Javnost - The Public, Vol. 24 - 2017, No. 1
2008–2013 Political Biopics: Adapting Leaders for a Time of Crisis
In an atmosphere of global crisis, the number of political biopics has grown very significantly, with specific characteristics that are in line with the times. This article analyses a group of films released between 2008 and 2013 (the most critical years of the economic recession) which had an international impact. This study notes the formal features of this “new political biopic” genre and highlights two of its main qualities. First, the use of narrative patterns defines the public and private spheres of the leaders in a very contemporary way; and, second, there is a commitment to a set of leadership traits with which the monarchs and politicians of these films are characterised.
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Generating Counter-Public Spheres Through Social Media: Two Social Movements in Neoliberalised South Korea
This study discusses the dynamics and natures of counter-public spheres configured by people’s engagements in social movements via social media. It focuses on the ways in which the two social movements in South Korea are mobilised both online and offline. Under the extensive neoliberalisation of South Korea, these social movements widely attracted public attention and mobilised mass participation. This study suggests that the distinct dynamics of the social movements contributed to engendering counter-public spheres by associating online and offline spaces for building solidarity and for expressing people’s discontent against mainstream media. It characterises four aspects of counter-public spheres: active disputes and justification; collaboration and networking; affect and mutual empowerment; and a sense of belonging and connectivity. The article concludes that counter-public spheres help stimulate marginalised voices, invoke public deliberations and actions, and intervene in socio-political decision-making.
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The Global Active Citizenship Network in Italian Local Contexts: Using Social Media to Promote Sustainable Behaviours
The recent increasing presence of environmental movements as forms of spontaneous mobilisation arouses interest about the practices and tools that grow around them. They take place and are created within civic media and are characterised by significant participation in the territory. Starting from these preliminary remarks, this article focuses on analyses of the communication flow between the international network and local nets. The article seeks to understand both the dynamics of such forms of collaboration and how the local identity of Italian partners is structured. Furthermore, this study assesses the role of new media in promoting active networking with its links to global environmental actions and encouraging shared participatory tools. The study highlights interesting connections between global and local events whose intensity depends on innovative ways of using the media and managing Web relationships and networking at national and international levels. Moreover, online activism, at international level, is closely associated with a conscious effort to be transparent and accountable towards local partners. In this regard, social media are functional not only in publishing information about their actions and results, but also in sharing strategies for resolving conflicts and promoting positive change.
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National Orientations or a Common European Debate? The Representation of the Beginnings of the Greek and Euro Crisis in German and Spanish Quality Press
Researching the case of the transnational European conflict around the Greek and Euro crisis, this article explores whether and to what extent the media representations of the very early stages of the crisis in 2009/10 in the German and Spanish quality press feature “national orientations” or indicate a Europeanised, common European debate. Based on a content analysis of the news coverage of German and Spanish quality newspapers, the analysis reveals a multidimensional picture of the news coverage; it is Europeanised and shaped by national orientations at the same time. The transnational politicisation of European politics fosters the simultaneous visibility of issues of common concern across national borders. Furthermore, Europe or the European Union as a collective body and reference object for identification is highly visible. But transnational integrated speaker ensembles and a common European debate remain demanding. The media in Germany and Spain still feature national orientations with respect to the speakers cited in the news and with respect to the frames and viewpoints on the crisis phenomena.
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The Quality of Parliamentary Deliberation: The Case of the Family Code Debates in the Slovenian Parliament
Researching the case of the transnational European conflict around the Greek and Euro crisis, this article explores whether and to what extent the media representations of the very early stages of the crisis in 2009/10 in the German and Spanish quality press feature “national orientations” or indicate a Europeanised, common European debate. Based on a content analysis of the news coverage of German and Spanish quality newspapers, the analysis reveals a multidimensional picture of the news coverage; it is Europeanised and shaped by national orientations at the same time. The transnational politicisation of European politics fosters the simultaneous visibility of issues of common concern across national borders. Furthermore, Europe or the European Union as a collective body and reference object for identification is highly visible. But transnational integrated speaker ensembles and a common European debate remain demanding. The media in Germany and Spain still feature national orientations with respect to the speakers cited in the news and with respect to the frames and viewpoints on the crisis phenomena.
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This is My Life: The Stories of Independent Workers in the Creative Industries in the Netherlands
The new precariat or free agents? Two powerful stories dominate discussion of labour in what are now called the creative industries. A policy invention, the creative industries in the Netherlands combine media, the arts, cultural heritage and creative business services as a new top sector, expected to boost the national income. A large number of workers in the creative industries do so freelance, or as the Dutch have it as Independents without Personnel. We prefer to call them independent professionals. The combination of the digitalisation of work and its casualisation as a result of outsourcing by corporate firms, non-governmental organisations and governments created wholly new labour conditions. Over the past three years more than 90 interviews with independent workers in the creative industries have been conducted. This article presents the world of work from their perspective. The article will show how independent workers are carving out identities that focus on freedom, passion and work–life balance. “Maker freedom” and “a new barter economy” are the two dominant themes in the analysis of the interview material. As analysts and educators we need to attend to new discourses of artisanal and political identity construction among higher-educated workers in the creative industries.
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