COMMUSTY Journal of Communication Studies and Society

Measuring Visual Homogeneity and Congruence in Breast Cancer Awareness Campaigns

Germain Mesureur — 2026-05-08

Breast cancer awareness advertising is globally defined by the colour pink and the iconic pink ribbon. While this branding has elevated the cause, it has also sparked criticism regarding "pinkwashing," where companies exploit it for commercial gain. This study investigates whether these distinctions manifest in the visual design of advertisements. A quantitative content analysis was conducted on 326 static advertisements from 52 countries (2010–2024), measuring dominant colours and coding each advertisement for advertiser type, brand-cause congruence, and pink ribbon usage. Results reveal that neither advertiser type nor brand-cause fit significantly predicts colour choice commercial campaigns are visually indistinguishable from non-profit messages. Instead, the visual landscape is driven almost entirely by the pink ribbon's presence. Symbolic norms have achieved a hegemony that overpowers individual brand strategies, producing a constrained visual language.

Gender, Ethnicity, and Education–Job Mismatch in Afghanistan: Evidence from Kabul University Graduates

Mohammad Samim Miskinyar — 2026-05-08

The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of gender and ethnicity on the incidence of education job-mismatch among graduates of Kabul University. Using data collected from 272 graduates of Kabul University’s 2015 cohort and employing a logistic regression model, this study investigates whether the Afghan labor market provides equal opportunities for these graduates to obtain jobs related to their fields of study, regardless of their gender and ethnic background. More than half of the graduates (55.5%) are employed in jobs that do not match their academic disciplines. However, gender and ethnicity do not play a statistically significant role in this mismatch. This investigation was limited to a specific population, namely, graduates of Kabul University in 2015. Despite broader gender and ethnic inequalities in Afghan society, this study suggests that the country’s labor market offers relatively equal opportunities for graduates to find appropriate employment. - This pattern of equality in Afghanistan’s labor market should be strengthened and sustained through regular, broader assessments and the implementation of practical steps.

Consumer Trust in AI-Generated Advertisements. A Comparative Study of AI and Human-Created Advertising Content

Musawer Hakimi — 2026-05-20

The rise of generative artificial intelligence in advertising has created pressing questions about whether consumers can or will trust content they know a machine has crafted. This study examined how 412 adult consumers evaluated AI-generated versus human-created advertisements across six product sectors, investigating the mechanisms of perceived authenticity, cognitive engagement, and emotional response as mediators, and AI literacy as a boundary condition. Using a mixed experimental-survey design followed by structural equation modelling, mediation analysis, and cluster analysis, results showed that AI-generated advertisements received significantly lower trust ratings (d = 0.89), yet this gap narrowed substantially among participants with higher AI literacy. Perceived authenticity emerged as the strongest mediator, accounting for 31.2% of the indirect effect. Importantly, trust in AI advertising increased with repeated exposure, suggesting that familiarity attenuates initial scepticism. These findings yield actionable implications for practitioners and advance theoretical understanding of technology-mediated persuasion.

Ethical AI Communication and Public Trust: Examining the Role of Transparency in Digital Media

Mohammad Nawab Turan — 2026-07-02

The rise of Digital Media incorporating Artificial Intelligence raises important issues related to public trust; algorithmic transparency; and ethical standards for communication. In this study, a mixed methods approach was used to explore AI transparency disclosure practices and their association with public trust in digital media among a sample of 1,247 adults across six countries. The study utilized a survey instrument developed for this study, as well as qualitative thematic analysis of 614 open-ended responses. Results showed that disclosure of transparency practices accounted for the largest variation in public trust (beta = .38, p < .001). It also revealed moderating effects of digital media literacy and media skepticism on trust. A confirmatory structural equation model with a reasonable fit (CFI = .96, RMSEA = .048) provided validation of the Integrated Ethical AI Communication Framework. The study also indicated that structured transparency mechanisms; formalized oversight of editorial content; and explicit policies holding algorithms accountable to ensure transparency would substantially increase public trust across all demographic subgroups viewed to have access to digital news services. The findings indicate, in particular, that digital newsrooms should pair AI transparency disclosures with active media literacy initiatives, and that regulators should mandate minimum content standards for algorithmic disclosure rather than mere disclosure presence, in order to realise the full trust-building potential of ethical AI communication.