Showing papers in "Studies in communication sciences in 2021"

From fade-out into spotlight: An audio-visual character analysis (ACIS) on the diversity of media representation and production culture

Abstract: The article focuses on gender portrayal in audio-visual media and discusses the visibility and participation of diverse people Based on a theoretical framework from gender media studies, we conceptualize audio-visual visibility as a dimension of intersectionality and apply this in an empirical approach Audio-visual character analysis (ACIS) is introduced as a method to investigate media content in order to describe visibility of the represented people Applying this method, a quantitative content analysis of a representative sample of German television from 2016 was realized to answer the research questions on the portrayal of relevant characters and on the positions behind the camera The findings show an unequal representation of gender and an intersectional relevance of other categories of difference such as age as well as an interplay between gender of creative positions and visibility of female characters The article discusses findings and implications for future research

The (in)visible barriers to free software: Inequalities in online communities in Spain

Abstract: Free culture communities support self-learning, peer production, and the distribution of knowledge generated without any restrictions. However, free culture communities are not isolated from the social inequalities of the outside world. Understanding (in)visibility as the (in)ability to address internal under-representation within these communities, this research aims to analyse their member profiles and their perception of this issue. To this end, an online questionnaire was administered to 290 communities and interviews were conducted with members of 37 of these previously surveyed communities. The respondents and interviewees acknowledged that technopolitics requires a broad knowledge of the technical implications of their values, which makes access to and participation in a community more difficult. They also criticised the gender bias of their communities and, last but not least, pointed to other inequalities relating to the sexual orientation, socioeconomic level, or ethnic origin of the members of their communities.

Appraisal patterns as predictors of emotional expressions and shares on political social networking sites

Abstract: Emotions are considered important drivers of the diffusion of messages on social networking sites. Therefore, emotion-eliciting political communication yields the potential to reach broad audiences and to influence citizens’ attitudes and behavior. In this study, we investigate message characteristics that potentially trigger emotional reactions on part of the users of political social networking pages and test if this fosters the diffusion of political content in the network. Based on appraisal theory, we employ a manual coding scheme to identify appraisal dimensions in political parties’ Facebook posts that should trigger sadness or anger. We subsequently combine the manual codings with information of the users’ reactions to the respective posts, which we gathered using an automated content analysis. More specifically, we determine (1) if posts that include sadness or anger appraisals are associated with the corresponding emotional reactions in the form of emojis and (2) if these posts are shared more often.

Tension between visibility and invisibility: Science communication in new information environments

Abstract: The visibility and invisibility of scientific knowledge, its creation, and of scientists are at the core of science communication research. Thus, prominent paradigms, such as the public understanding of science or public engagement with science and technology, have implications for the visibility of scientific knowledge in the scientific community and among the public. This article posits that visibility in science communication is achieved with the availability of scientific knowledge, the approval of its dissemination, and its accessibility to third parties. The public understanding of science and public engagement with science paradigms emphasize different aspects of visibility with the latter focusing on the visibility of the creation of scientific knowledge more than public understanding of science which focuses on the knowledge itself. The digital information environment has engendered new formats and possibilities for visibility but also new risks, thereby creating tensions in science communication.

From the illegal migrant-criminal to the illegal migrant-invader: Critical analysis of the semantic change of the Greek term λαθρομετανάστης 'illegal migrant'

Abstract: Following a critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach, the present study reports on the analysis of 49 texts from the Hellenic Parliament Proceedings, where the term λαθρομeτανάστης “illegal migrant” is used. The texts under scrutiny date back to 2015 (i. e., the year the migration crisis reached its peak) and reveal the recontextualized use of this term, which is identified with the hegemonic national-racist discourse of the 1990s perceiving migrants as criminals. Since the 1990s, the term has been stigmatized by political correctness as racist and inaccurate. We consider political correctness as a type of corrective practice, since it detects naturalized language uses reproducing stereotypes and power relationships. We will examine how the re-emergence of the older, racist use of the term in question as a reaction against the guidelines of political correctness is anew connected with national-xenophobic discourse and, in particular, with framing migrants as invaders and a national threat. Overall, tracing the semantic trajectory of the term λαθρομeτανάστης “illegal migrant” allows us to explore how language use at the micro-level is dialectically connected with discourses at the macro-level.

Gendered (in)visibility in digital media contexts

Abstract: In digital media environments, gendered inequalities can be observed on the level of representation and participation in online discussions and digital communities as well as regarding the prevalence of gender norms in self-presentations, and power relations in social interactions. The #MeToo debate exemplifies how gendered inequalities become visible in social media but also reveals the increasing hostility against women online. Drawing on the concept of digital visibility and informed by theoretical perspectives on gendered digital visibility from gender and feminist research and media and communication studies, the article reviews current research and identifies three distinct processes that characterize gendered digital visibility: (1) replication, (2) reinforcement, and (3) resilience. In doing so, the article proposes a taxonomy of research on gendered digital visibility. Findings highlight the ambivalence of women’s participation in online discussions as well as the replication and reinforcement of gender norms through digital technology. Moreover, interrelatedness of these processes and implications for future research are discussed.

“Public Communication Science in Times of the Covid-19 Crisis”: Dach 21 Preconference

Abstract: What is public science? What can communication science scholars contribute to society, especially in times of crisis? What are the challenges and limitations of such engagement? These questions were addressed at a recent preconference held on April 7, 2021, titled “Public communication science in times of the Covid-19 crisis”. The preconference was organized as part of the DACH 21 conference (the first three-country conference on commu nication science) and was held online with more than 50 participants. It was an excellent opportunity to stimulate discussion among Swiss, Austrian, and German scholars regarding the self-understanding and societal role of the discipline. The preconference was hosted by the association Offentliche Medien- und Kommunikations wissenschaft (Public Media and Communication Science, PMCS), which aims to establish, promote, and further develop the concept of public science in the field.The co-presidents of the PMCS association, Prof. Dr. Marlis Prinzing (Hochschule Macro media Koln) and Prof. Dr. Mark Eisenegger (University of Zurich), welcomed all participants to the preconference. They emphasized that the preconference aimed to bring together diverse perspectives and to reflect on principles as laid out in the charter of the association (https://oeffentliche-kowi.org/charta/). This charter consists of fifteen principles and was signed by more than 250 scholars.

Use of science in British newspapers’ narratives of climate change

Abstract: This paper investigates the use of science in British newspapers’ narratives of climate change between 1988 and 2016. It is based on the analysis of eight newspapers and their Sunday and online versions (Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, The Daily Express, The Sun, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent). We used the keywords “climate / climatic change”, “warm / warming” and “greenhouse / greenhouse effect” to retrieve the articles from the Nexis / Lexis database. To identify the articles with a specific focus on climate change, we included only those containing the keywords in the headline (9789 items). Framing theory helps interpret the process of construction of the “threat” through science by showing a tendency towards scientific consensus for the centre / left-leaning newspapers, and an instrumental use of consensus for the centre-right. These findings are useful for both scientists and policymakers interested in understanding how climate narratives can promote delay in action on climate change.

Banning burkas and niqabs? Exploring perceptions of bias in media coverage of Islam and Muslims in Switzerland and their relation to people’s voting intention concerning the burka-initiative

Abstract: In Switzerland, Islam and Muslims are repeatedly the subject of political debates and, thus, of media reporting. While content analyses show a certain bias in Western media coverage of Islam and Muslims, relatively little is known about the audience’s perspective on media bias in this context. Using data from an online survey of the Swiss population (n = 976), this study examines people’s perceptions of bias in the media coverage of Islam and Muslims in Switzerland and how it relates to their intention to vote on the popular initiative “Yes to a veil ban”. The study was conducted in March 2019, two years before the actual vote took place on 7 March 2021. The results show that the majority of the Swiss non-Muslim population perceives the reporting as distorted. In the study’s investigation of media bias perceptions, attitudes towards Islam and Muslims, political orientation and personal contact with Muslims proved to be the most relevant influencing factors. By contrast, exposure to political information via traditional news media and social media was not associated with bias perceptions. Finally, a stronger perception that the media understate certain problems related to Islam and Muslims in Switzerland was positively related to people’s intention to vote for a national ban on wearing burkas or niqabs in public.

The relevance internet users assign to algorithmic-selection applications in everyday life

Abstract: The rapidly growing academic and public attention to algorithmic-selection applications such as search engines and social media is indicative of their alleged great social relevance and impact on daily life in digital societies. To substantiate these claims, this paper investigates the hitherto little explored subjective relevance that Internet users assign to algorithmic-selection applications in everyday life. A representative online survey of Internet users comparatively reveals the relevance that users ascribe to algorithmic-selection applications and to their online and offline alternatives in five selected life domains: political and social orientation, entertainment, commercial transactions, socializing and health. The results show that people assign a relatively low relevance to algorithmic-selection applications compared to offline alternatives across the five life domains. The findings vary greatly by age and education. Altogether, such outcomes complement and qualify assessments of the social impact of algorithms that are primarily and often solely based on usage data and theoretical considerations.

"I think it's up to the media to raise awareness." Quality expectations of media coverage on climate change from the audience’s perspective

Abstract: This study aims to increase the understanding of how the media should report scientific issues by exploring audience’s expectations of how the media cover the contemporary, global issue of climate change. Drawing upon qualitative group discussions (n = 26) and on the theoretical perspective of Wolling’s Theory of Subjective Quality Assessments (TSQA), we provide insights into the relations between public views on climate change and the expectations and assessments of its media coverage. Stimuli material of climate change media coverage presenting uncertainty, a scientific claim, and emotional appeal was integrated. Overall, the relevance of the media for this public issue was emphasized. Despite diverging opinions on how the media should adopt its societal function, a more solution-oriented, detailed and diversified coverage was desired to provide guidance and to overcome topic fatigue. Differing quality dimensions regarding content and reporting style from the audience’s perspective were derived.

Filtered in/filtered out: Locative media and social accessibility in urban spaces

Abstract: Social accessibility involves the capacity of a person to be reached by other people, typically through established social networks. Locative media provide new complications to the issue of social accessibility in urban spaces. They do not connect people with their existing social networks, but rather with people – often strangers – immediately around them. Locative media apps provide users with the ability to manage these anonymous connections through filtering functionalities. This filtering out and filtering in functionality has profound implications for the social relations of strangers in urban spaces. At the heart of the matter is the question of who is made visible and who is made invisible. Many studies of locative media use demonstrate troubling directions in the ways in which they are developed and used. Often, locative media apps reinforce and reify existing racisms and other forms of prejudice, and a general tendency to try to simplify or eliminate differences.

Visibility in the digital age: Introduction

Abstract: In the digital age, calls for transparency and openness as well as for privacy and confidentiality prevail: Struggles for visibility occur simultaneously with conflicts regarding invisibility and hidden battles for power and privileges of interpretation. Concerns about a loss of digital self-determination exist, just like those regarding the “right to be forgotten” or the right to become invisible and unseen. While the idea of a “transparent user” – as the ultimate notion of (in)voluntary visibility – has caused a broad outcry in society and in scientific debates a few years ago (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008), the discussion has shifted toward considerations of Internet governance and regulation (Camenisch, Fischer-Hubner, & Hansen, 2015). Brighenti (2010, p. 109) has pointed out that visibility has long been one of the key aspects “associated with the public sphere” and that in today’s digitized publics, the “project of democracy can no longer be imagined without taking into account visibility and its outcomes” (Brighenti, 2010, p. 189). Visibility and invisibility, along with their societal outcomes, are increasingly being discussed and analyzed, as they are becoming important dimensions in the accurate description and explanation of digital communication.

Conference report “#Communication #(R)Evolution Changing Communication in a Digital Society”: DACH 21 – Three-Country Conference on Communication Science (DGPuK, ÖGK, and SGKM)

Abstract: In recent years, there has hardly been a conference in communication science without the buzzwords of digitization and transformation in its title. In an effort to stand out from the crowd, conference titles end up adorned with complementary buzzwords like “disruption,” “data fication,” “platformization,” and “artificial intelligence.”These conferences frequently follow the same pattern: Papers and presentations are packed into individual panels by way of abstracts and keywords. Researchers then present their more or less elaborate empirical analyses to one other – usually involving a great deal of statistics. Since these papers and presentations are based on a variety of theoretical foundations, methodologies, and statistical analyses, the level of mutual knowledge acquisition is often negligible. There are no common pillars – be they theoretical or empirical.The Three-Country Conference hosted by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft (DGPuK), Osterreichische Gesellschaft fur Kommunikationswissenschaft (OGK), and Schweizerische Gesellschaft fur Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft (SGKM) in Zurich from 7 to 9 April 2021 made an effort to counterbalance that trend.