"The fourth edition of the Global State of Democracy Report comes at a time when democracy is under both literal and figurative assault around the world. The steady drumbeat of such warnings—included in the previous edition of this report, which was produced at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic
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always runs the risk of becoming background noise, as today’s crisis can quickly become tomorrow’s new normal. But the dangers are real. Beyond the lingering pandemic, today’s wars and a looming global recession, lies the challenge of climate change and all it entails—severe weather events, the necessary green transition and multi-fold consequences for democratic governance [...] But contrary to what democratic pessimists may suggest, authoritarian countries and alternative systems of government have not outperformed their democratic peers. Discontent at the neverending stream of Chinese lockdowns and the tens of thousands of draft dodgers fleeing Russia for an uncertain existence in the South Caucasus and Central Asia show that it is not just in democracies where the social contract is in urgent need of renewal." (Preface)
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"This thesis uses a comparative case study to examine Tanzania and Ghana, two countries where China has contributed or sold large amounts of infrastructure, but who have seen different political reactions to and uses of this infrastructure. It poses the question: how do we explain the differing path
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s these two emerging democracies take in their political utilization of unregulated digital infrastructure investment? By analyzing elections and regulation in both countries over a period of roughly 15 years, this thesis examines the role that the timing of the introduction of digital infrastructure plays in each country's political reaction. It argues that in Tanzania, where digital infrastructure was adopted later than Ghana, country leaders perceived the internet as a threat to their hold on power and therefore internally developed a 'normal' standard of behavior and governance that was much less open. Ultimately, it concludes that countries combine internal concepts with outside rhetoric, both from China and the Global North, to justify their actions internationally." (Abstract)
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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 spread of disinformation has received significant attention in recent years, yet little has been paid to government disinformation, and whether governments may violate freedom of expression not only in how they regulate disinformation, but also in how they facilitate, sow and spread it. This ar
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ticle analyses whether and to what extent Article 10 of the ECHR is engaged by government disinformation. It extends the analysis from well-established violations of freedom of expression—overt censorship and withholding information—into novel forms of government interference in the ‘post-truth’ age: false claims of ‘fake news’ levelled at the press and intentional lies about matters of public importance. These latter categories warrant further attention, as governments can cause just as much harm to public discourse and debate by intentionally injecting falsehoods as by censoring truth. A purposive approach to freedom of expression is needed to protect not only the means of expression, but also the ends—vibrant democratic discourse and meaningful public debate." (Abstract)
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"Los diálogos públicos ponen en práctica el periodismo de intermediación, generando espacios de encuentro, presenciales o virtuales, en medios radiofónicos y plataformas multimedia, para que los y las protagonistas o actores sociales de una determinada situación de conflicto, dialoguen y busqu
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en entendimientos y alternativas con el propósito de lograr una convivencia armónica y de respeto a los derechos de las personas. Este formato, que CORAPE realiza en Ecuador, toma como base la experiencia de los diálogos públicos que produce la Fundación UNIR en Bolivia y ha sido modificado y adaptado al contexto ecuatoriano. En la presente guía hemos detallado cada uno de los pasos para planificar y desarrollar un diálogo público, desde la parte teórica hasta su puesta en acción." (Presentación)
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"[...] Durch ausführliche Interviews mit Redaktionsmitgliedern und (Digital-)Verantwortlichen bei ARD und ZDF kann er [ = der Autor dieser Studie] ein detailliertes Bild ihrer gegenwärtigen Social-Media-Praxis zeichnen. Das Dilemma wird deutlich: Eine Orientierung der redaktionellen Tätigkeiten a
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n algorithmischen Funktionsweisen und Konventionen der Plattformen findet auf allen Ebenen statt. Formatentwicklung, Darstellungsweisen und Inhalte werden (unterschiedlich stark) daran ausgerichtet. Auch die Kommunikation mit den Nutzer:innen orientiert sich an den Prinzipien der Netzwerke. „Wir wissen, dass es dem Algorithmus auch gefällt“, ist eine vielsagende Begründung in einem der Interviews für die intensive Interaktion der Redaktion mit dem Publikum. Kennzahlen der Plattformen (wie Abrufzahlen) sind im Redaktionsalltag stets präsent und werden als ‚Währungen‘ akzeptiert. Für den Autor Eichler bedarf es mehrerer Ansätze, um auch zukünftig Qualitätsjournalismus in digitalen Medienumgebungen für alle zu sichern. Redaktionen und Medienhäuser sind in der Pflicht, verbindliche Leitlinien für öffentlich-rechtlichen Journalismus in sozialen Netzwerken aufzustellen. Zugleich muss der Ausbau unabhängiger und nicht-kommerzieller Plattformen und eine stärkere Regulierung der Netzwerke und ihrer Algorithmen vorangetrieben werden. Die Medienstaatssekretärin in Rheinland-Pfalz, Heike Raab, sagte kürzlich, die Medien seien „zu wichtig, um sie den Algorithmen und den Gesetzen des Marktes zu überlassen“. Der Markt (und Musk) mögen ARD und ZDF nicht kaufen können, über die Algorithmen aber üben sie erheblichen Einfluss auf deren journalistische Arbeit aus. Stiftung und Autor hoffen, dass die Studie die Debatte darüber stärkt, wie die Unabhängigkeit der öffentlich-rechtlichen Medien nachhaltig gewährleistet werden kann." (Vorwort)
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"Die elf Beiträge der Autor:innen aus Medienwissenschaft und -praxis untersuchen Finanzierung, Produktion und Distribution medialer Öffentlichkeiten sowie Themen, Formate und Rezeption auf ihre Defizite und ihr progressives Potential. Die Analysen und Essays argumentieren unter anderem für die Ve
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rgesellschaftung der Plattformstrukturen sozialer Medien, legen den Reformbedarf im Öffentlich-Rechtlichen Rundfunk dar und plädieren für eine stärkere Repräsentation von Arbeiter:innen in Redaktionen und Berichten." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"El artículo presenta una propuesta multidimensional de medición del pluralismo informativo en distintos programas de TV abierta: noticieros centrales, matinales y programas de opinión y debate, así como los resultados de su aplicación en Chile. El instrumento está compuesto de 6 dimensiones:
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diversidad, editorialidad, concentración, propiedad, percepción y alcance. La hipoìtesis es que una adecuada medición del pluralismo televisivo requiere de distintas dimensiones de análisis, que incluyen aspectos de la programación, las audiencias y la televisión como mercado. Tras dos pruebas piloto, la aplicación del instrumento mostró como resultado un bajo pluralismo en los programas analizados que se expresa en la homogeneidad de contenidos (temas, fuentes, partidos políticos), en un contexto de alta concentración de la audiencia y la inversión publicitaria en los canales con peor puntaje. Estos hallazgos plantean preguntas y propuestas sobre la TV pública y la institucionalidad reguladora del sector en el actual escenario de cambio constitucional." (Resumen)
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"This book explores Gandhi's engagement with print news media. It examines how Gandhi, the man and his message, negotiated with the sociopolitical circumstances of his milieu and the methods of communication that he adopted towards this end. It analyses the role that he played in building up alterna
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tive modes of communication in South Africa and India. This volume elucidates his interactions with the colonial communication order and his contestations of the same through various methods that included setting up new journals and newspapers and taking on the role of writer, journalist, editor, and publisher. It unveils Gandhi's engagement with mass media and print journalism, particularly concerning issues of conflict and conflict resolution, as well as social transformation right from his days in London to the last days of his life." (Publisher description)
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"Social media influencers promote not only products and brands but also their opinions on serious topics like party politics or climate change. These so-called digital opinion leaders may exert a powerful impact on their followers’ political attitudes. Accordingly, we explore new directions to exp
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lain how influencers’ communication is related to political outcomes by proposing the concept of perceived simplification of politics (PSP). We argue that PSP may fuel political cynicism but also stimulate youth’s interest in politics. We also explore important boundary conditions of these associations. We use data from three studies, a two-wave panel survey of adolescents (NT2 =294), a cross-sectional survey of young adults (N=632), and a two-wave panel survey of young adults (NT2=496) in Germany between 2019 and 2020. Findings of all three studies show that the frequency of exposure to social media influencers’ content increases PSP. In Studies 1 and 2, PSP is related to higher political cynicism, while in Study 3, this relationship is restricted to influencers’ communication about environmental topics and gender equality. Furthermore, Studies 2 and 3 suggest that PSP also increases political interest—yet this association requires a certain level of parasocial interaction (PSI) with the influencer and is contingent on specific political topics." (Abstract)
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"This book reveals the value and significance of pirate radio, with a special focus on local radio stations that broadcast illegally in Poland in the early 90s. It shows that many of them, like in other countries from the region, began as non-commercial, community-oriented initiatives. Several sourc
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es of information were used to maximize the potential of the study, especially documents gathered from public institutions, press articles, interviews with radio representatives, and decision-makers who influenced the shape of the broadcasting system. The analysis of these sources supports the conclusion that, although the pirates left a lasting legacy, they lost out in the licensed regime driven by market logic." (Publisher description)
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"Social media offered new opportunities for politicians to engage with the public. However, little research has explored public perceptions of women politicians and their role in women’s empowerment, especially in non-Western contexts. This study used a qualitative methodology to explore how young
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Emirati women made sense of gender and other identities in their discussions of Emirati women politicians on social media. Drawing from intersectionality theory, the study looked beyond gender, exploring other identities that may play a role in Emirati women’s perceptions. The results offered insights into the family and ethnic identity as they interacted with gender. The findings also highlighted the challenges of personalizing messages in a patriarchal society. This study contributes to international political communication research and practice by understanding the complexity of women’s sense-making of social media and women politicians in a non-Western context." (Abstract)
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