Voice of the Locality: Local Media and Local Audience
Voice of the Locality: Local Media and Local Audience
Author(s): Lenka Waschková Císařová
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Social Sciences, Media studies, Political Theory, Civil Society, Communication studies, Sociology, Government/Political systems, Politics and communication, Theory of Communication, Crowd Psychology: Mass phenomena and political interactions
Published by: Masarykova univerzita nakladatelství
Keywords: Local media; media studies; local audiences; relationship between local media and local audiences; local communication;
Summary/Abstract: The publication is focused on the topic of local media that is often neglected in the field of media studies. The main points of view are the analysis of local audiences and the characteristics of the relationship between local media and local audiences. The international group of nineteen authors maps the specifics of the functioning of local media and, more generally, local communication in different (mainly European) states.
- E-ISBN-13: 978-80-210-8751-4
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-80-210-8747-7
- Page Count: 322
- Publication Year: 2017
- Language: English
The voice of the locality
The voice of the locality
(The voice of the locality)
- Author(s):Lenka Waschková Císařová
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Theory of Communication
- Page Range:19-38
- No. of Pages:20
- Keywords:Locality; local media; media in localities; journalism;
- Summary/Abstract:Locality has in its nature something irresistible, that plays on a string of emotions. We can see it every day in, for example, the adoration of local products, local dishes, local craftsmanship, or local media. Moreover, emotions associated with locality attract attention though they might be strong and negative at the same time. In my opinion, however, the former neglect of the topic of local media among academics does not mean that local is not sexy (cf. Nielsen, 2016). It rather means that researchers are less willing to deal with complicated layers of emotions (cf. Kotišová, 2017) than with more graspable facts. One can see it, often anecdotally, at media conferences where researchers admit that they do research on local media in localities where they come from. They go on the thin ice of researching emotions (maybe also their own) while at the same time knowing the locality with important contacts therein, so they still somewhat remain on the safe side of pragmatism. If it was agreed that there was something important behind the local in general and local media in particular, the problems stimulated by the strength of emotionality behind locality can emerge illustrating the vagueness of local media discourse. Underscoring the problem directly, Kitch (2008) points to how journalism scholars have been unwilling to research emotions which are often deemed “soft” and subjective.
- Price: 4.50 €
The segmentation of local audiences? Fragmented media use and types of media users at the local level
The segmentation of local audiences? Fragmented media use and types of media users at the local level
(The segmentation of local audiences? Fragmented media use and types of media users at the local level)
- Author(s):Raphael Kösters, Olaf Jandura
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Civil Society, Politics and communication, Theory of Communication, Sociology of Politics
- Page Range:41-58
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:Locality; local level; media users; segmentation of local audiences; communication studies; local public sphere; political activity; mass media; citizens’ political participation;
- Summary/Abstract:Audience segmentation is a contemporary meta-trend comprehensively discussed in communication studies (van Aelst et al., 2017). Trends related to segmentation have been examined within the context of different countries from economic and social science perspectives as well as on various levels of analysis. In this chapter, we examine audience segments within the local public sphere of a major city in Germany. A local public sphere is defined as “a relatively open space in which information flows of local origins intersect with translocal issues, and together create a common discursive space of political activity” (Lang, 2004, p. 154). In order to define the problem at hand, a basic function of the mass media public sphere must be taken into account, i.e. the function of integration. By providing audiences with a common basis of issues and knowledge, media outlets establish the foundation for the citizenry’s self-perception as one collective for identity-building and for citizens’ political participation.
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The effect of communication concerning civic participation on local identity and the struggle against depopulation
The effect of communication concerning civic participation on local identity and the struggle against depopulation
(The effect of communication concerning civic participation on local identity and the struggle against depopulation)
- Author(s):Anne Schubert, Jens Wolling
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Civil Society, Theory of Communication, Social development, Demography and human biology, Rural and urban sociology
- Page Range:59-76
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:Communication; civic participation; struggle against depopulation; demographic changes; social development; rural and urban areas;
- Summary/Abstract:Modern societies across the world are confronting profound demographic changes. Amid low birth-rates and increased migration to major cities, rural areas, including small cities and towns, are grappling with a changing social structure: populations are decreasing, while the average age of the population is rising. For these places, these trends have consequences for their public image and, moreover, effects on the psychology of their residents. As the population decreases, houses become uninhabited and decay, stores close, and other important elements of public life, such as restaurants, cinemas, cafes and theatres, become endangered and finally shut down. These changes cause the appearance of the city to deteriorate, and the remaining residents grow pessimistic about the future of the place and are reluctant to make investments in, or to engage themselves in, that future.
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The local press and independence in Scotland
The local press and independence in Scotland
(The local press and independence in Scotland)
- Author(s):Jan-Philipp Wagner
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Governance, Politics and communication, Politics and society, Theory of Communication, Crowd Psychology: Mass phenomena and political interactions, Sociology of Politics
- Page Range:77-102
- No. of Pages:26
- Keywords:Scotland; local press; independence in Scotland; political history; media; press;
- Summary/Abstract:Since the Acts of the Union in 1707, Scotland has struggled to varying degrees for independence. Over the last few decades, the demand for Scottish independence grew stronger, which was epitomized in the Scottish National Party’s landslide victory in the 2011 elections to the Scottish Parliament. Once in power, the SNP, under the leadership of First Minister Alex Salmond, began to work on the fulfilment of its campaign pledge to smooth the way toward a public vote on Scottish independence (Mitchell, 2016). As a result, Scots were given the right to choose whether or not Scotland should be an independent country in the Scottish independence referendum on September 18, 2014.
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“We’re holding the town’s mirror”: the self-referential discourses of the local newspaper Camden Advertiser during the controversy over a proposed Islamic School
“We’re holding the town’s mirror”: the self-referential discourses of the local newspaper Camden Advertiser during the controversy over a proposed Islamic School
(“We’re holding the town’s mirror”: the self-referential discourses of the local newspaper Camden Advertiser during the controversy over a proposed Islamic School)
- Author(s):Caitlin Parr
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Civil Society, Islam studies, Theory of Communication, Crowd Psychology: Mass phenomena and political interactions, Sociology of Education, Sociology of Religion
- Page Range:103-130
- No. of Pages:28
- Keywords:Local newspapers; media; social issues; news-gathering; Camden Advertiser; Islamic School; public opinion;
- Summary/Abstract:Local newspapers are a unique part of the media landscape, tasked with informing the community of events and issues in their immediate area and providing them with the knowledge they need to understand complex social issues. Despite advances in digital technologies, “newspapers remain a primary and vital component of the newsgathering infrastructure” (Clarke, 2014, p. 8). Therefore, the power of local print newspapers to build connections with and influence their communities makes them valuable sources for analysis. This chapter offers a discursive analysis of self-referential discourses utilised by the Camden Advertiser during reports on a controversial Islamic School proposal in Camden, Western Sydney, NSW, Australia. Self-referential is used here to describe the ways in which the Camden Advertiser referenced its own name, its journalists, and reflected on previously published newspaper content during the Islamic school debate.
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Media building community: audience engagement in a micro-nation
Media building community: audience engagement in a micro-nation
(Media building community: audience engagement in a micro-nation)
- Author(s):Carl-Gustav Lindén
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Theory of Communication
- Page Range:133-154
- No. of Pages:22
- Keywords:Local journalism; local society; local media; newspapers; Finland; radio;
- Summary/Abstract:Local journalism plays an important role not just in everyday life, but also in framing the past, present and future of local societies. The aim here is to explore how local media – in this case newspapers – use notions of history, traditions and identity to construct meaning, to gain attention, and thus to increase audience engagement. This chapter captures the dynamics of a somewhat special case in local media, a small but affluent autonomous region of Finland, namely the Åland Islands with 6,500 islands and less than 30,000 inhabitants. Despite the limited size of the community, people can choose from a complete offering of local media: two newspapers, a public service broadcast corporation, a commercial radio station and several magazines. This is a Swedish-speaking part of a country where the majority speaks Finnish.
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Strong local press versus weak local press in local relations. A comparative case study of two weeklies in Poland
Strong local press versus weak local press in local relations. A comparative case study of two weeklies in Poland
(Strong local press versus weak local press in local relations. A comparative case study of two weeklies in Poland)
- Author(s):Sylwia Męcfal
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Theory of Communication, Social psychology and group interaction, Crowd Psychology: Mass phenomena and political interactions
- Page Range:155-180
- No. of Pages:26
- Keywords:Poland; local press; local relations; local media; local institutions;
- Summary/Abstract:The local media market in Poland developed in very particular social conditions, conditions which Nowak (1979, 1981) described as a social void. As a result, it might be presumed that it was more likely that the new forms of society (including local media) were formed on the basis of the bonding type of social capital rather than the bridging type. This might be one of the reasons why tight and complex relationships between the local media and other social actors still exist. This chapter is focused upon the local press, more precisely on the relations between the local press and other local institutions and local actors. The main aim of my research was to recreate a specific local setting (Lofland, Snow, Anderson, & Lofland, 2009) and to interpret the observed links between subjects.
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The public and local media journalists: an expected relationship
The public and local media journalists: an expected relationship
(The public and local media journalists: an expected relationship)
- Author(s):Cassandre Burnier
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Theory of Communication, Applied Sociology, Crowd Psychology: Mass phenomena and political interactions
- Page Range:181-195
- No. of Pages:15
- Keywords:Local media; local audience; journalism; newspapers; multimedia;
- Summary/Abstract:In a hyper-competitive media context (Charron & de Bonville, 2004), the news consumer is confronted with a wide range of media content, offers and formats. This is why audience capture and retention have become crucial issues for the success as well as survival of media companies (Demers, 2012). “Knowing one’s readers” is a recurring maxim in journalistic discourse (Montañola & Souanef, 2012) and forces the agents of news production to get better at understanding who their readers are. However, their understanding remains largely limited to audience studies and other statistics (circulation figures, online traffic data, etc.) in order to quantify and increase the audience (Anciaux, 2015). As for the sociology of the publics, publics are usually unilaterally defined from a media-centred perspective, meaning the readers for the newspapers; the viewers for the television, etc. This way of thinking “does not allow to take into account the tastes that connect the individuals to the consumption of this kind” (Figeac, 2009, p. 68). There is therefore a lack of knowledge in understanding media audience more complexly. This linear way of conceiving media practices does not allow one to analyse them from a multi-media point of view: in other words, the television researchers analyse television consumers; the press researchers analyse press readers, etc., yet the practices of the publics are multiple and often at the same time multi-dimensional.
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Solutions journalism as a symptom of fundamental changes for French local journalists
Solutions journalism as a symptom of fundamental changes for French local journalists
(Solutions journalism as a symptom of fundamental changes for French local journalists)
- Author(s):Pauline Amiel
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Theory of Communication, Applied Sociology
- Page Range:197-212
- No. of Pages:16
- Keywords:France; solutions journalism; French local journalists; local newspapers; reporting; social issues;
- Summary/Abstract:Since 1995, French local newspapers have been publishing news online. The economical crisis of these media is linked to the rise of the web, according to journalists. Solutions journalism, as a professional concept, has been emerging in that context since 2015. Also called constructivist journalism or SoJo by journalists, it began to appear in the professional vocabulary at the end of the 1990’s (Benesh, 1998). For Alexander Curry and Keith Hammonds (2014), ”solutions journalism is reporting about responses to entrenched social problems. It examines instances where people, institutions, and communities are working toward solutions. Solutions-based stories focus not just on what may be working, but how and why it appears to be working, or, alternatively, why it may be stumbling”. In 2007, the New York Times (United States) and Berlingske Media (Denmark) newsrooms wanted to promote a journalistic way of working to bring solutions to societal issues. Editors encouraging this method assured that they wanted to get out of agenda setting (McCombs & Shaw, 1972) so as to increase reporting (Amiel, 2017).
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Local public communication filling the gap for a vanishing local media. A dilemma for democracy in Sweden
Local public communication filling the gap for a vanishing local media. A dilemma for democracy in Sweden
(Local public communication filling the gap for a vanishing local media. A dilemma for democracy in Sweden)
- Author(s):Carina Tenor, Gunnar Nygren
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Civil Society, Government/Political systems, Politics and communication, Politics and society, Theory of Communication
- Page Range:215-237
- No. of Pages:23
- Keywords:Sweden; local public; local media; democracy; television broadcasting; providing citizens with information; newspapers;
- Summary/Abstract:In a Swedish municipality building, a former Managing Editor from commercial television channel TV4 is working as Head of Communications for the municipality, along with several colleagues, all of whom have experiences from television broadcasting. These days, the municipality invests considerable resources into creating video content to provide citizens with information, “and we know how effectively pictures talk to people’s emotions”. The municipality’s Facebook page has already been awarded a prize, and now everyone is hoping for a prize-winning website as well, with pictures and videos.
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Digitization: empowering regional media in the public
Digitization: empowering regional media in the public
(Digitization: empowering regional media in the public)
- Author(s):Lisbeth Morlandstø, Birgit Røe Mathisen
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Government/Political systems, Politics and communication, Politics and society, Theory of Communication
- Page Range:239-259
- No. of Pages:21
- Keywords:Regional media; public; journalism; mass media; democracy; local media; role of media in society;
- Summary/Abstract:Journalism and power are intertwined in many ways. As the media reflects, mirrors, investigates, interprets and frames the power of other institutions, media organizations themselves become powerful (Eide, 2001). The role of the legal mass media is vital in every democracy, with independent media having a crucial role on behalf of citizens – to convey information about society, to facilitate public debate, and to be a watchdog on behalf of society. In addition, regional and local media have a mission to provide a voice to inhabitants located in different geographical regions. They perceive views and communicative perspectives from a regional standpoint as a vital part of their societal role (Nielsen, 2015; Mathisen, 2010).
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Collaboration and fusion of Basque local media: opportunities for development and for citizen participation
Collaboration and fusion of Basque local media: opportunities for development and for citizen participation
(Collaboration and fusion of Basque local media: opportunities for development and for citizen participation)
- Author(s):Eneko Bidegain, Aitor Zuberogoitia, Txema Egaña, Ainhoa Larrañaga
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Civil Society, Politics and communication, Theory of Communication
- Page Range:261-281
- No. of Pages:21
- Keywords:Local media; citizen participation; local press; Basque; Basque language;
- Summary/Abstract:The local professional press in Basque started around 1989–1990. It has been predominantly located in villages, but from 2000 onwards it began to spread through the valleys and regions. This process is not yet complete. As such, this chapter aims to analyse the mechanisms of collaboration among Basque local media, which are using new technologies and striving to develop community participation. The Basque language is spoken in the Basque Country, and is a minority language due to the linguistic policies of Spain and France, which impose Spanish and French as primary languages but do not confer the same rights on Basque. The Basque language is not official in the northern (French) part of the country; it is co-official in the southern (Spanish) part, but only Spanish is obligatory. Thus, there is a situation of diglossia throughout the Basque Country, in which the Basque language is always the weaker.
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An active local public sphere: the role of new media in creating a contemporary local democracy in the case of Poland
An active local public sphere: the role of new media in creating a contemporary local democracy in the case of Poland
(An active local public sphere: the role of new media in creating a contemporary local democracy in the case of Poland)
- Author(s):Ilona Biernacka-Ligięza
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Media studies, Government/Political systems, Politics and communication, Theory of Communication, Globalization
- Page Range:283-316
- No. of Pages:34
- Keywords:Local public; media; local democracy; Poland; globalization; local communities;
- Summary/Abstract:Globalization does not render locality irrelevant, but challenges it, as was emphasised, for instance, by the concepts of glocalization (Featherstone, Lash, & Robertson, 1995, pp. 25–44) or translocality (Appadurai, 1996). In general, these concepts suggest that encounters of the local and the global can be productive in terms of modifying locality by placing it in the wider context of the global and vice versa. In the case of using digital technologies in a local context, we are not interested in the width but in the depth. Looking at the implementation of the digital technologies in local communities, we are not concerned with the question of how the local gets modified by the global, but if it can become intensified. Some scholars provide sceptical accounts of the decaying sense of participation in the life of local communities and argue that in the late modern period real (off-line) local communities dissolve into isolated individuals (Putnam, 2001). Potential intensification of the local participatory energy on and through the internet is therefore more important in that it is missing even in the real life of local communities.
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