Publication in a free society: the problem of accountability

Whether or not we are truly experiencing a communications revolution or entering a new ‘information age’, there are certainly major changes under way that are disturbing settled institutions of the press and media..

Participatory politics, environmental journalism and newspaper campaigns

This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Journalism Studies, 13(2), 210 - 225, 2012, copyright Taylor & Francis, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1461670X.2011.646398.This article explores the extent to which approaches to participatory politics might offer a more useful alternative to understanding the role of environmental journalism in a society where the old certainties have collapsed, only to be replaced by acute uncertainty. This uncertainty not only generates acute public anxiety about risks, it has also undermined confidence in the validity of long-standing premises about the ideal role of the media in society and journalistic professionalism. The consequence, this article argues, is that aspirations of objective reportage are outdated and ill-equipped to deal with many of the new risk stories environmental journalism covers. It is not a redrawing of boundaries that is needed but a wholesale relocation of our frameworks into approaches better suited to the socio-political conditions and uncertainties of late modernity. The exploration of participatory approaches is an attempt to suggest one way this might be done

The Work of Cultural Intermediaries and the Enduring Distance between Production and Consumption

This article raises some critical questions about cultural intermediaries as both a descriptive label and analytic concept. In doing so, it has two main aims. First, it seeks to provide some clarification, critique and suggestions that will assist in the elaboration of this idea and offer possible lines of enquiry for further research. Second, it is argued that whilst studying the work of cultural intermediaries can provide a number of insights, such an approach provides only a partial account of the practices that continue to proliferate in the space between production and consumption. Indeed, in significant ways, a focus on cultural intermediaries reproduces rather than bridges the distance between production and consumption. The paper focuses on three distinct issues. First, some questions are raised about the presumed special significance of cultural intermediaries within the production/consumption relations of contemporary capitalism. Second, how 'creative' and active cultural intermediaries are within processes of cultural production is discussed. Third, specific strategies of inclusion/exclusion adopted by this occupational grouping are highlighted in order to suggest that access to work providing 'symbolic goods and services' is by no means as fluid or open as is sometimes claimed

Toeri komunikasi massal : suatu pengantar = Mass communication theory

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La investigació sobre comunicació de masses a Europa : Holanda

Holanda ha estat un país pioner en l'estudi dels mitjans de comunicació a Europa. La recerca de l'escola holandesa és molt diversa quant a temes, investigadors, mètodes i orientacions teorètiques. Aquesta investigació ha experimentat un canvi d'èmfasi gradual, tot passant de la recerca quantitativoestadística a la qualitativointerpretativa. La recerca holandesa ha exercit una gran influència en l'àmbit europeu gràcies a la seva vocació i presència internacionals i als seus interessos diversificats però ben coordinats entre els diversos focus de recerca dispersos per un país força descentralitzat. Les àrees d'estudi més desenvolupades són l'estudi del paper dels mitjans en la democràcia, la investigació sobre la política dels mitjans, l'estudi dels mitjans locals i comunitaris, la història dels mitjans, la investigació de les audiències, la comunicació internacional, la construcció social de la realitat i la comunicació internacional.Holanda ha sido un país pionero en el estudio de los medios de comunicación en Europa. Las investigación de la escuela holandesa es muy diversa en lo referente a los temas, investigadores, métodos y orientaciones teoréticas. Estas investigaciones han experimentado un cabio de énfasis gradual, pasando de la investigación cuantitativo-estadística a la cualitativo- interpretativa. La investigación holandesa ha ejercido una gran influencia en el ámbito europeo gracias a su vocación y presencia internacionales y a sus intereses diversificados pero bien coordinados entre diversos focos de investigación dispersos en un país muy descentralizado. Los ámbitos de estudio más desarrollados son el estudio del papel de los medios locales y comunitarios, la historia de los medios, la investigación de las audiencias, la comunicación internacional, la construcción social de la realidad y la comunicación internacional.Holland has been a pioneer in media studies in Europe. research in the Dutch school of media studies is very varied as regards subject matter, researchers, methods and theoretical approaches. This research has undergone a gradual change in emphasis, moving from a quantitative-statistical approach to a qualitative-interpretative type of research. dutch research has had a great influence at the European level, thanks to its international vocation and presence and its varied yet well coordinated range of interests distributed among the various research centres in what is to a large extent a decentralised country. The most highly developed areas of study are the study of the role ofthe media in democratic societies, research into media politics, the study of local and community-based media, the history of the media, audience research, international communication, the social construction of reality and international communication

La investigación sobre comunicación de masas en Europa: Holanda

Holanda ha estat un país pioner en els estudis sobre comunicació a Europa. La recerca de la escola holandesa és molt variada en quant temes, investigadors, mètodes i orientacions teorètiques. Aquesta investigació ha experimentat un canvi d'èmfasi gradual, tot passant de la recerca quantitativoestadística a la qualitativointerpretativa

Equality – an ambiguous value

In his chapter Denis McQuail departs from two dominant narratives of public communication, technology and human agency. While the first seems to be running ahead of purpose, the latter follows the ideal and goal of freedom. However, freedom and equality are ambiguous values, and may contradict one another. McQuail identifies a stream of inequalities along the road of public communication, from claims of cultural imperialism, ethnic and gender inequalities to knowledge gaps. He emphasizes the close relationship between equality, objectivity and truth. With regard to the public interest in media equality, he reminds us that media comprise cultural and material goods in themselves, and their distribution reflects divisions and inequalities in society. His conclusion is rather sober: Technologies enable voice, but not large audiences, and they turn every open communication space into a commercial opportunity. What remains necessary is public communication that has qualities of transparency, non-exploitation, reliability, diversity and relevance. (abstract written by the editor)Go to the full book to find a version of this chapter tagged for accessibility