"Based on an online survey with 330 Chilean journalists and 4,615 media users, this study examines the discrepancies between the expectations of Chilean audiences and news professionals regarding journalistic roles and their evaluation of media performance. The findings reveal that audiences place g
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reater importance on the disseminator and public service–oriented roles, while journalists prioritize roles aimed at influencing the public. Regarding media performance, audiences believe that journalism favors industry-oriented roles over those they prioritize. In contrast, journalists believe that the media mostly perform roles aligned with the audience’s expectations. Our results also show that although the watchdog and disseminator roles are strong predictors of quality journalism for both groups, the civic role only impacts quality journalism in the case of news professionals. Instead, audiences associate good journalism with practices that address their everyday problems, such as the ones represented by the service role." (Abstract)
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"This article explores the patterns and consequences of transnational audiences’ engagement with global media in the digital age, focusing on experiences in Africa. It examines Nigerians’ interactions with the BBC World Service, and draws on active audience theory and Joseph Nye’s soft power c
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oncept to unpick their complex relationship. Using documentary analysis, focus groups and individual interviews, the study unpacks how Nigerians deploy digital devices to engage with the BBC – and how the broadcaster leverages this to extend its influence. The impacts of digital technologies on participatory programming and audience interactivity – and the theoretical implications – are also analysed." (Abstract)
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"Redaktionen müssen angesichts einer zunehmend fragmentierten Publikumsbeziehung neue Wege finden, ihre Rezipierenden an sich zu binden. Eine in diesem Kontext oftmals diskutierte Strategie ist die des Audience- Engagements. Im Rahmen einer Fallstudie untersucht dieser Beitrag Chancen und Herausfor
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derung der redaktionellen Umsetzung von Audience-Engagement anhand eines Projekts einer öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalt. In der qualitativen Analyse zeigen sich klare Chancen des Audience-Engagements: der Aufbau von Legitimität, Relevanzgewinn, Repräsentation, neue Finanzierungsmöglichkeiten sowie Vertrauensbildung und Beziehungspflege. Zugleich zeigen sich jedoch auch einige Herausforderungen, die es bei der Planung und Umsetzung derartiger Projekte zu berücksichtigen gilt: Der hohe Organisations- und Koordinationsaufwand, redaktionelle Selbstverpflichtung, Themen- und Formatauswahl, Erwartungsmanagement sowie ethische und datenschutzrechtliche Aspekte stellen sich als Erfolgsfaktoren für die Durchführung von Audience-Engagement-Projekten heraus. Daraus lassen sich diverse Implikationen für die Umsetzung von Audience-Engagement-Projekten ableiten – zentral wird insbesondere die Institutionalisierung sein. Die Ergebnisse bieten sowohl für die Forschung als auch für die journalistische Praxis vielfältige Anknüpfungspunkte." (Abstract)
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"Despite the assertion that radio is a dying medium due to technological advances, community radio has proven its resilience and relevance as an essential tool for development communication. Launched in 2020, the community FM radio in New Corella, Davao del Norte, has been instrumental in reaching t
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housands of households with news, entertainment, and developmental initiatives. This program promotes an inclusive, consultative, and participatory approach to local development. Hence, this study investigated the extent of listeners' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding the development programs and examined the influence of demographic factors on these aspects through a descriptive correlational survey. The 252 listeners were surveyed, and the study found significant associations between their educational attainment, employment status, and ethnicity to their knowledge, attitudes, and practices. These findings underscore the importance of considering demographic variables in enhancing community engagement and the effectiveness of community radio initiatives. Strategies were also proposed to improve development programs based on the data findings such as developing inclusive and creative program content for all ages, ethnicities and genders, and producing radio-based education programs." (Abstract)
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"Compared with work on trust in news, surprisingly little research examines audiences’ expectations of journalism. Audiences’ expectations, after all, elucidate public opinion of news, including the criteria by which news and journalists may be trusted. Journalism expectancy research is particul
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arly paltry beyond Euro-American contexts, where normative and primarily Western understandings of journalism cannot be assumed. Drawing on 28 in-depth interviews, this study illuminates situated expectations of journalism and journalists in Uganda. I find that although respondents desire for media professionals to expose corruption, serve the public, and provide social support to communities, they expect in practice that journalists will accept bribes and produce government-leaning content. Despite this gap between desired and anticipated practices, respondents expressed positive perceptions toward journalists, often contrasting this confidence with frustration toward political representatives. Such favorability alongside unmet normative expectations, I argue, reflects individuals’ relative institutional trust in journalism above any substantive evaluation of media performance." (Abstract)
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"In November 2023, DW Akademie brought together journalists, civil society organizations, digital rights experts, and media influencers for a consultation workshop in Kampala, Uganda. In the two-day event, hosted by Media Challenge Initiative (MCI), the diverse group collaboratively developed recomm
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endations on how to promote constructive public dialogue on social media, in Uganda. In this publication, you will find these developed recommendations aimed at social media platforms, private actors, and governments (Part 1), and media organizations, journalists, tech and innovation hubs, civil society organizations, and media development organizations (Part 2).
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"Risk and crisis communication (RCC) is a complex constellation of multiple actors, platforms, and voices. It involves institutional actors but also laypeople. Participation by social media users can both facilitate and obstruct effective RCC. The present study draws on in-depth interviews with Swed
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ish Facebook users, and explores motivational factors for lay participation in RCC in the context of vaccination utilizing Peter Dahlgren’s (2011) model. The contributions of this study are threefold. First, it identifies three dominant clusters of participation motivations: personal interest, information brokerage, and persuasion. Second, the results show that Facebook sociality is characterized by asynchronous communication, loops, and widespread hostility. Third, degrees of content visibility set up “zones of peace” (backstage, safe communication spaces) and “zones of fight” (frontstage, open sub-arenas where various views on vaccination are debated). Moreover, the study finds that these forms of sociality and levels of visibility can both strengthen and undermine user motivations." (Abstract)
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"This commentary argues that caring about mental health and well-being in journalism begins with journalists, but it also should include corresponding care for news audiences." (Abstract)
"Esta investigación tiene como objetivo determinar indicadores clave para evaluar la capacidad de transparencia, autorregulación y participación de los usuarios, las tres dimensiones de la accountability. Se adoptó un triple punto de partida metodológico: revisión sistemática de literatura so
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bre indicadores de accountability y sus características, un mapeo de medios de referencia con indicadores de accountability, y evaluación de medios. Se obtuvo un sistema de 11 indicadores clave para medir y establecer comparaciones entre sitios web de medios de comunicación y determinar si satisfacen las tres dimensiones clave de la rendición de cuentas y los elementos asociados. Dicho sistema puede ser aplicado en múltiples escenarios para fomentar un periodismo de calidad." (Resumen)
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"The following are the key insights identified across all three weeks of the radio dialogue: In week one of radio dialogue, 36.2% of the participants (n=125) and week 3 55.1% (n=266) of participants agreed that there should be unity and cooperation among all members of the community. They stated tha
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t unity is helpful in the fight against violent extremism and would strengthen the role of women in PCVE and enhance cooperation among women, the government, and civil society organisations in PCVE interventions. 25.5 % (n=88) of participants in week one also stated that peace and security should be prioritised so that women can play a role in combating violent extremism in their respective regions. This can be promoted by working on and maintaining peace in the respective communities. In week two, 32.2 % (n=118) of participants believed that women play an important role in combating PCVE because they are the foundation of the family and are important in a community." (Main findings, page V)
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"E-participation is the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) or digital technologies to involve citizens in public decision-making with the goal of empowering citizens and for the benefit of society as a whole. It is part of e-governance, a term that refers to the use of ICTs in
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governance functions. Broadly, e-governance comprises government service provision (e-government); government information platforms and e-participation platforms through which public decision-making takes place. Developments in digital technologies have led to convergence of one or all of e-governance components. For example, with the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments publish health information online for their citizens. During particular campaigns, such as vaccination drives, government officers use their systems to contact people, collect data and provide the vaccination and follow-ups. The same system may be used to collect feedback on services received." (Introduction, page 1)
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"The aim of this article is to show to what extent alternative audio media can be built online, not only by amateurs but also as a combination of the energy and involvement of professional journalists and the community of listeners who are ready to support them [...] The podcast Raport o stanie swia
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ta and two Internet radio stations, Radio Nowy Swiat and Radio 357 from Poland, which are analysed in this article, were born in an act of protest against the negative changes in public service broadcasting, which became a propaganda tool. They are financed by listeners via the crowdfunding platform Patronite and do not broadcast advertising. A framework for analysing their functioning is devised using, in particular, theories of the public sphere and of alternative media. The study is based on content analysis of the call-in broadcasts disseminated for the first anniversary of the stations, Radio Nowy Swiat (April 16 and July 9, 2022) and Radio 357 (January 5, 2022). Pre-structured interviews with the patrons of Raport o stanie swiata are also used. Websites and social media accounts of these initiatives, as well as press coverage and data gathered by the National Broadcasting Council in relation to Polish Radio, are analysed as well. The research found that all three initiatives Raport o stanie swiata, Radio Nowy Swiat and Radio 357, despite being started by professionals, share some of the characteristics of alternative media and can significantly change the model of audio production, financing and consumption routines in Poland." (Abstract)
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"Aufbauend auf dem sozialpsychologischen Konzept der sozialen Unterstützung haben wir das KASI-Prinzip entwickelt. Es stellt Redaktionen drei Stile der Empowerment-Moderation zur Verfügung: den kognitiven Stil (K), den affektiven Stil (A) und den sozial-integrativen Stil (SI). Die Stile unterschei
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den sich in ihrer Zielsetzung und in ihrer Ansprache der Nutzenden: Der kognitive Stil zielt mittels seiner sachlichen Ansprache darauf ab, einen inhaltlichen Mehrwert in Online-Diskussionen zu schaffen, zum Beispiel durch zusätzliche Informationen, Argumente und Perspektiven. Der affektive Stil kann durch seine empathische Ansprache das Selbstwertgefühl der Nutzerinnen und Nutzer steigern, sie dazu motivieren, persönliche Erfahrungen zu teilen und ihre Emotionen und Empathie zu fördern. Der sozial-integrative Stil schließlich will durch seine gemeinschaftsorientierte Ansprache den Austausch der Nutzenden untereinander fördern, ihren Zusammenhalt stärken und für eine angenehme Grundstimmung in der Community sorgen. Alle Stile können, je nach individueller Zielsetzung von Redaktionen, einzeln oder gemeinsam im laufenden Moderationsbetrieb eingesetzt werden." (Seite 5)
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"Listening clubs constitute a space that allows a group of people to listen to a radio programme together, discuss the programme, ask questions in order to clarify what it was about, and even create their own radio programmes. Generally speaking, community listening clubs aim to improve access to in
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formation for rural populations, particularly women, and to strengthen their power to take action. A listening club is a group of men and women who wish to actively and systematically listen to radio broadcasts with a view to debating their content and, in particular, putting into practice the lessons learnt from these programmes. Listening clubs also aim to conceive and lead their own radio programmes on specific issues, chosen during their discussions, in order to clarify any questions they may have. Their objective also forms part of Oxfam’s protection mandate (the fight against violence, coercion and deliberate deprivation) and its strategic objectives related to the fight against poverty and to gender equality in terms of access to resources, goods and services and involvement in decisionmaking." (Page 1)
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"Radio shows which invite audience participation via short message service (SMS)—interactive radio–SMS—can be designed as a mixed methods approach for applied social research during COVID-19 and other crises in low and middle income countries. In the aftermath of a cholera outbreak in Somalia,
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we illustrate how this method provides social insights that would have been missed if a purely qualitative or quantitative approach were used. We then examine the strengths and limitations associated with interactive radio–SMS through an evaluation using a multimethod comparison. Our research contributes an application of a mixed methods approach which addresses a specific challenge raised by COVID-19, namely utilizing media and digital technologies for social research in low and middle income countries." (Abstract)
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"Audience research remains a fractured discipline and this continues to hinder its development into a fully-fledged academic field. There are many reasons for this – historic, philosophical, structural, epistemological and methodological – that are discussed in the course of this essay. However,
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one of the benefits of the dispersed nature of the discipline is its flexibility and freedom: audience research is a broad church, attracting a largely itinerant congregation of diverse scholars and practitioners who benefit from the lack of constraints presented by more established disciplines and from the opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and exchange. On the other hand, the lack of a scholarly home leaves the discipline vulnerable to charges of amorphism, which in turn hamper its structural evolution. Drawing on an existing body of empirical and theoretical work, this essay argues that the concept of engagement offers a promising paradigm to underpin and inform the maturation of audience research. Following a critical review of competing definitions and application of notions of audience engagement, the essay deconstructs the concept of engagement before reconstructing it to propose a robust and workable new paradigm for audience research." (Abstract)
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"With the diffusion of the internet, media and communication research witnessed the emergence of a new term, ‘engagement’. Although, the term is widely used it is poorly defined and in need of explication. Through semantic network analysis, the analysis shows how traditions, as varied as audienc
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e research, political science, science communication, marketing studies and media psychology, have put the concept to use for very different purposes. Clusters in the network map demonstrate clear demarcations between traditions and perspectives on the ontology of engagement. Following from this mapping, the article evaluates the different perspectives and outlines key issues that scholars need to deal with to advance engagement as an analytical concept in media and communications research. In the end, the article argues that engagement should foreground the reflexive capacities of individuals rather than instrumental interactions or societal participation. In this way, the concept can retain its specificity and richness rather than turn into a colloquial term with vague and indistinct connotations." (Abstract
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"The aim of this article is to analyse the meanings of ‘engagement’ deployed in media and communication journals over the last five years (2016-2020), in 502 articles found through the Web of Science. Through the analysis of their abstracts, supported by Iramuteq software, this research has iden
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tified four categories: a) media effects and proximity to behavioural science; b) participation and citizenship perspectives, with links to science studies; c) structures and uses of social media; d) organisational communication. The circulation of engagement, as a concept, presents a multiplicity of meanings involving other theoretical traditions, not always in congruence with audience studies traditions, but which may even revisit certain ‘media effects’ frameworks, for example. Thus, the analysis of this concept in a specific time frame and broader theoretical context helps to understand the struggles around the concept and its different theoretical affiliations. The results highlight the polysemy of the concept, and that there is no preponderance of social media engagement. From the presentation of the results, we discuss their blind-spots and consequences for audience studies." (Abstract)
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