Free Press Research Articles

Subjektiivsuse aspekt Aurora Semperi kontserdikriitikas aastail 1938–1940 ja 1957–1965

The article examines the subjective aspect in concert reviews by Estonian music critic, pianist, teacher and music historian Aurora Semper (1899–1982), investigating whether and how different socio-political context influenced the manifestation of Semper’s subjective evaluations and taste in her writings for the newspapers Postimees (1938–1940) and Sirp ja Vasar (1956–1965). The paper focuses on the question of to what extent Semper’s subjective aesthetic understandings developed by the 1930s, such as seeing chamber music at the top of the hierarchy of musical genres, her educational background, including piano studies and the experience of West European musical life, were expressed during the Soviet regime with its demands on re-evaluation of music according to the Marxist-Leninist ideology. Comparing Semper’s reviews written in the late 1930s and 1960s, enough common features emerge. The found similarities include the preference for chamber music/ensembles and symphony concerts as well as the focus on the performance aspect, interest in historical issues and the observation of the long-term development of the collective/artist. Also, the attitude towards contemporary music is generally supportive and favourable. As a difference, one can notice the absence of stage works’ reviews in Semper’s Soviet-era writings and a stronger ideological message which is not emphasized but which Semper expressed when necessary in her attitudes, as well as the use of language and emphases. It can therefore be concluded that Aurora Semper’s subjectivity, which was strongly shaped by her studies in Europe (Germany, France) in the 1920s, broad mind and curiosity for knowledge, marriage to an intelligent and tolerant writer and politician Johannes Semper, music history teaching experience and a delicate character, became visible in the relatively free press of the independent Estonia in the 1930s and remained generally unchanged, despite the new socio-political context, in the much more rigid and ideologically controlled Soviet years.

Dialogue, Knowledge, Press and Citizens

The public domain is the fundamental institution in a society. A society can only exercise its political activity when allowing the free dialogue in this arena. Legitimacy rests on rational public agreement. To realize its nature, this dialogue needs to be carried out with the participation of equal and autonomous beings whose contributions to the debate are based on information and reflection. Manipulation and the promotion of particular interest erode the legitimacy to be achieved in this dialogic exercise. Education helps society for a responsible dialogue in which human capacities flourish. On the other hand, the free press warrants a political ethos where ideas and reflections are shared without undue restrictions. The promotion of a free, informed and rational dialogue directs society towards rational decisions not based on the narrow conceptions of instrumental rationality.

Unveiling complementarities between national sustainable development strategies through network analysis

The 2030 agenda of the United Nations provides a framework of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 232 indicators for its members to fulfill. The overall achievement critically depends on how nations understand the interactions between these SDGs and set priorities for development pathways. This study provides a comprehensive network analysis of global SDG complementarities, measured by the co-occurrences of SDG pairs' comparative advantages in the same region by adopting the ‘product space’ concept from economics. We construct the ‘SDG space’ at goal and indicator levels with the most recently available data and then validate its robustness by comparing it to the commonly used correlation network and confirm its predictive power using historical data. Network analysis reveals a strongly connected socioeconomic-related core and an environmental-related periphery, with ‘bridge’ indicators connecting different clusters. The goal-level space identifies the ‘bridge’ goals as SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 15 (Life on Hand) in the environmental-related cluster, while identifying SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 6 (Clean water and Sanitation), and SDG 16 (Justice and Strong Institutions) in the socioeconomic cluster. The indicator-level space provides details to explain how they act as ‘bridges’ in the network. In particular, 16–9: Free Press Index is the ‘bridge’ indicator with the highest betweenness centrality value and acts as the bottleneck indicator in China for its overall sustainable development. Improving it can enhance connected indicators' performance, leading to positive cascading effects on different aspects of sustainability.

‘Black lines on white paper’: how comic artist Barbara Brandon-Croft draws on Where [she’s] Coming from

ABSTRACT Barbara Brandon-Croft is the first African American woman to have a nationally syndicated mainstream newspaper comic strip. Her comic Where I’m Coming From was first published in the Detroit Free Press in 1989. Two years later it was nationally distributed when it was picked up by Universal Press Syndicate. This interview is a compilation of edited excerpts from two recorded interview sessions conducted with Barbara Brandon-Croft during the summer of 2022, and follow-up sessions that occurred in the fall of 2023. The conversation focuses on how Barbara’s experiences during her formative and adult years inspire the world depicted in Where I’m Coming From. We discuss her experiences while growing up in the predominantly Black neighbourhood of New Cassel, Long Island; her father Brumsic Brandon, Jr.’s influences on her career path; her undergraduate years at Syracuse University; and the inspirations behind the content in some of her strips.

The big bang vs. phased approach: ASCO standard implementation within a large academic medical center.

419 Background: The implementation of quality improvement initiatives within a large academic medical center can present as challenging and complex. Research findings indicate that the most successful of the large service corporations maintain a strong focus on the small, functional units who carry out the core activities that involve interaction with customers. (Quinn J, Baruch J, Zien K. Innovative Explosion: Using Intellect and Software to Revolutionize Growth Strategies. New York: Free Press; 1997.) This phased approach allows a larger medical center the opportunity to target implementation around one or two sites at a time with a focus on the staff education, workflow processes, and technology integration. Our institution found that the big bang approach can pose as a threat to the success of implementation at a large academic medical center. Methods: The initial approach taken by our large academic medical center was the roll out of all required ASCO PC4 standards throughout the entire enterprise: the big bang approach. This approach would entail the implementation of 7 standards, 17 sub-standards within 15 sites and over 84 departments within the span of one year. Instead, we took the phased approach: a less burdensome, more efficient, and cost-effective strategy. Between 11/2023 1/2023, we implemented a total of 6 standards within two sites and 3 departments. In the span of three month, a multidisciplinary approach was applied, engaging all levels of employees at each site, including MDs, NPs, MAs and Front Desk Staff. The two sites identified were strategically selected based on current resources and initiative alignment with those of ASCO requirements. On 1/30/23 the two sites went live with 6 ASCO standards. Results: Some challenges in implementation included training of staff in a timely manner, influencing the change of behavior, and education retention of staff. Despite the challenges faced, between 2/6/23 and 3/24/23 data showed adequate engagement and compliance. 567 patients were identified by for patient tracking through developed reporting, 328 patients had a chart review or a follow-up from the oncology care coordinator. Between 1/30/23 and 3/24/23, 61% of patients were screened for SDOH needs with 32 referrals to a community health worker, 8 referrals to social service and 12 interventions with patients indicating self-harm. 100% of patients received education around OMH, with a total of 1,923 MyChart messages sent to patients regarding support with ACP. 68.8% of clinician completed adequate goals of care documentation to meet standard requirements and new workflow. Conclusions: A phased approach of first piloting ASCO's PC4 quality program at 2 sites within our large cancer center was successful. The experiential knowledge gained will allow more efficient role out of necessary staff education, workflow processes, and technology integration to support wider adoption across our center.

Examining narratives around adverse childhood experiences and social determinants of health in media coverage of substance use in two mid-western cities.

Local media narratives play an important role in how people interpret and propose solutions for health issues in their community. This research characterized narratives about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and/or social determinants of health (SDOH) in media coverage of substance use. Scans covered articles published in the Detroit Free Press and the Cincinnati Enquirer from March 1, 2019 to June 1, 2019 and March 1, 2021 to June 1, 2021. Scans used search terms for opioids and substance use. Included articles were coded and analyzed for narratives about why people use substances, how to prevent substance use, and how ACEs or SDOH relate to substance use. While half of the included articles reported on the overdose epidemic, the most common type of media coverage reported on criminal justice milestones. Other common narratives identified addiction as an illness that should be treated; and over-prescription of painkillers or the strength of the drugs as causes of substance use disorders. Narratives about SDOH and the primary prevention of ACEs and substance use were limited. Transformational narrative change work can increase support for addressing the root causes of ACEs and substance use. Results suggest this strategy remains largely untapped in the formal media.

Democracy, Authoritarianism, and Political Corruption: Elite Cartel Corruption in Hungary and Italy

This research examines the relationship between democracy, authoritarianism, and political corruption through a comparative case study of Elite Cartel corruption in Hungary and Italy. While perceptions of corruption have significantly worsened in Hungary over the last 10 years, they have significantly improved in Italy. We utilize the theory of deep democratization as a way of explaining these trends. Deep democratization is a long-term process resulting in social and political changes leading to rules and mechanisms of accountability that provide wider inclusion in the governance process and autonomy from corrupt networks of elites. The five key characteristics of a country that has achieved deep democratization include competitive multi-party elections, professionalism in the civil service, a strong and independent judiciary, a free and independent press, and a strong and vibrant civil society. In the case of Hungary, each of these five characteristics have been significantly weakened as a result of its backsliding towards authoritarianism. In the case of Italy, however, the relative strengthening of these characteristics has led to substantive progress in its fight against corruption. Our findings support previous research that indicates authoritarianism breeds corruption.

“Liberty of Conscience is Every Man’s Natural Right”: Historical Background of the First Amendment

AbstractLiberty of conscience, encompassing free speech, a free press, and freedom of religion, has a rich history in Anglo-American political thought, long predating the drafting of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1789. The debate over licensing acts in seventeenth-century England; the advancement of principles of toleration by John Milton, Algernon Sidney, and John Locke in the same period; the renowned, impassioned, and highly influential essays of John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon in Cato’s Letters; the flourishing of a relatively free press and free church in eighteenth-century colonial America; and the liberty-championing assertions in the several declarations of rights in the newly independent states of America all played a critical role in shaping and inspiring the popular views in America that made the First Amendment possible.

Reclaiming the Right to Play in the Googleburg Galaxy

This essay explores the concept of reclaiming democracy in the Googleburg Galaxy by emphasizing the need to separate from our current relationship with mediated technologies. It argues that digital spaces should be activated as public spheres, third spaces, counter-publics, and sites of contestation. The essay emphasizes the importance of participatory democracy, which requires freedom of assembly, thought, speech, play, and choices for individuals to be active agents in their lives. It discusses the intertwined nature of democracy and capitalism and highlights the role of critical media literacy in navigating mediated spaces. The essay also examines young people’s occupation of digital spaces and social media, focusing on the impact of language and the importance of diverse stories and representation. It discusses the need for a free press in guaranteeing the protection of democratic rights and critiques Habermas’ notion of the public sphere. The essay calls for reconfiguring the Googleburg Galaxy through third spaces and counter-publics and emphasizes the role of play, storytelling, and critical media literacy in reclaiming democracy. It explores the impact of COVID-19 on digital spaces and the need for alternative spaces, politics, and pedagogies. The essay concludes by highlighting the role of play as a subversive tool for reclaiming democracy and the importance of children’s rights in digital spaces.

Free Press Under Pressure? Experiences and Consequences of Hateful Harassment on Journalists in Germany

The rise of populist movements all over the world and various global crises in recent years have led to a sharp increase in distrust in news and the media. Although this development is tangible globally, it seems pertinent to take a look at a Western liberal democracy with a comparatively good journalistic infrastructure such as Germany, where hateful harassment and attacks on journalists are on the rise. These issues have been widely discussed publicly in Germany. However, it would be useful to take into account the perspective of those affected by these phenomena. To contribute to the discourses on hate against journalists, the current contribution presents data from a survey of active journalists in Germany (<em>n</em> = 322). The questionnaire comprised both standardized and open-ended questions, focusing specifically on hateful harassment and attacks experienced by journalists, including the ways through which they are transported and whether hate can be politically localized. The results reveal that hate and attacks are mainly attributed to right-wing individuals and groups. In addition to verbal hate, various responding journalists reported having been physically attacked or having received death threats. Given the frequency of experienced hateful harassment, most respondents fear that the freedom of press in Germany is in jeopardy (62%), and about half have considered self-censorship to avoid being the target of hate. The severity of experienced hate is illustrated by open-ended questions in the form of personal accounts that are analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results are discussed in light of the role of a free press in modern democracies, as well as recent research on devaluing attitudes towards the free press in Germany.

Spectacles of Stigma in a World Beyond Shame

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine brought with it the criminalization of the free press in Russia and the bullying of independent reporters, exemplified by a red paint attack against Dmitry Muratov, one of the country’s foremost newspaper editors. The paint attack belongs to a cluster of wartime scenarios that make fluid use of “fake” blood and whose primary actors are not Kremlin cronies but antiwar protestors.

School-age-educare teachers in an ambivalent school practice - empirical examples in the wake of policy changes in Sweden

ABSTRACT In recent decades, there have been policy changes affecting School-Age Educare (SAE) teachers in Sweden. Today, SAE teachers must be aware of the historical underpinnings, educational policy aims, and a ‘new’ undergraduate teacher education program. The aim of the present article is to explore in what way SAE teachers, graduated from the basic teacher program in 2020, describe their professional roles and experiences, during their first year in school practice. In order to analyze how SAE teachers experience structural tensions in school practice, Merton’s [(1976). Sociological ambivalence and other essays. The Free Press] concept of sociological ambivalence will be employed. The findings show examples of the ambivalent positions for SAE teachers within the school organization as well as outside schools. Consequently, the ambivalent positions for SAE teachers, along with the reform aim to transform the ‘traditional’ SAE teacher into ideas focusing on compulsory school teaching need attention when it comes to recruiting SAE teachers for future practice.

PUBLIC OPINION AND POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES OF DIGITALIZATION: SPECIFICS AND VECTORS OF INTERACTION

The article is devoted to the study of the digital public self-presentation of minority groups and individuals in the Internet environment, which questions the ability of the public to function as a balanced community. The purpose of the study is to establish the challenges of digitalization for the structure of modern public opinion. The political dimension of digitization processes is characterized, which requires careful analysis, since the state of public opinion can no longer be fully diagnosed by traditional means of sociological research. It was emphasized that in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, knowledge about the structure of public opinion can significantly influence the formation of effective strategies for countering enemy manipulations and building campaigns to promote pro-Ukrainian positions. The ability of public opinion to respond to public information is analyzed. The importance of structuring public opinion is revealed not only on the basis of ideological preferences and aggregation of interests, but also on the basis of "secondary" factors, in particular, subjective sympathies. It was found that due to the multifaceted nature of means of disseminating political information, there is a combination of traditional and digital media. It was found that digitalization contributes to the transparency and completeness of the display of information about the activities of the authorities in a democratic society. It has been proven that even in the conditions of a stable democracy there is a practice of a purposeful change in the political positions of citizens in favor of a certain engaged message or thesis. It has been established that in the conditions of modern Ukraine, the resource availability of virtual political subjects makes manipulative practices successful and very common. It is assumed that the consequences of political digitization pose a significant threat to the fundamental values of democratic representation, rights to exercise freedom of speech, etc. It was found that the free press is an object of manipulation by political institutions and actors. It is established that the formation of integrated public opinion, which is aggregated as a set of different positions and expressions, is problematic. The issue of objects of manipulation, which are not only components of society, but also of decentralized state power, is considered. The specificity of strategic thinking in the digital environment is indicated, which involves the emergence of manipulative events and pseudo-events, as well as agenda management. It was concluded that traditional institutions and actors are gradually being eliminated from the political and communication arena. It is substantiated that the media policy of modern states and political actors is characterized by the use of targeted Internet advertising technologies, which makes it possible to attract the audience to the consideration of certain events that seem to have broad social significance.

Vampires: Outside Life, Outside Control

Vampires: Outside Life, Outside Control

Free Press, Regulated Competition

This paper examines newspaper cartels, a largely unoccupied field in media history, from the perspective of longevity. We analyse Finnish newspaper industry from the 1910s to 1970s and show that newspapers sought to regulate various aspects of competition, such as subscription prices, advertisement tariffs, and newsprint prices. Data indicates that political rivalry shaped the newspaper cartel collaboration until late 1950s: the cartel was set up by right-wing and centrist papers and, unlike in other Nordic countries, the Social Democratic press remained outside of the association until 1958. Political shocks of the Finnish Civil War in 1918 and the Second World War also changed the composition of the cartel. The era of private cartels in the newspaper industry gradually started to fade away as a result of anti-cartel laws in the 1960s and governmental anti-inflation measures in the 1970s. We conclude that the economics of newspaper industry and the cartelisation of the wider business environment, newsprint suppliers in particular, encouraged newspapers to co-operate with each other. The results of this article increase the understanding on the collaborative and competitive environment of newspaper companies, but also contributes to broader questions on cartels and their inner dynamics.

Small Governing Coalition in Hong Kong and its Impact on Political Freedom

Small Governing Coalition in Hong Kong and its Impact on Political Freedom

The institutional foundation of economic development. By ShipingTang, Princeton University Press. 2022. ISBN: 9780691235561 (hardback); ISBN: 9780691235578 (paperback); ISBN: 9780691235585 (eBook)

Regional Science Policy & PracticeEarly View BOOK REVIEW The institutional foundation of economic development. By Shiping Tang, Princeton University Press. 2022. ISBN: 9780691235561 (hardback); ISBN: 9780691235578 (paperback); ISBN: 9780691235585 (eBook) Luca Storti, Corresponding Author Luca Storti [email protected] CPS Department, University of Torino, Lungo Dora Siena 100, Torino, 10153 ItalySearch for more papers by this author Luca Storti, Corresponding Author Luca Storti [email protected] CPS Department, University of Torino, Lungo Dora Siena 100, Torino, 10153 ItalySearch for more papers by this author First published: 07 June 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/rsp3.12686Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. REFERENCES Boudon, R. (1991). What middle-range theories are. Contemporary Sociology, 20(4), 519– 522. https://doi.org/10.2307/2071781 Granovetter, M. (2017). Society and economy: Framework and principles. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Merton, R. K. (1968). Social theory and social structure. Free Press. Olson, M. Jr. (1996). Big bills left on the sidewalk: Why some nations are rich, and others poor. Journal of Economic Perspective, 10(2), 3– 24. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.10.2.3 W. W. Powell, & P. J. DiMaggio (Eds.). (1991). The new institutionalism in organizational analysis. University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226185941.001.0001 Storti, L., Urso, G., & Reid, N. (2022). Economies, territories, institutions: Analytical fragments of a complicated relationship. In L. Storti, G. Urso, & N. Reid (Eds.), Economies, institutions and territories. Dissecting nexuses in a changing world (pp. 1– 27). Routledge. C. Trigilia (Ed.). (2022). Capitalisms and democracies: Can growth and equality be reconciled? Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003297130 Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue ReferencesRelatedInformation

“The Gloss of History”: A Historical Analysis of U.S. Supreme Court Justices’ Framing of First Amendment Press Rights to Cover and Access Court Proceedings

Originalism explores the intentions for, or understandings of, constitutional rights held by drafters of the Constitution or founders of the United States. This qualitative historical analysis evaluates the accuracy and adequacy of U.S. Supreme Court justices’ citations of founders’ intentions for, or understandings of, free press rights in opinions addressing journalists’ rights to cover and access court proceedings. Our research found that justices some times have accurately and adequately cited founders’ writings. Yet, justices too often have cited court opinions and other documents from the 1800s or 1900s to support their assertions about original intentions for or understandings of freedom of speech or of the press and First Amendment values. When referencing writings by founders, justices sometimes provided inadequate context. Such practices have harmed the accuracy of legal and historical records. To improve accuracy in future opinions, justices need to stop citing sections of previous opinions that lack accurate citation, adequate citation, or proper context.

Past and Present of Press Publishers’ Rights in the EU

Past and Present of Press Publishers’ Rights in the EU

LAZY MALAYS? THE RIDICULE OF DERISIVE STEREOTYPE FROM THE POST-COLONIAL COLONISTS

Malays have long been stereotyped with certain negative characters and this has been prompting for decades. They had been blamed for their inability to compete against other races in many aspects. The main objective of this study is an exploration of how British writers stereotyped the images of the native Malays through texts. A thematic content analysis involving articles published by Singapore Free Press were analysed for this purpose. The findings showed that some of the contents of the articles were misleading and far from being accurate. The British managed to portray Malays as lazy and apathy through the publications. These accusations were not explained in an intellectual manner, a result of civilizational and cultural discrepancies between the British colonial writers and their Malay subjects. Such stereotype was actually being planned ahead to legalized the colonization in the Malay land.