"There is abundant evidence of underrepresentation of women as subjects of coverage, but until now there were no reliable, comprehensive data on which to make a clear determination about where women currently fit into the news-making operation or in the decision-making or ownership structure of thei
...
r companies. The IWMF Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media seeks to fill this gap by presenting for the first time sound data on gender positions in news organizations around the world [...] The findings presented in this report, conducted over a two-year period, offer the most complete picture to date of women’s status globally in news media ownership, publishing, governance, reporting, editing, photojournalism, broadcast production and other media jobs. More than 150 researchers interviewed executives at more than 500 companies in 59 nations using a 12-page questionnaire." (Introduction)
more
"The explosion of digital media and their impact on journalism and democracy in Lithuania coincided with the country's second decade of independence and with the economic crisis of 2009-2010. With the rapid growth of internet penetration, websites dedicated to news appeared and traditional media wen
...
t online. The near-doubling of internet subscriptions from 34.3 percent of the population in 2005 to 60.5 percent in 2010 was accompanied by dynamic growth in ownership of PCs, laptops, mobile phones, and later smart phones. The internet took on an increasing role as a news source for the public, especially younger audiences. Formerly marginalized groups, such as ethnic and sexual minorities, have gained a platform on the internet which they were almost entirely denied in mainstream media. Also, politicians have taken up communicating through new media; some have begun blogging, while others are active on social networks. Government transparency and civic engagement in politics have been enhanced by a range of online tools and initiatives by civil society groups which let voters access and analyze government data, and occasionally generate mainstream media coverage. However, there are no separate regulations or legal liability provisions concerning internet content that differ from those which apply to other media. Media regulation is in practice independent from government, but the regulators are lax in exercising their powers, e.g. to enforce ownership transparency rules. A weakness of the regulatory system is its dispersion among several bodies which don’t always coordinate among themselves. Their composition raises questions about competence and impartiality. This report calls for the creation of a single regulatory body with robust appointment criteria as well as for clear and transparent rules for allocating EU funds to the media. It recommends that the government introduce legislation restricting media concentration and intensify efforts to ensure universal public access to media after switch-over." (Open Society website)
more
"[...] La mayoría de los asuntos que se a bordan en este libro han podido afectar a la gran mayoría de los probables lectores, sin embargo la mayoría de ellos no se detuvieron a analizarlos. Esta obra pretende obligarnos a parar un instante y pensar sobre diversas cuestiones relacionadas con los
...
medios de comunicación pero que, casualmente, no suelen ser abordadas por esos mismos medios. Entre los asuntos que abordamos aquí encontraremos un análisis de la crisis económica que incluye el papel de los medios de comunicación, que no solo han sido meros notarios de los acontecimientos. También debemos descifrar de qué forma el periodismo condiciona la política y la transforma en función de sus intereses. Hace ocho años se presentaron los denominados Observatorios de medios con el objetivo de que la ciudadanía pudiese supervisar la calidad de la información que recibía. Es hora de hacer balance de esa situación. La llegada de Intemet no solo ha revolucionado la forma de operar del periodismo, sino también la de organizarnos y movilizarnos. Esta misma red ha permitido una eclosión del periodismo alternativo que debe convivir y crear sinergias con los movimientos sociales. De todo ello trata este libro. Existen antiguos debates que hay que retomar al hilo de la coyuntura actual. Nos referimos al referente a la objetividad y el compromiso del periodista; y al de medios públicos/medios privados. Se trata de dos cuestiones que, como decíamos al principio, han sido esculpidas en el imaginario actual por el modelo de pensamiento dominante que ha logrado estigmatizar el compromiso del profesional para ensalzar una objetividad que no existe. Al mismo tiempo, ha acuñado privado como independiente y público como partidista. Se trata de prejuicios que debemos revisar. Por último, una mirada a la región que en estos momentos levanta más esperanzas y lidera el mayor debate en torno a los medios de comunicación y el periodismo: América Latina ." (Introducción, página 7-8)
more
"This issue of Australian Religion Studies Review examines the intersection of religion and celebrity, both major discourses in the modern world. The six articles examine the imbrication of celebrity with: three traditional religions, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism; the new religion of Candomblé;
...
and contemporary spiritual trends such as spiritual tourism, secular equivalents of religion like the Olympic Games, and the veneration of sports stars by fans. The study of the impact of celebrity on religion is still in its infancy, and the contributions to this special issue of Australian Religion Studies Review demonstrate both the rich results that such studies can yield, and the range and diversity of subjects that would repay future research." (Page 227)
more
"This book explores the legal and regulatory systems governing public service broadcasters in eight different countries around the world, looking at the services they provide, the way in which their mandates are defined, their internal governance systems, mechanisms of oversight or accountability an
...
d funding. In selecting the various countries, an attempt has been made to ensure wide geographic representation, while including only countries that have a strong commitment to public service broadcasting. Special emphasis has been placed on the strategies that have evolved over the years to ensure that public service broadcasters are not undermined by two critical phenomena: external control (political or other), particularly over editorial output, and inadequate public funding. The book outlines tested approaches to resolving these key problems, but it also highlights innovative systems that are being piloted in different countries to address some of the new challenges that face public service broadcasters." (Back cover)
more
"There is not much debate on the development of media accountability (MA) systems in Bulgaria and even less relate to online media. This is due to the early stage of introduction of self-regulatory mechanisms on the Internet as well as the users’ behavior since priority is still given to tradition
...
al media organizations. Research has proved that due to unclear legislative framework and the lack of effectiveness in the implementation of media regulation (ownership, media code of ethics, the Council for Electronic Media) many problems with regard to the performance of traditional MA institutions have been observed. Thus, many distinctions between theory and practice exist and a suitable level of media independence from political interference or pressure has yet to be achieved. Very few media organizations have introduced mechanisms supporting the level of actor transparency, including bylines, profiles of journalists, media blogs, published mission statements or information on media ownership. Furthermore, not every media outlet that signed the media code of ethics has published the document on its website. Social networks have been so far the most popular instruments fostering the transparency of media production, with the significant example of Facebook – the most popular online medium in Bulgaria in 2010. However, with the exception of practice related to online news comments, most of the mechanisms that could further improve the feedback activities of different audience groups and thus, the level of responsiveness, have been introduced by only a few media organizations." (Conclusions, page 19)
more
"Irmgard Wetzstein untersucht die Möglichkeiten konstruktiver Konfliktbearbeitung in der qualitätsjournalistischen Auslandsberichterstattung. Sie grenzt diese zur friedensjournalistischen Idee ab, wobei systemische bzw. konstruktivistische Überlegungen im Vordergrund stehen. Die Kriegs-, Krisen-
...
und Konfliktberichterstattung, der Auslandsjournalismus, seine Wirkpotenziale und Wechselbeziehungen zwischen dem System Journalismus und politischen EntscheidungsträgerInnen werden anhand des Konzepts der öffentlichen Diplomatie erläutert. Aus konflikttheoretischer Perspektive führt die Autorin eine Inhaltsanalyse unterschiedlicher Phasen des israelisch-palästinensischen Konflikts sowie der Unabhängigkeitserklärung des Kosovo in vier Printmedien durch. Sie gibt damit einen Einblick in die journalistische Praxis im Umgang mit Konfliktereignissen, die für die Öffentlichkeit nicht direkt erfahrbar sind." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
more