"This article reviews the authoritarian regimes, and the subsequent transitions to democracy, that existed in Latin America in the last third of the 20th Century. It is argued that, unlike in other cases, the political science account of such changes, usually self-described as “transitology”, do
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es indeed fit the evidence fairly well. On the other hand, such an account demonstrably fails to illuminate very important features of the experience, notably the relative lack of change in the ownership, structure and practices of the mass media, which is very strongly marked in television. The same large companies that collaborated with, and benefited from, the authoritarian regimes, are still in a dominant position. At the same time, many of the extreme social inequalities that characterise the continent have either hardly been addressed or have actually been exacerbated. It is therefore concluded that these examples are equally well or better explained by a theory that stresses the degree of social continuity between the different political orders." (Abstract)
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"To what extent do the structures and conduct of leading news media correspond with their specific democratic role? Authors from 10 countries provide empirical evidence based on the 26 indicators included in the Media for Democracy Monitor." (Back cover)
"This guide is designed for development practitioners in donor organizations, governments, and civil society, who are setting up capacity-building programs for promoting sustainable accountability and governance reform. A conceptual framework for communication and accountability provides trainers wi
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th an understanding of the role of communication, while several case studies exemplify communication for accountability in developing countries. The guide proposes a training structure and provides training materials as well as exercises." (Back cover)
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"Spontane Proteste, die über soziale Netzwerke organisiert werden, haben das politische Leben Belarus’ in Aufruhr versetzt. Die Bewegung, die diese Proteste organisierte, bediente sich – im Vergleich zu anderen politischen Kräften – innovativer Methoden und konnte eine Vielzahl neuer Mitglie
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der gewinnen. Ab August 2011 beschränkte sie sich allerdings wieder auf den online-Bereich. Vor dem Hintergrund des neuen großen Einflusses sozialer Netzwerke auf politische Ereignisse weltweit geht es in Belarus nicht um eine "Revolution" im herkömmlichen Sinne, sondern eher um die Formierung einer neuen politischen Kraft, die wiederum zur Formierung einer Bürgergesellschaft beitragen kann." (Zusammenfassung)
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"In what ways can mediated transnational protests express, however emergently or imperfectly, «global civil society» and «global citizenship»? How, in an increasingly fragmented and multilayered communications environment, can they contribute to a «global public sphere»? This book explores the
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se and other major questions, examining protests and their transactions within and through today’s complex circuits of communications and media worldwide. With contributions from leading theorists and researchers, this cutting-edge collection discusses protests focusing on war and peace, economy and trade, ecology and climate change, as well as political struggles for civil and human rights, including the Arab uprisings. At its core is a desire to better understand activists’ innovative uses of media and communications within a rapidly changing media environment, and how this is altering relations of communication power around the globe." (Publisher description)
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"This study examined the relationship between young Jordanians' (N = 321) news use and their feelings toward the Jordanian and US governments. Consumption of traditional news delivery formats (such as print newspapers, radio broadcasts and interpersonal sources) was measured, as was reliance on new
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media formats such as blogs, text messaging and podcasting. Political socialization measures were indices of political trust and appraisals of the US government. Results suggest that young Jordanians in the sample rely mostly on TV news, newspapers and interpersonal contacts for current events information, and that TV news use and reliance on interpersonal sources were associated with negative views of the US government." (Abstract)
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"When news organizations began covering the Intifada in 2000, activists formed a media-monitoring group called Palestine Media Watch to lobby journalists to interpret the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within an international law framework. Activists minimized their dissidence in relation to journalis
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m, systematically monitoring coverage over a period of several months, and meeting face-to-face with newsworkers. Drawing upon archives and interviews, I demonstrate that dissident media-monitoring groups play a small, but meaningful role in the newsmaking process. Dissidents can produce changes because they can formulate criticisms that newsworkers define as "journalistically useful." I define these criticisms to show how the definition facilitates and limits what can be accomplished via systematic monitoring, and suggest alternative dissident media strategies." (Abstract)
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"Contrary to the optimistic view that the Internet would promote democracy in authoritarian countries like China, the pervasive political apathy among younger generations calls for a closer examination of micro-level individual political participation. This study contributes to the nascent body of e
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mpirical literature probing Chinese Internet users' political participation online by examining related behavioral and attitudinal factors. We argue that Chinese netizens' online participatory behaviors are determined by their political attitudes, trust in the media, and, chiefly, trust in the social system. Importantly, the current political and social environment in China seems to truncate any liberalizing potential of the Internet, as evidenced by the limited online political discussion and strong presence of government regulation. This dynamic implies that any utopian predictions concerning political participation online need to be reformulated in light of these external contextual factors." (Abstract)
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"A National Conversation' is a 5-year project funded by DFID's Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF) delivered by the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST). Its purpose is to 'enhance media's capacity to cover governance issues by increasing transparency, accountability and citizen participation in med
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ia'. It covers Angola, Sierra Leone and Tanzania, has a total budget of £5 million and runs from 2008 to 2013. This mid-term review, by independent media consultant Mary Myers, finds that the quality of the work has been good and the progress to date has been fairly good. The BBC WST has taken on an ambitious task and is delivering an innovative and, at times, highly sensitive project with commitment, hard work, attention to high standards and efficiency. In terms of progress against the log-frame indicators, many of the objectives are in line to be achieved by the end of the project, despite a few short-comings. The project is particularly strong on media development and co-productions with partner broadcasters. The training and mentoring work done so far is probably the element showing the biggest impact at this stage. Some other objectives have only partially been achieved and benefits and shortcomings are finely balanced. This applies particularly to the research side of the project." (Executive summary, page 4)
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"Mediated forms of communication increasingly influence the social relations and different spheres of life in the regions of South Asia, Southeast Asia and in the Arab-speaking region. In order to understand the profound social and political changes that go hand in hand with these medialisation proc
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esses, an independent and systematic media perspective needs to be generated from within the disciplinary framework of Area and Islamic Studies. This volume has a strong focus on the internet and on the diversity of internet-based communication in the three regions mentioned above. Furthermore, it stresses the need for a new cross-media approach that goes beyond the analysis of single media and helps to understand the transnational and local dynamics of an increasing media convergence." (Publisher description)
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"Wie hat das Internet die individuelle politische Kommunikation von Bürgerinnen und Bürgern verändert? Und welche konkreten Entwicklungen sind zu beobachten? Das von 2002 bis 2009 laufende DFG-Projekt »Politische Online-Kommunikation« geht diesen Fragen nach: Auf der Grundlage einer breit angel
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egten empirischen Studie dokumentieren die Autoren die Entwicklung der politischen Kommunikationsaktivitäten der befragten Bürger im zeitlichen Verlauf. Untersucht werden sowohl Informationsaktivitäten wie das Lesen politischer Internetseiten als auch die interpersonale politische Online-Kommunikation sowie politische Partizipationsaktivitäten im Internet." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"La libéralisation spectaculaire de l’espace médiatique arabe n’en finit pas de surprendre. Comment comprendre cette brutale explosion de créativité, ce foisonnement d’initiatives et d’énergie ? En quelques mois, ces sociétés auraient fait l’apprentissage de la liberté d’expressi
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on, les blogueurs réussissant grâce à Internet à contourner les censures étatiques et bousculer les pouvoirs en place. L’Internet n’explique pas tout. Seul un détour par l’histoire permet de comprendre ces bouleversements sociaux : télévisions hertziennes au lendemain des indépendances, puis satellitaires lors de la première guerre du Golfe avec notamment la création de la chaîne Al Jazeera, affirmation des médias numériques, des réseaux sociaux qui, loin de faire de l’ombre aux anciens, contribuent au renforcement des interactions entre les différents médias [...] Tourya Guaabess signe une étude vivante et documentée sur les grandes étapes de cette révolution médiatique, essentielle à la compréhension des transitions politiques en cours." (Dos de couverture)
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"It has to be underlined that this study does not see the internet as a major remedy for the development of political culture and civil society that is so essential for Pakistan’s further democratic consolidation. To understand possible contributions of the new information technologies towards pol
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itical progress it is important to consider them within the context of society. If the new media are integrated into ongoing struggles for change they can actually open up the landscape of ‘old politics’, providing additional possibilities for civic engagement and mobilisation. This is perhaps most evident in the efforts for women’s empowerment on and over the internet which in fact represent a new approach to the long-term activism against violence against women and for women’s rights in Pakistani society. The necessary attempts to reach a coherent legislation for internet use in Pakistan might provide another example in this regard - when pursued in a concerted manner. Here, civil society and the private sector could seek to develop a unified position vis-à-vis the state and to influence the government’s decision making process, thereby indirectly touching fundamental issues such as civil rights and cultural tolerance." (Conclusion, page 66)
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"This Media Toolkit for Local Governance in Lesotho is designed to encourage media coverage of news and events in Lesotho’s rural areas at local government level. According to the publication, to improve such media coverage there is a need to focus both on the providers and the collectors of news.
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The first part of the toolkit focuses on journalists covering local governance-related news items. It is intended as a workbook for journalists at community and district levels throughout the country so that media coverage enhances people’s understanding of the local government system. The second part is intended for local government officials and non-governmental organsiations, assisting them to make more effective use of the media to achieve their objectives." (www.comminit.com, June 15, 2012)
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"This is an applied facilitator’s guide for reform managers, change agents, development practitioners, and training professionals who need to use smart communication techniques—the relevant concepts, frameworks and applications—to promote change through governance reform. It is grounded on the
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expert knowledge and practical research from academics and scholars and practitioners in the field, culled and enriched from CommGAP’s series of global dialogue on key governance issues." (Back cover)
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