Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Mir, U., Asghar, M., Amjad, N., Amjad, U., Khan, I., Kifayat, S., Kifayat, S., Khan, M. A. J., Kobra, K. T., Wali, Z., Wali, B., Shafiq, S., Khan, A., Jamil, F., Ittefaq, M., & Khan, M. S. (in press). Pakistan’s HPV vaccination drive: Navigating trust, culture, and misinformation in a new era of immunization. International Journal of Public Health.

Ittefaq, M., Arif, R., Kamboh, S.A. (2026). Suicide and self-harm in the age of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI): The case of ChatGPT and rise of suicide-related lawsuits. Journal of Affective Disorders, 411.

Ahmad, T., Arif, R., Ittefaq, M. & Park, S. (2026). Artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and wars: How global media frame actors, threats, and solutions in 19 countries. Media, War & Conflict.

Arif, R., Ittefaq, M., & Zia, L. (2026). “AI’s Not the Enemy, It’s the Key”: Tilly Norwood and the Debate Over Personality Rights in the Entertainment Industry. Emerging Media.

Zain, A., Wen, T.J., & Ittefaq, M. (2025). Online-endorsed misinformation about climate change: examining the relationship between heuristic cues of perceived expertise, messages style and bandwagon to assess message credibility and sharing intentions. Cogent Social Sciences, 11(1).

Arif, R., Ittefaq, M., & Zia, L. (2025). College students’ perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) risks and benefits in Pakistan. Human-Machine Communication, 10(1), 147-168.

Ittefaq, M., Zain, A., Arif, R., Ahmad, T., Khan, L., & Seo, H. (2025). Factors influencing international students’ adoption of generative artificial intelligence: The mediating role of perceived values and attitudes. Journal of International Students, 15(7), 127-154.

Ittefaq, M. (2025). Digital disconnective practice: Online platform migration and technology non-use in the age of emerging social media and polarized societies. Media, Culture & Society, 47(4), 815-823.

Ejaz, W., Altay, S., & Ittefaq, M. (2025). How effective are fact-checks in Pakistan and who engages with them? Information, Communication, and Society, 28(14), 2439-2461.

Ittefaq, M., Vu, H.T., Dao, A.T., Tran, D.V., & Hansen, C. (2025).Framing a global pandemic: Journalism cultures and media coverage of COVID-19 in China, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Health Communication, 40(11), 2340-2352.

Arif, R., & Ragsdale, L., & Ittefaq, M. (2024). What does a “like” on social media mean? Understanding the motivations and interpretations of likes on Instagram. The Journal of Social Media in Society, 13(2), 109-130.

Ittefaq, M., Vu, H., Ramazan, T., Zain, A., & Kreps, G. (2024). Analysis of public opinion polls about COVID-19 vaccines: Theoretical and policy implications for vaccine communication and campaigns to address vaccine hesitancy. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 20(1), 1-15.

Ittefaq, M., Zain, A., Arif, R., Ala-Uddin, M., Ahmad, T., Azhar, I., (2024). Global news media coverage of artificial intelligence (AI): A comparative analysis of frames, trends, and sentiments across 12 countries. Telematics and Informatics, 96(2025), 1-18.

Kamboh, S.A., Ittefaq, M., & Jamil, S. (2024). Powerful news sources versus advocate-journalists as factors affecting the editorial agenda-building on sustainable development goals. Journalism Practice, 19(12), 2789-2810.

Ittefaq, M. (2024). Climate communication, public health, and social media: Examining the role of health agencies in addressing the impacts of climate change on human health. Journal of Health Communication, 29(1), 68-76.

Ittefaq, M., & Reynolds-Tylus, T. (2024). Memorable messages about mental health among international students in the United States: A mixed-method study. Health Communication, 40(4), 631-641.

Kamboh, S.A., Ittefaq, M., & Pezzullo, P. (2024). Articulating a Loss and Damage Fund: How the Global South is Rethinking Agency and Justice in an Age of Climate Disasters. Environmental Communication, 18(3), 302-321.

Ittefaq, M., Ahmad, T., Kamboh, S.A., Shah, S.F.A., & Seo, H. (2024). Highlighting heroes and ignoring villains: Visual framing of polio and polio vaccine in newspapers. Health Communication, 39(13), 3317-3329.

Ittefaq, M., Kamboh, S.A., Zelaya, C., & Arif, R. (2024). Polio vaccine misinformation on social media: Challenges, efforts, and recommendations. Journal of Science Communication, 23(01), Y01.

Ittefaq, M. & Kamboh, S.A. (2024). Communities of care for air pollution policies in Pakistan: An integrated approach to public engagement and policy implementation. Environmental Communication, 18(1-2), 49-55.

Kamboh, S.A., Ittefaq, M., & Rehmat, A. (2023). A coalition for science journalism as a multi-stakeholder community of practice: A proposal from South Asia. Journalism Studies, 25(5), 566-574.

Ittefaq, M. (2023). “Beating your head against the wall:” Burnout on the rise, communication officials in local health departments likely to leave public health field. Health Security, 21(6), 440-449.

Ittefaq, M. (2023). “It frustrates me beyond words that I can’t fix that”: Health misinformation correction on Facebook during COVID-19. Health Communication, 39(12), 2647-2657.

Kamboh, S.A., Ittefaq, M., & Jin, Y. (2023). Crisis communication for public organizations: Examining Pakistan Railways’ use of information technology and social media for image repair. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 32(1), e12496.

Kamboh, S.A., Hameed, A., & Ittefaq, M. (2023). Ethnic newspaper industry in Pakistan and impacts of corporate ownership. South Asia Research, 43(3), 380-399.

Ittefaq, M., Zain, A., & Bokhari, H. (2023). Opioids in satirical news shows: Exploring topics, sentiments, and engagement in Last Week Tonight on YouTube. Journal of Health Communication, 28(1), 53-63.

Seo, H., Liu, Y., Ebrahim, H., Ittefaq, M., & Chung, D. (2023). The COVID-19 pandemic and international students: A mixed-methods approach to relationships between social media use, social support, and mental health. First Monday, 28(2).

Ittefaq, M., Abwao, M., Coman, I.A., & Ejaz, W. (2023). A systematic literature review of research from 2010 to 2020 addressing user-generated online comments related to health issues and recommendations for future research. International Journal of Communication, 17, 256-280.

Ejaz, W., Ittefaq, M., & Jamil, S. (2023). Politics triumphs: A topic modeling approach of analyzing news media coverage of climate change in Pakistan. Journal of Science Communication, 22(01), A02.

Kamboh, S.A.& Ittefaq, M. (2022). Advocacy journalism and climate justice in a Global Southern country. Local Environment, 28(4), 412-432.

Jamil, S., Iqbal, A., Ittefaq, M., & Kamboh, S.A. (2022). Building a media literate society: Pathways to improve media and information literacy education in Pakistan. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 77(4), 414-428.

Seo, H., Liu, Y., Ittefaq, M., Shayesteh, F., Kamanga, U. & Baines, A. (2022). International migrants and coronavirus disease 2019 vaccinations: Social Media, motivated information management, and vaccination willingness. Digital Health, 8(1), 1-11.

Zhou, L., Ouyang, F., Li, Y., Zhan, J., Akhtar, N., & Ittefaq, M. (2022). Examining the factors influencing tourists’ destination : A case of Nanhai Movie Theme Park in China. Sustainability, 14(18), 11419.

Ittefaq, M., Kamboh, S.A., Iqbal, A., Iftikhar, U., Abwao, M., & Arif, R. (2022). Understanding public reactions to state security officials’ suicide cases in online news comments. Death Studies, 47(4), 499-508.

Baines, A., Seo, H., Ittefaq, M., Shayesteh, F., Kamanga, U., & Liu, Y. (2022). Race/ethnicity, online information and COVID-19 vaccination: Study of minority immigrants’ internet use for health-related information. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 29(2), 268-287.

Kamboh, S.A., Ittefaq, M., & Yousaf, M. (2022). Editorial journalism and environmental issues in the majority world. International Journal of Communication, 16, 2646-2668.

Ittefaq, M., Seo, H., Abwao, M., & Baines, A. (2022). Social media use for health, cultural characteristics, and demographics: A survey of Pakistani millennials. Digital Health, 8, 1-12.

Ittefaq, M., Abwao, M., Baines, A., & Belmas, G., Kamboh, S.A., & Figueroa, E. (2022). A pandemic of hate: Social representations of COVID-19 in the media. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 22(1), 225-252.

Baines, A., Ittefaq, M., & Abwao, M. (2022). Social media for social support: A study of international graduate students in the U.S. Journal of International Students, 12(2), 345-365.

Kamboh, S.A., Ittefaq, M., & Sahi, A. (2022). Journalistic routines as factors promoting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan. Third World Quarterly, 43(1), 278-287.

Shah, S.F.A., Ginossar, T., & Ittefaq, M. (2021). “We always report under pressure”: Professionalism and journalistic identity among regional journalists in a conflict zone. Journalism, 24(4), 709-728.

Ejaz, W., Ittefaq, M., & Arif, M. (2021). Understanding influences, misinformation, and fact-checking concerning climate-change journalism in Pakistan. Journalism Practice, 16(2-3), 404-424.

Ittefaq, M., Ejaz, W., Jamil, S., Iqbal, A., & Arif, R. (2021). Discriminated in society and marginalized in media: Social representation of Christian sanitary workers in Pakistan. Journalism Practice, 17(1), 66-84.

Ittefaq, M., Ejaz. W., Fahmy, S. F., & Sheikh, A. (2021). Converged journalism: Practices and influences in Pakistan. Media International Australia, 181(1),167-182.

Abwao, M., Ittefaq, M., Baines, A., & Liu, P. (2021). “The disabled community is still waiting for equality”: What do users have to say about sexual reproductive health of persons with disabilities in online news comments. Frontiers in Communication, 6.

Ejaz, W., Ittefaq, M., Seo, H., & Naz, F. (2021). Factors associated with the belief in COVID-19 related conspiracy theories in Pakistan. Health, Risk, & Society, 23(3-4), 162-178.

Ittefaq, M., Ahmed, Z.S., & Pantoja, Y.I.M. (2021). China’s Belt and Road Initiative and soft power in Pakistan: An examination of the local English-language press. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 19(1), 1-14.

Baines, A., Ittefaq, M., & Abwao, M. (2021). #Scamdemic, #Plandemic, or #Scaredemic: What Parler social media platform tells us about COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines, 9(5), 421.

Laeeq, M. L., Ittefaq, M., Pantoja, Y. I. M., Malik, A., & Raziq, M. M. (2021). Public engagement model to analyze digital diplomacy on Twitter: A social media analytics framework. International Journal of Communication, 15, 1741–1769.

Ittefaq, M., Baines, A., Abwao, M., Shah, S.F.A., & Ramzan, T. (2021). “Does Pakistan still have polio cases?”: Exploring discussions on polio and polio vaccine in online news comments in Pakistan. Vaccine, 39(3), 480-486.

Ittefaq, M. (2019). Digital diplomacy via social networks: A cross-national analysis of governmental usage of Facebook and Twitter for digital engagement. Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia, 18(1), 49-69.

Ahmad, T., Alvi, A., & Ittefaq, M. (2019). The use of social media on political participation among university students: an analysis of survey results from rural pakistan. Sage Open, 9(3), 1-9.

Kamboh, S. A., & Ittefaq, M. (2019). Newspaper suicide reporting in a Muslim country: Analysis of violations and compliance with international guidelines. Journal of Media Ethics, 34(1), 2-14.

Ittefaq, M. (2019). Revisiting news value theory in the age of globalization. Journal of Media Studies, 33(2), 81-100.

Ittefaq, M., & Iqbal, A. (2018). Digitization of the health sector in Pakistan: challenges and opportunities to online health communication: A case study of MARHAM social and mobile media. Digital Health, 4.

Ittefaq, M., & Ahmad, T. (2018). Representation of Islam and Muslims on social media: A discourse analysis of Facebook. Journal of Media Critiques, 4(13), 39-52 .

Peer-Reviewed Commentaries

Kamboh, S.A. & Ittefaq, M. (2023). Floods in Pakistan and the Synthesis of Glocal Voices on Climate Justice. Global Policy.

Ittefaq, M., & Kamboh, S. A. (2022). COVID-19 and national images: the case of #ResignModi. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 18, 15–17.

Ittefaq, M., Abwao, M., & Kamboh, S.A. (2021). COVID-19 vaccine selfie: Why does it matter? American Journal of Health Education, 52(6), 360-363.

Ittefaq, M., Kamboh, S.A., & Abwao, M. (2021). COVID-19 vaccine selfie: A modest endeavor to increase vaccine acceptance. Psychology & Health, 38(2), 209-213.

Ittefaq, M., Abwao, M., & Rafique, S. (2021). Polio vaccine misinformation on social media: Turning point in the fight against polio eradication in Pakistan. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 17(8), 2575-2577.

Ittefaq, M., Hussain, S. A., & Fatima, M. (2020). COVID-19 and social-politics of medical misinformation on social media in Pakistan. Media Asia, 47(1-2), 75-80.

Ejaz, W., & Ittefaq, M. (2020). Data for understanding trust in varied information sources, use of news media, and perception of misinformation regarding COVID-19 in Pakistan. Data in Brief, 32, 106091.

Arafat, S.Y., Shoib, S., Marthoenis, M., Kar, K.S., Menon, V., Ittefaq, M., & Kabir, R. (2020). Media reporting of suicide in Muslim countries. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 23(10), 941-944.

Book Chapters

Ramasubramanian, S., Ittefaq, M., Ogunsanwo, F., Dragić, L., & Tetteh, B. (2025). De-Westernizing media psychology. In Bailey, R. & Glenna L. R. De Gruyter Handbook of Media Psychology. De Gruyter.

Ittefaq, M., Ejaz, W., & Jan, W. (2024). Cross-Border Journalism in South Asia. In Rothenberger, L., Löffelholz, M., & Weaver, D. The Palgrave Handbook of Cross-Border Journalism. (pp. 445–460). Palgrave Macmillan.

Ittefaq, M., Kamboh, S.A., & Ashfaq, A. (2023). Climate Change Journalism in Pakistan: Ethical Deliberations. In Mutsvairo, B., Bebawi, S. & Borges-Rey, E. The Routledge Companion to Journalism in the Global South. (pp. 419-429). Routledge.

Kamboh, S.A., Ittefaq, M., Jamil, S. & Rehman, B.A. (2023). Ethical Dimensions of Climate and Environmental Issues in Pakistani Media. In Crawford, N.J.W. & Michael, K. Climate Justice in the Majority World. (pp. 201-220). Routledge.

Abwao, M., Ittefaq, M., & Watson, J. (2022).People with Disabilities and Self-Disclosure about Sexual Reproductive Health on the Internet. In Manning, J., & Noland, C. (2nd ed.), Contemporary Studies of Sexuality and Communication: Theoretical and Applied Perspectives (pp. 259-274). Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Shah, S. F., Jan, F., & Ittefaq, M. (2021). Health and safety risks to journalists during pandemics. In Jamil, S., Çoban, B., Ataman, B., & Appiah-Adjei, G. (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Discrimination, Gender Disparity, and Safety Risks in Journalism (pp. 90-103). IGI Global.

Book Review

Ittefaq, M. (2021). [Review of the book Movements for Change: How Individuals, Social Media and Al Jazeera Are Changing Pakistan, Egypt and Tunisia, by Rauf Arif]. International Journal of Communication, 15, 1875–1878.