Government Sources Research Articles

Health-Related Data Sources Accessible to Health Researchers From the US Government: Mapping Review

Big data from large, government-sponsored surveys and data sets offers researchers opportunities to conduct population-based studies of important health issues in the United States, as well as develop preliminary data to support proposed future work. Yet, navigating these national data sources is challenging. Despite the widespread availability of national data, there is little guidance for researchers on how to access and evaluate the use of these resources. Our aim was to identify and summarize a comprehensive list of federally sponsored, health- and health care-related data sources that are accessible in the public domain in order to facilitate their use by researchers. We conducted a systematic mapping review of government sources of health-related data on US populations and with active or recent (previous 10 years) data collection. The key measures were government sponsor, overview and purpose of data, population of interest, sampling design, sample size, data collection methodology, type and description of data, and cost to obtain data. Convergent synthesis was used to aggregate findings. Among 106 unique data sources, 57 met the inclusion criteria. Data sources were classified as survey or assessment data (n=30, 53%), trends data (n=27, 47%), summative processed data (n=27, 47%), primary registry data (n=17, 30%), and evaluative data (n=11, 19%). Most (n=39, 68%) served more than 1 purpose. The population of interest included individuals/patients (n=40, 70%), providers (n=15, 26%), and health care sites and systems (n=14, 25%). The sources collected data on demographic (n=44, 77%) and clinical information (n=35, 61%), health behaviors (n=24, 42%), provider or practice characteristics (n=22, 39%), health care costs (n=17, 30%), and laboratory tests (n=8, 14%). Most (n=43, 75%) offered free data sets. A broad scope of national health data is accessible to researchers. These data provide insights into important health issues and the nation's health care system while eliminating the burden of primary data collection. Data standardization and uniformity were uncommon across government entities, highlighting a need to improve data consistency. Secondary analyses of national data are a feasible, cost-efficient means to address national health concerns.

Narrating Moscow’s housing ‘renovation’: beyond the frontstage discourses of the narrative policy framework

ABSTRACT The Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) has become a popular, positivist approach to studying how narratives affect the policy process over the past 10 years. In this paper, we critically evaluate its applicability in an authoritarian context. We employ a mixed-method approach to, first, present some of the narrative elements employed by principal actors in the policy debate according to the NPF, derived through quantitative content analysis, and second, to critically contrast these findings by drawing on qualitative data. The policy we examine is Moscow’s contentious Renovation program, which aims to demolish many of the city’s Soviet-era five story ‘Kruschovsky’ apartment blocks and resettle residents in new apartments. The quantitative content analysis is derived from several online government sources and that of the principal opponent of the Renovation program, an online group called ‘Moscovites Against Demolition’. The qualitative data are derived from a district in Southwest Moscow, where the first Kruschovsky apartments were developed and has locally seen vocal opposition to the Renovation program and other redevelopment projects. This study highlights the limitations of the NPF and argues that by examining the performative nature of policy narratives, we can gain greater insight into the political strategies and context that underwrite these narratives.

Strategic Determinants of Solar Energy Innovation Uptake in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the strategic determinants of solar energy innovation uptake in Nairobi City County, Kenya.
 Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive research design. The entire population of the study therefore, comprised the 521 solar energy dealers registered with Electrical and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) as at May 2021 categorised as (technicians (214) and contractors (307) solar energy dealers from which 156 dealers sample size was taken through mixed methods before self-administered survey questionnaires were given for collecting the primary data. Secondary data was also reviewed from county government, EPRA and others sources publishing on solar energy regulations and market trends. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was also used to aid in analysis. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used to analyze the data that had been obtained. The data was presented in form of tables.
 Findings: The study established that in terms of ranking, technological factors are strongest in explain solar innovations uptake in Kenya followed by the solar innovation product/service quality factors and organizational factors with environmental factors emerging least critical. It therefore recommends various administrative, legislative and further academic research actions to promote green marketing strategy as a best practice continuous improvement strategic management practice, encourage consumption of eco-friendly solar products and mitigate over adverse effects of solar energy technology equipment after their end of life and more research to understand why environmental factors emerged to have least influence and hence unpack some complexities that this study was unable to establish.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study was anchored on institutional theory. The study recommended that a similar national level studies be undertaken and with more stakeholders involved. In so doing, opinions of more Kenyans regarding the future of solar innovations adoption and utilization could be explored within the green marketing strategy concept. Generally, the study provides the necessary information for the Government of Kenya and other stakeholders in determining the future of solar PV energy uptake strategic determinants and green marketing strategy ramifications in the country.

The Double-Edged Sword Effect of Social Media on COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa

The COVID-19 pandemic has entered its third year ravaging the lives of people worldwide. During the pandemic, social media usage has increased significantly, as people seek not only for educative information about COVID-19 but also for platforms to collectively respond to the outbreak. An increase in traffic to websites and government sources has significantly contributed to an overall increase in internet usage during the pandemic. On a positive note, social media is being used by the scientific community as an ally to enhance research coordination and quickly disseminate crucial information about COVID-19 across geographical boundaries and time zones. However, a major problem with social media has been the spread of “infodemic” or widespread misinformation about treatment and vaccines for the virus. The COVID-19 “infodemic” led to an increase in vaccine hesitancy, panic, fear and confusion in people and it is amplifying rumours and questionable information. Consequently, the objective of this review is to look at the role of social media as a tool for the good, the bad and the ugly in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.

International manufacturing and trade in colistin, its implications in colistin resistance and One Health global policies: a microbiological, economic, and anthropological study.

The emergence of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales is a global public health concern, yet colistin is still widely used in animals that are used for food as treatment, metaphylaxis, prophylaxis, and growth promotion. Herein, we investigate the effect of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales in Pakistan, global trade of colistin, colistin use at the farm level, and relevant socioeconomic factors. We conducted a microbiological, economic, and anthropological study of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli in humans, animals, and the environment and international trade and knowledge of colistin in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, China, India, and Viet Nam. We collected backyard poultry cloacal swabs, commercial broiler cloacal swabs, cattle and buffalo rectal swabs, human rectal swabs, wild bird droppings, cattle and buffalo meat, sewage water, poultry flies, chicken meat, and canal water from 131 sites across Faisalabad, Pakistan, to be tested for mcr-1-positive and mcr-3-positive Escherichia coli. We recruited new patients admitted to Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan, with abdominal pain and diarrhoea for rectal swabs. Patients with dysentery and those who were already on antibiotic treatment were excluded. Data for colistin trade between 2017 and 2020, including importation, manufacturing, and usage, were accessed from online databases and government sources in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. We recruited participants from poultry farms and veterinary drug stores in Pakistan and Nigeria to be interviewed using a structured questionnaire. International manufacturing, import, and export data; value analysis; and trade routes of colistin pharmaceutical raw material (PRM), feed additive, and finished pharmaceutical products (FPPs) were accessed from 2017-21 export data sets. We collected 1131 samples between May 12, 2018, and July 1, 2019: backyard poultry cloacal swabs (n=100), commercial broiler cloacal swabs (n=102), cattle and buffalo rectal swabs (n=188), human rectal swabs (n=200), wild bird droppings (n=100), cattle and buffalo meat (n=100), sewage water (n=90), poultry flies (n=100), chicken meat (n=100), and canal water (n=51). We recruited 200 inpatients at Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan, between Nov 15, 2018, and Dec 14, 2018, for rectal swabs. We recruited 21 participants between Jan 1, 2020, and Dec 31, 2020, from poultry farms and drug stores in Pakistan and Nigeria to be interviewed. 75 (7%) of 1131 samples contained mcr-1-positive E coli, including wild bird droppings (25 [25%] of 100), commercial broiler cloacal swabs (17 [17%] of 100), backyard poultry cloacal swabs (one [1%] of 100), chicken meat (13 [13%] of 100), cattle and buffalo meat (two [2%] of 100), poultry flies (eight [8%] of 100), sewage water (six [7%] of 90), and human rectal swabs (three [2%] of 200). During 2017-20, Pakistan imported 275·5 tonnes (68·9 tonnes per year, 95% CI 41·2-96·6) of colistin as PRM, all sourced from China, 701·9 tonnes (175·5 tonnes per year, 140·9-210·1) of colistin as feed additives from China and Viet Nam, and 63·0 tonnes (15·8 tonnes per year, 10·4-21·1) of colistin as FPPs from various countries in Asia and Europe. For Bangladesh and Nigeria, colistin PRM and FPPs were imported from China and Europe. Colistin knowledge and usage practices in Pakistan and Nigeria were unsatisfactory in terms of understanding of the effects on human medicine and usage other than for treatment purposes. China is the major manufacturer of PRM and feed additive colistin and exported a total of 2664·8 tonnes (666·2 tonnes per year, 95% CI 262·1 to 1070·2) of PRM and 2570·2 tonnes (642·6 tonnes per year, -89·4 to 1374·5) of feed additive in 1330 shipments during 2018-21 to 21 countries. Regardless of 193 countries signing the UN agreement to tackle antimicrobial resistance, trading of colistin as PRM, FPPs, and feed additive or growth promoter in low-income and middle-income countries continues unabated. Robust national and international laws are urgently required to mitigate the international trade of this antimicrobial listed on WHO Critically Important Antimicrobials for Human Medicine. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council and INEOS Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research TRANSLATION: For the Urdu translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

The Grim Reality of Manual Scavenging in Uttar Pradesh: Exploring the Dangers and Consequences for Sanitation Workers.

Abstract: Despite being prohibited since 1993, manual scavenging is still practiced in several parts of India. Uttar Pradesh has the highest documented number of cases of manual scavenging, and sanitation personnel are at the forefront of this practice. The purpose of this study article is to investigate the risks and implications of manual scavenging for sanitation workers in Uttar Pradesh. The research is based on an examination of existing literature as well as secondary data acquired from government sources. According to the study's findings, manual scavenging creates considerable health risks for sanitation employees, such as exposure to harmful fumes and diseases. It also has serious social and psychological ramifications, such as discrimination and stigma. The article concludes by emphasizing the necessity for immediate action to abolish manual scavenging and defend sanitation workers' rights. The study will also include statistical information about manual scavenging in Uttar Pradesh.

Need Analysis of Indian Critical Health Care Delivery in Government Sectors and Its Impact on the General Public: A Time to Revamp Public Health Care Infrastructure.

Poverty is directly linked to public health care delivery in many ways and dimensions. Every aspect of the human sphere is preplanned, but a health crisis is the only emergency which pushes humanity into severe economic stress. Therefore, every nation aims to safeguard its citizens from a health crisis. In this aspect, India needs to improve its public health infrastructure in order to protect its citizens and save them from poverty. (1) To assess the current pitfalls in public critical health care delivery, (2) to analyze whether the health care delivery matches the requirements of its population in every state, (3) to produce solutions and guidelines to overcome the stress in this priority area. Data regarding the critical care workforce, which includes critical care doctors and nurses, were taken from official websites and other sources. Critical care infrastructure data were retrieved from the Internet sources. Data were validated by consulting state government sources and cross-checked for bias elimination. The data were analyzed using the "Statistical Package for Social Sciences" software version 20, and were presented using descriptive statistics. There is a 1:10 percentage of deficit in the case of critical care workforce and infrastructure when compared with its need analysis. Critical care medicine specialists are in 1:75 when compared to other specialties. Overall, the public sector critical care needs a total boost through out of box solutions. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India spent the third most on defense in the world in 2021. India spent 76.6 billion dollars on its military in 2021, up 33% from 2012 and 0.9% from 2020. However, since India is considered a fast-growing economy, there is still a huge disparity in critical care. Without resetting critical health care, India cannot grow in welfare indices even if it is among the top gross domestic product (GDP) countries. Prabu D, Gousalya V, Rajmohan M, Dinesh MD, Bharathwaj VV, Sindhu R, et al. Need Analysis of Indian Critical Health Care Delivery in Government Sectors and its Impact on the General Public: A Time to Revamp Public Health Care Infrastructure. Indian J Crit Care Med 2023;27(4):237-245.

Problems of the development of the national innovation system of Kazakhstan and increasing its competitiveness

The national innovation system is the most important factor in achieving the competitive advantages of innovative business, provides access to the necessary resources, including financial ones, the need for which is most acute in the implementation of innovative projects. The article examines the functioning of the national innovation system, where the importance of innovation in the activities of modern enterprises is determined. The study analyzes the structure of the NIS, its functioning, and determines the activity of regional forms of the innovation system. The characteristic of the Institute for the development of methods of financing innovative developments is given. The role of ministries in financing R&D vertically and the National Agency for Technological Development and the DAMU Foundation vertically is established. They provide significant support to the development of the innovation system and increase the innovation activity of domestic enterprises. NIS infrastructure and development institutions generate and transform scientific knowledge into new technologies, products, services, as well as ensure their commercialization. The article notes that one of the main directions of state policy in the field of scientific, technical and innovative activities is the creation of specialized subjects of an innovative nature, such as technoparks, technological business incubators, technopolises, high-tech companies. The article also shows the characteristic disadvantages that are unfavorable for the development of innovation: the underdevelopment of links between university science and industry, the disconnection of the banking sector from lending to innovative processes, low innovation activity of private capital. Research methodology. The methodology is based on a comparative analysis, using the method of systematization, the method of statistical and economic analysis and synthesis, observation and collection of facts to determine the most effective ways to improve the competitiveness of the national innovation system. Based on the foregoing, we believe that business structures, sources of financing and government support directly affect the innovative development of the economy.

Technopopulism and Politainment in Brazil: Bolsonaro Government’s Weekly YouTube Broadcasts

Digital platforms have become powerful weapons in the hands of many politicians. In search for disintermediation of information, Jair Messias Bolsonaro found in social networks a new space to interact with his voters. With a communication strategy primarily online, the former president of Brazil had social profiles on all platforms and has transformed these channels into official government sources, in a campaign whose goal was to discredit the traditional media and occupy the place of speech of these social actors. This article analyzed Bolsonaro’s weekly live streams, made available on his YouTube channel in order to study the technopopulism undertaken by Bolsonaro. Through a quantitative and qualitative content analysis, 121 videos (with a total duration of 83 hours and 58 minutes) were examined, from March 7, 2019, when the president of Brazil began doing the weekly YouTube broadcasts, until May 11, 2022, when this research was planned. The results indicate that the themes addressed in the live streams have influenced the disinformation process in Brazil and especially the hate attacks against important Brazilian democratic institutions. The speeches of resentment against the press, the Supreme Court, and the opposition parties are constant in Bolsonaro’s weekly programs. Finally, this article concluded that Bolsonaro’s communicative strategy on YouTube is an example of technopopulism based on the manipulation of public opinion with the dissemination of propaganda favorable to the government, and veiled attacks on all kinds of enemies of the current system in place as a true example of right-wing populist government.

Indian females in the twenty-first century: how they have fared? An analysis using geospatial techniques.

Gender equality and women empowerment have been on the top of the agenda globally. Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls has been mentioned by the United Nations in its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-5) as a target. Various efforts and initiatives have been taken at global, regional and local level to eliminate gender inequality. Women in India have been stereotyped and discriminated since ancient times due to the patriarchal mindset. Social evils such as sati, purdah system, female foeticide, female infanticide, dowry, domestic violence have been faced by women. Various constitutional and legal provisions have been framed to eliminate such evils. In contemporary times, women have become sensitised about their rights and have come a long way in terms of women empowerment. Various schemes have been launched by central and state governments for emancipation of women. However, the patriarchal mindset still exists and gender biasness is still experienced by women both in public and private space. The paper attempts to analyse the level of women empowerment in different states of India. The study is based on the secondary data collected from various government sources. An analysis of the reasons responsible for the trends has also been done. It has been found in the study that female literacy has a positive bearing on the health and decision-making of females. Also, government support in the from of infrastructure and schemes act as a catalyst in women empowerment. Women-centric organisations and Self Help organisations have promoted economic empowerment and decision-making of females.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF CONSTITUTIONAL VALIDITY OF LIABILITY TO DEDUCT TAX AT SOURCE (TDS)

Tax is a levy imposed by a government on the income of citizens of a State for which the government does not directly support the taxpayer. It has been a major source of government’s revenue be it Income Tax, GST, Wealth Tax etc. Government has adopted various methods of tax collection one of which is Tax deduction at source (TDS). It is an instrument designed for quick and smooth collection of tax due to the authorities from the taxpayer. The objective of TDS could be said, in general, to be maximization of revenue collection while minimizing the cost of collection. This approach is generally followed in B2B transaction where the purchaser has to pay the government a certain percentage of amounts directly after deducting the said amount from the purchase consideration. The Government has introduced this method to reduce the cost of collection. But the cost which is reduced for the government is imposed on such businesses who are a mere third party to the transaction, a medium between tax-payee and the government. The government has two agencies for tax collection, one being designated tax officers from the government and the other being private tax deductors. The former is paid for his services rendered to the government while the latter receives no such remuneration; however, the latter can be penalized in forms of fine, punishment for negligence or some other error which is not the case with the former. There is a possible and substantial violation of Article 14. Moreover, Article 23 of the Indian Constitution forbids any kind of Bonded / Forced Labour on Indian people. Which makes us think, whether payment of tax on behalf of the other party comes under the ambit of forced labour? Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the scope of TDS provisions under the Income Tax Act, 1960 in light of Article 14 and Article 23, in order to further investigate the Constitutionality of the provisions and taxation procedure as a whole.

The influence of women’s representation on social spending in local government

ABSTRACT Compared to men, women tend to prioritize social services, which are usually the responsibility of local government. Female political representation often serves not only as an indicator for descriptive gender equality but also as a common policy instrument for substantive female representation. Yet, empirical evidence of female political representation’s influence on promoting female voters’ priorities is inconclusive. Examining the correlation between the percent of female politicians in Israeli local government and social spending from local government sources over nine budget years, this study shows that only education spending is influenced by female political representation and only when combined with a female mayor. Our main contribution is in showing that female representation in the local council on its own, without the representation of a female mayor, is insufficient for promoting female voters’ priorities.

Place in Disaster Coverage: Newspaper Coverage of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico

ABSTRACT Natural hazard news coverage research has examined frames, sources, and journalistic roles. An examination of place in such coverage is missing. Using the hierarchy of influences model, this study analyzes the coverage of place during Hurricane Maria in three major newspapers in Puerto Rico in the pre-crisis and crisis stages of the event. The study examined the roles of routines, organizational factors, and social systems factors in the coverage of Puerto Rican municipalities and the topics covered. Results show a primary focus on highly populated areas, reliance on governmental sources, and differences across the three newspapers studied. Implications for disaster coverage as well as theoretical arguments about the hierarchy of influences are discussed.

Delivering transport infrastructure using state-owned enterprises (SOEs): A business history of Vietnam Expressway Corporation between 2004 and 2016

Adopting a business history approach, this paper explores the role and evolution of Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) as a state-owned enterprise (SOE) delivery model for five highway projects in Vietnam's first phase of network development between 2004 and 2016. It draws upon insights from the field of transaction cost economics and resource-based theory to explain why the Vietnamese government employed the SOE model instead of traditional public procurement (TPP) or public private partnership (PPP). The case study shows the government chose to use an SOE to achieve dual policy goals: (1) accelerate the preparation and construction of five priority highways and (2) reduce fiscal pressure on the state budget. As a toll-funded SOE responsible for both the lifecycle delivery of highway infrastructure and debt repayment, VEC effectively economised transaction costs and maximised financial resources from both government and market sources, including a mix of international loans from major development institutions. The SOE model's unique advantages were also difficult to imitate by TPP and PPP. More specifically, the public ownership and not-for-profit mandate of the SOE model gave the government flexibility to effectively mitigate the adverse impacts of unforeseen project-specific risks and macroeconomic uncertainty on project performance. Taken together, these findings contribute to growing academic interest in the role of modern SOEs as a delivery model for transport infrastructure.

Security Best Practices: A Critical Analysis Using IoT as a Case Study

Academic research has highlighted the failure of many Internet of Things (IoT) product manufacturers to follow accepted practices, while IoT security best practices have recently attracted considerable attention worldwide from industry and governments. Given current examples of security advice, confusion is evident from guidelines that conflate desired outcomes with security practices to achieve those outcomes. We explore a surprising lack of clarity, and void in the literature, on what (generically) best practice means, independent of identifying specific individual practices or highlighting failure to follow best practices. We consider categories of security advice, and analyze how they apply over the lifecycle of IoT devices. For concreteness in discussion, we use iterative inductive coding to code and systematically analyze a set of 1,013 IoT security best practices, recommendations, and guidelines collated from industrial, government, and academic sources. Among our findings, of all analyzed items, 68% fail to meet our definition of an (actionable) practice, and 73% of all actionable advice relates to the software development lifecycle phase, highlighting the critical position of manufacturers and developers. We hope that our work provides a basis for the community to better understand best practices, identify and reach consensus on specific practices, and find ways to motivate relevant stakeholders to follow them.

Tobacco consumption, sales, and output as monitoring indicators in the era of the tobacco endgame: a Korean example.

The consumption, sales, and output of tobacco products each suggest different areas of intervention for tobacco control. In the era of the tobacco endgame, as increasingly stronger supply-side measures are implemented, multifaceted indicators that assess both supply and/or demand are required. We aimed to estimate the consumption of cigarette and heated tobacco products (HTPs) and sought agreement between the various indicators. The annual cigarette and HTP consumption in 2014-2020 was calculated using the frequency and intensity of cigarette use from representative surveys of adults and adolescents by sex and age. Sales and output data were acquired from governmental sources. Spearman correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots were used to compare the indicators. Tobacco output, cigarette sales, and cigarette consumption were greatest in 2014. The HTP consumption calculated for 2020 was 292.28 million packs. Cigarette consumption and sales correlated significantly, as did tobacco output and tobacco sales. A Bland-Altman plot comparing the difference between cigarette consumption and sales showed that this difference was largest in 2014, immediately before cigarette prices increased. With the exception of a single year, all cigarette consumption values were within the limits of agreement for cigarette sales and tobacco output. Our analyses showed agreement between demand-side (tobacco consumption) and supply-side (sales and output) indicators. We recommend using all indicators to monitor the impacts of tobacco control on both demand and supply sides. The systematic use of various indicators is critical to achieve the end of the tobacco epidemic.

Humanitarian management strategy for interstate movement of migrant workers in India during COVID-19 pandemic: an optimization based approach.

India faced a unique situation during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic when millions of migrant workers, in different states had to be transported to their home states as workplaces shut down. The governments in respective states faced challenges of minimizing economic impact while ensuring that the risk of infection was also kept under control. This paper develops models based on various secondary data from governmental and relevant non-governmental sources, trying to minimize the economic impact while keeping the rate of infection low and determining whether the migrant workforce should be allowed to stay in their workplace state or allowed to return to their home state. We found that the number of days of lockdown had a significant impact on the results. Fewer days of lockdown resulted in workers remaining in their work state as the preferred outcome, while a higher number of days of lockdown implied that people traveled to their home state and remain there. The proportion of workers who were willing to return to their work state played an important role on the results too. Beyond the threshold percentages of migrant workers returning to their work state, it became optimal for the government to encourage the workers to travel to their home state. However, this was mostly visible for moderate number of lockdown days as the effects on results were dominated by the impact from the number of lockdown days for too high or too low number of lockdown days. There is also an important trade-off between the budget and infection rate 'R' for the governments to consider. Minimizing the risk of infection requires an additional budget.

Advice for Early Career Clinical Stroke Researchers Applying for National Institutes of Health Funding.

Advice for Early Career Clinical Stroke Researchers Applying for National Institutes of Health Funding.

Sourcing practices of online news media in Switzerland during the war in Ukraine

IntroductionIn times of war, sourcing becomes a major challenge for journalists. Information is often unavailable because access is restricted or because reporting on the ground is prohibited, too dangerous, or even simply too costly for media having to work with limited resources. Which sources actually shape the news is a highly relevant question because news media still constitute the main channel of information for many citizens, especially when it comes to wars abroad. For a long time, scholars have diagnosed a dominance of official sources in war coverage but have not analyzed whether this is still the case with the advent of social media platforms, which potentially offer journalists other sources. Moreover, the integration of social media sources, such as Twitter or Telegram, is just one of many interdependencies in hybrid media environments. We aim to provide a more holistic understanding of sourcing practices in times of war by analyzing to what extent information from government and military sources, social media, other news media, and news agencies is featured as a main source in reporting on the war in Ukraine.MethodsIn our paper, we examine how 13 online media in Switzerland cover the war in Ukraine during the first 3 months after Russia's invasion—an example of a period in which journalists must typically identify reliable sources for reporting on the events surrounding such a war. Using a manual content analysis of 1,198 news articles, we analyze the sourcing practices that are visible in the reporting.ResultsOur results clearly show that information from other news outlets and social media and, above all, from news agencies plays an important role. Structural features of media types lead to distinct sourcing practices. Heavily commercialized, advertising-based media rely on news agency reports, other news media, and social media much more than subscription media or public service media. However, in all media types, actors from the government and the military are the most important source type.DiscussionOur study reveals patterns old and new in terms of sourcing practices war coverage in a European country not participating in, but affected by, the major war in Ukraine.

‘In time, every worker a capitalist’: Accumulation by legitimation and authoritarian neoliberalism in Thatcher’s Britain

In this article, I show that current literature on authoritarian neoliberalism has not only overlooked the crucial role of legitimation in authoritarian neoliberal regimes, both pre- and post-2008, it has also failed to properly conceptualise it. While existing scholarship mainly pictures neoliberal governments as pursuing legitimation to ensure accumulation remains unopposed, I instead argue that neoliberal governments see legitimation as an instrument of, and precondition for, accumulation – as directly feeding into it. Indeed, my contribution shows that governments aim to transform citizens into neoliberal subjects that actively and willingly participate in neoliberal accumulation. I call this project, which relies on state-driven mass behavioural change, a strategy of ‘accumulation by legitimation’. The article illustrates this with the case of Thatcherism, analysing newly released governmental archival sources through a Marxist-Foucauldian framework. I unearth the Thatcher government’s propaganda campaign and employee involvement policy, which were a combined effort to influence the British people through governmental education, share ownership as well as communication and consultation in industry. The objective was to turn British workers into self-identifying capitalists that would willingly support the market order and accept its imperatives by themselves, such as the need to moderate their own wage demands. Thatcherites saw this as a prerequisite for their employment and counter-inflationary policies to work. This far-reaching strategy however faced significant obstacles, both from inside government and from British capital, illustrating key contradictions in neoliberalism. While neoliberal ideas endure, this sheds light on the incomplete and fragile character of neoliberal hegemony up to today.