"With a special focus on the impact of the COVID-19, the collection is based on the 2021 Digital Inclusion, Policy and Research Conference, with chapters from both academia and civic organizations. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed citizens' relationship with digital technologies for the foreseeable
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future. Many people's main channels of communication were transferred to digital services, platforms, and apps. Everything 'went online': our families, friends, partners, health, work, news, politics, culture, arts and protesting. Yet access to digital technologies remained highly unequal. This brought digital inclusion policy and research to the fore, highlighting to policymakers and the public the 'hidden' challenges and impacts of digital exclusion and inequalities. The cutting-edge volume offers research findings and policy case studies that explore digital inclusion from the provision of basic access to digital, via education and digital literacy, and on to issues of gender and technology. Case studies are drawn from varied sources including the UK, Australia, South America, and Eastern Europe, providing a valuable resource in the pursuit of social equity and justice." (Publisher description)
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"Más allá de ser meramente intermediarios, medios de comunicación, periodistas, comunicadoras y comunicadores sociales construyen narrativas de la memoria y del pasado a través de su labor y prác ticas cotidianas. A través de su trabajo dan contexto a los acontecimientos en perspectiva histór
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ica y a futuro, en diálogo con y entretejiendo las voces de actores involucrados e impactados por la violencia armada y no armada (por ej. física, socio-psicológica, económica o basada en género), dando centralidad a las víctimas y sus narrativas. Desempeñan varios roles como ser acompañantes o cohesionadores de procesos personales y colectivos de memorias y de situaciones de dolor, lo que les expone también a condiciones de vulnerabilidad emocional y profesional. Estando inmersos en y supeditados a las diversas dinámicas de los contextos sobre los que representan, narran, informan y opinan, el reconocimiento de estas y estos profesionales y de su agencia implica la importancia de considerar disposiciones ideológico-políticas, actitudes y comportamientos en el marco de su labor. En contextos como el colombiano emergen iniciativas periodísticas independientes y de amplio alcance que aprovechan nuevas tecnologías y medios de comunicación en expansión, gracias a la agencia de comunidades y grupos poblacionales. Por sus ventajas y desventajas potenciales es fundamental una contextualización crítica de esas herramientas, cuando se proponga usarlas en regiones con desarrollo desigual de conectividad o poco acceso a infraestructura digital." (Resumen ejecutivo)
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"Plattformen konstruieren kulturelle Räume aus Kanälen, Memes, Videos, ‚lo-fi‘ Remixen, Cumbias und ‚piñatas‘. Diese Räume werden in der vorliegenden Studie literatur-, kultur- und medienwissenschaftlich betrachtet, wodurch sich transkulturelle und -mediale Perspektiven auf Konzepte wie
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Kultur und Nation eröffnen. Es werden Dynamiken und Akteure analysiert, welche die Räume der Plattformen auf der Ebene der Infrastruktur gestalten, und solche, die (web)-sprachlich-kulturell Communities und Genres produzieren. Sie reichen von bekannten Politikern und YouTubern bis hin zu indigenen Bewegungen in Mexiko. Die Akteure werden über die Figur des ‚señor YouTube‘, als anthropomorphisierter Uploadfilter, gefasst und als Repräsentationsformen untersucht. Die verschiedenen Dimensionen konvergieren in dieser Figur als gesellschaftliche Diskurse, soziokulturelle Räume und informationstechnische Systeme sowie lokalisieren Mexiko in den Welten der Plattformen." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"El concepto de publicidad oficial abarca todo lo relacionado con las comunicaciones de las entidades territoriales. No solo se trata del dinero que gastan para publicar en los medios de comunicación con anuncios de su gestión. Incluye el dinero destinado a vallas, pancartas, volantes o cuñas, ha
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sta la realización de conciertos, festivales y ferias siempre que estas hagan parte de sus estrategias de comunicación. Este canal de comunicación entre los mandatarios y la ciudadanía debería buscar informar a la población, fomentar el pluralismo, promover políticas públicas y el derecho a tener información verificada de la gestión de los gobernantes. Sin embargo, en Colombia está suficientemente demostrado que la mayoría de estos recursos se utilizan de manera arbitraria y se desvían de estos objetivos para convertirlos en una herramienta de autopromoción. El equipo de investigación de la FLIP le puso la lupa al gasto que hicieron las administraciones durante su gestión en el último cuatrienio. La Fundación solicitó información a las gobernaciones y alcaldías de las ciudades capitales del país y varias ciudades intermedias para estimar el monto del gasto de los últimos cuatro años, datos que están acá recogidos. Así mismo, en este periodo, la organización mantuvo el ejercicio de veeduría a entidades de todos los niveles, durante la pandemia de Covid-19 (2020 - 2021) y el periodo de protestas. Hizo informes detallados de cómo fue el comportamiento del Gobierno Nacional y del Ministerio de Defensa. Además, en 2023, publicó investigaciones puntuales sobre ciudades como Bogotá, Barranquilla y Envigado. Por otra parte, realizó talleres con alcaldías y gobernaciones, y entregó herramientas de buenas prácticas a la Procuraduría, sin que hayan sido acogidas con éxito. Este es, entonces, un esfuerzo por recoger las conclusiones del trabajo del equipo de investigación de la FLIP durante el último cuatrienio, un llamado para que este asunto, poco observado por entes de control, se comprenda con la importancia que merece por los efectos que tiene sobre la ciudadanía, el derecho de acceso a la información y la libertad de expresión." (https://flip.org.co)
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"International broadcasting services are typically designed to serve public diplomacy and soft power objectives. Traditionally, Western powers have explored and benefited from this state-sponsored media category. However, countries in the Global South, like Brazil, have endeavoured to establish cros
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s-border television services to bolster their international presence. This paper scrutinizes TV Brasil Internacional as a case study, examining its designated functions, management, and funding models. The research illuminates through document surveys and semi-structured interviews that while the channel initially reflected Brazil’s external policies and public service ideals, structural alterations enabling increased governmental intervention alongside budget cuts rendered the international service dormant." (Abstract)
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"This survey aims to provide valuable information for the creation of potential initiatives and policies that promote, foster cooperation, and offer support to Catholic networks in Hispanic America. At BNC, we leverage our longstanding relationships with the personnel of these networks and the effec
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tive mechanisms of communication and fraternal dialogue we have established with them. This allows us to speak confidently and responsibly about the information we have collected. Building upon our initial study conducted years ago [= 2013], we have chosen to maintain the same approach in terms of the topics to be evaluated and the questionnaire used. The survey is designed to collect quantifiable data to help us identify variables and trends in the ongoing operation and development of these networks over time [...] We would like to thank everyone at the 39 networks from 13 different countries who took the time and courtesy to respond to our communications and take part in this survey [...] We present the reader with a brief overview of the data we consider important to provide a quick insight and general perspective based on the information collected through this survey:
- The positioning of the mixed entity (private capital + ecclesiastical institution) as the legal form of networks ownership.
- Seventy-six per cent of broadcasters claim to own the premises from which they operate.
Small local private donations provide the main funding, followed by selling advertising or space to third parties.
- Small local private donations provide the main funding, followed by selling
advertising or space to third parties.
- Twenty-six point forty-seven percent (26.47%) of networks broadcast for 12 hours, closely followed by those that broadcast continuously for 24 hours, representing 20.59%.
- Forty-five point ninety-five percent (45.95%) of the surveyed network have between 1 and 4 studios.
- The distribution of the number of cameras among the networks surveyed shows that the majority (30.77%) have 4 cameras.
- When it comes to camera brands, Sony leads with 53.85% of the cameras used by networks.
- The editing systems are mostly comprised of between 3 and 2 per network.
- Most members of networks are between 26 and 45 years old, and the majority have been in their positions for over 5 years.
- Salary payments, investment in infrastructure, satellite rental costs, and purchase of production equipment are the top priorities in terms of urgent material needs to be met.
- 90.6% would like to receive some kind of training.
- In terms of training, advice and information needs, raising funds through partnerships/donations, creating new content and programmes, and transmission technology are the top three training needs identified by broadcasters.
- There is a need for a specific and specialised study in each network to assess both the potential and actual audience, as the methods currently used produce results that are far from conclusive at a professional level.
- According to the estimated analyses carried out by networks, 78.1% of the audience is between 36 and 60 years old. Around 57% of the audience are Catholics, while 38% are from the general public.
- Thirty-four percent of programming are networks' own productions.
- Sixty percent of the content has a religious message, while 40 percent has a general message.
- The purchase of third-party programming represents only 10% of the total broadcast programming.
- The programming received as donations increased from 6% to 23% compared to the first statistical study.
- Devotional content, followed by Church-related topics explored in documentaries, educational programs, interviews, mass events, etc., are the primary components of the programming.
- There is a significant lack of content for young and child audiences.
- Upgrading equipment for DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) presents both economic and technical challenges for broadcasters.
- It's important to clearly delineate the boundaries between what is web TV and what is a streaming service, and to provide training on the different types of legal regulation regarding programming licenses in relation to cable and over-the-air TV." (Page 4-6)
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"Este documento presenta el Mapeo de iniciativas de Alfabetización Mediática e Informacional en Iberoamérica, realizado a lo largo de 2023, a partir de un cuestionario dirigido a los miembros de la Plataforma de Reguladores del sector Audiovisual de Iberoamérica (PRAI), a los medios audiovisuale
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s de servicio público, así como a diversos organismos públicos y organizaciones civiles relevantes en el ámbito de la Alfabetización Mediática e Informacional (AMI) en la región iberoamericana. El objetivo del mapeo es agrupar las prácticas recientes implementadas por todos los organismos encuestados en sus áreas de competencia, para sistematizar sus experiencias y resultados y poder darlos a conocer a fin de sensibilizar a los públicos objetivos sobre el papel desempeñado en la promoción de la AMI. El presente documento integra la presentación del proyecto, así como sus principales hallazgos y recomendaciones para la promoción y difusión de la AMI en la región. Lo acompañan dos anexos que detallan las 52 iniciativas identificadas que configuran el mapeo." (Resumen ejecutivo)
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"The COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered prejudices, systemic inequities and critical feelings about governmental institutions around the globe. Since the start of the pandemic, the 12 nations that make up South America have had more than 67 million cases and 1.3 million fatalities. Public trust in and
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willingness to speak out about government responses to COVID-19 in each nation have differed vastly. Using spiral of silence, this study (n =1248) explored support for governmental COVID-19 response and willingness to speak out about that response in four South American nations: Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru. Results revealed Chileans are more likely to speak out on government response to COVID-19 than other South American participants. In addition, climate of opinion and support for government response positively predict willingness to speak. These results further our international and cross-cultural understanding of spiral of silence." (Abstract)
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"This essay characterizes a “disintegrated internationalization” as the main trend in the development of communication studies in Latin America. This hypothetical approach is based on critical readings of multiple bibliographical sources generated in the most recent decades and published in Span
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ish, Portuguese, or English, both in the form of essays and empirical studies, somewhat supporting a historical sociology. The systematic and rigorously analyzed and interpreted documentation, following the methodological example of Luis Ramiro Beltrán, allows us to advance in the recognition of some factors that separate national “academic fields” from their integration in broader scales—Latin American or global. The conclusion proposes what the elaboration of a historical narrative needs to recognize to be more useful: the complexity and multiplicity of the historical-social processes that have been interwoven and interdetermined in each of the spatiotemporal stages that it is pertinent to define as Latin America’s own." (Abstract)
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"[...] while information ecosystems encompass a variety of actors (including those within both private and public sectors), this research focuses primarily on civil society actors, including those who use information for their work (as consumers, producers, nodes, or facilitators of information), do
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nors, organisers, activists from digital rights organisations, technologists for social justice and digital security experts, and researchers. In Part 1 of this report, we share an overview of some of the challenges and characteristics that shape the disequilibrium of information ecosystems in the region. In the Interlude, we outline the collective visions for healthy, strong information ecosystems that we gathered as the project developed. This fits in with one of our focus areas for this research, which is bolstering “communicative power” – defined by Fung and Cohen (2021) as the capacity for sustained joint (or collective) action, to associate and explore interests and ideas together with others, aiming to arrive at common understandings and advance common concerns in the public sphere. In Part 2, we share some inspiring strategies used by civil society to restore information ecosystems in the region. Rather than present these strategies as “silver bullets” or “definitive solutions”, the goal of this report is to indicate a variety of potential pathways for restoring information ecosystems and encourage funders, donors and other actors to support the work of those who are striving to materialise that restoration. Additionally, these strategies can also be a source of inspiration for the work that other civil society actors, technologists and digital rights advocates are building. With this in mind, the Conclusion summarises some of the main areas of support needed by actors working to improve information ecosystems in LAC." (Introduction, page 5)
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