"For decades, Georgia has been one of the largest per capita recipients of U.S. assistance. In 2012-2023, the years in which the Georgian Dream has been in power, total U.S. overseas development assistance (ODA) stands at USD 1 billion 920 mil lion, according to official data. Of course, the lion’
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s share of that assistance went to the government and public administration. In 2023, the U.S. government disbursed USD 143.8 million in aid to Georgia, with USD 84.5 million flowing through USAID as the primary administra tive channel. USD 77 million of that was allocated to governance-related programs, but where did all that money go? Once again, most of the assistance went to the government and public administration. To give a representative example in 2023, the last fiscal year when complete data is available, the largest share, at USD 42 million, was spent under “conflict, peace, and security” umbrella, while USD 34 million fell under “government and civil society.” Of this amount, USD 15 million support ed democratic participation and civil society, USD 6.5 million went toward legal and judicial develop ment, and USD 3.5 million was directed at media and freedom of information. Human rights programs received USD 2.1 million, while decentralization efforts got USD 600,000. Meanwhile, USD 470,000 was allocated to domestic revenue mo bilization and USD 450,000 was used to combat transnational organized crime [...] Our considered estimate is that over 2,000 Georgians are likely to lose jobs due to culling USAID, given the average number of programs, grants, and sub-grants, and the average number of people required to implement them. Most of them are qualified (first and medium-level) project and program managers with foreign language skills as well as administrative personnel (e.g., financial officers), and other support professions (e.g., media managers)." (Pages 1-3)
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"Das Handbuch bietet einen Einblick in die Vielfalt der Forschung zu Journalismus in seinen gesellschaftlichen Bezügen. In den Blick genommen werden u. a. Akteure, Organisationen und Institutionen sowie Nachrichten, ihre Entstehung und Nutzung. Der Band spiegelt dabei die thematische, theoretische
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und methodische Vielstimmigkeit der Forschung wider. Verfasst von ausgewiesenen Expert:innen auf ihrem jeweiligen Gebiet umreißt jedes Kapitel den Forschungsstand zu einem Kerngebiet der Journalismusforschung, liefert eine kritische Einordnung und benennt Aspekte für zukünftige Forschung. Damit leistet das Handbuch einen Beitrag zur fachlichen Identität der Journalismusforschung und erarbeitet eine Agenda für zukünftige Forschungsvorhaben." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"Im Amazonasgebiet, abgelegen von den brasilianischen Metropolen, hat sich eine lebendige Rap-Szene etabliert. Anders als im Großstadt-Rap geht es in ihren Texten weniger um soziale Ungleichheit, sondern vor allem um Umweltzerstörung und kulturelle Identität." (Einleitung)
"Das Versprechen der Digitalen Revolution ist die Heilserzählung unsererZeit. Dieses Buch erzählt eine andere Geschichte: Die des digitalen Kolonialismus. Statt physisches Land einzunehmen, erobern die heutigen Kolonialherren den digitalen Raum. Statt nach Gold und Diamanten lassen sie unter mensc
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henunwürdigen Bedingungen nach Rohstoffen graben, die wir für unsere Smartphones benötigen. Statt Sklaven beschäftigen sie Heere von Klickarbeiter:innen, die zu Niedriglöhnen in digitalen Sweatshops arbeiten, um soziale Netzwerke zu säubern oder vermeintlich Künstliche Intelligenz am Laufen zu halten. Der Kolonialismus von heute mag sich sauber und smart geben, doch eines ist gleich geblieben: Er beutet Mensch und Natur aus und kümmert sich nicht um gesellschaftliche Folgen vor Ort. Im Wettkampf der neuen Kolonialmächte ist Digitalpolitik längst zum Instrument geopolitischer Konflikte geworden - der Globale Süden gerät zwischen die Fronten." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"Centered around Mexico as a case study, the book explores the production of political entertainment in post-authoritarian legacy media and how political and economic conditions constrain the range and edge of discourse; how political entertainment in social media is shaped by the structure of platf
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orms, as creators are encouraged to conform to specific norms such as constant publication; and the impacts of these media on attitude formation among the population. The book proposes a theoretical framework for identifying the specific conditions of post-authoritarian democracies that constrain the production of political entertainment, as well as its outcomes in terms of content and effects. This framework can be applied to the analysis of similar case studies, particularly in the Global South at large." (Publisher description)
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"The story which The Traitors tells is pretty simple and well known to academic scholars who deal with the modern Russian state: it was corrupt from its inception and Putin’s regime is in no way an aberration, but smooth continuity of the Yeltsin system. The documentary precipitated a wave of slan
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derous assaults on ACF and Pevtchikh herself from the “liberal” wing of the Russian opposition outside and inside Russia. They range from obscenities to accusations of Bolshevism, left-wing extremism to collaboration with Putin’s regime. The Traitors broke the main Russian political taboo. In the 1990s, the country underwent a catastrophe of social, economic and political proportions. The 2002 census registered a natural population decline of 1.8 million since 1989. Public discussion about this period was, however, impossible as it could undermine both Putin and “liberal” opposition." (Page 1)
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"Qualitative Methods in Media and Communication offers a learning-centered guide to designing, conducting, and evaluating qualitative communication and media research methods. Drawing upon years of teaching qualitative research methods, Sandra L. Faulkner and Joshua D. Atkinson introduce and unpack
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qualitative communication research method design, analysis, representation, writing, and evaluation using extended examples and clear discussion. The authors use key terms, extended examples, discussion questions, student-tested writing and research activities, examples of student work and questions, and suggested resources to help readers design, do, and analyze qualitative research. As a textbook, its pedagogical goals for the student include: (1) becoming a critical reader of research studies by understanding the epistemologies and methodological assumptions used by researchers, (2) learning the various methods, strategies, and approaches for doing qualitative research, (3) developing a strong basic vocabulary and understanding of concepts relating to qualitative and humanistic research methods, (4) understanding special concerns related to particular research methods, and (5) designing, executing, and representing original qualitative research projects. With numerous elements intended to engage students and enrich the learning process, the book provides examples of how to do qualitative and critical analyses, including arts-based and media and textual analyses to understand, describe, and query communication and media research in a variety of communication areas. There is also an extensive discussion of ethics in qualitative research and spotlights with renowned researchers on hot topics in qualitative research." (Publisher description)
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"This study content analyzed visual frames of Afghan refugees during the first six months of the Taliban’s second regime (from August 15, 2021, to February 15, 2022). A total of N = 1,948 images from the Associated Press were quantitatively analyzed for focal point, topic, tone, depiction, gender,
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and age. The findings indicate that Afghan refugees were predominantly the primary focal points of the AP images, with significantly more positive and active frames than negative and passive frames. In contrast to previous research on the framing of Afghan women in Western media before the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, Afghan women were framed significantly as more positive and active than Afghan men in the photos." (Abstract)
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"This study examined the Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC) of teachers and students at a Catholic school in Timor Leste using Zhong et al.'s (2013) developmental model. Employing a mixed-methods design, data were collected via the ICC Self-Rating Scale (ICCRS) survey, focus group discussi
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ons, and non-participant observations. A random sample of 68 teachers and 206 students participated. Quantitative data were analyzed using mode scores across eight ICC subcategories, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Results showed key insights into participants' confidence and abilities, with over half of the participants being women and teachers having more international experience than students. Classroom interactions were classified into five engagement types: unequal, language, response, knowledge, and cultural. These findings informed the creation of a new contextual model and policy framework to enhance intercultural communication. This research highlights the significance of theoretical frameworks in assessing ICC and the contextual environment of participants." (Abstract)
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"This third edition is again a practical introduction to communication research methods, foregrounding the role research plays in communication and media industry careers. Covering major methodologies such as surveys, experiments, focus groups, in-depth interviews, content analysis, and others, the
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book takes the reader through the research process from beginning to end. The text continues to help students link the research methods they learn to practical contexts through its activities and features, which include Voices from Industry boxes written by practitioners that give insight into application of methods; Steps to Success research review checklists; and numerous end-of-chapter activities to reinforce concepts. This third edition contains updates throughout, including an expanded discussion of reliability and validity across both qualitative and quantitative research contexts as well as new Research in Action boxes that showcase how research is used in professional and public contexts." (Publisher description)
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"This research article answers calls for a greater understanding of science journalism in the Global South. Taking the case of environmental journalism in Pakistan, we present a thematic analysis of data from interviews with nine environmental reporters working for a range of news titles, representi
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ng the major media organisations in the country. We find that a range of factors on individual, routine, organisational, and extra-media level influence media reporting of the environment in Pakistan and shape the professional identities of environmental journalists. The environmental beat is regarded as lacking in prestige compared to politics or the economy, and resource constraints prevent on-the-ground reporting. Access to sources and data also hamper environmental reporting. A “balance as bias” approach, whereby contesting views concerning climate change are presented without reference to the weight of evidence, persists. The commercial imperatives of proprietors, and the demands of advertisers, means that environmental coverage is often excluded or relegated to the margins. There is a difference in the ways in which English-language and Urdu-language titles approach scientific topics." (Abstract)
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"This article provides an original and timely contribution to current cutting-edge methodological debates by discussing the ongoing need to ensure communities in zones which are inaccessible through war, conflict or disease still have a voice and are not side-lined. As seen during Covid-19, traditio
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nal methods of gaining opinions from these communities, such as face-to-face interviews and focus groups, may be restricted and even impossible. Instead, remote methods using WhatsApp provide many additional benefits, providing qualitative and quantitative data (not always simultaneously provided by surveys or interviews), and allowing voice and text messages to be used. This article draws out the generic implications for the methodology using the substantive findings of a study conducted in the Sahel in 2019–20. Whilst also providing ‘how to’ discussions on this novel approach, the article critically reflects on the advantages and disadvantages of using WhatsApp as it relates to conducting social research in general." (Abstract)
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"This open access book presents contributions to decolonize development studies. It seeks to promote and sustain new forms of solidarity and conviviality that work towards achieving social justice. Recognising global poverty and inequalities as historic injustices, the book addresses how these can b
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e challenged through teaching, research, and engagement in policy and practice, and the sorts of political barriers these might encounter. From a variety of perspectives and contexts, these chapters examine how decoloniality and solidarity can be developed, offering in-depth historical, theoretical, epistemological, and empirical analyses." (Publisher description)
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"This book explores visual political engagement online – how citizens participate in the dynamism of life in society by expressing their opinions and emotions on various issues of democratic life in image-based social media posts, independent of collective actions. Looking beyond large digital soc
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ial movements to focus on the everyday, the book provides a well-documented and comprehensive framework of key notions, concrete methods and examples of empirical insights into everyday visual citizenship on social media. It shows how the visual has become ubiquitous in citizens’ communication on social media, focusing on how citizens use visual content to express their emotions and opinions on social media platforms when they discuss politics in a large sense." (Publisher description)
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"En nuestro argumentario recopilamos 42 razones contra la Ley de Fiscalización, Regularización, Actuación y Financiamiento de las Organizaciones No Gubernamentales y Afine (Ley Antisociedad), cuya aprobación anulará el derecho de asociación en Venezuela y cerrará aún más el espacio cívico.
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En seis secciones, exponemos por qué esta norma no puede ni debe ser aprobada, ante su carácter regresivo, inconstitucional y contrario a lo dispuesto por los sistemas de protección de derechos humanos." (https://accesoalajusticia.org)
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"Participatory methods seek to counter the extractive nature of mainstream research methods by putting control into the hands of research subjects. But participation itself does not guarantee against extraction. There is a tension between the desire for researcher-control and the prerogative of comm
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unity action in participatory methods. How can researchers committed to participation manage this tension? In this paper, we draw on the concepts of “collaborative” and “action-oriented” participatory research to describe how integrating mixed-methodologies can help different research stakeholders attain desirable, fruitful and meaningful levels of ownership and build inclusive rigour. Drawing on our work with participatory indicators and photovoice with conflict affected communities in rural Colombia, we demonstrate how combining different kinds of participatory research methods—in this case, non-visual and visual research—creates opportunities to attend to the sometimes conflicting goals of robust research, policy change and community action. Under the broad umbrella of participatory research, collaborative approaches like participatory indicators and action-oriented approaches like photovoice complement and amplify each other in such settings, embracing complexity and catalyzing multiple ways of ‘knowing-for-action’. The result is participatory research that is attuned to the complexities of conflict-affected settings, inclusively rigorous and potentially transformative." (Abstract)
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"Arts-based peacebuilding has gained attention, but evidence and research of its impact is fragmented and, in particular, the relationship between photography and peace is underexplored. This article examines photovoice as a tool for supporting everyday and community peace in conflict-affected commu
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nities. It identifies four ways that everyday peace indicator photovoice projects in Colombia bolstered community peace: by engendering healing, building territorial identity, enabling intergenerational dialogue, and catalysing action. These impacts emerged as photovoice built on enabling factors, extending existing community peacebuilding capacities, concerns and interventions. Reflecting on the constraints and tensions around working with photography in security-sensitive environments, we propose that participatory photography makes up a vital component of the peace photography genre. We argue that the careful, strategic harnessing of photovoice, and the visualisation of everyday peace, creates opportunities for raising the voices of conflict-affected communities, building shared imaginaries and nurturing dialogue, healing and action." (Abstract)
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"In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), scholars and practitioners often cite the lack of shared narrative as a primary challenge to long-term peace. A study of the multi-ethnic, collaborative story-telling work of the Post Conflict Research Centre (PCRC), a Bosnian peacebuilding organization, however, te
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lls a different story. Instead of aiming to forge a singular narrative, PCRC weaves together multiple stories that express complex positions while driving narrative frames that show peace is possible. In a context where actors might not be ready for a joint narrative, the organization demonstrates how plural stories can co-exist, and be strategically mobilized and disseminated through diverse formats to actively engage others in peace-building processes. Identifying key narrative principles, tactics and frames employed by PCRC, this article proposes more attention is paid to how narrative can be strategically harnessed to de-stabilize the stories that drive entrenched division and to foster and cultivate a culture of peace." (Abstract)
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"This research note introduces the experience of using ‘timelines’ as a visual research method during online interviewing. It does so through a series of questions and answers that guide the reader through an exploration, understanding of and reflection on the method. This qualitative approach w
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as used while conducting research on the influence that participation in a Reality TV show had on its finalists, and on the opportunities and life choices that were afforded to participants after the end of the show. The reader is encouraged to draw links between their own work as a qualitative researcher and the possibilities that this method can offer either in filling gaps or in expanding their current endeavour. Ultimately, the ‘quality’ of the answers we find in our qualitative work is illustrative of the way we choose to ask our questions." (Abstract)
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