Observatorio (OBS*)

Framing the Financial Crisis: An unexpected interaction between the government and the press

This study explores the dynamic interaction between government and news media in the frame-building process, the process of shaping journalistic news frames, during the financial crisis that erupted in September 2008. The unexpected as well as event-driven character of the financial crisis is expected to create dynamics that challenge journalists dependence on powerful political actors as the national government by opening up the news gate wider to various voices and perspectives. However, the findings of this study indicate unexpected results as the government dominates the frame-building process. In order to empirically explore the frame-building process, this paper employs framing theory to analyse political actors messages and news media coverage. The study employs two sets of data, the first a content analysis of news coverage and the second a content analysis of political messages, during a three month period in Sweden following the eruption of the financial crisis. Overall, the results of this study indicate that powerful political actors ability to influence frame-building follows the predictable pattern of indexing also during an unexpected event thus limiting press independence.

A clearer picture: Towards a new framework for the study of cultural transduction in audiovisual market trades

This paper presents a theoretical and methodological revision which clarifies and organizes the concepts on the trade of audiovisual products between different cultural markets. It explores the concept of cultural proximity (Straubhaar, 1991) and the latest discussions on cultural translation (Conway, 2012) and cultural universals and lacunae (Rohn, 2010, 2011). After analyzing the various academic perspectives, the paper proposes a new framework, which defines more clearly the terminology, thus making a tool for comparative studies of audiovisual trade. This framework is divided into four aspects: market, product, people and process. Previous concepts are narrowed down and new concepts are developed to fill in the conceptual gaps.

A mediatização da dengue na imprensa portuguesa: Os casos do Público, Expresso, Jornal de Notícias e Diário de Notícias

Em outubro de 2012 foram identificados vários casos de febre de dengue na ilha da Madeira, motivando uma cobertura noticiosa do caso que se prolongou até dezembro. A mediatização do surto fez-se principalmente através do recurso a fontes oficiais declinadas no masculino que falavam à escala nacional e a fontes documentais. Este artigo estuda a mediatização do vírus de dengue na imprensa portuguesa, aqui representada pelos jornais diários Público, Jornal de Notícias e Diário de Notícias e pelo semanário Expresso. Através da análise de 39 artigos, nos quais foram citadas 110 fontes de informação, procurámos entender os processos de construção da notícia e as fontes a quem os jornalistas dão voz.

Several cases of dengue fever were identified in Madeira Island in October 2012. The media coverage of the outbreak lasted until December and it was made especially through official news sources, mainly male, who would talk on a National level, and through documental sources. This paper studies the dengue fever coverage in the Portuguese newspapers, represented by daily newspapers Público, Jornal de Notícias and Diário de Notícias and by the weekly newspaper Expresso. We sought to understand the news-making processes and the news sources used by journalists, analyzing 39 news articles and 110 news sources.

Trends in use of YouTube: optimizing the strategic communication of Ibero-American universities

Se analizan las tendencias prioritarias del uso de YouTube que hace una muestra de universidades iberoamericanas (N=263) integradas en el Ranking Webometrics, al tiempo que se identifican las oportunidades que esta herramienta les ofrece. Tras adoptar una metodología descriptiva y multivariante, y proceder al análisis estadístico pertinente de la actividad de las cuentas que tienen las universidades en YouTube, a partir de sus vídeos oficiales, las reproducciones, suscripciones, videos vistos, etc., se comprobó que no sólo poseen varios perfiles y mantienen una gran actividad, sino que se encontraron dos marcadas tendencias de uso: 1) consolidación de su imagen corporativa; y, 2) activación del proceso de comunicación e interacción con los miembros de la comunidad académica. Sin embargo, se concluye que si bien las universidades apuestan por estar presentes en YouTube -y otras redes- para garantizar su visibilidad y dinamizar la comunicación con su comunidad, precisan arbitrar fórmulas estratégicas más eficaces para gestionar sus perfiles y optimizar su comunicación, las cuales deben pasar por considerar la figura del community manager para incrementar su alcance y prestigio.

We have Discussed the priority trends in the use of YouTube of a sample of Ibero-American universities (N=263) of the Webometrics Ranking, also, we have identified the opportunities that this tool has to offer. By adopting a descriptive methodology and multivariate and precede to the statistical analysis pertinent to the activity from accounts of the universities have on YouTube: through their official videos, reproductions, subscriptions, watched videos, etc We have found that no only have multiple profiles and it maintain a great activity, further we found two marked trends of use: 1) consolidation of their own corporate image; and, 2) activation of the process of communication and interaction with the members of the academic community. However, it was concluded that while universities are committed to be present on YouTube -and other networks- for to ensure their visibility and boost communication with their community, they need to come up with more effective strategic formulas to manage their profiles and optimize their communication, which must pass through contemplating the figure of the community manager to increase their reach and prestige.

Inevitabilidade Digital: O Poder dos Laços Fracos, Convergência e Curiosidade na Disseminação do Stuxnet

Este artigo debate o conceito da inevitabilidade digital no contexto da ciberguerra e está organizado em quatro partes. Os quatro temas discutidos são: o enquadramento internacional do novo tipo de guerra, a contextualização histórica do Stuxnet, os conceitos e princípios da análise de redes em ciências sociais e, por fim, a apresentação do conceito de inevitabilidade digital. O conceito de inevitabilidade digital envolve três princípios: a força dos laços fracos, a convergência das redes na rede e o poder motivador da curiosidade como motor do comportamento humano. A análise deste conceito é feita sobre o caso real da rede de disseminação do Stuxnet, desde a sua concepção até à entrada na rede privada e segura da central nuclear de Natanz.

This article argues about the concept of digital inevitability, in the cyber war framing, and it is organised in four parts. The four topics discussed are: the new kind of war in the international context, Stuxnets historical context, the concepts and principles of network analysis in social sciences and the introduction of the digital inevitability concept. The concept of digital inevitability involves three main principles: the strength of weak ties, the convergence of networks into the network and the motivating power of curiosity as a drive for human behaviour. The analysis of this concept is made on the real case of Stuxnets network of dissemination, since its conception until its entrance in Natanz nuclear facilitys private and secure network.

Mediating the voice of personal blogging: an analysis of Chinese A-list personal blogs

Voice reveals stance, position and other evaluative aspects of texts. In spite of its major role in establishing blogs recognition and participation in the social networking space, voice has not received adequate attention in online communication research. This paper attempts to explore the voice of blogs through examining personal blogs. Data were collected from three A-list Chinese personal blogs hosted on top blog service providers in China. Drawing upon appraisal analysis, this study examined the voice of personal blogs through analysing the written texts and images of the blogs. The findings revealed that personal blog authors employed different resources in constructing individualized voices. These were constrained by various factors such as gendered projections, audiences, and culturally specific rhetoric. The paper concludes with a suggestion that further research in exploring voice representations in blogs, however heterogeneous, needs to consider technological and semiotic resources, genre features, and sociocultural and institutional conditions.

Problematizar para intervir: rádio online e educação para os media como estratégia de inclusão de jovens

A educação para os media tem sido uma área incentivada pelas instituições internacionais, como parte de uma educação cívica, e em Portugal tem registado progressos, embora subsista alguma fragmentação. O RadioActive, financiado pela Comissão Europeia, propõe-se explorar as potencialidades da educação para os media com objetivos de empoderamento e participação de crianças e jovens em contextos de carência ou exclusão. O projeto utiliza as potencialidades da rádio em ambiente digital para estimular a inclusão e reforço de capacidades dos jovens participantes. A sua metodologia é de Investigação-Ação Participativa, fortemente inspirada em Paulo Freire, trabalhando com um framework adaptável aos contextos em que atua, para envolver e criar resultados sustentados. A sua proposta foca-se, assim, nos interesses e motivações pessoais, nos conhecimentos de media e digitais já existentes, bem como na adaptação do projeto à comunidade em que se insere. Neste artigo, argumentamos pela relevância de uma etapa de problematização para os programas de educação para os media orientados para uma mudança social, com vista à sua sustentabilidade. Discutimos a implementação desta etapa nos três projetos parceiros do RadioActive em Portugal, depois de realizados grupos de foco, entrevistas e observações, e apresentamos os resultados preliminares do projeto.

Media Education has been stimulated by international institutions, as part of civic education, and, in Portugal, has registered some progresses, although it is still slightly fragmented. RadioActive, funded by the European Commission, intends to explore media education potentialities, in order to contribute to the empowerment and participation of children and young people who live in social exclusion. The project uses the potentialities of the radio in online environment to stimulate inclusion and reinforcement of young participants skills. It uses a participatory research-action methodology, strongly inspired by Paulo Freire, and works with a framework adaptable to the surrounding contexts, in order to involve and create sustained results. RadioActive focuses on personal interests and motivations, on the pre-existing media and digital knowledge and on the projects adaptation to the community. In this article, we sustain the importance of a problematization stage for media education programs, oriented to social change. We discuss this stages implementation on the three partners of RadioActive Portugal, after some observation, interviews and focus groups.

Service Quality of News Channels: A Modified SERVQUAL Analysis

Current study investigates the service quality offered by Pakistani news channels through employing a modified SERVQUAL scale. Further to this, the SERVQUAL and its applicability to measure the service quality of news channels has been presented. A 29-item SERVQUAL based instrument was administered to a sample of 318 randomly selected respondents. The descriptive analysis revealed a gap analysis model to infer meaningful results. The results reveal several gaps between expected and perceived service quality. In particular, Responsiveness and Assurance dimensions had the highest gaps. However, the SERVQUAL scale has been a good fit while measuring the service quality of news channels in a developing country context. This research originally contributes to the existing service quality literature as the SERVQUAL scale has never been used to measure service quality of TV channels. The recommendations will be helpful in minimizing the service quality gaps and also can trigger channel loyalty by offering services in accordance with the viewer expectations.

La autopromoción en la noticia: La autorreferencia mediática en el discurso periodístico de TVE

La mercantilización de los espacios informativos de Televisión Española tiene su reflejo en la presencia de informaciones de carácter autopromocional. En este artículo describimos esos mensajes autorreferenciales, analizamos los objetivos prioritarios perseguidos por la cadena con su emisión, a la vez que denunciamos una actividad promocional enmascarada de noticia que ha contaminado los informativos de la televisión pública.

The commoditication of news programs in Televisión Española is reflected in the presence of self-reference news. In this article, we describe the self-reference messages, and we also analyzed the main objectives pursued by networks through broadcasting. At the same time, we denounce the presence of self-promotion hidden in the news that has contaminated newscasts in the public television.

The Internet as a source of information: The social role of blogs and their reliability

The current paper discusses the case of a social as well as technological phenomenon that has assumed great proportions in recent years, that of blogs. The purpose of this research is to explore students' views on: the role of blogs as a means of information, the reliability of blogs, and the social role of blogs. The selection of measuring students' views was made based on the fact that they form one of the most active social groups on one hand and that, on the other hand, they are considered to be some of the most frequent users of the internet. As an overall conclusion, the participants appear to have a positive attitude concerning blogs, whereas the research findings regarding the individual questions point out interesting views on behalf of the students.