The voice of the locality
The voice of the locality

Author(s): Lenka Waschková Císařová
Subject(s): Media studies, Theory of Communication
Published by: Masarykova univerzita nakladatelství
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.

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