Stream - Inspiring Critical Thought (E-Journal)
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A Review of the Changing Roles of “The Expert†and “The Public†in the Field of Risk Communication
No full textRisk perception researchers have begun to shift their focus from examining deliberate, conscious and mechanistic methods of probabilities and payoffs in regards to risk. The emerging paradigm in risk is one that takes into greater account the variety of social contexts that shape risk and the variation in perceptions among individuals and groups. The goal of this manuscript is to review the literature on risk and risk perceptions, focusing specifically on the changing roles of the expert and the public in weighing and communicating risks. I further compare how the public and experts differ when it comes to making judgments about risks and discuss why focusing on the divergent views of risk among experts and the public often hinder fair and effective risk communication
"A Comparative Analysis of the Framing of Terrorism in Online News Under the George W. Bush and Barack H. Obama Administrations: from Clash to Dialogue?"
Get PDFAbstract: The significant and reciprocal link between Terrorism and News Media reportage was identified in the 1990s by the convergence of security and media studies (Picard, 1993). Working in the tradition of content analysis early studies examined the way Terrorism was framed in major news accounts with implications for the Huntington-Fukuyama hypothesis (Nacos, 2002). However these early studies mainly pre-dated both the War on Terror and the rise of the Internet as a major (political) news source. This paper reinvigorates this early framing research on Terrorism by examining key frames over time in online news media via software-assisted media mapping. Key frames identified in the 1990s are examined in the online news environment under the George W. Bush administration (2005) and the current Barak Hussein Obama administration (2009). The resulting news mapping allows for a comparative analysis of the way frames, such as "insurgent" have changed (if at all) over time in the most significant stories freely available online. The comparison contributes to understanding of the potential for a shift from the rhetoric of a "clash of civilizations" towards discourse networks of the "dignity of difference" by rendering visible shifts in frames associated with Terrorism that arguably are necessary for the advancement of the new paradigm
In Defence of Working Papers
Get PDFWorking papers are academic articles in various stages of completion, which represents a significant publication venue in various academic disciplines. Nonetheless, there have been considerable amount of critiques on working paper in recent years, especially on its quality and conflict with formal publications. Given the above situation, this article offers a defence of the academic values of working papers. After outlining and addressing common misunderstandings of working papers, the article discusses their four major benefits: the provision of valuable feedback on interim findings, the potential for collaboration, flexible means of dissemination, and the value for intellectual development and capacity building (especially for graduate students). Overall, these benefits underscore a commitment to open-access research that is accessible to the public at large
The Culture Apocalypse: Hegemony and the Frontier at the End of the World
Get PDFThe turn of the millennium saw a marked increase in apocalypse-themed mass media, especially in television and film, of which the United States is the largest producer. The role of the apocalypse has been to produce hegemony for the ruling establishment that purported itself as being able to prevent or somehow save potential victims. Historically the church possessed this authority, but in contemporary society that role has been passed to governments and to scientific and technological institutions. In contemporary America, apocalypse is part of a spectrum of religious beliefs ingrained into the American Way of life. Commercial America has resurrected the apocalypse myth as spectacle commodity. Apocalyptic media today reflect current values of the American hegemon in globalization, and are portrayed as particularly real in order to be effective. The increased interest in disaster myths specifically reflects Beck’s (1992) concept of a world risk society. Deconstructing the films Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow reveals hegemonic devices that uphold the American way in the advent of globalization through the use of heteronormative values, scientific savior-adversary binaries, and symbolic rebirth through the recreation of frontier space
Hidden Ties that Bind: The Psychological Bonds of Embedding Have Changed the Very Nature of War Reporting
Get PDFWhile embedded reporting has been allowed entry into the ongoing chess game between the military and the media, it is not apparent that the psychological nuances of its origins and impact on storytelling have been fully explored. Yet its adoption as a viable option in war reporting has led to a de facto division of journalistic framing. Embedding reporters with troops has led to a micro focus on soldiers and the minutiae of conflict, while traditional or unilateral reporting continues to provide contextual perspective on the purpose and impact of the fighting within a bigger picture. This essay argues that this division needs to be bridged
Review of the 2011 IAMCR Conference
Get PDFThe International Association of Media and Communication Research 2011 conference was held in Istanbul between the 13th and 17th July 201
Enclosure and emancipation in scholarly journals publishing: Overview, critical, global and communication perspectives
No full textThe current state of scholarly communication is presented as one of contest between an increasingly commercial system that is dysfunctional and incompatible with the basic aims of scholarship, and emerging alternatives, particularly open access publishing and open access archiving. Two approaches to facilitating global participation in scholarly communication are contrasted; equity is seen as a superior goal to the donor model, which requires poverty or inequity to succeed. The current state of scholarly communication within the discipline of communication is examined. A relatively healthy percentage of not-for-profit publishers and at least 76 fully open access journals suggest strong potential for emancipating scholarship in communication from commercial imperatives. Specific sites of struggle and actions for scholars, including developing open access journals and self-archiving, are presented
“Twitter Me This, Twitter Me That.†The Marketization of Brands Through Social Networking Sites.
No full textThe past several years have witnessed the emergence of interactive media with social networking sites. Facebook, MySpace and Twitter have all become increasingly popular social marketing tools for many companies which substantially changed the role of the consumer from a passive target to an active participant. Through the interactive relationship companies establish with their online customers, users of SNS have become agents of their own consumption and co-producers of the brand. Although the relationship between the retailer and consumer is unparalleled, it is one that is necessary with the increasing fragmentation in the public sphere. SNS have become largely successful because they give individuals the opportunity to create identities online and retailers have complemented that by giving consumers control over the design and production of their products. However, I argue that this perceived control is merely an ideological fallacy of individualism that is predetermined and reproduces conformity in mass society
Of Insurrection and Its Scribes
Get PDFReview of The Invisible Committee, The Coming Insurrection. Semiotext(e), 2009
Recap and Review of the 2010 Smythe Lecture
Get PDFReview of the Graham Murdoch's 2010 Smythe Lecture. The Smythe Lecture is held annually at Simon Fraser University in honour of Dallas Smythe (1907-1992)