Current Issue

THE USE OF GENERATIVE AI IN BRAND STORYTELLING. AN EXPERTS’ PERSPECTIVE 

https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.18.1.01

KRISZTINA SEBESTYÉN

IOANA IANCU 

Abstract: The advertising industry is currently undergoing numerous changes due to the emergence of sophisticated AI tools, which propel effectiveness, engagement, and content creation to new creative heights. However, very few studies examine how such technologies, especially their generative forms, will influence a very specific and unique form of advertising, namely, brand storytelling. Therefore, this present study sought to explore the potential transformative impact of generative AI on brand storytelling practices in advertising through semi-structured interviews with 8 experts from the field. Participants widely considered AI as a supportive tool for enhancing efficiency, personalization, engagement and content generation, but for now, they do not regard it as a potential replacement for human creativity. The findings also revealed a broad spectrum of perspectives, from enthusiasm to job market concerns, from curiosity to neutrality, demonstrating that the integration of AI into brand storytelling is a deeply composite phenomenon that needs further exploration. The present study provides valuable insights into the evolving role of generative AI in advertising, offering timely guidance for scholars and practitioners navigating this ever-changing, technologically infused realm.

Keywords: brand storytelling; generative AI; future of advertising; experts’ perspective; interviews.

ADAPTING NEWS FOR THE SHORT-FORM ERA: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF ROMANIAN NEWS OUTLETS ON TIKTOK

https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.18.1.02

EDUARD-CLAUDIU GROSS

ALBERTO DUHOMNICU 

Abstract. Social media platforms have fundamentally transformed how news reaches audiences, with short-form video emerging as an increasingly important distribution channel. TikTok, originally designed for entertainment content, has rapidly become a significant news source, particularly among younger demographics who increasingly bypass traditional media. While research has examined TikTok journalism in Western contexts, little is known about how news organizations in Central and Eastern European media systems, characterized by distinct political pressures and market dynamics, adapt their content for this platform. This study addresses how Romanian news outlets negotiate the tension between journalistic conventions and platform-specific demands on TikTok. Through the analysis of 8,400 videos from 20 news organizations, the present study reveals that Romanian outlets predominantly employ conservative adaptation strategies, relying on interview excerpts and repurposed television content rather than developing platform-native formats. Unlike assumptions that TikTok requires entirely novel content approaches, our findings reveal that traditional broadcast aesthetics translate effectively to the platform, with television broadcasters achieving substantially higher engagement than digital-native competitors. The predominantly negative sentiment detected across outlets suggests that platform incentives may amplify rather than moderate the news media's focus on conflict and controversy. Broadly, this research highlights how algorithmic content distribution intersects with regional media system characteristics to shape the evolution of digital journalism.

Keywords: TikTok journalism; short-form video news; platform adaptation; Romanian media; content analysis; social media news.

HYBRIS: THE MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN’S MENTAL ANGUISH IN GREY’S ANATOMY AND HOUSE M.D.

https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.18.1.03

IULIA MUREȘAN 

Abstract. The present study investigates and examines how women’s mental illness is represented in two medical dramas, House M.D. and Grey’s Anatomy, between 2004 and 2012. The analysis concurrently focuses on two correlated groups of female characters: patients and physicians. The main objective is to ascertain how women’s mental illness is depicted through factors such as identity, level of dependence, comorbid physical conditions, emotional articulation, the presence of violence, depreciating humour and ultimately, social stigma. The research leverages a combination of quantitative and qualitative content analysis, commanded by a structured coding sheet that dissects and probes into the elements of media representation. The cohesive findings indicate a strong association between the portrayals of women’s psychological lability and the negative connotation of emotions, particularly through suicidal ideation and groundless violence. The arching narratives also unveil that the representations of both female patients and physicians are shaped by recognized stereotypical expectations, underlining the intersection of the divergent female roles within the fictional genre of medical drama. From a historical standpoint, women have often been portrayed as enigmatic or misconstrued figures in medicine, and these portrayals only perpetuate this turbulent heritage. As a result, these distorted portrayals risk becoming the normalized standard. Such depictions are not just mere vehicles of mimesis but can project detrimental consequences, especially since “females suffer more from internalizing symptoms”. (Rosenfield, 2006).

Keywords: framing; media discourses; female identity; gender representation; stereotypes; mental health.

TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION AND COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES IN ONLINE EDUCATION

https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.18.1.04

CLAUDIA BUDĂU 

Abstract. In modern education, online didactic communication has evolved from an initial adjustment phase to become a normal part of teaching. However, there is limited evidence from Romania about teachers’ views on interaction, communication methods, teaching effectiveness, and student performance in virtual settings. This study examines Romanian pre-university teachers’ perspectives on online didactic communication, focusing on their roles as initiators and facilitators of interaction in digital learning environments. The rapid development of digital technologies has brought significant changes to teaching practices, making effective online communication a vital skill for teachers. Methodologically, the study combines a theoretical review of communication models with empirical findings from a questionnaire given to 610 Romanian pre-university teachers. The data analysis reveals a complex picture: while teachers report good access to digital resources and acknowledge the value of digital skill development, they face 21st-century challenges, including sustaining student engagement, coping with limited nonverbal cues, and navigating increased workload demands. These results highlight the need for strategic teacher training that prioritises communication skills suited to online learning. A better understanding of online didactic communication mechanisms can help turn online challenges into opportunities for more adaptable, personalised, and effective educational interactions.

Keywords: online didactic communication; teaching presence; communication strategies; digital body language.

LINGUISTIC OPPOSITIONS IN ENVIRONMENTALIST AND ANTI-ENVIRONMENTALIST MEDIA DISCOURSE: A TRIGGER-BASED COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS 

https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.18.1.05

JULIJA KOROSTENSKIENĖ

JOGAILĖ ASTRAMSKAITĖ 

Abstract. Situated within ecolinguistic and discourse-analytic perspectives, this study investigates linguistic oppositions in environmentalist and anti-environmentalist media discourse, focusing specifically on trigger-based syntactic frames that construct contrast. Drawing on the work of Jeffries (2010) and Davies (2012b), linguistic oppositions are defined here not as general thematic conflicts, but as context-dependent semantic contrasts generated by specific syntactic triggers, such as negation (not X but Y), comparison (more X than Y), or transitional frames (from X to Y), which function here as a distinct analytical framework applied within ecolinguistic and discourse-analytic perspectives. The study addresses the research question of how oppositional strategies differ between these two discourses and what linguistic patterns characterise their use of opposition. Using an adapted opposition-trigger model (Davies, 2012b) as the primary analytical framework, the study analyses a manually compiled corpus of 60 online media articles, evenly split between environmentalist sources published in mainstream media and anti-environmentalist responses published on ClimateRealism.com. Within this study, the model serves as the primary analytical procedure situated within broader ecolinguistic and discourse-analytic perspectives. The corpus focuses on cases where anti-environmentalist texts explicitly react to environmentalist claims, allowing for the examination of oppositional structures within a shared topical and temporal context. A combination of qualitative classification and quantitative frequency analysis identified 165 instances of linguistic opposition. The findings show that anti-environmentalist texts employ oppositions more frequently and favour less conventional and multi-trigger patterns, whereas environmentalist texts rely more on implicit or concessive forms. While the study does not assess the persuasive effectiveness of the oppositions, it identifies recurring discursive tendencies and constraints, contributing to a clearer understanding of oppositional framing in environmental communication.

Keywords: oppositional framing; linguistic oppositions; environmentalist discourse; syntactic triggers; ecolinguistics; media discourse.

THREE ROMANIAN VERSIONS OF ROALD DAHL’S THE BFG: HUMOROUS LEXICAL CREATIONS AND THE EXHILARATION OF RETRANSLATION

https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.18.1.06

NADINA VIȘAN

DARIA PROTOPOPESCU 

Abstract. The present article aims at identifying strategies in the translation of Roald Dahl’s children’s book, The BFG, by analysing humorous lexical creations in a set of six target texts. The current investigation employs textual and statistical analysis, focusing on a set of examples culled from a multi-text unit consisting of a carefully selected sample from an English source text and its corresponding published Romanian (and various Romance) versions. The expectations regarding the results of the analysis are that the preferred strategy is replacement by standardization, in line with previous studies conducted on this topic. Contrary to expectations, the results of the investigation indicate that, in the case of most target texts, it is replacement by neologism/pun that is the most frequently employed strategy, which supports the idea that all the translators were keen on preserving the stylistic features of the source text and on reducing translation loss to a minimum.

Keywords: ambiguity; incongruity; readability; replacement; retranslation.