'For this relief much thanks.' Taxation, film policy and the UK government

In 2006, the Treasury introduced a new Film Tax Credit for British productions. Fiscal incentives in the form of tax credits are now regarded as fundamental to the sustainability of the British film industry. In addition to benefiting indigenous filmmaking, an attractive tax credit structure is seen as promoting inward investment, chiefly from the USA, and is seen as important for maintaining the work force and organisational capacity in the British film industry. Securing the continuity of the skills base is at the heart of the UK Government's drive to make the ‘creative economy’ better fitted for global competition. However, in that broader context, film has been – and remains – a special case, as it is not presently Government creative economy policy to use fiscal measures for other industries. We argue that in seeking solutions to longstanding problems of ‘sustainability’, contemporary UK policy is conditioned by its long history of economic intervention in film production – and has been an important precursor of today's creative industries policy. Furthermore, in current global conditions, it is crucial to consider the fundamental cross-currents set in train by the competing demands of US inward investment and EU regulation. By undertaking interviews with key players as well as examining evidence in the public domain, this article analyses the complex politics that has shaped the implementation of this policy. We argue that film policy research needs the added depth that such sociological analysis brings to the table. In particular, this empirical approach gives insights into how the low politics of lobbying and inter-departmental rivalry shape present policy outcomes

Working Women in the News: A Study of News Media Representations of Women in the Workforce

This study examines how working women are represented in the news media, and its main aim is to determine to what extent ‘social class’ figures in the representations of women in news content. Using language, visual and narrative analysis, the thesis comprises four case studies each focusing on portrayals of different women from different socio-economic backgrounds determined by their occupation. The first two case studies examine portrayals of low paid working women through coverage of the National Minimum Wage introduction into Britain in April 1999 and the Council Workers’ Strike in England and Wales in 2002. The latter two case studies focus on women in particular professions: elite businesswomen, military women and women war reporters. The study concludes by noting that multiple voices occur in news texts around the key contrasting themes of progress/stagnation and visibility/invisibility and which can give contradictory discourses on the intersection of gender and class. From the massification and silencing of working class women, to the celebrity and sexualisation of the business elite, and the professional competency news frames of middle class women, class was shown to be a determining factor in how women figure in news content. However, these class determinants combined with other news frames pertaining to gender, whereby powerful and established myths of femininity can come to the fore. These myths can be particularly powerful when women enter non-feminine work ‘spaces’ such as business and the military, and class, particularly in the latter case, can tend to slip out of view, as sexist coverage is commonplace and debates are formed about the right and wrong behaviour for women

The Language of Industrial Actions in Nigeria

Previous studies have focused more on ways of mitigating and avoiding industrial disharmony to the neglect of the use of the language of ideological representations during industrial actions. Focusing on the six months (1st July – 17th December, 2013) old strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), this study describes the language use of industrial actions in Nigeria and its ideological representations. It makes use of the direct speeches and utterances made during the strike by the principal actors as indexed in two Nigerian daily newspapers – Daily/Sunday Sun, and The Nation. Privileging Critical Discourse Analysis, the study unearths the subtle and even some times blatant ideological representations in the language of employers and employees. In essence, it shows how ideology and identity shape discursive practices, and the strong affinity between language and ideologies. The findings also reveal the exploitation of the language of dominance, power, and authority by employers of labour; and the exploration of the language of collective bargaining, protest, struggle, and resistance against domination by the employees. It is further discovered that both the employers and employees employ the language of accusations and counter accusations, each always shifting and passing on the bulk of blame to the other. Keywords: critical discourse analysis, ideology, identity, language, power and strik

Differential Serotonergic Modulation of Synaptic Inputs to the Olfactory Cortex

Serotonin (5-hydroxytriptamine, 5-HT) is an important monoaminergic neuromodulator involved in a variety of physiological and pathological functions. It has been implicated in the regulation of sensory functions at various stages of multiple modalities, but its mechanisms and functions in the olfactory system have remained elusive. Combining electrophysiology, optogenetics and pharmacology, here we show that afferent (feed-forward) pathway-evoked synaptic responses are boosted, whereas feedback responses are suppressed by presynaptic 5-HT1B receptors in the anterior piriform cortex (aPC) in vitro. Blocking 5-HT1B receptors also reduces the suppressive effects of serotonergic photostimulation of baseline firing in vivo. We suggest that by regulating the relative weights of synaptic inputs to aPC, 5-HT finely tunes sensory inputs in the olfactory cortex

Time to dispense with the mute of malice procedure

Assesses whether measures for establishing whether a defendant is "mute of malice" are anachronistic and obsolete, and should be repealed. Reviews the historical role of the mute of malice procedure, its significance, how it differs from unfitness to plead and how developments such as practice directions and procedural rule changes have rendered it unnecessary. Suggests how reforms involving repeal might be implemented

Time to Dispense with the Mute of Malice Procedure

Assesses whether measures for establishing whether a defendant is "mute of malice" are anachronistic and obsolete, and should be repealed. Reviews the historical role of the mute of malice procedure, its significance, how it differs from unfitness to plead and how developments such as practice directions and procedural rule changes have rendered it unnecessary. Suggests how reforms involving repeal might be implemented