"This essay provides an overview of mediated religion in Brazil, focusing on people’s responses to the 'Life Network' (Rede Vida) in Porto Alegre. In addition to a general overview, a case study offers a glimpse into how countries and cultures outside of the U.S. experience the interaction of comm
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unication and religious practices. Based on dissertation research (Sierra Gutiérrez, 2006), the text falls into six parts: the first part reviews past research in North and South America; the second explicates the context and the general problem encountered in this kind of study; the third part lists the central questions and objectives. Part 4 reviews the theoretical implications of mediated religion while Part 5 reviews methodology for studying the topic. Finally, the last section specifies some conclusions based on the investigation and some more general observations about televised religion and the post-modern challenge it presents." (Page 3)
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"Communication for Empowerment is an initiative which, in its global context, aims to enable average citizens including those from marginalised strata of society and those living in poverty to take informed decisions on their own lives, have access to channels that allow their voice to be heard and
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have access to public spaces of local dialogue and debate [...] Mozambique is one of five countries coming forward as interested in taking part in the pilot research process, testing the tool in three districts in Mozambique: Mandlakazi, Dondo and Monapo. In each of the districts, needs assessments focused on identifying the information and communication needs of vulnerable and marginalised communities. We report here on how their needs were or were not met with existing media approaches. From this we will be able to engage in dialogue with people from these three districts to determine how they plan to alter the media environment for the better." (Executive summary)
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"Viele Sender haben 2007 Integration auf ihre Fahnen geschrieben. Das ZDF hat beispielsweise mit einer Integrations-Programmwoche im Herbst vergangenen Jahres, mit öffentlichkeitswirksamen Maßnahmen wie der Wahl der Journalistin Dunja Hayali für das „heute-journal“ sowie durch eine Kooperatio
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n mit einem türkischen Fernsehsender versucht, sich deutlich als Integrationssender zu positionieren. Auffallend ist außerdem, dass seit dem vergangenen Jahr die Zahl der Veranstaltungen zum Thema Medien und Integration erkennbar zugenommen hat – von Berlin bis Karlsruhe, von Nürnberg bis Frankfurt betätigen sich Verbände, Stiftungen und Medieninitiativen auf diesem Feld in einem bisher unbekannten Maß. Die Bedeutung des Themas ist also erkannt. Die Gefahr besteht dabei aber, dass man immer wieder die Bedeutung der Aufgabe betont, ohne einen wesentlichen Schritt bei der Umsetzung weiter zu kommen. Wichtig ist, dass die Medienanbieter Strukturen, strategische Ziele und Umsetzungsinstrumente im Bereich Integration entwickeln. Der WDR hat diesen Weg eingeschlagen. Durch einen Integrationsbericht, der vom Integrationsbeauftragten jährlich den Gremien präsentiert wird, werden seit 2004 Fortschritte und Entwicklungen des Unternehmens in diesem Bereich systematisch und nachhaltig erfasst. Es geht heute mehr den je darum, die programmpolitische Diskussion weiter zu vertiefen und zu konkretisieren. In diesem Zusammenhang ist es sehr zu begrüßen, dass die CIVIS medien stiftung in Kooperation mit dem WDR und der Deutschen Welle im September 2008 eine Programmkonferenz zum Thema „Integration“ bei der Deutschen Welle in Bonn veranstalten wird. Dort soll anhand von Programmbeispielen über innovative Ansätze im fiktionalen und nonfiktionalen Bereich diskutiert werden." (Fazit, Seite 123-124)
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"BBC listenership in Afghanistan remains strong and the station has retained a strong brand presence. BBC radio is among the most listened to stations in Afghanistan. Over half (57%) of adults had listened within the past week at the time of the survey in January 2008. 75% of the population claimed
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to have heard it at some point. Eighty-nine percent of Afghans who have ever used BBC radio or TV indicated they will continue to use the BBC in the future and over three-quarters (76%) say they will recommend the BBC to others. BBC Afghanistan is the service most people still turn to for news and it is the most trusted source of news on TV or radio. Ninety-percent of BBC listeners feel they can trust the information provided by the BBC. People respect the service for being relevant, unbiased and educational [...] Afghans have a strong desire for news and information. The vast majority of Afghans (92%) think it is important to stay informed about current events in Afghanistan. The internal situation remains fluid, and this is a country going through a tumultuous social, economic, and political transformation. Afghans are also keen to stay informed about daily security threats to hear about the continuing struggle between the Afghan government and the anti-government elements, in particular the Taliban, for control over the future of the country." (Executive summary, pages 4-5)
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"FilmAid International (FilmAid) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to use the power of film to promote health, strengthen communities and enrich the lives of the world’s vulnerable and uprooted populations. FilmAid offers programming that aims to facilitate social change by providing co
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mmunication tools, information, and opportunities for people to come together to explore, debate, and express ideas. Although other aid organizations have used film as a medium of change and instruction, unlike the FilmAid approach this has generally been ad hoc, irregular, and part of a wider program of interventions. The FilmAid approach is therefore unique and offers an opportunity to conduct a study of the impact of showing films to a refugee population. Apart from an evaluation conducted in 2003 of FilmAid’s own program in Kakuma, Kenya, the authors are not aware of any other formal assessments. Consequently, there is little known regarding the impact of the FilmAid program. Gaining knowledge on this subject will not only assist FilmAid in their operation of programs, but will also provide guidance for other organizations interested in using films as interventions. The purpose of the assessment reported here was to evaluate the impact of the FilmAid International program in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kakuma, Kenya. We used a three-phase approach employing both qualitative and quantitative methods. The assessment was led by an independent consultant assisted by faculty at the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and the staff of FilmAid." (Executive summary)
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"Some recommendations can be made to Radio Progress and its community. The station seems to provide the Upper West people with what they needed – a voice to make themselves heard and to communicate with each other. Since the research showed that most limitations are due to the restraints in financ
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ial stability some stronger effort to receive funding would be advisable. Without undermining the non-profit character, Radio Progress could put more emphasise on some fundraising activities. More financial flexibility could solve most of the limitations the station is facing. Furthermore, the station board should pay more attention to a stable coordination of the station. The formerly absent and recently not existing coordination might bear negative impact on the staff motivation. Moreover, this rather unorganised coordination possibly restricts a consequent performance and a stringent development of the programming as well as potential improvement strategies. Some advice can be addressed to the listening communities. The research showed how vital the listeners handle information and educative input they receive through the station and as such also from other villages. By internal clustering of information and output through internal reflection they could even intensify the mutual learning effect the programming offers. Communities could form a committee to which people can address their grievances, demands and ideas on a frequent basis and which could present these collected information to the station. Such an organised information collection and transfer could overcome a crucial obstacle to participate for many people - the restriction to call or visit the station on their own." (Recommendations, page 98)
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"This report presents the results of the first national qualitative research study into Australian community broadcasting audiences. It explores why a significant and increasing number of Australians listen to community radio and/or watch community television, what they value about it, and how it me
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ets their needs. Community broadcasting in Australia began in the early 1970s with the establishment of the first metropolitan community radio stations. Community television is a comparatively recent development dating from the early 1990s. Today, Australian community radio is a mature industry catering to a wide variety of interests. Our study deals with audiences for ‘generalist’ stations in metropolitan and regional Australia and explores responses from two major interest groups — Indigenous and ethnic communities. Audiences for the nascent community television industry provide a further focus." (Executive summary, page 1)
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"The internet in the Arab World: Egypt and beyond is the first book to offer a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to the status of the internet and its uses and effects in Egypt and the Arab world. Tackling the issue in a systematic, scientific manner, this book also examines Islamic online communic
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ations, online censorship, and internet use by the civic society as an alternative channel for its mostly oppressed voices." (Back cover)
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"This study is about Community Radio Madanpokhara (CRM) in Palpa district in Western Nepal. Initiated and managed by the local residents, CRM has been on the air on frequency modulation (FM) band serving 800,000 potential listeners in the region since 2000. Triangulating in-depth interviews, observa
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tions and an audience survey as methods, this research explores the nature and extent of the local residents’ participation in the communication process. The station, operating with a wide participation from its community members, has not only been successful in providing them with an access to much needed information and entertainment but has also, in fact, proved to be an important avenue for the local population to express their opinions and views as well as exchange feelings. An audience survey, conducted in January 2004, revealed that 80.8 percentage of the local respondents listen to their community radio station for information and entertainment. Community radio in the region not only took away listeners from the state owned radio station, it also added new listeners. Thus, operation of a community radio station is not about sharing power, but it is also about creating new power. CRM has increased access to information for a larger section of rural population previously not served or underserved by the state media or the capital based-elite media. If knowledge is power and democracy is more about decentralization of power, then community radio stations in Nepal are truly championing this cause by creating many centers of power in the nation by empowering those left behind in the process and by securing their active involvement. They are encouraging the dispossessed and the marginalized in breaking the ages-old culture of silence, and CRM is leading the way in this endeavor." (Abstract)
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"This Nationwide Media Audience Survey 2006 is the most comprehensive and representative media survey carried out in Papua New Guinea to date. Regular media surveys for commercial purposes have been carried out, concentrating on urban and peri-urban samples in the five most-developed major centres.
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Whilst their design is well suited to their objectives, the results are by no means representative of the population at large and the findings of this NMAS are obviously at considerable variance with such urban-centred surveys. This NMAS was designed to provide a more accurate ‘warts and all’ model of media reception, perceptions and attitudes across the nation. The sampling system catered for the majority rural population and less-developed provinces and districts. This NMAS clearly reveals the patterns of media gradients and the extent to which the majority rural populations are disadvantaged in receiving mass-media communications (and in interacting with the media)." (Executive summary, page 9)
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