"The Task Force research initiative has resulted in the most comprehensive study on cultural diversity and the media ever undertaken, anywhere, that will serve as a major source of information for future research. Interview subjects generally concluded that some advances have been made regarding the
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presence of cultural diversity on television in the past decade, but there is still a great deal of progress required. Many provided suggestions for improvement, such as the increased use of internships and the development of a database of actors, directors, producers and experts from Canada’s ethnocultural and Aboriginal communities. The Task Force initiated a round of consultations with interview subjects to discuss Recommended Best Practices and Industry Initiatives in April 2004. Focus groups provided a broad range of strong opinions and perspectives on the issue of cultural diversity and television. Several areas of concern were highlighted by focus group participants across the country: the persistence of stereotyping; too many instances of negative or inaccurate portrayal; underrepresentation of many groups; unbalanced or negative portrayal on newscasts; and a serious absence of Aboriginal representation on television. The benchmark content analysis substantiated many concerns raised within the focus groups, and provided a very rich assessment of exactly how cultural diversity is reflected and portrayed on television." (Executive summary)
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"In many ways, this book is a simple and straightforward product of social science research. A conceptual expectation was created through the integration and extension of existing theory and research findings. The responsiveness argument presented in chapter 2 lead to the expectation that aid bureau
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cracies will try to roughly match the levels of aid they offer with their perception of the domestic political importance of the recipient. It was argued that the news media provide a simple, clear and easily accessible indicator of that importance and, as a result, it was expected that aid bureaucracies will respond to the content of the news media by matching development aid allocations with levels of coverage. From that conceptual foundation, a comparative battery of tests were conducted to evaluate the empirical implications of that expectation, and to address at least a few of the obvious potential objections or critiques. In analysis after analysis, the predicted relationship was found: aid levels and media coverage are clearly correlated." (Page 137)
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"This collection of essays shows how in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and the South Pacific, radio continues to provide distinctive forms of content for the individual listener, yet also enables ethnic and cultural groups to maintain their sense of identity. Ranging from radio
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among the primordial communities to digital broadcasting and the internet, these essays suggest that the benefits and gratifications which radio confers remain unique and irreplaceable in this multi-media age." (Publisher description)
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"The Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) Program Area is one of the three (3) principal program lines at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The programming includes elements all of which are at or near their mid-point of current tenure. Within the Co
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rporate Strategic Program Framework, the ICT4D Program Area is to principally address issues relating to connectivity and information economy in the developing world. Subsequent research themes approved by the Board of Governors include poverty reduction, people development, networks, learning and development and partnerships. The issue of gender is also a cross-cutting theme within the Program Area. The report which follows describes how the program elements are performing, the nature of their activities and what new undertakings have been generated. As well, the report addresses the complex, but crucial, objective of Capacity Building. A vision of what steps lie ahead for this programming at IDRC is also offered." (Executive summary, page 5)
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"In these two volumes, readers will find comparative, in-depth essays on the press systems of 232 countries and/or territories. World Press Encyclopedia (WPE) is unique and valuable to users because, in addition to essays on each country’s press system, WPE also contains custommade graphs and stat
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istical tables, as well as regional maps, useful appendices, and an extensive index. This comprehensive, authoritative source of information allows for easy comparison between essays with a standard format or set of “rubrics” used whenever possible (see section titled “Essay Components”). Each essay also features basic data information—such as official country name, literacy rate, language(s), and number of daily newspapers—clearly marked with headings at the beginning of each entry. Additionally, WPE’s contributors include scholars, professionals, and educators from across the United States and around the world; each essay has a byline. Although this is the second edition, WPE has been completely reconceptualized and 100 percent revised from the first edition, which was published in 1982." (Introduction)
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"This book documents the 16th conference of the international audience research association CIBAR that was held at the Deutsche Welle headquarters. Experienced experts give first-hand accounts of their work and show perspectives for the future." (Back cover)
"This book looks at the political economy of communication and information, media in development and social change, media theory and practice, international communication technology and communication values and ethics." (Publisher description)