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Research

Ongoing research projects:

Starting from 2020, Nicoleta Corbu and Raluca Buturoiu are involved in the international research project THREATPIE (The Threats and Potentials of a Changing Political Information Environment). The project examines how the current changes in the political information environments in European democracies affect the conditions for a healthy democracy. More details can be found here.

Starting from September 2020, Dana Raluca Buturoiu (as Project leader) and Nicoleta Corbu (as Mentor) are involved in the research project Setting the agenda in the new media landscape (postdoctoral research project financed by UEFISCDI, project code PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2019-0034). The main goal of this project is to reveal the particularities of today’s media environment in what regards the sources of media information (intermedia agenda-setting), the way objects (topics) and attributes transfer from the media to the public agenda (network agenda-setting), and the predictors of media consumption behavior. More details can be found here. Achieved results of the project include:

  • Buturoiu, R. & Voloc, A. (2021). Media Coverage in Times of Crisis. Intermedia Agenda-setting of COVID-19–related Topics. Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations, 23(2), 7-22.
  • Buturoiu, R. & Gavrilescu, M. (2021). Key Words Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Comparing the Media and the Public Agenda. Journal of Media Research, 14(2/ 40), 5-25.

Starting from September 2020, Elena Negrea-Busuioc coordinates the research project Communicating science to the younger generations: The metaphors through which our children learn (COMMETSCI), financed by UEFISCDI, project code PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-1300. The project seeks to explore how science metaphors and analogies are understood and misunderstood by young learners and the implications that (mis-) understanding complex scientific ideas might have for students' preparedness to make sense of the world we live in and, ultimately, for their future engagement with and interest in science. The project includes many members affiliated to the Media Studies Lab. Achieved results of the project will be announced as they are publicly available.

Starting from September 2019, members of MSL are involved in the research project Effects of hate speech in social media. The goal of this research project is to investigate the propagation and the effects of derogatory language and hate speech used in social media, in Romania, with the intention to harm based on ethnicity and sexual orientation. Achieved results of the project include:

  • Buturoiu, R. & Corbu, N. (2020). Exposure to hate speech in the digital age. Effects on stereotypes about Roma people. Journal of Media Research, 13(2), 5-26.
  • Boțan, M., Buturoiu, R., Corbu, N., Voloc A. (2020). Deep-Rooted Prejudices: The Online Proliferation of Hate Speech against the Roma Minority Group in Romania. In A. Țăranu (Ed.). Politics and Knowledge. New Trends in Social Research (pp. 56-64). Bologna: Filodiritto Publisher.

Completed research projects and achieved results:

Nicoleta Corbu coordinated the research activities of the Romanian team of the project COST-ACTION IS-1308 Populist Political Communication in Europe: Comprehending the Challenge of Mediated Political Populism for Democratic Politics, as a Member of the Management Committee. Achieved results of the project include:

  • Hameleers, M., Schmuck, D., Schulz, A., Wirz, D.S., Matthes, J., Bos, L., Corbu, N., Andreadis, I. (2021). The Effects of Populist Identity Framing on Populist Attitudes across Europe: Evidence from a 15-country Comparative Experiment. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, online first.
  • Bos, L., Schemmer, C., Corbu, N., Hameleers, M., Andreadis, I., Schulz, A., Schmuck, D., Reinemman, C., & Fawzi, N. (2020). The Effects of Populism as a Social Identity frame on Persuasion and Mobilization. Evidence from a 15-country experiment, European Journal of Political Research, 59(1), 3-24.
  • Corbu, N., Maurer, P. & Stępińska, A. (2019). Editors’ introduction to the special issue Populism and the Media across Europe. Central European Journal of Communication, 12(2), 130-133.
  • Corbu, N., Bos, L., Schemer, C., Schulz, A., Matthes, J., de Vreese, C., Aalberg, T., & Suiter, J. (2019). Cognitive Responses to Populist Communication: The Impact of Populist Message Elements on Blame Attribution and Stereotyping. In C. Reinemann, J. Stanyer, T. Aalberg, F. Esser, & C. de Vreese (Eds.). Communicating Populism. Comparing Actor Perceptions, Media Coverage, and Effects on Citizens in Europe (pp. 183-206). New York, NY: Routledge. (pdf)
  • Negrea-Busuioc, E., Buturoiu, R. & Corbu, N. (2019). Populism and Illiberal Democracy in Romania. The Role of Media in the Erosion of Romanian Democracy. In A. Țăranu (Ed.). Political and Economic Unrest in the Contemporary Era (pp. 174-183).  Bologna: Filodiritto Publisher.
  • Hameleers, M., Bos, L., Fawzi, N., Reinemann, C., Andreadis, I., Corbu, N., Schemer, C., Schulz, A., Sheafer, T., Aalberg, T., Axelsson, S., Berganza, R., Cremonesi, C., Dahlberg, S., de Vreese, C. H., Hess, A., Kartsounidou, E., Kasprowicz, D., Matthes, J., Negrea-Busuioc, E., Ringdal, S., Salgado, S., Sanders, K., Schmuck, D., Stromback, J., Suiter, J., Boomgaarden, H., Tenenboim-Weinblatt, K., & Weiss, N. (2018). Start Spreading the News: A Comparative Experiment on the Effects of Populist Communication on Political Engagement in 16 European Countries, International Journal of Press/Politics, 23(4), 517-538.
  • Corbu, N., Balaban-Bălaş, D., & Negrea-Busuioc, E. (2017). Romania: Populist Ideology Without Teeth. In T. Aalberg, F. Esser, C. Reinemann, J. Strömbäck & C. H. de Vreese (Eds.) Populist Political Communication in Europe (pp. 326-338). New York, NY: Routledge.

Between 2018-2019, members of MSL were involved in the project Fake News Effects in the Digital Era. The aim of this project is to investigate the effects of fake news in political communication. The project is based on an online experiment conducted in Romania. Achieved results of the project include:

  • Corbu, N., Bârgăoanu, A., Buturoiu, R. & Ștefăniță, O. (2020). Does Fake News Lead to More Engaging Effects on Social Media? Evidence from Romania. Communications. The European Journal of Communication, 45(s1), 694-717. 
  • Corbu, N., Oprea, D., Negrea-Busuioc, E. & Radu, L. (2020). ‘They Can’t Fool Me, but They Can Foul the Others!’. Third Person Effect and Fake News Detection. European Journal of Communication, 25(2), 165-180.
  • Corbu, N. & Negrea-Busuioc, E. (2020). Populism Meets Fake News: Social media, Stereotypes, and Emotions. In B. Krӓmer & Holtz-Bacha, C. (Eds.). Perspectives on Populism and the Media. Avenues for Research (pp. 181-201). Baden-Baden: Nomos.
  • Ştefăniţă, O., Corbu, N. & Buturoiu, R. (2018). Fake News and the Third-Person Effect: They are More Influenced than Me and You. Journal of Media Research, 11(3), 5-23.

As a project manager, Nicoleta Corbu coordinated between 2012-2013 the research project "The Euro Crisis: Public Debate, Media Framing and Social Perception" (Center for Research in Communication, College of Communication and Public Relations / 6-8 Povernei Street, District 1, 010641, Bucharest). Selected achieved results include an edited book, several articles, and chapters, among which:

  • Radu, L., Bârgăoanu, A., & Corbu, N. (Eds.) (2013). The Crisis of the European Union. Identity, Citizenship, and Solidarity Reassessed. Bucharest: comunicare.ro.
  • Corbu, N., & Ştefăniţă, O. (2013). The EU Economic Crisis – Reflections in the Opinions of Citizens and Experts. Romanian Journal of European Affairs, 13(3), 5-19.
  • Bârgăoanu, A., Corbu, N., & Radu, L. (2013). The role of government evaluations and EU identity in shaping economic expectations during the crisis: the case of Romania. European Journal of Science and Theology, 9(4), 225-242. (ISI Thompson, Impact factor: 0.389)
  • Radu, L., Boţan, M., & Corbu, N. (2013). The "Core vs. Periphery" Dichotomy Feeds Euroscepticism" in L. Radu, A. Bârgăoanu & N. Corbu (Eds.), The Crisis of the European Union. Identity, Citizenship, and Solidarity Reassessed (pp. 41-64). Bucharest: comunicare.ro.

Between 2008-2011, Nicoleta Corbu was team member in the research project "Intercultural communication in the European context. Construction of a Conjunctive paradigm on the new rapport between national cultures and the emergence of European cultural identity" (National Council of Higher Education Research/1 Schitu Măgureanu Blvd, 3rd Floor, District 5, 050025, Bucharest), being responsible for the coordination of research activities regarding European identity. Achieved results:

  • Frunzaru, V., & Corbu, N. (2011). In Search of a European Identity: An Instrumental Approach. Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations, Special Issue "Identity and Intercultural Communication. A Romanian Perspective", 13(4), 37-48.
  • Corbu, N. (2010). Cultural Identity as a System: Toward the Crystallization of a European Cultural Identity. Romanian Journal of Communication and Public Relations, 12(1), 121-132.
  • Georgiu, G., Ciocea, M., & Corbu, N. (2009). National or European? The Case of Romanian Political Parties' Platforms for 2009 European Elections. ESSACHES, 2(4), 183-201.

During the same period (2008-2011), Nicoleta Corbu was team member in the research project "The media construction of europeanization as a public problem in the context of the European integration of Romanian society". Selected papers published as part of the project:

  • Corbu, N., Frunzaru, V., Boţan, M., & Schifirneţ, C. (2011). Stabilirea agendei publice referitoare la Uniunea Europeană: alegerile europarlamentare din 2009, în România [Setting the Public Agenda about EU Issues: 2009 Romanian Elections for the European Parliament]. Romanian Journal of Sociology, 3-4, 301-320.
  • Corbu, N., Valeriu F., Boţan M., & Schifirneţ C. (2011). Stabilirea agendei publice referitoare la Uniunea Europeană: alegerile europarlamentare din 2009 în România [Setting the Public Agenda about EU Issues: 2009 Romanian Elections for the European Parliament]. In C. Schifirneţ (Ed.) Europenizarea societăţii româneşti şi mass-media [The Europeanization of Romanian Society and the Media]. Bucureşti: Comunicare.ro, 158-179.
  • Boţan M., Corbu, N., & Frunzaru V. (2011). Dezbaterile electorale televizate ca surse de stabilirea agendei publice [Election Debates as Agenda Setting Agents]. In C. Schifirneţ (Ed.) Europenizarea societăţii româneşti şi mass-media [The Europeanization of Romanian Society and the Media]. Bucureşti: Comunicare.ro, 180-204.