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This article for the first time examines the activities of transnational information campaigns initiated by young Shiʿa Muslims across European, Russian, and Armenian cities. These campaigns aim to disseminate knowledge about Imam Hussain and his mission to non-Shiʿa audiences. The campaigns serve as vivid examples of the struggles faced by Muslims in relatively hostile contexts as they seek integration and acceptance as law-abiding and peaceful citizens. They also represent new avenues of Islamic activism, focusing on dismantling stereotypes and correcting "misunderstandings" within host societies. Drawing on semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and an analysis of campaign handouts and social media content between 2018 and 2024, this study explores how campaigners adapt the narrative of the Karbala tragedy—widely regarded as the metahistorical cornerstone of Shiʿa identity—to make it accessible and relevant to external audiences. These strategies enable campaigners to engage with out-group communities, testing and refining effective methods for presenting this pivotal historical event. The findings reveal that, through this process, the Karbala narrative undergoes both content-based and linguistic modifications, while the concept of justice—central to the commemoration of this tragedy—is reinterpreted in new contexts. This research contributes to the understanding of transnational Islamic activism and highlights the importance of strategic communication in fostering intercultural dialogue and promoting mutual understanding in diverse societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every year, government agencies, international organisations, and civil society associations produce public communications campaigns designed to inform, persuade, and motivate behaviour regarding numerous facets of migration. Despite their increasing ubiquity, resources, and – possibly – impact, as well as the profound scientific relevance in understanding them, such campaigns remain relatively understudied and existing research is disjointed across various disciplines. This article takes three steps to propose and initiate a unified, interdisciplinary research agenda on migration communication campaigns (MCCs). First, we overview the need for a research agenda based on their increased substantive importance and scientific interest. Second, we outline what such a research agenda should look like, proposing six research themes. Third, we contribute to this proposed research agenda in two ways: with a typology of MCCs and by presenting our open-access, collaborative database to kick-start more systematic research in this field, including theoretical justifications for each variable. The database includes 301 MCCs conducted in 32 European countries between 2012 and 2022. We invite submissions of all types of MCCs globally to create a bridge between communities of academics, policymakers, and communicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the narratives of young people in the Gambia and of Afghan migrants in Turkey on the themes of migration and Europe as a place of destination. Based on extensive focus group and interview data, we show that these narratives (1) have a high degree of similarities across different contexts and (2) appear incongruent with, and largely unaffected by, the EU's messages of deterrence in information campaigns. We explain this misalignment by referring to a classic sociological distinction between impressions 'given' and those 'given off'. When the EU seeks to give an 'impression' in third countries (such as to be an unattractive place for irregular migrants), their messages compete with positive images of Europe provided through a myriad of other channels and information sources. To a large extent, perceptions of Europe among migrant communities are defined by positive impressions 'given off' through Europe's history as a destination area and social media accounts of individual 'success stories' of diaspora members. The social and material rewards associated with migration further inform migrants' narratives, as do the circumstances of both groups, which often push them towards leaving regardless of the risks this step involves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the so-called 'migration crisis' in 2015/16, EU governments' efforts to launch online campaigns to inform potential migrants about the risks of irregularity have increased. These migration management tools often apply dissuasive messages, declaring to support migrants to make informed decisions. This article investigates such campaigns through the lens of government communication, a so far under-explored issue in migration studies. Applying qualitative content analysis to two European campaigns, this research finds that the campaigns reiterate immigration policies and portray ambiguity. They therefore raise critical questions regarding the principles of neutrality and reliability in democratic government communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a surge in existing anti-vaccine sentiments in Ukraine, posing a threat to public health. This study aims to analyze the anti-vaccine campaign in the Ukrainian blogosphere, which intensified during the pandemic and coalesced around issues related to the coronavirus. Relevance of the study. The relevance of the study is determined by the increasing popularity of anti-vaccine sentiments in Ukraine, which are facilitated by the growing influence of the blogosphere as a powerful channel for disseminating destructive content. The study aims to identify the key categories that bloggers appealed to while conducting the campaign against vaccination for coronavirus disease in Ukraine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology. To determine the most influential representatives of the anti-vaccine movement in Ukraine, a media monitoring was conducted focusing on the exposure of fakes and misinformation regarding COVID-19. A list of the channels of the most popular Ukrainian bloggers who are corona-skeptics and opponents of vaccination was compiled. Subsequently, 232 videos published on these bloggers’ channels were studied. The content analysis method was applied to identify the key messages and calls used by vaccination opponents. Results. The most popular representatives of the anti-vaccine movement in Ukraine were found to be lawyers, pseudo-experts, citizen journalists, and proponents of conspiracy theories. The media activity of anti-vaccination bloggers was recorded throughout the entire pandemic of the coronavirus disease in Ukraine and for some time after its end. The chronology and reasons for the main surges in their activity and audience interest are revealed. The study identified the most common categories appealed to by bloggers in the anti-vaccination campaign, as well as their calls to action and objects of their criticism. Conclusions. The study demonstrates that Ukrainian vaccination opponents politicize vaccination issues, actively using conspiratorial rhetoric. The key categories of coronaskeptics bloggers’ messages include violations of rights (both fundamental rights and rights to work, choice, etc.), safety (of vaccines or the disease itself), conspiracy theories and moral. The most popular appeal of vaccination opponents is to “think critically” and not comply with requirements related to vaccination or quarantine restrictions. The main objects of criticism are authorities, various institutions, and the media. Further investigation into the discursive strategies of antivaccine campaigns will contribute to the formation of an effective counter-narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article for the first time examines the activities of transnational information campaigns initiated by young Shiʿa Muslims across European, Russian, and Armenian cities. These campaigns aim to disseminate knowledge about Imam Hussain and his mission to non-Shiʿa audiences. The campaigns serve as vivid examples of the struggles faced by Muslims in relatively hostile contexts as they seek integration and acceptance as law-abiding and peaceful citizens. They also represent new avenues of Islamic activism, focusing on dismantling stereotypes and correcting “misunderstandings” within host societies. Drawing on semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and an analysis of campaign handouts and social media content between 2018 and 2024, this study explores how campaigners adapt the narrative of the Karbala tragedy—widely regarded as the metahistorical cornerstone of Shiʿa identity—to make it accessible and relevant to external audiences. These strategies enable campaigners to engage with out-group communities, testing and refining effective methods for presenting this pivotal historical event. The findings reveal that, through this process, the Karbala narrative undergoes both content-based and linguistic modifications, while the concept of justice—central to the commemoration of this tragedy—is reinterpreted in new contexts. This research contributes to the understanding of transnational Islamic activism and highlights the importance of strategic communication in fostering intercultural dialogue and promoting mutual understanding in diverse societies.

This paper addresses the need to ensure the sustainable use of water, in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Using statistical methods, this paper analyses whether the ownership of the water utility is an explanatory factor for (1) the provision of water conservation advice on utilities' websites; and (2) how comprehensive this advice is in terms of tips on (i) installing efficient technology and (ii) adopting sustainable habits and behaviours. The paper focuses on the Spanish water industry, which is considered particularly appropriate for the analysis due to the coexistence of utilities with different ownership structures. The results reveal statistically significant differences according to the ownership of the operator and the size of the population served. For example, more private companies provide some advice on their websites, while public companies offer more tips per online advice section. The evidence should encourage national governments and regulatory authorities to pass a regulation that establishes guidelines on how these companies, both public and private, should provide water conservation advice on their websites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a serious challenge to the entire global community. Globally, countries were forced to introduce restrictive measures to contain the infection, inevitably causing popular discontent. Germany introduced some of the most painful restrictions. In times of crisis, timely and reliable information is a prerequisite for public motivation to comply with restrictive measures. Thus, it seems essential to retrace how the German leadership tried to contain citizens’ dissatisfaction with the restrictions, using information campaigns and strategies. This theoretical work aims to systematise available data on how Covid-awareness was raised in Germany, compare them with data from the Russian Federation, and identify the most successful communication strategies and weaknesses. It is clear from the findings that the channels of communication between the government and society should be diversified using all available means, and experts and opinion leaders, who are more trusted than politicians, should be recruited. In addition, there is a need to combat misinformation and dispel unproven facts. The data obtained can be of value in conducting information campaigns during future global crises.

Communication practitioners often seek fast quantitative and qualitative analysis of the information campaign outcomes in the media space. Such analysis is required by PR departments of commercial brands, by political technologists, and by experts in information wars and ideology. A new approach for the analysis of information campaign outcomes is introduced in this paper. Using PR messages as a category for analysis of media coverage of information campaigns provides a framework for credible efficiency evaluation, as well as for the deep analysis of the factors contributing to achievements or failures. This method allows the campaign organizers to understand what message it is better to disseminate in the media. In other words, through the messages of what kind the opinion of the campaign initiator or their opponents is conveyed to the media audience more effectively. We consider a message to be a judgment in which an object or predicate relates to the substance of the information campaign. Using it as a category for analysis and several types of the message as subcategories of analysis allows us to combine qualitative and quantitative approaches and, at the same time, avoid many restrictions of content analysis, discourse analysis, and narrative analysis. We show how the method works on the example of the failed information campaign that promoted a lobbyist and populist bill in the Ukrainian parliament. We showed that only our method could explain the reasons for its failure and provide the best way to improve the communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During Australia's unprecedented bushfires in 2019–2020, misinformation blaming arson surfaced on Twitter using #ArsonEmergency. The extent to which bots and trolls were responsible for disseminating and amplifying this misinformation has received media scrutiny and academic research. Here, we study Twitter communities spreading this misinformation during the newsworthy event, and investigate the role of online communities using a natural experiment approach—before and after reporting of bots promoting the hashtag was broadcast by the mainstream media. Few bots were found, but the most bot-like accounts were social bots, which present as genuine humans, and trolling behaviour was evident. Further, we distilled meaningful quantitative differences between two polarised communities in the Twitter discussion, resulting in the following insights. First, Supporters of the arson narrative promoted misinformation by engaging others directly with replies and mentions using hashtags and links to external sources. In response, Opposers retweeted fact-based articles and official information. Second, Supporters were embedded throughout their interaction networks, but Opposers obtained high centrality more efficiently despite their peripheral positions. By the last phase, Opposers and unaffiliated accounts appeared to coordinate, potentially reaching a broader audience. Finally, the introduction of the bot report changed the discussion dynamic: Opposers only responded immediately, while Supporters countered strongly for days, but new unaffiliated accounts drawn into the discussion shifted the dominant narrative from arson misinformation to factual and official information. This foiled Supporters' efforts, highlighting the value of exposing misinformation. We speculate that the communication strategies observed here could inform counter-strategies in other misinformation-related discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 became an issue affecting different parts of our life. Different communication campaigns use vaccination as an information peg, argument in discussions, and so on. As a result, they have an impact on people's attitudes to immunization. We applied the message analysis to the dataset of social media posts from Ukraine to detect the messages used in the communication regarding the vaccine and reveal communication campaigns propagating these messages. We found five campaigns launched by different actors and shaping the attitude to COVID-19 immunization expressed in the people's posts. The incoherence of the information about immunization and authorities' inconsistency in the communications about vaccines may lead to vaccine hesitancy and undermine confidence in the sources of the official information about COVID-19. Vaccine hesitancy has multifaceted nature and cannot be reduced just to politicians' conspiracy theories or far-right propaganda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication practitioners often seek fast quantitative and qualitative analysis of the information campaign outcomes in the media space. Such analysis is required by PR departments of commercial brands, by political technologists, and by experts in information wars and ideology. A new approach for the analysis of information campaign outcomes is introduced in this paper. Using PR messages as a category for analysis of media coverage of information campaigns provides a framework for credible efficiency evaluation, as well as for the deep analysis of the factors contributing to achievements or failures. This method allows the campaign organizers to understand what message it is better to disseminate in the media. In other words, through the messages of what kind the opinion of the campaign initiator or their opponents is conveyed to the media audience more effectively. We consider a message to be a judgment in which an object or predicate relates to the substance of the information campaign. Using it as a category for analysis and several types of the message as subcategories of analysis allows us to combine qualitative and quantitative approaches and, at the same time, avoid many restrictions of content analysis, discourse analysis, and narrative analysis. We show how the method works on the example of the failed information campaign that promoted a lobbyist and populist bill in the Ukrainian parliament. We showed that only our method could explain the reasons for its failure and provide the best way to improve the communication.

We develop a method to assess population knowledge about any given topic. We define, and rationalize, types of beliefs that form the 'knowledge spectrum'. Using a sample of over 7000 UK residents, we estimate these beliefs with respect to three topics: an animal-based diet, alcohol consumption and immigration. We construct an information-campaign effectiveness index (ICEI) that predicts the success of an information campaign. Information resistance is greatest for animal-based diets, and the ICEI is highest for immigration. We test the predictive power of our ICEI by simulating information campaigns, which produces supportive evidence. Our method can be used by any government or company that wants to explore the success of an information campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political misinformation, astroturfing and organised trolling are online malicious behaviours with significant real-world effects that rely on making the voices of the few sounds like the roar of the many. These are especially dangerous when they influence democratic systems and government policy. Many previous approaches examining these phenomena have focused on identifying campaigns rather than the small groups responsible for instigating or sustaining them. To reveal latent (i.e. hidden) networks of cooperating accounts, we propose a novel temporal window approach that can rely on account interactions and metadata alone. It detects groups of accounts engaging in various behaviours that, in concert, come to execute different goal-based amplification strategies, a number of which we describe, alongside other inauthentic strategies from the literature. The approach relies upon a pipeline that extracts relevant elements from social media posts common to the major platforms, infers connections between accounts based on criteria matching the coordination strategies to build an undirected weighted network of accounts, which is then mined for communities exhibiting high levels of evidence of coordination using a novel community extraction method. We address the temporal aspect of the data by using a windowing mechanism, which may be suitable for near real-time application. We further highlight consistent coordination with a sliding frame across multiple windows and application of a decay factor. Our approach is compared with other recent similar processing approaches and community detection methods and is validated against two politically relevant Twitter datasets with ground truth data, using content, temporal, and network analyses, as well as with the design, training and application of three one-class classifiers built using the ground truth; its utility is furthermore demonstrated in two case studies of contentious online discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In modern conditions of the socio-economic relations’ development, social entrepreneurship is considered as a multidimensional structure aimed at the formation of social and economic value to identify and use opportunities to improve social well-being, solve social problems, create new enterprises, as well as ensure the coordination of actions of all participants using modern innovative tools. The purpose of the research is to actualize the role of the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship at the regional level, as well as to consider measures for informational and educational support of social entrepreneurship in the youth environment. Materials and methods. The implementation of research tasks is achieved on the basis of scientific analysis and synthesis of a wide range of sources, including scientific and periodical literature on research issues. Results. The role of social entrepreneurship in the system of public relations is determined, the regional experience in the implementation of social entrepreneurship is considered, the activities of information and educational support of social entrepreneurship in the youth environment are presented. Conclusions. The popularization of social entrepreneurship among young people contributes to the disclosure of new opportunities, the innovative potential of young people through the interaction of business representatives, government agencies and public organizations.

Abstract Background Intervening at an early stage of psychosis improves the chances of recovery from first-episode psychosis. However, people who are experiencing distress and early psychotic symptoms generally seem to delay seeking help. Therefore, multifaced information campaigns targeting help-seeking behavior of potential patients and their network are considered important tools within early detection and intervention strategies. In this study, we aimed to explore which discursive meaning content, including roles and actors, such information campaigns build on and construct. Our intention was not to provide objective answers, but to contribute to a discursive debate about potential conflicts in messages conveyed in such campaigns. Methods A broad sample of information material utilized by TIPS Stavanger University Hospital (Norway) was examined. The material consisted of posters, booklets and brochures, newspaper ads, Facebook ads, and TIPS Info’s website, representing various campaigns from 1996 to April 2018. A narrative discursive approach was applied at an epistemological level. At a practical level, a team-based thematic analysis was utilized to identify patterns across data. Results Diversity and several changes in strategy were recognized throughout the information material. Furthermore, three main themes and four subthemes were found to constitute the meaning content built in the information campaigns: knowledge is key; (almost) an illness among illnesses; and we all have a responsibility (comprising of the subthemes; to respond quickly; to step in; to provide an answer; and to tag along). Conclusion Our findings pointed to common dilemmas in mental health services: How to combine professional expert knowledge with collaborative practices that emphasize shared decision-making and active roles on behalf of patients? How to combine a focus on symptoms and illness and simultaneously express the importance of addressing patients’ recourses? And how can we ask for societal responsibility in help-seeking when professionals are placed in expert positions which may not be optimal for dialogue with potential patients or their network? We discuss whether highlighting practices with more weight on resources and active roles for patients and their surroundings in information campaigns could promote earlier help-seeking.

The purpose of the paper is to examine the role of mass media in combating drug addiction and drugrelated crime, together with the opportunities of cooperation between the police and the mass media in combating drug-related crime, and the main problems arising from such cooperation. Results of the study allowed us to draw several conclusions. Firstly, we underscore that there is a significant increase in drug consumption, especially among minors and youths. Under these circumstances, a prevention-oriented approach to combating drug-related crime gains a special significance. Secondly, the role of mass media in shaping public perceptions of certain issues, including drugs, makes them a necessary partner for the law enforcement agencies in deterring the spread of drug consumption. Thirdly, there are significant problems arising from the fundamentally different interests of the mass media and the police, which require the latter to seek ways to align their activities. Still, we see cooperation as the only way to succeed, as administrative measures, such as censorship, will be largely counterproductive in the age of high availability of the information. Practical implications of the study lie in the recommendations for the activities of the police aimed at ensuring efficient cooperation with the mass media in organizing informational campaigns, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and discouraging drug consumption. We stress upon the necessity of the well-planned campaign, including not only the careful preparation of the information but also a selection of the most efficient channels of dissemination and setting up of the feedback in order to objectively appraise their results and to allow a certain level of flexibility in adapting and adjusting these campaigns to the circumstances. We also underscore the importance of careful selection of partners in mass media, so that both sides of the partnership have a deep understanding of the issue they are working with. Lastly, we investigate the features of the information campaigns on the local level. Value/originality. The paper provides practical recommendations for setting up an informational campaign aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle and discouraging drug usage. Additionally, it provides the basis for the further research of the issues of police-mass media cooperation, in counteracting drug-related crimes in particular and in the prevention of antisocial and criminal behaviour in general.

Background: Social attitudes and context have a fundamental impact on the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. This issue will be challenging the existing Polish public health infrastructure during the planned immunisation program. Material and methods: We attempt to exemplify Poland-specific social background via causal diagram and regional factor analysis based on dimensions (epidemiological potential, ability to act, magical thinking, koronascepticism, information needs etc.) by December 2020 - shortly before vaccination started. Results: We identified several potential target subpopulations and provide possible regional classification. We distinguish clusters of regions where communication strategies should be taken into consideration: 1) extending campaign reach, common social goods and conformism; 2) individual's profits and misinformation blocking. Conclusions: We are signalling the need for profiling and regionalization in campaigns and propose possible starting points for protocols for various voivodeships when safe and effective vaccines are available in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Educating the public through information campaigns is a commonly used policy approach to public health problems. Yet, experimental methods that assess the impact of information campaigns may misestimate their effects by failing to account for respondents' willingness to receive new information. Methods: This article uses a doubly randomized survey experiment conducted on a nationally representative sample, where some subjects are randomly assigned to an informational treatment about opioids while other subjects are given the choice of whether to receive treatment or not, to examine how public willingness to seek new information shapes the way they update their preferences about policies related to the opioid epidemic. Findings: Among those likely to receive information, treatment has a large positive effect on increasing support for policies that address the opioid epidemic by about one half of a standard deviation. Among those who would avoid this information, preferences appear to be unmoved by treatment. These effects would be missed by standard experimental designs. Conclusion: While redressing information asymmetries is only one part of a public health strategy for addressing the opioid epidemic, our findings highlight the importance of access to and receptiveness toward new information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Social media expose millions of users every day to information campaigns - some emerging organically from grassroots activity, others sustained by advertising or other coordinated efforts. These campaigns contribute to the shaping of collective opinions. While most information campaigns are benign, some may be deployed for nefarious purposes, including terrorist propaganda, political astroturf, and financial market manipulation. It is therefore important to be able to detect whether a meme is being artificially promoted at the very moment it becomes wildly popular. This problem has important social implications and poses numerous technical challenges. As a first step, here we focus on discriminating between trending memes that are either organic or promoted by means of advertisement. The classification is not trivial: ads cause bursts of attention that can be easily mistaken for those of organic trends. We designed a machine learning framework to classify memes that have been labeled as trending on Twitter. After trending, we can rely on a large volume of activity data. Early detection, occurring immediately at trending time, is a more challenging problem due to the minimal volume of activity data that is available prior to trending. Our supervised learning framework exploits hundreds of time-varying features to capture changing network and diffusion patterns, content and sentiment information, timing signals, and user meta-data. We explore different methods for encoding feature time series. Using millions of tweets containing trending hashtags, we achieve 75% AUC score for early detection, increasing to above 95% after trending. We evaluate the robustness of the algorithms by introducing random temporal shifts on the trend time series. Feature selection analysis reveals that content cues provide consistently useful signals; user features are more informative for early detection, while network and timing features are more helpful once more data is available.

In recent years, the number of unauthorized migrants trying to reach Europe by boat has increased. In an attempt to curtail this trend, European countries have increasingly deployed information campaigns regarding the risks involved in unauthorized migration. The assumption behind these campaigns is that a strong relation exists between the prevalence of high-risk migration and a lack of awareness of the involved dangers, and that the dissemination of 'objective' information would cause prospective migrants to refrain from leaving. Although regarded as a crucial tool in the management of migration, there is little evidence on their effectiveness. Based on four weeks of fieldwork in Ghana, this qualitative study has sought to fill this lacuna. By concentrating on both the circulation and perception of the available risk information in Ghana, this article explores the ways in which notions of risk affect the motivation and decision of unauthorized migrants to engage in high-risk behaviour. Thereby, it will be argued that unauthorized migrants are not the ignorant actors they are often portrayed to be, but that they make their decisions carefully and within a particular vulnerable, socioeconomic and cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking as a starting point studies on the biopolitics of bordering, as well as media studies, this article explores how information campaigns deter potential migrants and refugees from leaving their countries depict them in very specific ways, operating as 'new bordering practices' that are in conjunction with extraterritorial border policies. This article probes this question through the example of a specific information campaign – Aware Migrants (2016) – funded by the Italian Government and managed by International Organization for Migration (IOM) to dissuade potential newcomers from attempting the journey across the Mediterranean Sea. As the analysis of Aware Migrants makes clear, it contributes to normalizing a transnational imaginary into a militarized borderscape comprising places of violence and death, exploitation and detention, which is part of the complex dichotomies of care and control, proper of contemporary border regimes. Finally, the article sheds light on how these symbolic bordering practices contribute to nurturing a 'compassionate repression' that increasingly and silently legitimizes the difference between the 'us' (the figure of the citizen) and the 'them' (the figure of the foreigner). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is incumbent upon leadership to encourage member behaviour that is beneficial to both the organisation and the members themselves. This paper outlines a context-based model — utilising the existing theories and models in Knowledge Management, Library and Information Science, and Public Health — to increase leadership's effectiveness in this area. The Knowing Model approaches behaviour change as an issue of information content, dissemination, and use — all within a complex environment. A behaviour — one that an organisation has unsuccessfully attempted to change in the past — is identified by leadership. Leaders then analyse the extent to which members were aware of these previous efforts, integrated information about them, and acted because of them. This data is used to develop an information campaign aimed at changing the target behaviour. Because organisations likely have several information dissemination channels available to them, this model is offered as a low-cost and low-resource first step in behaviour change efforts. It will not replace more extensive efforts noted in previous models, but because of its theoretical grounding it is expected to promote change in certain areas. Approaches requiring more extensive resources can then be applied to other areas. This paper outlines the Knowing Model, strategies for information dissemination, and methods for model implementation and validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I estimate the impact of an information campaign on long-term care planning behaviors. I identify this effect using the staggered timing of the federal-state "Own Your Future" campaign, which urged individuals to plan ahead for long-term care needs and reached 26 states over five years. I find the campaign increased long-term care insurance coverage for individuals in the top quintile of the asset distribution by four percentage points, or seventeen percent. A back-of-the-envelope calculation indicates Medicaid savings of $483 million in present value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media expose millions of users every day to information campaigns - some emerging organically from grassroots activity, others sustained by advertising or other coordinated efforts. These campaigns contribute to the shaping of collective opinions. While most information campaigns are benign, some may be deployed for nefarious purposes, including terrorist propaganda, political astroturf, and financial market manipulation. It is therefore important to be able to detect whether a meme is being artificially promoted at the very moment it becomes wildly popular. This problem has important social implications and poses numerous technical challenges. As a first step, here we focus on discriminating between trending memes that are either organic or promoted by means of advertisement. The classification is not trivial: ads cause bursts of attention that can be easily mistaken for those of organic trends. We designed a machine learning framework to classify memes that have been labeled as trending on Twitter. After trending, we can rely on a large volume of activity data. Early detection, occurring immediately at trending time, is a more challenging problem due to the minimal volume of activity data that is available prior to trending. Our supervised learning framework exploits hundreds of time-varying features to capture changing network and diffusion patterns, content and sentiment information, timing signals, and user meta-data. We explore different methods for encoding feature time series. Using millions of tweets containing trending hashtags, we achieve 75% AUC score for early detection, increasing to above 95% after trending. We evaluate the robustness of the algorithms by introducing random temporal shifts on the trend time series. Feature selection analysis reveals that content cues provide consistently useful signals; user features are more informative for early detection, while network and timing features are more helpful once more data is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few years, the Brazilian Amazon has burned under the gaze of international media through the satellites lenses. The response of Brazilian Federal Government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) has been to implement and to intensify information campaigns. The basic idea is to transmit information about techniques for preventing "accidental fires", allegedly unknown or "inappropriately" used by family farmers and rural workers. The goal is to "teach" them on the importance of environmental protection and take them to a change in their "wrong" behavior. This article outlines the main conclusions of a research about the four major information campaigns in Brazil. As a result, it can be affirmed that the campaigns did not achieve their main objectives because they still did not consider the idea of a strategic behavior of the receivers of the information, considering them as just 'receivers' - according to the principles of the outdated Mechanistic Model of Communication-and not as interlocutors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human trafficking has become a major issue in the context of the new migration dynamics between Eastern and Western Europe. Information campaigns have been launched in several Eastern European states to inform people about the dangers connected to trafficking and to prevent it. This article analyses the nature of these campaigns and shows that they are also used to fight irregular migration, thus becoming a tool in migration control policies. It proposes a critical interpretation of the justifications for these campaigns, which stem from the ambiguities surrounding human trafficking.

The article presents the analysis of the heat energy consumption for the fifty multi-apartment buildings. The analysis of the heat energy consumption has been made based on the real measured data in the period from year 2011 till the year 2015. For the last five years, building energy efficient topic has become more and more actual. Various governmental institutions, private companies and NGO had realized massive information campaign since 2010. However, the number of fully renovated buildings is very low. For example, in Riga less than 1% of multi-apartment buildings have been renovated since 2010. In the most cases buildings’ owners have replaced the old windows implemented local energy efficient measures such as hydraulic balance of heating and hot water systems, sealed entrance doors and windows in staircases etc. Moreover, the inhabitants have improved their habits and are able now to control their heat energy consumption. Information campaign have resulted in better understanding of the heat energy consumption, hot water consumption, ventilation principles etc. This study shows the dynamics of heat energy consumption during the last five years and analyzes how the minor technical improvements and behavior change have effected buildings’ heat energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]