"Laos has had a particularly turbulent recent history. Since the late nineteenth century, its territorial borders have been defined and redefined at the whim of successive outside forces, its national identity contrived and manipulated to suit the dominant power of the moment. The articulations of n
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ation status have, for the most part, been inaccessible and irrelevant to the inhabitants of Laos, who have been far more concerned with the day-to-day battle to survive." (Page 75)
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"Diese Einführung geht von der These aus, dass Radio das Vielfältigste aller Medien darstellt. Dies ist u. a. der Tatsache geschuldet, dass niemand so genau weiß, wo die äußeren Grenzen des Phänomens Radio liegen. Manches nennt sich heute Radio - z. B. Internetradio oder Radio-on-Demand -, da
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kann man mit Recht fragen, ob dies vom Begriff eigentlich gedeckt ist? In jedem Fall aber gilt, dass das erste elektronische Medium - im Prinzip ca. neunzig Jahre alt - schon viel mitgemacht hat. Nach seinen Pionier- und Experimentaljahren wurde es zum Leitmedium der „goldenen“ Phase des Radios zwischen den 30er und 50er Jahren, es wurde später vom Fernsehen marginalisiert und erfand sich neu als Begleitmedium, wo es bis heute seine Stärke beweist. Es hat über die Jahre alle Lebensräume erobert und begleitet unsere Mobilität, es hat eine einzigartige Internationalität entwickelt und ist tief im Lokalen verankert. Es ist neben dem Fernsehen das meistgenutzte Medium in Deutschland und zeigt trotz des Siegeszugs des Internet kaum Rückgänge in der Nutzung. Mehr noch, es scheint zunehmend zum Komplementär im Internet-Zeitalter zu werden, da es wunderbar während der Arbeit am Bildschirm genutzt werden kann. Schließlich ist das Radio eine einzigartige Verbindung mit der Zivilgesellschaft eingegangen, im Unterschied zu allen anderen der klassischen Medien ist die Zugangsbarriere gering, das Selbermachen kein Problem, die Bedienung auch kleiner Zielgruppen möglich. Eine Einführung, die ihren Namen verdient, sollte eigentlich immer transdisziplinär angelegt sein. In der vorliegenden Studie sind dennoch alle nachfolgenden Kapitel monodisziplinär angelegt (Geschichte, Politik, Wirtschaft etc.) oder sie folgen zumindest einem Leitbegriff (Theorie, Nutzung, Journalismus), damit ist ein einfaches und nachvollziehbares Gliederungsprinzip intendiert. Diese Kapitel sind als Einführungen geschrieben, sie sollen einen Überblick geben, zentrale Zusammenhänge aufweisen und Beispiele geben." (Einführung, Seite 11)
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"Radio has been called ‘Africa’s medium’. Its wide accessibility is a result of a number of factors, including the liberalisation policies of the ‘third wave’ of democracy and its ability to transcend the barriers of cost, geographical boundaries, the colonial linguistic heritage and low l
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iteracy levels. This sets it apart from other media platforms in facilitating political debate, shaping identities and assisting listeners as they negotiate the challenges of everyday life on the continent. Radio in Africa breaks new ground by bringing together essays on the multiple roles of radio in the lives of listeners in Anglophone, Lusophone and Francophone Africa. Some essays turn to the history of radio and its part in the culture and politics of countries such as Angola and South Africa. Others – such as the essay on Mali, gender and religion – show how radio throws up new tensions yet endorses social innovation and the making of new publics. A number of essays look to radio’s current role in creating listening communities that radically shift the nature of the public sphere. Essays on the genre of the talk show in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa point to radio’s role in creating a robust public sphere. Radio’s central role in the emergence of informed publics in fragile national spaces is covered in essays on the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia. The book also highlights radio’s links to the new media, its role in resistance to oppressive regimes such as Zimbabwe, and points in several cases – for example in the essay on Uganda – to the importance of African languages in building modern communities that embrace both local and global knowledge." (Publisher description)
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"Using historical data from Freedom House's Freedom of the Press index this report assesses regional trends regarding differing levels of print and broadcast media freedom. While an initial set of data covering 1980-88 shows a clear pattern of print media ranked as freer than broadcast media in ever
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y country studied, a later data set covering 1994-2001 shows that while print media outlets faced fewer direct government controls, they were targeted more often by governments in terms of legal harassment and physical attacks on journalists and their facilities [...] While the openings in the broadcast sector present new opportunities, several factors should be kept in mind in order to use these opportunities wisely and to their full potential. As seen in the historical data concerning print media, the existence and growth of private outlets in a media environment that is still circumscribed by government or political restrictions can lead to legal or extra-legal crackdowns against independent media and journalists. Therefore, the promotion of a more open and diverse broadcast sector through the reform of licensing and regulatory frameworks needs to be accompanied by broader legal reforms. Self-regulatory mechanisms and targeted training to improve professionalism in this sector also need to be promoted." (Summary, pages 4-5)
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"On its path towards media freedom, Mongolia has seen some inspiring developments but has also faced major setbacks. Following the political transition in 1990 print media sprang up extensively, and since the late 1990’s a host of electronic media has been launched. The actual media output in the
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capital as well as the countryside is impressive both in numbers and variety. There were 340 media outlets in 2005 serving a population of 2.5 million people. However, the sector faces many challenges. Despite the many media and communication initiatives that exist in the country and are supported by various donor organisations, the Mongolian government does not have a comprehensive media and communication policy that deals in a systematic way with the huge challenges facing the industry, including the lack of infrastructure and the creation of a viable market for media and communication products in rural areas. For these reasons it is extremely important to increase support for free and independent media and progressive civil society groups in a sustainable fashion; but within the specific context in which Mongolian media professionals operate. The issues faced by media on a national level (Ulaanbaatar) and in the countryside are diverse but equally problematic, and a different approach is necessary to support their development." (UNESCO website, 16.11.2007)
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"This books is the first standard introduction into the situation of the mass media and journalism in Romania [...] The mass media system of Romania is shown in its essential elements: the legal framework, the economy of the media, the institutional structure of the printed press and of the audio-vi
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sual media, and the element of media education. Part of this analysis shows the kind of battles for control of the professional field among various interest groups, among them: media owners, managers, pundits, stars, reporters etc. This book gives full insight into the impressive evolution of the mass media in Romania. The context of the post-communist press and of the communist one is analyzed under such auspices. The study reveals elements of continuity both at the level of institutional structures, also of work routines and, particularly, of professional ideology. A remarkable point is made in showing the connections between the 19th century, and the beginning of the 20th century press. The emphasis here is on the kind of political culture: a high regard of the subjective, of a press of personal expression, of elitism. The connections to political parties and the awareness of a missionary role in creating a national identity through mass media are presented and reflected in view of the present day media system and its journalism." (Publisher website)
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"Spielt das Radio für die zeitgenössische Literatur eine Rolle? Antworten auf diese Frage geben 21 bekannte deutschsprachige Schriftsteller, die sich von den Ätherwellen inspirieren ließen. Sie erzählen von ihren Erfahrungen mit dem Radio; sie reflektieren, rühmen, glossieren oder poetisieren
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es. Entstanden ist eine einzigartige Sammlung literarisch-essayistischer Texte zur Radiokultur und zugleich eine Fülle von Geschichten, wie sie nur das Radio schreibt: John von Düffel zum Beispiel weiß von Stimmen, die man anfassen kann, für Ulrike Draesner ist das Radio lange der fünfte Küchenbewohner gewesen, Wilhelm Genazino interessiert sich für die Marotten der Moderatoren, Feridun Zaimoglu erzählt von der Vorliebe seines »russenfressenden« Großvaters für Militärsender, und Wolf Wondratschek erklärt uns, dass es das Radio deshalb gibt, weil es Mitleid mit den Schlaflosen hat. Diese und andere »Dichter am Äther« waren zwischen 2001 und 2004 in der WDR 3-Kultursendung Mosaik zu hören; ihre Beiträge liegen hier erstmals gesammelt als Buch vor." (Klappentext)
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"The author describes how the function of Lithuanian media has changed in different historical phases - due to changing political, economic and cultural conditions. The aim is to show how innovations, e.g. technological innovations, new media structures or cultural patterns, entered Lithuanian media
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and at the same time linked them to the changes that took place on the international level. It will be shown how Lithuanian journalism has formed its specifics to meet numerous changes in the national environment. The contemporary Lithuanian media situation is measured against the normative ideal of democratization and a journalistic culture is described that has survived in the historical development of media as institutions within specific social millieus. The overview follows a comparative approach based on the idea that a national perspective is too narrow. Therefore, the development of Lithuanian media is partly compared, partly contrasted with the changes that have occurred in relations with neighboring countries, especially Latvia and Estonia. The main task is to describe the peculiarities - with the aim not to comment on them, but to understand them." (Publisher description)
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"It is a simple fact that it is hard to find reliable information on the media in South Eastern Europe. The 'South East Europe Media Handbook' bridges this gap in a unique way and offers basic information about the situation of the media in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus,
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Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro/Kosovo, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine. It hereby supports the better understanding of the particular situation of the media in the countries of South Eastern Europe. On the other hand, it gives a very good overview and provides a useful database of all important media in South Eastern Europe. Last but not least it is an outstanding source of information regarding press freedom violations in the past year. Once again I want to emphasize that the media are the agents of democracy. Hence it is very important to encourage the governments in the region to establish safe working conditions for journalists and this is one of the basic objectives of this handbook." (Erhard Busek, Special Coordinator Stability Pact for Eastern Europe, page XI).
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