Media Framework Research Articles

Always on My Mind

This article examines how current widespread smartphone adoption and usage plays out in the everyday lives of young Swedes. Drawing on the framework of media and information and communication technology domestication, we examine the appropriation and incorporation of new mobile media as well as the redefined roles and meanings of traditional mobile communication channels (i.e., text messages and voice calls). Based on an in-depth study of 18 high-school students, the study explores how practices, roles and experiences associated with mobile social communication are currently evolving with the advent of smartphones. The main arguments are that emerging ‘smart’ practices are reorienting mobile social communication towards the increased centrality of images and visual messaging, ‘groups’ and many-to-many contact, and mediated social contact as an intensified background setting. At the same time, SMS and voice calls have been removed from the centre of young people’s social communication.

"He Will Take Care of our Security Better than Her" Examining Socio-Cultural Conceptions of Gender in Israeli and American Press Coverage of Female Candidates for Top Political Positions, 2008-2009

This study argues that distinct differences between two cultures and two political campaigns, may result in different press coverage of women running for leadership positions. To demonstrate this, we undertook a content analysis of Tzipi Livni’s and Hillary Clinton's 2008-2009 campaigns in four Israeli and American popular and elite newspapers, examining coverage of nine gender-oriented media frameworks. We found that while the press in both countries strongly emphasized gender-oriented elements in covering the two leaders, the Israeli press was significantly more gender-biased, particularly due to military and religious influences. Additionally, the popular newspapers in both countries were more gender-biased than the elite newspapers, especially in "sensationally" highlighting candidates' sexuality and appearance.

The Use of Social Media in E-Learning: A Metasynthesis

<p class="3">The adoption of social media in e-learning signals the end of distance education as we know it in higher education. However, it appears to have very little impact on the way in which open and distance learning (ODL) institutions are functioning. Earlier research suggests that a significant part of the explanation for the slow uptake of social media in e-learning lies outside of conventional factors attributed to distance learning reforms.</p><p class="3">This research used the conceptual framework for online collaborative learning (OCL)<em> </em>in higher education. Social media such as blogs, wikis, Skype or Google Hangout, Facebook; and even mobile apps, such as WhatsApp; could facilitate deep learning and the creation of knowledge in e-learning at higher educational institutions.</p><p class="3">This metasynthesis is an interpretative integration of peer-reviewed qualitative research findings on social media in e-learning. It includes a synthesis of data, research methods, and theories used to investigate social media in e-learning. Seven themes emerged from the data which have been recrafted into a framework for social media in e-learning as the final product. The proposed framework could be useful to instructional designers and academics who are interested in using modern learning theories and want to adopt social media in e-learning in higher education as a deep learning strategy.</p>

“Je Suis Charlie” and the Digital Mediascape: The Politics of Death in the Charlie Hebdo Mourning Rituals

Abstract This article examines rituals of mourning in the digital mediascape in the case of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, 2015. The idea of the digital mediascape draws on Arjun Appadurai’s (1990) seminal work on mediascape and develops it further in the current framework of digital media. Rituals of mourning are approached as a response and a reaction to the anxiety and distress caused by the unexpected violent death of global media attention. The phenomenology of ritual practices in Charlie Hebdo is characterised as multi-layered, relational and coexisting. The article looks in particular at the ritual mourning in association with the message and the meme “Je suis Charlie”. The ‘imagined worlds’ created around the digital circulation of this ritual message are discussed in relation to the idea of the politics of death formed around such fundamental value-laden questions as whose life counts as life and is thus worthy of public recognition of mourning, as Judith Butler (2004) has asked.

Racial violence and the Brexit state

Research by the Institute of Race Relations into over one hundred incidents of racial violence reported in the mass media in the month after the EU referendum indicates that the ‘spike’ in such attacks has to be understood in terms of the racist climate created not just during the clearly nativist referendum debate, but also in the divisive policies and programmes of successive governments preceding it. The politicians and police chiefs, who have recently condemned the violence, analyse it in terms of already given media frameworks about ‘hate crime’: bigoted individuals are to blame; this is a law-and-order issue not a socially based problem – thus avoiding any responsibility for the creation of state racism. The research also reveals the central role of the police, at the expense of community groups’ or victims’ voices, when the media decides an attack is newsworthy.

Variational coarse-graining procedure for dynamic homogenization

We present a variational coarse-graining framework for heterogeneous media in the spirit of FE2 methods, that allows for a seamless transition from the traditional static scenario to dynamic loading conditions, while being applicable to general material behavior as well as to discrete or continuous representations of the material and its deformation, e.g., finite element discretizations or atomistic systems. The method automatically delivers the macroscopic equations of motion together with the generalization of Hill’s averaging relations to the dynamic setting. These include the expression of the macroscopic stresses and linear momentum as a function of the microscopic fields. We further demonstrate with a proof of concept example, that the proposed theoretical framework can be used to perform multiscale numerical simulations. The results are compared with standard single-scale finite element simulations, showcasing the capability of the method to capture the dispersive nature of the medium in the range of frequencies permitted by the multiscale strategy.

Developing sustainable news media in Africa: a professionalisation model to curtail “the brown envelope” and other corrupting influences

ABSTRACTThe development of free, independent, and sustainable news media in Africa is bedevilled by the “brown envelope syndrome,” the widespread practice of accepting money for news coverage. This paper reveals the pernicious effects the brown envelope syndrome has on African journalism and its ability to function as a sustainable, democratic tool for nation-building. To curtail the brown envelope, a model to develop an institutional infrastructure for professional journalism is proposed. The model provides a collaborative framework for media and non-media actors (i.e. government, non-government organisations, and foundations) to strengthen the professionalism of journalism work through: higher education programmes that teach professional values and reveal damaging practices, professional associations that define and advocate journalism values that inform practices, and professional news management that incentivises and rewards best practices.

Design of Knowledge Management System for Diabetic Complication Diseases

This paper examines how to develop a Model for Knowledge Management System (KMS) for diabetes complication diseases. People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing a series of serious health problems. Each patient has different condition that could lead to different disease and health problem. But, with the right information, patient could have early detection so the health risk could be minimized and avoided. Hence, the objective of this research is to propose a conceptual framework that integrates social network model, Knowledge Management activities, and content based reasoning (CBR) for designing such a diabetes health and complication disease KMS. The framework indicates that the critical knowledge management activities are in the process to find similar case and the index table for algorithm to fit the framework for the social media. With this framework, KMS developers can work with healthcare provider to easily identify the suitable IT associated with the CBR process when developing a diabetes KMS.

Normative framework of media reporting on victims of crime in the Republic of Serbia

The topic of this paper is the normative framework of media reporting on victims of crime in the Republic of Serbia. The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of international and national legal instruments that regulate the way the media should report on this important issue and to assess the level of compliance of the Serbian legal framework with international standards in this field. The freedom of media is inviolable in every democratic society, but there are clear rules that must be respected. Essential are the ethical standards that journalists have to comply with in their work, which are also analyzed in the paper. After considering relevant regulations governing media reporting on victims of crime, it is concluded that the national legal framework on media reporting on crime victims in Serbia is in compliance with relevant international instruments.

Serve and Volley: A Political-Economy View of Tennis Channel’s Six-Year Carriage Battle With Comcast

The availability of live sports content on television has reached an all-time high, with the proliferation of dozens of regional sports networks (RSNs). Sports networks charge individual subscriber fees, anywhere from 20 cents to more than $8.00 per month, and frequently negotiate carriage agreements with multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) to receive those fees. Since 2010, the independently operated Tennis Channel has fought to gain broad-based carriage from Comcast Cable Corporation, the nation’s largest MVPD. Using a political economy of media framework, the purpose of this paper is to examine court and regulatory filings to understand how an independent RSN positions itself against the established MediaSport complex and the oligopolistic power concentrated with a select few media companies.

The public: consumers or citizens? Participatory initiatives and the reform of public service media regulation in Germany

The German federal interstate treaties, as the regulatory framework for public service media (PSM), have recently been under reform. The starting point of the amendments is the so-called ZDF decision of the German Federal Constitutional Court from the 25th of March, 2014. The Federal Constitutional Court was confronted with the question of whether the composition of the broadcasting council in the second biggest public service broadcasting station in Germany, the ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, Second German Television), is compliant with the constitution. This resulted in reforms of numerous regulatory regimes in several German federal states. This article compares the decision-making process related to the WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk, West-German Broadcasting) (whose legislator is Northrhine-Westfalia) and the ZDF (whose legislator is Rhineland-Palatinate), the two biggest PSM broadcasters in Germany. In the case of these two German federal states, this paper strives to provide insight into the strategies of the state chancellery, the responsible legislative authorities, to negotiate a new regulatory framework. The paper also discusses the issue of the “implied audience” during the negotiations and civil society’s participation in media policy debates and media governance. The analysis is based on a systematization of the citizen and the consumer in media policy. This working hypothesis assumes that the implied image of the audience differs in the two federal states. The negotiations in Rhineland-Palatinate can be described as ambivalent in terms of how it understood the audience, whereas Northrhine-Westfalia rather addressed the audience as citizens. The study suggests that the ZDF decision created a momentum for broader media policy debates in Germany, which has long been a neglected issue, both in civil society and media regulation – as well as in communication studies.

“I'M Just as Indian Standing before you with no Feathers Popping Out of my Head”: Critiquing Indigenous performativity in the YouTube performances of the 1491s

This article analyzes two YouTube videos by the 1491s, a Native American sketch comedy troupe. By using the interpretive framework of social media and film studies, which considers the role of viewership and fan participation in shaping reception, this article argues that the 1491s challenge Indigenous people to resist becoming complicit in the processes of simulation through an assertion of “visual sovereignty”. Additional analysis examines a representative range of viewers’ responses to the videos to flesh out how the 1491s’ work is understood and valued by various viewers, many of whom take the opportunity to self-identify as Native American. Taken together with additional insights provided by the performers themselves, this article assesses how comedy is used to draw attention to the ironic situation of Native people “redfacing,” of fabricating false and stereotypical identities, to appeal to non-Native peoples, particularly consumers, but also to enact critiques.

Semantic Learning-Based Innovation Framework for Social Media

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) typically face resource and capability constraints that inhibit their innovation activities. One way SMEs can overcome these constraints is by complementing internal resources and capabilities with external knowledge, referred to as open innovation. With the proliferation of the Internet, SMEs have added social media to their traditional marketing activities. However, they rarely embrace social media's analytical capabilities for innovation. The authors propose the semantic-learning-based innovation framework (SLBIF) to guide SMEs in using social media's analytical capabilities to innovate their products or services. Their framework includes three consecutive stages innovators should follow--idea selection, idea refinement, and idea diffusion--that explain how to analyze customer preferences through semantic analysis of customer posts and identify lead users and opinion leaders using user-directed social network analysis.

Social justice for the poor: The framing of socioeconomic rights in selected South African newspapers

Apartheid South Africa created a society of deep-seated inequalities divided along race, class, and gender lines. The promotion of socioeconomic rights and redistributive justice is thus an important element in the country’s on-going transformation. This article analyzes the framing of stories on socioeconomic rights by three South African national newspapers. Using a combination of framing analysis and critical political economy insights, we show that although the newspapers foreground the importance of socioeconomic rights and recognize voices of the marginalized, the majority of the stories contain gaps and silences on critical issues concerning the structural causes of inequality and socioeconomic injustices in South Africa. The argument concludes by motivating a rethinking of the country’s normative media frameworks for the development of a journalism practice that would resonate in a country characterized by social polarization and material inequalities.

Social Media and Disasters

Conceptual frameworks which seek to integrate social media uses into disaster management strategies are employed in a range of events. With continued variations to online practices, developments in technology, and changes in online behaviours, it is imperative to provide conceptual frameworks which are relevant, current and insightful. This paper firstly conceptualizes a range of recent literature through inductive coding and proposes a new conceptual framework of current social media uses. Secondly, the framework is applied to a case study of a multi-hazard disaster: which are predicted to grow in severity and frequency due to climate change, alongside increased habitation of at-risk zones. Storm Desmond 2015 has been selected. Snowball sampling is used to identify networks of interest, and thematic analysis used to track changes in Twitter content over time. Web accessibility and information reliability issues are presented and discussed.

Not everyone knows what a zebroid is

The Austrian Case C-347/14, New Media Online v. Bundeskommunikationssenat, of October 2015 gave the Court of Justice of the European Union the opportunity to clarify whether the video content of a newspaper website is covered by the European Union (EU) audiovisual media services directive (AVMSD). Advocate General Szpunar explained what was, in his view, the EU legislature’s alleged intention underlying the Directive’s definition of an audiovisual media service. The Court was not convinced by his argument and instead unambiguously concurred with the two Austrian regulatory authorities: not only films and broadcasts of long duration are governed by the AVMSD but also shorter forms of moving image material, even when these are part of a newspaper’s online offering. Assuming that this decision will significantly influence the European Commission’s plans for a ‘new’ Directive, what are the implications for a new media framework for the 21st century?

Improving HIV and STI responses through media and community engagement

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Western Australia are at their highest in 20 years. In response to this worrying escalation and the public need for accurate and balanced information about these diseases, the journalism department at Edith Cowan University, in partnership with the WA AIDS Council (WAAC), developed a pilot project that consisted of a series of media training and education programmes to enable WAAC staff to share information and stories with the media on HIV and STIs in a more confident and proactive way. The project offers a model framework for media and community engagement that can be applied to a broader range of health promotion and disease prevention issues.

Note on Coussy’s Thermodynamical Definition of Fluid Pressure for Deformable Porous Media

In a lifetime of work, Dr. Olivier Coussy developed a complete theoretic framework for porous media that researchers in a broad range of fields including (but not limited to) concrete, hydrology, swelling clay, and $$\hbox {CO}_2$$ -induced swelling of coal have continued to use as a foundation. However, in some of these works where a framework is developed for a deformable porous media, a dissipative inequality is assumed that implicitly results in a thermodynamical form of liquid pressure that is inconsistent with the classical thermodynamical form of pressure found in thermodynamic textbooks for a single phase. In this note, we compare this definition of pressure with those developed in other mixture-theoretic frameworks and demonstrate this inconsistency by mathematically showing that the thermodynamic quantity is most closely related to the solid pressure and explain how this inconsistency came about.

A welfare perspective on Nordic media subsidies

ABSTRACTSubsidies constitute a prominent media-policy instrument, serving to correct media-market failures. However, because they interfere in the market, and because the commercial media market is under structural pressure in the digital age, there is much debate about the role of media subsidies. Within this context, this article revisits the foundation of media subsidies in certain developed democracies, aiming at qualifying the current discussions. Focusing on the Nordic countries, the article explores the connection between the social-democratic welfare-state regime and the extensive public frameworks for media subsidies found in this region. The article argues that even though continuity rather than disruption characterises the systems of direct and indirect subsidies, the current developments point towards a recalibration of the ways the Nordic countries subsidise media in the future.

Experimental Measurements and Multi-Scale Modeling of the Relative Gas Permeability of a Caprock

An experimental characterisation of a low permeability caprock is first reported. Two different methods are compared to measure the porosity: water imbibition and weighting versus gas (Argon) pycnometry. Water measured porosities appear to systematically underestimate gas measured porosities. A capillary pressure curve is derived from successive equilibrium of samples at imposed relative humidities. The relative gas permeability is thoroughly measured on the same samples. Gas porosity and effective gas permeability measurements have been carried out under different confining pressures. All measured relative gas permeabilities lie on a master curve and present a low critical water saturation beyond which the effective gas permeability nearly vanishes. In an attempt to model this last feature, the salient properties of the microstructure are extracted from electron microscopy images to propose a micro-macro model of the relative gas permeability. The multi-scale modeling is performed within the framework of random media or so-called continuum micromechanics, including localised flow effects within interfaces. The self-consistent homogenisation scheme allows retrieval of a critical water saturation, whose value is governed by the shape of the elementary particles of the material and the localisation of water within the pore space.