FORGED BY CONSCIOUSNESS
Abstract
Machines that have consciousness, or what some think
is consciousness, have become the obsession of the day.
Moreover, genetics promises us people who will not only
live in eternity, but will not have any disease. Today you
can be a woman, tomorrow a man, surgery and chemistry
at the extremes... I think that in this context it is worth
asking ourselves the question of what consciousness is. In
addition, it is worth making the effort to understand the
difference between humanity and the rest of nature and,
above all, the difference between humans and the tools
they have designed. Of course, an individual is slower than
a horse, several horses, gathered in an engine, are much
faster not only than humans, but also than other machines.
The plane and the missile are just one example. Apart from
that, we have to admit that many cars do exactly what we
want: they save us effort. But nothing is free in this world.
Keywords: consciousness, machines, Homo sapiens.
ANA ASLAN AND THE FIGHT AGAINST AGING: THE BIRTH OF THE WORLD’S FIRST GERIATRIC INSTITUTE
Abstract
Ana Aslan (1897-1988) was a Romanian physician with
particularly important achievements in social gerontology,
considering the old age to be a disease rather than a normal
physiological process. She attempted and succeeded in
slowing down aging using Gerovital H3 and later Aslavital
(created in collaboration with pharmacist Elena
Polovrăgeanu) in therapies applied at the Institute of
Geriatrics and Gerontology, the first of its kind in the world
(the institute now bears her name as a sign of respect and
honour). Becoming an international star thanks to the
results she obtained and published, Aslan began to receive
medical visits at the institute from a growing number of
world-renowned personalities (Pablo Neruda, Salvador
Dali, Claudia Cardinale, Charlie Chaplin) or was asked to
visit them abroad (Marshal Tito, Marlene Dietrich, Lillian
Gish, Aristotle Onassis). Thanks to the national and
especially international exposure that brought her a steady
stream of patients and due to the export of Gerovital H3,
Professor Ana Aslan brought the Romanian state revenues
of over 17 million US dollars per year, thus becoming an
ambassador for Romania and proof of the seriousness and
excellence of a communist country. As a result of the
prestige she has achieved, Aslan became a full member of
the Romanian Academy in 1974, as the highest recognition
of the national forum of the greatest minds.
Keywords: Ana Aslan, aging, gerontology
TRUTH AND POST-TRUTH IN DIGITAL COMMUNICATION: BETWEEN COMPETING FACTS, PERCEPTIONS AND NARRATIVES AN ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION VALIDATION MECHANISMS WITHIN THE CONTEMPORARY MEDIA SPACE
Abstract
The present article analyses the transformation of the
status of truth in the context of contemporary digital
communication, starting from the premise that the posttruth phenomenon represents not only the proliferation of
false information, but a structural mutation in the way
public knowledge is validated. The study adopts an
interdisciplinary perspective, integrating the philosophical
analysis of the concept of truth with theories of
communication and research of digital media. Based on a
conceptual approach and recent case studies, the article
shows that the digital environment favours the transition
from the factual validation to the emotional validation of
information, determined by the algorithmic logic of
platforms, fragmentation of attention and identity
polarization. In this context, truth loses its role as a stable
epistemic criterion and becomes a strategic tool in the
discursive competition between political, institutional and
media actors. The conclusion of the research is that posttruth must be understood as an emerging epistemic
ecosystem, in which the relationship between knowledge,
power, and technology redefines the very social function
of truth. Through this perspective, the study contributes
to the development of a more nuanced understanding of
the impact of digital communication on democracy and
contemporary public discourse.
Keywords: post-truth; social epistemology; digital
communication; public trust; political polarization; social
validation of information, Michel Foucault.
THE ROLE OF THE SPOKESPERSON IN THE MANAGEMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATION AND CRISIS SITUATIONS
Abstract
This article aims to analyse the role of the spokesperson
in managing institutional communication and crisis
situations, highlighting its importance in maintaining the
balance between transparency, public accountability and
the protection of the organization’s image. It takes into
account the specific responsibilities of the spokesperson,
the mechanisms of informational meditation, and the
impact of institutional discourse on public perception. In
the context of crisis situations, communication becomes an
essential strategic tool, and the way messages are
formulated and conveyed influences the level of public
trust and the institution’s reputational stability. The
analysis focuses on the conceptual framework of crisis
communication, the response strategies adopted, as well
as the ethical and professional responsibilities associated
with this role. Thus, the role of the spokesperson is
presented not only as a function of formal representation,
but also as a central element in strengthening institutional
credibility and in the effective management of situations
of communicational vulnerability.
Keywords: Institutional communication, crisis
communication, spokesperson, organizational reputation,
communication strategy, image, audience, crisis management,
charisma, trust.
THE IMPACT OF THE ENERGY CRISIS ON FINANCIAL REPORTING AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY ON OMV PETROM AND ROMGAZ (2021-2023)
Abstract
This research analyses how the extreme volatility of the
energy market and post-pandemic legislative interventions
have reconfigured the financial statements of the main
players in the oil and gas sector in Romania. Using a
methodology based on the comparative case study, the
article examines the key performance indicators (Turnover,
Net Profit, CAPEX and Current Liabilities) extracted from
the audited reports of OMV Petrom and Romgaz in the
period 2021-2023. The results indicate a significant
accounting paradox. Although 2022 marked record
revenues under the influence of the profit windfall effect,
financial sustainability was put under pressure by the
introduction of ad-hoc tax mechanisms, such as the
solidarity contribution (GEO 186/2022). The study
highlights an alarming increase in short-term debt and a
critical dependence of the net result on fiscal policy
decisions. The conclusions of the research underline the
need to evolve the accounting function from a simple
retrospective reporting to a proactive regulatory risk
management tool. The paper provides strategic
recommendations on liquidity management and the
importance of fiscal predictability for maintaining
investment appetite in energy transition projects.
Keywords: financial accounting, energy crisis, windfall
profit, GEO 186/2022, organizational resilience, extractive
sector
THE IMAGE OF ORGANIZATIONS WITH A NATIONAL VOCATION
Abstract
This essay analyses the importance of the image of
organizations with a national vocation for their functioning
within society, emphasizing the fact that at the international
level, most of the time, their image is associated with the
image of the country. Often, in international practice, the
perceived image of states was one of the elements that
determined the substantiation of political, economic and
military-strategic decisions towards them. Free access to
information, the authentic affirmation of the freedom of
expression of mass information means and the multitude
of sources of information impose the need for a scientific
approach regarding the image of organizations, in general,
and public institutions in particular. The present essay
illustrates the fact that the image of organizations with a
national vocation is extremely important for its functioning
within a society; they can be perceived as viable and
reliable social partners or as unviable social partners that
waste society’s resources, without substantial results for
its benefit. Therefore, the management of the image of
organizations must be conceived as a function of their
management, in order to ensure their normal functioning
and to avoid communication dysfunctions within
organizations and between organizations and their external
environment.
Keywords: image, organizations, national vocation.
EMERGING PARADIGMS IN DUAL JOURNALISM EDUCATION: CRITICAL REFLECTION, PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE, AND AI-ASSISTED LEARNING
Abstract
The accelerated transformation of media and
educational ecosystems calls for a reconfiguration of
journalism training models through collaborative and
reflective mechanisms. From a theoretical and
methodological perspective, the dual educational paradigm
is examined as a framework that articulates the relationship
between academic training and newsroom practice,
emphasizing institutional co-responsibility and shared
assessment. Critical reflection is conceptualized as a
metacognitive and axiological mechanism that strengthens
professional autonomy and supports ethical decisionmaking. Professional practice is approached as a process
of integration into newsroom organizational culture,
shaped by mentoring and leadership dynamics. The
incorporation of artificial intelligence into learning
environments enhances productivity and personalization,
while simultaneously generating ethical challenges that
require the development of algorithmic literacy and
coherent forms of responsible governance.
Keywords: dual educational paradigm, institutional
co-responsibility, critical reflection, newsroom mentoring,
professional identity, algorithmic literacy, ethical governance.
CONSENT AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATION IN THE AGE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES. BETWEEN TECHNOLOGICAL EFFICIENCY AND THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN VALUES
Abstract
This article analyses the impact of the use of new
technologies on digital communication, with a special
focus on the degradation of human values, the modification
of interpersonal relationships and the legal problems
generated by the processing of personal data in the online
environment. Digital communication, facilitated by social
media, smart devices, and artificial intelligence, has
become a central element of everyday life, profoundly
influencing the way individuals interact, express
themselves, and build their social identity. The study
highlights the tension between technological efficiency
and the loss of the human dimension of communication,
in particular by replacing verbal and non-verbal language
with digital symbols, emojis and standardized reactions.
From a legal perspective, the article examines the issue of
user consent in the context of social media platforms,
highlighting its often flawed, formal or insufficiently
informed character, in relation to the requirements
imposed by the General Data Protection Regulation
(GDPR). At the same time, the risks associated with
cybersecurity, digital surveillance and the economic
exploitation of personal data are analysed, as well as the
limits of the current European regulatory framework,
including the Digital Services Act. The conclusion
underlines the need for a more rigorous and efficient
regulation of the digital environment, ensuring an
authentic balance between technological progress, the
protection of fundamental rights and the preservation of
essential human values.
Keywords: digital communication; consent; data protection;
GDPR; social networks; human values; digital regulation;
Digital Services Act.
DIGITAL MEDIA AND THE FRAGMENTATION OF RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY: A STUDY OF THE “SPIRITUAL BUFFET” PHENOMENON
Abstract
This article examines the fundamental shift in the
relationship between the younger generations and the
sacred, arguing that the digital media ecosystem acts as a
primary catalyst in the shift from a model of external,
institutional religious authority to one of internal, selfauthoritative spirituality. Through secondary analysis of
longitudinal sociological data (Pew Research, World
Values Survey) and conceptual discourse analysis, the
study identifies and defines the “Buffett-type spirituality”
(“Spiritual Buffett”) – a pragmatic syncretism in which
beliefs and practices are individually chosen from a global
digital menu, based on the supreme criterion of
psychological utility. The analysis maps this transformation
in two illustrative contexts: the United States, demonstrating
a clear generational gap, and Romania, revealing a striking
gap between persistent religious identity and collapsing
institutional practice. The article further proposes a
typology of the three emerging cohorts (Traditionalists,
Cultural Liberals, Secular Nihilists) and discusses the
profound implications for religious institutions, community
formation, and the market of meaning. It is concluded that
this paradigm shift, driven by communicational factors,
towards self-authorization is a structural feature of late
modernity and if it is not definitive, it is unlikely to be
reversible, positioning the individual as the ultimate
architect of one’s own belief system.
Keywords: digital communication, religious authority,
youth religiosity, spiritual buffet, self-authorization, media
ecology, digital syncretism, generational change, Deistic
Therapeutic Morality
DIGITAL PERSUASION AT THE ZERO MOMENT OF TRUTH STAGE: AI-MEDIATED RELATIONAL COMMUNICATION AND THE ROLE OF BEHAVIOURAL HEURISTICS IN THE S-O-R MODEL
Abstract
The evolution of digital commerce has profoundly
altered the way consumers interact with brands and make
purchasing decisions. Although the use of algorithmic
tools has become the norm in the market, how digital
stimuli influence consumers’ cognitive processes and
behavioural responses in the pre-purchase phases remains
insufficiently explored. Based on the principles of
behavioural economics, this paper addresses this gap by
integrating artificial intelligence (AI)-mediated relational
communication into the Stimulus-Organism-Response
(S-O-R) model, thus extending the applicability of the Zero
Moment of Truth (ZMOT) stage in digital ecosystems.
Conceptually, the proposed model argues that AI-mediated
personalization and choice architecture act as algorithmic
stimuli. They cause fluctuations in internal cognitive and
affective states, which, in turn, direct behavioural outcomes.
The five theoretical sentences developed detail the
interaction of these variables, while highlighting the role
of negative moderators, such as trigger fatigue and digital
literacy. In analytical terms, the study recommends a
transition from maximizing short-term transactional
conversions to building sustainable trust capital. The
development of transparent practices and the design of
interfaces for cognitive ease can neutralize psychological
reactance, while limiting the use of dark patterns.
Keywords: ZMOT, S-O-R model, artificial intelligence,
behavioural heuristics, choice architecture, decision fatigue,
personalization paradox.
