A raven in a losing fight may call to the audience watching the fight for help, but it will do so strategically. Researchers observed that ravens from the Konrad Lorenz field station in the Austrian Alps called a lot more and for a lot longer when they recognised potential allies in the audience, such as relatives and friends. If their opponents seemed to have allies on their side, however, the ravens called less, presumably to avoid drawing attention to themselves and their unfortunate situation. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
