Media aandacht maakt het verschil: invloeden van mediatisering op het beleid in Gouda

In deze casestudy brengen we de invloed van mediatisering op lokaal beleid in kaart. We bekijken in hoeverre de framing in de mediahype van invloed is op de genomen beleidsbeslissingen. Na een mediahype in 2008 over overlastgevende jeugd in het Goudse Oosterwei schrijft de gemeente een nieuw beleidsplan. Voorafgaand hebben gedramatiseerde verhalen van journalisten en stevige sound bites van politici een zeer negatief beeld van de situatie geschetst. Het gemeentelijk beleidsplan stelt een nieuwe hardere aanpak van de onveiligheidsproblematiek voor, aansluitend bij die beeldvorming. Gouda werft daarmee aanzienlijke geldelijke middelen van het Rijk. We constateren dat de medialogica – een centraal concept binnen de literatuur over mediatisering – van grote verklarende waarde is voor het verloop van het publiek debat en de framing van de gebeurtenissen. Op Rijksniveau en op gemeentelijk niveau zijn beleidsbeslissingen genomen op basis van de gedramatiseerde gebeurtenisse

Complex decision making as a source of infotainment

Abstract In many policy processes nowadays a variety of actors is involved which results in complex decision making processes, since these different actors have various perspectives on the problem and the matching solutions. Such complex processes are difficult to grasp in short reports in newspapers or on television, especially since journalists have to deal with increasing time pressures and demands to make news items more entertaining. This leads to biases in the construction of the policy processes. In this study we examine whether the biases of fragmentization, dramatization, personalization, the authority-disorder bias and the negativity bias can be found in media reporting on complex decision making processes in the Netherlands. We conducted a quantitative content analysis on media reports on five complex water management projects in the Netherlands. We found that in these media reports stories are often fragmentized, dramatized and unfavourably towards the project, and frequently an authority is blamed for not taking appropriates measures. Certain actors take advantage of these biases more than other actors: media attention for oppositional politicians and interest groups in particular relate significantly to the media biases

Who Gets on the News? The relation between media biases and different actors in news reporting on complex policy processes

__Abstract__ Having a voice in media is important to gain power and legitimacy in policy processes. However, media are biased in transmitting information. Using a quantitative content analysis of ten years’ news reporting around water management policies in the Netherlands, we study how much media attention different groups of actors receive and how media biases relate to this attention. Executive politicians get on the news because of their authoritative position; less authoritative actors getting on the news is more related to information biases. Information biases can thus function as a form of checks and balances in news reporting on policy processes

Media Logic Versus the Logic of Network Governance

__Abstract__ In Dutch public debates, grand statements are made to decry the power that news media have in Dutch democracy; many contributors claim the Netherlands has become a mediacracy or drama democracy

Reasons for contract changes in implementing Dutch transportation infrastructure projects: An empirical exploration

__Abstract__ An important contributor to cost overruns of infrastructure projects is contract changes after the construction contract has been concluded. Using mainly descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests, real project data were analyzed from forty-five Dutch transportation infrastructure projects with a total construction contract value of over € 8.5 billion. First it was explored if we could find evidence for the presumption that contractors bid low on contracts to recover the loss of bid profit by claiming contract change costs in the project implementation. We conclude that we could not find evidence for the opportunistic behavior of contractors. Second, the different sizes and reasons for the contract changes were explored. We conclude that: scope changes are the most significant reason for contract changes, followed by technical necessities; smaller projects tend to have higher relative contract change costs; and contract changes due to omissions in the contract are more present in smaller projects than in larger projects. The results of the analysis suggest among other things that policymakers and planners should pay more attention to flexible contracting, and to the contract management of smaller projects

European E-Democracy in Practice

This open access book explores how digital tools and social media technologies can contribute to better participation and involvement of EU citizens in European politics. By analyzing selected representative e-participation projects at the local, national and European governmental levels, it identifies the preconditions, best practices and shortcomings of e-participation practices in connection with EU decision-making procedures and institutions. The book features case studies on parliamentary monitoring, e-voting practices, and e-publics, and offers recommendations for improving the integration of e-democracy in European politics and governance. Accordingly, it will appeal to scholars as well as practitioners interested in identifying suitable e-participation tools for European institutions and thus helps to reduce the EU’s current democratic deficit. This book is a continuation of the book “Electronic Democracy in Europe” published by Springer

Management en besluitvorming van complexe stedelijke projecten; respondentenverslag survey G4

Voorwoord: Wat doen managers van complexe stedelijke projecten, hoe zien de netwerken waar zij zich in bevinden er uit, hoe is hun relatie met de opdrachtgever binnen de gemeente en is vertrouwen tussen betrokken partijen belangrijk? Dit zijn een paar van de intrigerende vragen die wij hadden bij het opzetten van een enquête naar projectmanagers van de vier grote steden (Den Haag, Amsterdam, Utrecht en Rotterdam) en twee adviesbureaus die ook projecten doen in de grote steden

Prospects for e-democracy in Europe

The drivers behind e-participation are digitalisation, the development of digital tools that can be usedfor citizen involvement – social media, deliberative software, e-voting systems, etc. – and growingaccess to the internet. In European countries, especially those that rank prominently among the top 50performers, citizens have more and more opportunities to have their say in government and politics.According to the UN, the largest share of e-participation initiatives relates to central and localgovernments giving access to public sector information and public consultation via digital tools.Recently there has been a growing focus on citizen involvement in policy making, although progressin this field has been modest so far

The Effects of Media and their Logic on Legitimacy Sources within Local Governance Networks: A Three-Case Comparative Study

__Abstract__ Although theoretical and empirical work on the democratic legitimacy of governance networks is growing, little attention has been paid to the impact of mediatisation on democracies. Media have their own logic of news-making led by the media’s rules, aims, production routines and constraints, which affect political decision-making processes. In this article, we specifically study how media and their logic affect three democratic legitimacy sources of political decision-making within governance networks: voice, due deliberation and accountability. We conducted a comparative case study of three local governance networks using a mixed method design, combining extensive qualitative case studies, interviews and a quantitative content analysis of media reports. In all three cases, media logic increased voice possibilities for citizen groups. Furthermore, it broadened the deliberation process, although this did not improve the quality of this process per se, because the media focus on drama and negativity. Finally, media logic often pushed political authorities into a reactive communication style as they had to fight against negative images in the media. Proactive communication about projects, such as public relation (PR) strategies and branding, is difficult in such a media landscape

Science, Journalism and Media Logic

Science journalism is an important distribution channel for the results and insights produced by scientific research, and as such plays an important role in shaping public opinion of science. This prompted the Rathenau Institute to study the state of science journalism. We see journalists as partners in our mission to shape the debate on science, technology and society. ‘Science, Journalism and Media Logic’ is based on this study. Iris Korthagen explores the conflict between media logic and scientific logic. What is the future, role and task of independent science journalism