"Whether at a local, national, or international level, radio has played and continues to play a key role in nurturing or denying—even destroying—people’s sense of collective identity. The essays in this volume provide a historical and contemporary overview of radio in small nations. A number o
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f representative small nations are featured: some grappling with new postcolonial identities and others still operating under repressive regimes; some struggling to find a new common purpose in the postindustrial age and others unifying previously ignored ethnic or language groups. As a whole, the collection strives to present diverse voices commenting on the influential and essential place of radio within these countries." (Publisher description)
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"While the empirical emphasis of this book is on diasporic groups and their experiences with mainly new communication technologies, the topic is embedded in a broader set of questions that inform social sciences today. The book speaks to and analyses convergence cultures, community building, transna
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tional connections and processes of identity formation in the midst of these processes and relations. One of the overriding premises for the book seems to be the development within media and communication technologies and the exploration of their influence upon the increasingly mediatized social and cultural practices. New media geographies, growing virtual spaces, mediated social networks and processes of mass self-communication are all part and parcel of the contexts in which identity formation - diasporic or not - is taking place." (Foreword, page 9)
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"The book consists of six chapters on Slovenian media history. All the subjects (censorship, political struggles, the economic crisis, the Balkans, folk songs and racism) are as topical today as they were at the time when they were discussed. What has changed then? Obviously, “time” has changed,
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since “space” is more or less consistent. And yet, this is only partly true. Symbolic-geographical space is like an accordion that stretches and shrinks under the pressure of historical change. Furthermore, topicality depends on writing style, among other things: by combining traditional historical analysis and a journalistic-literary style, we have tried to relativize the image of the contemporary media landscape and lend it a historical dimension. To achieve this, we quoted interesting passages from old newspapers whose archaic discourse illustrates the language of Slovenian journalism of the time." (Pages 5-6)
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"In spite of the multi-million international investment to establish democratic media in post-war Kosovo, media in the young republic continue to underperform. On the 2011/12 Press Freedom Index, Kosovo ranked on the 86th position worldwide. The article sheds a light on the reasons for this dilemma
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by assessing strategies, successes and failures of media development actors. For this purpose, two groups of stakeholders were identified and interviewed both quantitatively and qualitatively: international media assistance actors as well as local journalists, media owners and experts. The leading question of the study at hand is: How far did the international development strategy succeed in transforming Kosovar media towards greater plurality, commercialization, professionalization and de-politicization? The findings suggest that media assistance actors focused too little on economic sustainability (i.e. commercialization) or, if this was done, fragile economic and political conditions proved detrimental. Also, development actors have focused too long on ad-hoc training sessions as well as on supporting different competing media outlets, thus creating a congested market. In comparison, wherever media framework institutions were supported, the success was more clearly visible." (Abstract)
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"This study explores the solidification of the discourse of integration of the Gypsy/Roma in the European press following the fall of Communism. A discourse analysis focuses on the British and Romanian press between 1990 and 2006, and it suggests that, in the midst of opening of EU borders and talks
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of a European Constitution, the idea and necessity of integration grew in political popularity as a means to peaceably alleviate interethnic conflict. However, the discourse of integration has continuously shifted between assimilationist voices and projects that attempt to change the Gypsy other into a non-Gypsy, on the one hand, and human rights-inspired defense and advocacy for the Roma, on the other. This article further suggests that the press does more than confirm stereotypes; instead, uncertainties, contradictions, and changes mark press writing." (Abstract)
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"International donors came to see media development as a silver bullet for democratization efforts to foster freedom of speech, civil society, good governance, as well as an engaged citizenry. Donors and practitioners initially believed that institutions, once established, would function in a specif
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ic way, and coupled with assistance to professionalize and commercialize the media sector, would create or at least jump start systems similar to those in the US and Europe. Over the years, policy makers have identified the vital parts of a democratic media system, but what they have failed to fully understand is the dynamic interaction among them. Now, more than fifteen years after the end of the Bosnian war and twelve after the end of the war in Kosovo, numerous assessments by government sponsors and independent evaluators have reported success in achieving fundamental media freedoms in these countries, yet these media sectors have not demonstrated their anticipated transformative power – leaving struggling or dysfunctional organizations in the wake of donor financial retreat. This study argues that media organizations and institutions are trapped between pressures to commercialize and professionalize, which have become conflicting rather than enabling forces when combined with weak economic environments. In each of the countries in this study, a lack of synchronization among reforms, political divisions, and poor economic growth have contributed to a web of interrelated challenges. Despite significant economic reforms, growth and stability have never reached a threshold for systemic change." (Abstract)
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"This study brings journalists back to the centre of inquiry about the media’s role in covering ethnicity and religion. It asks: What professional norms guide editors and journalists when reporting on ethnicity and religion? What news gathering tools are most commonly used? What are the institutio
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nal constraints in producing reports? What could have been done better? What makes excellent coverage? What type of journalistic work fuels intolerance instead of providing information that supports intercultural understanding? Based on extensive interviews with 117 journalists and editors in nine EU countries and analysis of 299 news stories, it offers a review of reporting practices as related to the coverage of ethnic and religious issues. The study finds that the main obstacles to good reporting are the poor financial state of the media, overloading of reporters, lack of time, lack of knowledge, and lack of in-house training." (Executive summary, page 2)
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"Shaw argues that journalism should focus on deconstructing the underlying structural and cultural causes of political violence such as poverty, famine and human trafficking, and play a proactive (preventative), rather than reactive (prescriptive) role in humanitarian intervention." (Publisher descr
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iption)
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"Even though the Albanian media is relatively young, it went through a dynamic and fast development. Unlike other countries in the region, the change of the political system in 1991 not only led to the end of media monopolization by the government, but also to the disappearance of nearly all existin
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g media and the emergence of a range of new ones. Since 1991, the media landscape in Albania has been under a constant evolution, in most of its components. What is the current media situation in Albania? Have all the developments been positive for it since 1991? This study seeks to answer these questions through the examination of several criteria and the circumstances that affect the development of independent media. Thus, some of the considered factors turn out to be the legal regulation of media, the development of media landscape, the economic conditions affecting the development of media, the role of regulatory authorities, transparency of media ownership and financing, editorial independence as well as media ethics and education of journalists. Naturally, all these factors have been considered in terms of the impact they do have on the strengthening of media independence and freedom of expression in the Albanian society." (Page 1)
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"This paper documents the effect of Serbian public radio on the voting behavior and nationalistic anti-Serbian sentiment of Croats in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem, a post-conflict region of modern Croatia on the border with Serbia. We find that the exposure to the Serbian public radi
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o convinces some Croats to switch to voting for ultra-nationalist parties from voting to moderate nationalist party. In addition, exposure to Serbian public radio increases the incidence of ethnically-offensive graffiti on public buildings in the center of their villages. The results of a laboratory experiment confirm that Serbian public radio causes an increase in anti-Serbian sentiment among Croats. Our results indicate that foreign media can have substantial cross-border effects in countries characterized by post-conflict ethnic tensions such as Croatia. These findings are likely to apply more generally to areas of past conflict with similar languages and overlapping media markets. This suggests that peaceful relations between neighboring countries depend in part on the content of media programming, and the extent of media overlap. Hence, nation-building efforts implicit in the nationalistic content of the media (in this case, the Serbian radio) can have important spillovers on the persistence of peace between countries." (Conclusion, page 22)
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"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-
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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)
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"This publication updates a 2005 review of communication in Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS). It includes four country case studies (Ghana, Tanzania, Moldova, and Nepal) and a regional analysis of Latin America and the Caribbean. It explores how the use of strategic communication has expanded beyo
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nd the PRS and is now being integrated into national development planning and implementation. Many of these strategies are shifting their focus from a “dissemination and publicity strategy” to a“communication program” that emphasizes information intervention beyond the traditional campaign, workshop or seminars. Compared with the 2005 review, the main difference is the institutionalization of communication, moving beyond the one-time experience for the first set of PRSs to broader, deeper sustained communication in support of poverty reduction and national development strategies. A second major difference is expanding beyond communication and participation in PRS formulation to PRS implementation, monitoring, and evaluation." (Executive summary)
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"Medien und Religionen: ein brisantes Thema, das bisher nur unzureichend bearbeitet ist. Dabei ist spätestens seit dem 11. September 2001, seit den heftigen Auseinandersetzungen um die Mohammed-Karikaturen und dem Streit um das provokante Buch von Thilo Sarrazin deutlich, wie sehr Bilder und Videos
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in Fernsehen und Internet, Zeitungsnachrichten und nicht zuletzt sensationell aufgemachte Bücher die Vorstellungen der Religionen und Kulturen voneinander mitbestimmen. Es ist häufig ein sehr problematisches und einseitiges Bild, das da medial vermittelt wird. Zum anderen haben die Religionen von jeher mit Medien, mit Bildern, Klängen, Schriften und Symbolen zu tun. Sie haben lange und reiche Traditionen im Ringen um einen menschenfreundlichen, lebensförderlichen Umgang mit Medien in einem weiten Sinn. Insofern lassen sich von den Religionen auch Impulse für die Humanisierung unserer Medienkultur erwarten. Beide Perspektiven wurden auf dem X. Nürnberger Forum verfolgt und in ihren Konsequenzen für religiöse und kulturelle Bildung bedacht. Expertinnen und Experten aus Theologie und Religionswissenschaft, Human- und Sozialwissenschaften, allgemeiner Pädagogik, Medienpädagogik und Religionspädagogik, aus Politik und öffentlichen Medien, aus Europa, Amerika, Afrika und Asien und aus allen großen Religionstraditionen referierten und diskutierten zu den vier Themenbereichen - Die Darstellung der Religionen in den öffentlichen Medien - Bilderverbot/Bilderkult: Das Bild und andere Medien in ihrer Bedeutung für die Religionen - Medienethik im Kontext religiöser Pluralität - Medien und interreligiöses / interkulturelles Lernen. In einem ergänzenden Symposium wurden – basierend auf dem Nürnberg-Rostocker Forschungsprojekt „Die Darstellung des Christentums in Schulbüchern islamisch geprägter Länder“ – Standards für interreligiöse Schulbuchforschung und -entwicklung erarbeitet, die Autorenteams, Verlagen und Kultusbehörden weitergegeben werden." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"In Europe, Germany and France are ahead in digitally embracing trade books, notably !ction, yet are clearly behind the US and UK. But countries as diverse as Austria, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden have recently seen the implementation of an ebook distribution infrastructure, and at lea
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st the largest publishing groups are broadly releasing their new titles as ebooks, aside from print. With retail prices on average significantly higher, as in the English language, and VAT discriminating against ebooks in favor of print, the initial momentum of growth still confronts an environment that is di"cult for early adopters. Yet as Amazon, Apple, Sony, and Kobo have started to roll out localized versions of their online selling platforms and devices, with Google expected to follow soon, significant momentum is building up, and future projections see a double digit market share for ebooks for 2015 in most European markets. In China and Brazil, distinct local factors set those developments clearly apart. In China, mobile is the preferred platform, while “online literature,” often as a serialized stream of content, provides a channel for the dissemination of bookish content well apart from the traditional format of the “book.” In Brazil, educational content may become the main driver for digital." (Executive summary)
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