The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into a Category of Bourgeois Society

Originally published in Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 1994, Vol 39(2), 225. Reviews the book, The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion by John Zaller (1992). The author's commendable effort to specify a model of mass opinion formation offers readers an introduction to the prevailing vi

The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion.

Fatty acids and alcohols are key intermediates in the methanogenic degradation of organic matter, e.g., in anaerobic sewage sludge digestors or freshwater lake sediments. They are produced by classical fermenting bacteria for disposal of electrons derived in simultaneous substrate oxidations. Methanogenic bacteria can degrade primarily only one-carbon compounds. Therefore, acetate, propionate, ethanol, and their higher homologs have to be fermented further to one-carbon compounds. These fermentations are called secondary or syntrophic fermentations. They are endergonic processes under standard conditions and depend on intimate coupling with methanogenesis. The energetic situation of the prokaryotes cooperating in these processes is problematic: the free energy available in the reactions for total conversion of substrate to methane attributes to each partner amounts of energy in the range of the minimum biochemically convertible energy, i.e., 20 to 25 kJ per mol per reaction. This amount corresponds to one-third of an ATP unit and is equivalent to the energy required for a monovalent ion to cross the charged cytoplasmic membrane. Recent studies have revealed that syntrophically fermenting bacteria synthesize ATP by substrate-level phosphorylation and reinvest part of the ATP-bound energy into reversed electron transport processes, to release the electrons at a redox level accessible by the partner bacteria and to balance their energy budget. These findings allow us to understand the energy economy of these bacteria on the basis of concepts derived from the bioenergetics of other microorganisms.

/pdf/energetics-of-syntrophic-cooperation-in-methanogenic-42tfc2jdem.pdf

Energetics of syntrophic cooperation in methanogenic degradation.

HUMIC substances are heterogeneous high-molecular-weight organic materials which are ubiquitous in terrestrial and aquatic environments. They are resistant to microbial degradation1 and thus are not generally considered to be dynamically involved in microbial metabolism, especially in anoxic habitats. However, we show here that some microorganisms found in soils and sediments are able to use humic substances as an electron acceptor for the anaerobic oxidation of organic compounds and hydrogen. This electron transport yields energy to support growth. Microbial humic reduction also enhances the capacity for microorganisms to reduce other, less accessible electron acceptors, such as insoluble Fe(III) oxides, because humic substances can shuttle electrons between the humic-reducing microorganisms and the Fe(III) oxide. The finding that microorganisms can donate electrons to humic acids has important implications for the mechanisms by which microorganisms oxidize both natural and contaminant organics in anaerobic soils and sediments, and suggests a biological source of electrons for humics-mediated reduction of contaminant metals and organics.

Humic substances as electron acceptors for microbial respiration

Soil microorganisms as controllers of atmospheric trace gases (H2, CO, CH4, OCS, N2O, and NO).

Comments as engagement with the news

Media and communication studies is a comparatively young academic discipline in Sweden. The subject’s establishment began with the 1960s—a time when the expansion of mass media led to a bigger demand for analysis, education and critical reflection. Along with that, political and commercial interests in more knowledge led to commissioned research, another considerable factor in the subject’s development and institutionalization. The field was brought forth by humanistic and social-scientific strands, and some actors conveniently travel between these two since the demarcation lines are less pronounced in the North. Currently, roughly around 250 scholars are active in the field, with about 200 of them organized in DGPuK’s Nordic sister organization FSMK. Media and communication research in Sweden is also greatly oriented towards the broader Nordic context, institutionalized for instance through the Nordic Information Centre for Media and Communication Research (Nordicom). For scholars, the labour market is comparatively open, not only for other Nordic academics but also for entries from countries outside Scandinavia. For students, the field provides a rich smorgasbord of general and highly specialized programmes or stand-alone courses of variable length offered in both Swedish and English. This article aims to inform about the history and the contemporary conditions of Swedish media and communication studies, with a personal note based on own experiences.

/pdf/media-and-communication-studies-in-sweden-1lhqzu86vz.pdf

Media and communication studies in Sweden

There was a time when many observers believed in or at least hoped for the democratizing potential of the internet. We witnessed the rising popularity of participatory elements on online websites, resulting in next-level interactive communication structures of the ‘Web 2.0’—followed by such features’ fall from grace. The individual and strategic misuse of open text boxes was frequently observed, documented, and heatedly discussed, especially during the last decade. Due to the reach and relevance of news sites—and their closeness to the news production process—much attention was paid to comment sections surrounding journalistic products (e.g., Quandt, 2018). Unsurprisingly, several relevant journalistic outlets decided in the last couple of years to shut these sections down and/or to shift comments to their social media pages. Typically, the outlets justify these decisions with the prevailing incivility and spread of problematic communication—the management of which is considered to eat up too many resources (Nelson et al., 2021). Surely the diagnosis that ‘the idea of free, high-quality user-generated content in the context of professional online news media is seemingly half dead’ (Quandt, 2018, p. 37) is both disheartening and accurate. Indeed, it cannot be only scholars who wonder ‘what went wrong?’ (p. 37) and whether or not we can still fix ‘the world of the wicked web’ (as a special issue of Media and Communication was titled in 2021). Through years of research, Philip N. Howard and Renee Barnes generated ample knowledge around individual and collective internet behaviour, including the specific forms Quandt (2018) termed ‘dark participation’. Renee Barnes’s book Uncovering Online Commenting Culture analyses individuals—their motivations, traits, and circumstances— Review Essay

Fixing ‘the wicked web’: ‘dark participation’ practices and solutions

Comments as public engagement

: “Patriotic journalism,” a deviation from objectivity, has become an important paradigm and well-documented phenomenon in the analysis of conflict coverage. However, studies rarely focus on the link between journalists’ perceptions and narratives. We investigated how journalists from two countries, one involved in a conflict (Ukraine) and the other observing it from a distance (Sweden) relate to the objectivity norm in sourcing and narrating seven conflictive news cases in Ukraine (2017 to 2018). We found pragmatic commitment to objectivity in both countries, which was not always reflected in the content produced. For Swedish journalists, our results hint toward a value-based ally loyalty, which seems less stable than a tribe-based bond. In Ukraine, official Ukrainian perspectives were undisputedly disseminated; however, we did not find that they were generally positively laden, as one would expect for patriotic journalists. Trust in public institutions might be a deciding factor over the extent of patriotism.

Nina Springer

Papers

Comments as engagement with the news

Media and communication studies in Sweden

Fixing ‘the wicked web’: ‘dark participation’ practices and solutions

Comments as public engagement

Narrating “Their War” and “Our War” – the Patriotic Journalism Paradigm in the Context of Swedish and Ukrainian Conflict Coverage