets of routines. One set is permanent and ensures ethnocentric control over the flow of information, while a second set varies as journalists construct coherent narratives for particular events. This latter set of routines is further broken down into what are labeled the 'Victims Mode' and 'Defensive Mode' of reporting. The Victims Mode is used when one's own citizens have suffered an especially tragic loss of life, while the Defensive Mode is employed when one's forces have carried out an attack that has inflicted a similar loss on the enemy. It is argued that each of these modes of reporting parallels psychological reactions that have been found in individuals. The ideas raised in the theoretical discussion are investigated by comparing coverage of two events by Israeli and Palestinian television. Two events were chosen for analysis: a Palestinian suicide bombing that killed 19 Israelis, and the killing of Hamas leader Sheik Salach Shehadeh in which 16 Palestinians were killed. An in-depth reading of the six news broadcasts provides important insights into how journalists' routines ensure a steady flow of culturally acceptable news stories that reinforce hatred between enemies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subjective well-being (SWB) is widely recognized as an important health outcome, but its complexity, myriad predictors, and analytic requirements pose significant challenges to identifying the relative order and impact of SWB determinants. This study involved a representative sample of 37,991 older adults from 17 European countries and Israel. An aggregate index of SWB was developed and compared across countries, and machine-learning algorithms were used to rank-order the strongest 50 (of an initial 94) SWB predictors from 15 categories. General Additive Modeling (GAM) and low-degree polynomials (i.e., splines) were used to determine the independent effect sizes and significance levels for each of these top-50 SWB predictors. Of the 18 countries included in this study, Denmark had the highest mean SWB, while Greece had the lowest. The two top-ranked SWB predictors (loneliness, social activity satisfaction) were social factors, which also had the highest overall group ranking, followed by physical health, demographics, financial status and personality. Self-reported health was the strongest health-related predictor, neuroticism was the strongest personality predictor, and women reported higher SWB than men. SWB decreased with age, and increased with income up to 350,000 euros/year, after which it declined. Social factors were of primary importance for subjective well-being in this research, while childhood experiences and healthcare status exerted the smallest effects. The vast majority of the top 50 SWB predictors were statistically significant, with the notable exceptions of body mass index and most health behaviors, which may impact SWB indirectly through their effects on physical health. Future multivariate modeling is recommended to clarify the mechanisms for these and other observed relationships., (© 2023. The Author(s).)