Why crisis management missions do not increase the visibility of the European Union

The European Union’s (EU) Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and its accompanying Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) missions are tools used to increase the international profile of the EU. Using three different databases, this study features a content analysis that evaluates how much and what kind of media coverage CSDP missions receive. In general, the news coverage is positive, but limited. This article argues that the problem is structural: the very nature of the missions themselves, whether EU or NATO, makes them poor vehicles for EU promotion for political, institutional, and logistical reasons. By definition, they are conducted in the middle of crises, making news coverage politically sensitive. The very act of reporting could undermine the mission. Institutionally, all CSDP missions are intergovernmental; therefore, the member states control the coverage. Logistically, the missions are usually located in remote, undeveloped parts of the world, making it difficult and expensive for European and international journalists to cover. Moreover, these regions in crisis seldom have a thriving, local free press. The author concludes that although a mission may do good, CSDP missions cannot fulfill their primary political function of raising the profile of the EU

The Small Publisher’s Guide to Audiobooks

While audiobooks have been around since the invention of the phonograph, the invention of streaming technologies, combined with our increasingly fast-paced, multitasking culture, has caused audiobooks to become the fastest growing market in the publishing industry in recent years. In fact, since 2013 the audiobooks market has seen sales growth of an average of 20% per year, according to studies done by the Audio Publishers Association. However, many small publishers are not entering into the vital “new” frontier and reaching greater markets because of assumptions about the cost-prohibitive nature of creating audiobooks, and a lack of knowledge of the industry and options available to them. The audiobooks market is also another arena where small publishers would have to fight to compete with the top five publishers in the US, and without the right tools and knowledge, it may not seem like a good investment. With much of the audiobooks data existing outside of platforms small publishers normally use to research new ventures and markets, such as DecisionKey (formerly Nielsen BookScan), it is difficult for them to know where to start. The Audio Publishers Association publishes annual reports on audiobooks industry growth and consumer habits that are featured by publishing outlets such as Publishers Weekly and Good eReader, but the complete data is only available to members of the APA, who are people and companies already making audiobooks. The APA does have a page on their website called “Getting Started” aimed at helping those just beginning to get into audiobooks, but even that is primarily a list of resources without much explanation of the processes or options available. However, small publishers can use the data available to the public through the APA, audiobook best seller lists, and advice from industry professionals to make well-informed decisions when getting into the audiobooks market, and even better-quality audiobooks that allow them to compete with Big 5 publishers. This paper will take a look at data publicly published by the APA about the audiobooks market from 2013 to 2017, audiobook best seller lists for the month of April 2019 from Amazon, Audible, and the New York Times, and interviews with several industry professionals in order to create a best practices guide specifically for small publishers exploring the options available to them for getting into the fastest growing market in publishing

A LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE ON FAMILY ENGAGEMENT: QUALITATIVE CONTENT ANALYSIS OF SECONDARY DATA

The purpose of the study was to explore the leadership actions and activities that contributed to the implementation of a schoolwide family engagement initiative in a school. A qualitative content analysis of secondary data design was used to investigate the intentional actions and activities of a school leadership team during the implementation of a family engagement initiative within an elementary school. The Coherence Framework (Fullan & Quinn, 2016) provided a lens for which to investigate schoolwide change across drivers and sub-drivers. The findings of this study describe intentional leadership actions and activities when communicating with families, conducting formal assessments, and facilitating professional development. Patterns from the analysis indicate school leaders engage in intentional leadership actions and activities across all drivers and sub-drivers within the Coherence Framework (Fullan & Quinn, 2016). Family engagement practices are driven by core beliefs and consideration of the establishment of collective efficacy within the Coherence Framework may better support implementation of school change within family engagement implementation

The Stories Nations Tell: Sites of Pedagogy, Historical Consciousness, and National Narratives

As Canada prepares to turn 150, this article discusses what curricular shifts are necessary to reconcile history education’s disciplinary tools with practices of historical consciousness that will encourage learners to consider the moral dilemmas associated with Canada’s colonial legacy, silenced histories, and multiple shifting identities in the present. It introduces a conceptual Framework of Canadian National Narratives that captures current constructions of Canadian national identity communicated in Canadian sites of pedagogy. Taking into consideration debates around historical consciousness as a pedagogical project, this article recommends that curricular imperatives in history education critically expose students to a country’s master national narrative templates and those narratives that contest and rebuke them through frameworks such as the Canadian one detailed in this article. Given the current historical moment, it suggests such national narrative frameworks would form part of a new curricular imperative titled the Narrative Dimension that would offer a way forward for history education in Canada and throughout the world

Reducing the volume, exposure and negative impacts of advertising for foods high in fat, sugar and salt to children: a systematic review of the evidence from statutory and self-regulatory actions and educational measures

Purpose: To identify and review evidence on 1) the effectiveness of statutory and self-regulatory actions to reduce the volume, exposure or wider impact of advertising for foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) to children, and 2) the role of educational measures. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic review of three databases (Medline, CINAHL and PsycINFO) and grey literature was carried out. Relevant evidence included studies evaluating advertising bans and restrictions, advertising literacy programmes and parental communication styles. Relevant media included TV, internet, radio, magazines and newspaper advertising. No studies were excluded based on language or publication date. Findings: Forty-seven publications were included: 19 provided evidence for the results of statutory regulation, 25 for self-regulation, and six for educational approaches. Outcome measures varied in approach, quality and results. Findings suggested statutory regulation could reduce the volume of and children's exposure to advertising for foods HFSS, and had potential to impact more widely. Self-regulatory approaches showed varied results in reducing children's exposure. There was some limited support for educational measures. Discussion: Consistency in measures from evaluations over time would assist the development and interpretation of the evidence base on successful actions and measures to reduce the volume, exposure and impact of advertising for foods HFSS to children

Mission impossible: why crisis management missions do not increase the visibility of the European Union

The European Union’s (EU) Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and its accompanying Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) missions are tools used to increase the international profile of the EU. Using three different databases, this study features a content analysis that evaluates how much and what kind of media coverage CSDP missions receive. In general, the news coverage is positive, but limited. This article argues that the problem is structural: the very nature of the missions themselves, whether EU or NATO, makes them poor vehicles for EU promotion for political, institutional, and logistical reasons. By definition, they are conducted in the middle of crises, making news coverage politically sensitive. The very act of reporting could undermine the mission. Institutionally, all CSDP missions are intergovernmental; therefore, the member states control the coverage. Logistically, the missions are usually located in remote, undeveloped parts of the world, making it difficult and expensive for European and international journalists to cover. Moreover, these regions in crisis seldom have a thriving, local free press. The author concludes that although a mission may do good, CSDP missions cannot fulfill their primary political function of raising the profile of the EU

The Importance of Attraction in Everyday Life: The Cultural-Ecological Moderation Hypothesis in Consumer Context

Research documents the importance of attraction in everyday life, such that life outcomes are more positive for good-looking people than less good-looking people. Theory and research in cultural psychology provide evidence that this relationship between appearance and outcomes varies as a function of cultural and ecological circumstances. In particular, the cultural-ecological moderation hypothesis suggests that engagement with cultural models that promote a construction of relationship as choice amplify the importance of attraction and attractiveness in everyday life. The present work tests this hypothesis by investigating the effect of consumerism context on judgments about life outcomes of people with good-looking and less good-looking appearance (appearance discrimination). In Study 1, appearance discrimination was greater among participants who completed measures in the presence of images depicting technology-related consumer products than participants in a non-consumer control condition. Results of Study 2 revealed no statistically significant variations in appearance effects as a function of experimental conditions. In Study 3, appearance discrimination in evaluations of personality traits was greater among older participants who completed the survey near a shopping mall (consumer context) than among older participants who completed the survey in a park (non-consumer context). Additionally, appearance discrimination in evaluation of anticipated life outcomes was greater among young participants than among older participants. Although results provide some evidence for the cultural-ecological moderation hypothesis, conclusive experimental evidence awaits further research