"This article investigates the 'discursive notion' of communication technology, as embedded in the discussion of mediatization. Instead of focusing on the technical structure of media and its impact on society, I will alternatively turn my attention to its symbolic dimension. I will look beyond the
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surface of the symbolic, by questioning how this dimension has been discursively created. As such, I suggest using the term 'discursive notion', as discourse also refers to power relations. The analysis of the discursive notion relating to the internet in Morocco is developed through the critical approach of postcolonial theory. This is done with the aim of dissecting the construction of colonial discourse, and in order to show how specific power relations continue to function to present." (Abstract)
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"The report offers a status on the US and UK markets as well as close ups on ebook markets as they take shape across Europe, Brazil, China, India, Russia, and in the Arab world. Thematic chapters focus on critical policy debates and on key driving forces, notably ebook bestsellers and pricing strate
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gies across European markets, selfpublishing, regulation, piracy, and the expanding activities of the leading global players." (Executive summary)
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"This article takes a critical look at the print vs digital debate in Africa, taking stock of the current position as it relates to electronic publishing and the use of electronic reading devices in (English-speaking) sub-Saharan Africa, and the rapidly changing publishing environment on the contine
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nt. It describes and critically examines a number of projects and initiatives that are concerned with digital printing and publishing, and provision of e-book reading devices. The article also touches upon another topic that is closely associated with digital media, namely that of the somewhat contentious area of self-publishing, and the phenomenal rise in digital self-publishing in Africa in recent years. An Appendix reviews a selection of some of the now rapidly increasing amount of literature that has appeared about digital publishing in Africa over the last year or two." (Page 1)
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"Der Artikel beabsichtigt, den derzeitigen Diskussionsstand zu Theorie und Praxis der Gruppendiskussion bezogen auf das Feld der Evaluation zusammenzutassen, die Stärken und Grenzen von Gruppendiskussionen in evaluativen Vorhaben zu skizzieren und eine weitere Fundierung der Gruppendiskussion in de
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r Evaluation anzuregen. Nach einer definitorischen Klärung verwandter Begrifflichkeiten wie Gruppendiskussion, Focus Group und Gruppeninterview wird ein Überblick über die Entwicklung und Rezeption der Methode in der Literatur der Sozialforschung und Evaluation gegeben. Es wird herausgearbeitet, was Evaluation als Disziplin im Vergleich zur Sozialforschung allgemein ausmacht und welche besonderen Leistungspotenziale sich hieraus für die Gruppendiskussion in der Evaluation ergeben. Zwei idealtypische Formen der Gruppendiskussion werden kontrastiert und zentrale Gestaltungsparameter bei der Planung, Durchführung und Auswertung vorgestellt und diskutiert." (Zusammenfassung)
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"Die Werbekunden erwarten von den Vermarktern Nachweise über die Wirkung der gebuchten Werbeflächen und Werbezeiten. Neben dem Return on Investment (ROI), der angibt, welcher Anteil der Werbeausgaben über den Mehrumsatz des beworbenen Produktes zurückgespielt wurde, gibt es eine Vielzahl weitere
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r, kognitiver KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). Hierzu zählen die Werbeerinnerung, die Markenbekanntheit, die Markensympathie, die Markenpräferenz sowie in der Regel ein Indikator, welcher angibt, ob die Kampagne eine Aktivität beim potenziellen Kunden hervorgerufen hat. Die Veränderungen der Anteilswerte dieser KPIs durch Werbung werden meistens über Befragungen ermittelt. Für den vorliegenden Beitrag wurden die seit 2007 mit Hilfe eines Tracking-Verfahrens gewonnenen Daten zu Veränderungen in den genannten KPIs analysiert. Alle seither mit dem AS&S Multi-Tracking beobachteten Radiokampagnen wurden gemeinsam ausgewertet, um hieraus gegebenenfalls zu verallgemeinerbaren Erkenntnissen zu gelangen. Insgesamt wurden mit dem Tool Multi-Tracking seit 2007 97 Kampagnen erfasst (Radio-Monokampagnen und Mixkampagnen mit Radio, TV oder Zeitschriften). Drei Kommunikationsziele wurden zur Überprüfung der Wirkung herangezogen: Markenbekanntheit, Markensympathie und Aktivierung. Es zeigte sich: Radiowerbung erfüllt alle Kommunikationsziele, jedoch in Abhängigkeit von den realisierten Kontakten. Die Wirkungskurven verlaufen für Radio zumindest im unteren Kontaktbereich weitgehend linear. Die besondere Stärke der Radiowerbung liegt in der Schaffung von Markenbekanntheit und der Penetrierung des Markennamens. Je anspruchsvoller das Kommunikationsziel, desto mehr Kontakte werden benötigt. Eine gute Spotkreation begünstigt die Werbewirkung, holt mehr aus dem einzelnen Kontakt heraus und reduziert so die Zahl der benötigten Kontakte. Im Mix wirken Radio und TV vergleichbar stark. Die größten Wirkungsbeiträge werden von gemeinsamen Kontakten von Radio und TV generiert. Unabhängig von den TV-Kontakten verstärkt Radio mit jedem zusätzlichen Kontakt die Wirkungsleistung der Kampagne." (Abstract)
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"The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) of Nigeria [...] has powers that go beyond film classification and censorship. This has been manifested especially through its attempt to regularize film distribution in Nigeria through the introduction of a distribution framework. Many resented thi
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s attempt by the NFVCB. They considered it as needless interference, especially since the Nigerian video film industry had grown without any assistance from the government. But the NFVCB stated that it was merely exercising its mandate. This article examines the various issues involved and seeks to throw some light on a body that has been little studied." (Abstract)
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"This paper focuses attention on randomised field experiments in the developing world that explicitly address the use of media to achieve democracy and governance (DG) outcomes [...] The first section describes the growth of DG assistance and the increasing interest in DG field experiments. The seco
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nd section describes the domain of media assistance targeted at DG outcomes. The third provides an overview of current experimental and quasi-experimental studies on the intersection between media, democracy and governance. The fourth and fifth sections describe some of the challenges to successfully employing field experiments to inform media assistance programmes. The final section concludes by arguing for the benefits of practitioner-academic collaborations that provide experimental evidence about the influences on as well as the effects of media content related to democracy and governance." (Page 4)
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"Gubrium and Harper describe how visual and digital methodologies can contribute to a participatory, public-engaged ethnography. These methods can change the traditional relationship between academic researchers and the community, building one that is more accessible, inclusive, and visually appeali
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ng, and one that encourages community members to reflect and engage in issues in their own communities. The authors describe how to use photovoice, film and video, digital storytelling, GIS, digital archives and exhibits in participatory contexts, and include numerous case studies demonstrating their utility around the world." (Publisher description)
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"The Routledge Handbook of Discourse Analysis covers the major approaches to Discourse Analysis from Critical Discourse Analysis to Multimodal Discourse Analysis and their applications in key educational and institutional settings. The handbook is divided into six sections: Approaches to Discourse A
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nalysis, Register and Genre, Developments in Spoken Discourse, Educational Applications, Institutional Applications and Identity, Culture and Discourse. The chapters are written by a wide range of contributors from around the world, each a leading researcher in their respective field. All chapters have been closely edited by James Paul Gee and Michael Handford. With a focus on the application of Discourse Analysis to real-life problems, the contributors introduce the reader to a topic, and analyse authentic data." (Publisher description)
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"missio setzt sich im Rahmen der Aktion Schutzengel „Für Familien in Not. Weltweit“ mit einer Unterschriftenaktion für saubere Handys dafür ein, dass führende Handyhersteller sicherstellen, dass ihre Handys kein Coltan aus Konfliktregionen der Demokratischen Republik Kongo verwenden, mit dem
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der Krieg finanziert wird. In diesem Hintergrundpapier wird die Bedeutung des Erzes Coltan bzw. Tantal beschrieben, der Zusammenhang mit dem Bürgerkrieg in diesem Land verdeutlicht und vor allem politische Rahmenbedingungen für sichere Herkunftsnachweise vorgestellt. Ziel aller Aktionen darf keinesfalls der Boykott des Rohstoffes sein. Es geht um den kontrollierbar zu machenden Nachweis der Handyunternehmen, dass vom Verkauf von Coltan keine Milizen, Rebellengruppen etc. profitieren. Um dies zu erreichen, bedarf es einer engen Kooperation aller am Abbau, an der Zulieferung, der Verarbeitung und des Verkaufs beteiligten Akteure." (Einführung)
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"The book consists of six chapters on Slovenian media history. All the subjects (censorship, political struggles, the economic crisis, the Balkans, folk songs and racism) are as topical today as they were at the time when they were discussed. What has changed then? Obviously, “time” has changed,
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since “space” is more or less consistent. And yet, this is only partly true. Symbolic-geographical space is like an accordion that stretches and shrinks under the pressure of historical change. Furthermore, topicality depends on writing style, among other things: by combining traditional historical analysis and a journalistic-literary style, we have tried to relativize the image of the contemporary media landscape and lend it a historical dimension. To achieve this, we quoted interesting passages from old newspapers whose archaic discourse illustrates the language of Slovenian journalism of the time." (Pages 5-6)
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"Static: Race and Representation in Post-apartheid Music, Media and Film critically examines music, cinema, social media and the politics of change after apartheid. It cuts across academic disciplines, the creative arts and the media and poses two central questions: Is South Africa changing for the
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better, or are we static? Is there too much static for us to hear each other clearly? Static provides key insights into recent media phenomena, such as Die Antwoord; the 2010 Soccer World Cup; Bok van Blerk; Tsotsi; Kuli Roberts' Sunday World column on 'coloureds'; revisionist film Afrikaaps and the University of the Free State's Reitz video scandal." (Publisher description)
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"There is a key and oft-repeated assumption that the book is not indigenous to Africa, and has a relatively short history here.1 Thus, to tell the story of the book in Africa, some would start with the coming of the first printing presses, brought to missions, colonies, and trading posts around the
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continent by Europeans. Others would argue that we should look at the first indigenous publishing initiatives, mostly newspapers set up by welleducated locals, which led to the inculcation of print into African cultures. But there is also a textual history that is around a thousand years older, the story of the writing, reading, and circulation of texts before the advent of movable type. Where we begin is also a question of location, and the geography of Africa is a complicating factor in any historical study. Borders have changed, peoples have migrated, and the transnational nature of trade and circulation has had a lasting impact on the continent. And “Africa” itself is a troublesome concept, often conceived of either as a monolithic whole or as broad swathes: sub-Saharan and North Africa, or black and Arab Africa, the linguistic and political categories of Anglophone and Francophone Africa, and so on. Moreover, while Adrian Johns argues that print has a role in transcending place, it is also important to look at the specifics of locale when examining book history in such a contested terrain. So there is great variety in both the places and times where the written word has been used, traded, printed, and dispersed in the African context. As a result, print and textual culture has had a differential impact in different parts of Africa, and for different groups." (Abstract)
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"The Handbook of Comparative Communication Research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of comparative communication research. It fills an obvious gap in the literature and offers an extensive and interdisciplinary discussion of the general approach of comparative research, its prospect an
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d problems as well as its applications in crucial sub-fields of communications. The first part of the volume charts the state of the art in the field; the second section introduces relevant areas of communication studies where the comparative approach has been successfully applied in recent years; the third part offers an analytical review of conceptual and methodological issues; and the last section proposes a roadmap for future research." (Publisher description)
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