Welcome to Griffith Open

Griffith Open collects, preserves and makes freely available research publications by Griffith College staff and learners. These can include, but are not limited to, theses, peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, working papers and conference papers, professional presentations, exhibitions and teaching resources. Where material has already been published it is made available subject to the open-access policies of the original publishers. This service is maintained by Griffith College Library.

Recent Submissions

Public Relations as an Effective Tool in Restoring Consumers Trust After Product Recalls: A Case Study of Samsung Note 7 2016 Recall
(Griffith College, 2024) Asemota, Joy Etinosa; Vecchi, Alessandra
Effective public relations strategies have a tremendous role to play in the event of a product recall. Public relations strategies such as addressing of press conferences, issuing of press statements, social media engagements, recall of the affected product(s) as well as replacement, and apologies, can determine if the confidence of the consumers will be restored or not. The focus of this dissertation was an evaluation of public relations as an effective tool in restoring consumers’ trust after product recalls, using the 2016 Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall incident as a case study. In specific terms, the research objectives were to: determine the extent to which Samsung used public relations strategies in the Note 7 recall in 2016; ascertain the types of public relations strategies used by Samsung in the Note 7 recall in 2016; and to find out the extent of social media engagements which Samsung had with consumers in the Note 7 recall in 2016, amongst others. The research designs were qualitative and quantitative content analyses and in-depth interview. The instruments for collecting data from the social media were Octoparse and Twython, while a questionnaire was used as an interview guide for the in-depth interview. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used. Among the key findings of the research were that Samsung deployed several public relations strategies such as addressing of press conferences, issuing of press statements, engaging the consumers through the social media, and recalling the affected product and replacing it, amongst others. On the types of public relations strategies used by Samsung, the findings indicated that the company used media relations, crisis management, strategic communication, and consumer relations, among others. In terms of the sentimental framing of social media comments and posts during the crisis, findings showed that a majority of the consumers’ responses were negative. The researcher made the following recommendation for practice, amongst others, that: apart from using in-house public relations personnel, Samsung, just like other conglomerates should have internationally-reputable public relations firms such as Edelman, Hill & Knowlton, Ogilvy & Mather, Brunswick, BCW, and Dentsu, among others, that can dispassionately look at the issues involved and tell the organisation where it went wrong. In-house personnel are usually the staff of an organisation, perhaps, may be a bit bias in their approach. These global PR firms have the capacity to handle global brands like Samsung.
Finding a home away from home
(Griffith College, 2024) Kure, Blessing; Proctor, Pat; Lalor, Francesca
"Finding a Home Away from Home" is a radio documentary that delves into the experiences of international students in Ireland. This first part of a seven-part documentary series is an audio portrait of one student. Through the students’ personal narratives, the documentary examines the culture shock experienced and its challenges, focusing on initial struggles, its psychosocial impacts, the students’ coping mechanisms and eventual integration into Irish society. This 36 minute long documentary aims to offer insight into the peculiar challenges, experiences, and triumphs of educational migration and was structured based on the five stages of culture shock as identified by Peter Adler. This work is valuable for future research on international student experiences and migration studies.
A Case Study of Nigeria on the Impact of Media Framing in Newspapers on the Electoral Success of Female Political Candidates.
(Griffith College, 2024) Showemimo, Agnes Oluwatomi; O'Brien, Paddy
This dissertation investigates how media framing in Nigerian newspapers affects female political candidates' chances of winning elections. This research uses the media framing theory as a theoretical framework to investigate how different frames affect public opinion and the outcomes of elections for women in politics. This research is conducted in Nigeria, a nation with a complex sociopolitical environment and deeply embedded gender norms. The primary methodology of the study is content analysis, which involves methodically going through newspaper stories to find standard frames that are utilised when covering female political candidates. A popular method in media studies, content analysis, enables the quantitative evaluation of media material and exposes biases, patterns, and trends in the way female candidates are portrayed (Krippendorff, 2018). According to Robert Entman's (1993) expansion of Erving Goffman's (1983) framing theory, audience interpretation and comprehension are significantly impacted by the way media content is organised. In this situation, frames might draw attention to the qualities of female candidates while minimising others, which can affect how the public views them. The study focuses on a number of framing techniques, such as exemplars, catchphrases, metaphors, and portrayals, in order to identify the prevailing narratives in Nigerian publications. The analysis is based on theoretical understandings from intersectional feminism and colonial/post-colonial studies. In order to comprehend the ongoing influence of colonial legacies on current gender dynamics in Nigeria, it is helpful to read Frantz Fanon's Black Skin, White Masks (1952). Because of the influence of colonial history on media representations and societal standards, women are frequently marginalised in public spaces. The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses, written by Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyēwùmí in 1997, not only critiques the imposition of Western gender categories on African cultures but also offers a crucial perspective on how these consequences are still reflected in media portrayals. Furthermore, the media framing of female candidates is examined in light of overlapping identities, including gender, ethnicity, and class, via the lens of Kimberlé Crenshaw's theory of intersectionality, as presented in On Intersectionality: Essential Writings (2017). Understanding the multifaceted biases that female candidates experience in the media requires an intersectional perspective (Crenshaw, 2017). This approach is informed by Emma Ming Wahl's examination of Black women in Fanon's Black Skin, White Masks (2021), which emphasises the unique difficulties associated with racialised gender stereotypes. The results of this dissertation show that gender biases are frequently reinforced by media framing in Nigerian newspapers, which has a detrimental effect on female political candidates' chances of winning elections. Many frames highlight traditional gender roles or cast doubt on women's abilities and suitability for leadership roles. These frames hurt female candidates' chances of winning elections by contributing to a negative public opinion of them. By offering insights on how media practices may be changed to support female equality in political representation, this study adds to the larger conversation on gender and media in Africa. The study promotes policy measures and media changes that aid in the electoral success of female political candidates in Nigeria by emphasising the need for more equal and balanced media depictions.
Unveiling India: A study of representation and bias in digital and traditional travel literature
(Griffith College, 2024) Upadhyay, Vrunda Ambrish; O Caolain, Brendan
This study examines the evolving representation of India in travel literature, focusing on biases in guidebooks and blogs. It explores how travel writing shapes perceptions of India within global tourism. By comparing printed guidebooks and online travel blogs, it highlights differences in language and content between digital and traditional travel writing. Additionally, it analyses historical representations of India in Murray’s Handbook from 1892 and its influence on subsequent travel literature, identifying thematic shifts and changing perspectives from the colonial period to the present. The theoretical approach for this study was qualitative content analysis utilising semiotics, with nine data sources analysed from 1892 onwards, chosen through purposive selection for their popularity, relevance, and accessibility. Adjectives and descriptive words were identified and classified into coding schemes based on sentiment – positive, negative, or neutral – and themes – cultural, geographical, socio-economic, historical, and touristic. Results reveal a shift from the cultural focus in traditional guidebooks (41%) to personal and experiential themes in modern travel blogs (57%). Thematic analysis shows cultural themes as most prevalent (45.3%), followed by geographical (19.9%), socio-economic (14.3%), touristic (14%), and historical themes (6.5%). Sentiment analysis indicates a predominantly positive tone (48.5%), particularly in cultural and geographical themes, with 26.7% negative and 24.8% neutral. A key distinction between travel blogs and traditional literature lies in their language and tone. Travel blogs use personal, emotive, and informal language, emphasising storytelling and anecdotes, while traditional literature is more formal and neutral. This research highlights the dual impact of modern travel literature. While offering diverse perspectives, it often perpetuates stereotypes, such as insensitive portrayals of cultural sites like the Khajuraho temples. These skewed representations distort cultural understanding, influencing tourists' perceptions and overshadowing important local aspects. This can negatively affect local economies, cultural preservation, and community relations. The study points out representation gaps and biases, encouraging more research into prejudices in travel literature. It argues for ethical and inclusive writing methods to encourage thoughtful and respectful tourism, as well as policy implications for encouraging truthful depictions and linking tourism with sustainable and ethical norms.
Eco Talk: A Podcast on how the Irish Media Frame Veganism and its Environmental Impact
(Griffith College, 2024) Chaudot, Héloïse; Brennan, Ryan; Lalor, Francesca
Despite the critical role of agriculture in global emissions, the media coverage often omits dietary choices like veganism from discussions on climate change mitigations. The topic of this podcast is an informative analysis of the framing of veganism and the climate crisis in Irish media. It aims to engage with a broader audience and provide real-world perspectives through an interview with an expert, and the general public. The podcast aims to disseminate the findings in a more accessible and engaging format. This dissertation aims to complement the podcast Eco Talk, and discusses how the media artefact was conceived and produced. The primary research questions of Eco Talk are: How do The Irish Times, and The Journal frame veganism and its environmental impact? What themes and narratives are prevalent in their coverage? What are the solutions to transitioning towards more sustainable farming practices and shifting towards vegetable and grain farming? My findings indicate that the framing of veganism and the climate crisis is predominantly negative, discouraging constructive dialogue on the topic. The implications of this research are significant for both public understanding and future research. By understanding how media framing shapes public perceptions of veganism, this study can inform future policies to keep the media a medium to relay information. Future research could examine the impact of how media frames influence consumer behaviour and the effects of different framing strategies on public perceptions.