"National and Regional Internet Governance Forums (NRIs) are the stars of the 2017 Global Information Society Watch. The story of NRIs began two years after the first global IGF held in 2006. In 2008, stakeholders from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda organised national forums and a subsequent Eas
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t African IGF, to prepare for and discuss common concerns in anticipation of the global forum held later that year in Hyderabad. Soon after, many other national and regional initiatives emerged, impacting the global forum from the bottom up, enhancing inclusiveness and the broad engagement of multiple stakeholders. Today there is widespread agreement that national and regional forums constitute an important part of the IGF process, that their rise has added significance to the global forum and, at the same time, strengthened national and regional initiatives in their quest for inclusive, participatory decision making on their home turf. This GISWatch edition is the first comprehensive look at national and regional IGF initiatives from a critical, civil society perspective. In all, 54 reports are presented, including seven reports addressing cross-cutting themes, 40 covering national IGFs, and seven examining regional initiatives." (Preface)
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"The Bougainville Audience Research Study is a comprehensive baseline study on the media and communication landscape in Bougainville. It offers key insights into the access and ownership of media and communication channels, and provides an in-depth picture of the audiences’ views and aspirations i
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n relation to the Bougainville Peace Agreement." (Introduction)
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"The Bougainville Audience Research Study seeks to increase understanding of the Information and Communication landscape in Bougainville [Papua new Guinea] for the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG). The research is designed to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of communica
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tion initiatives and awareness undertaken by ABG. The focus of the research is on understanding the access and use of media and communication channels by the people in communities, and to provide a voice for their understandings and concerns with regards to the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) and the upcoming Referendum. The study was undertaken by the Centre for Social and Creative Media (CSCM) at the University of Goroka. As part of the study 16 field researchers from Bougainville were trained in research design and data collection. The study used a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods. It presents a baseline study that can be used to monitor changes in the media and communication landscape in the years to come. As information and communication is key to most development and addressing social issues, it is hoped that this research study provides useful information to other government departments, non-government organisations, aid agencies and local groups and organisations. Above all, this reports aims to represent the voices of the audience, the people of Bougainville, as it captures their current situations and their aspirations." (Introduction)
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"In 2016, 72% of all broadcast time was locally produced content, which equals 41,243 hours of locally produced content each week. While slightly less than in 2011-12, the proportion of local content has remained broadly consistent over all census periods. The proportion of content derived from loca
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l sources was higher in metropolitan and suburban stations than it was in regional and rural and remote stations. Stations dedicated to educational and Indigenous programming also tended to broadcast a higher proportion of locally produced content than other categories [...] Of the locally produced content that is broadcast by community radio stations each week 62% is presented live. Suburban stations present the most live content, with 75% of all locally produced content broadcast by suburban stations presented live. Metropolitan stations present 67%, regional stations 61%, and rural and remote stations 53% of their locally produced content live. Community radio stations broadcast a large proportion of their local content live. Youth stations also largely broadcast their local content live (88%). Educational stations also present a large majority of their local content live (88%). General stations, which make up the vast majority of community radio stations, present 70% of their locally produced content live. Religious (31%) and Indigenous (33%) and RPH (38%) stations present the lowest proportion of locally produced content live." (Pages 9-10)
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"Sector income has increased significantly since the last census was conducted in 2011-2012. Community radio stations collectively generated $103,533,154, including CBF grants, in the 2015-2016 financial year. This represents an increase of 41%, or $30,143,206, over the last four years. While it is
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important to note that the inclusion of 57 temporary community broadcast license holders in the sample has contributed to the increase in total income generated by the sector, as these stations reported significantly lower average income per station than permanent community broadcast license holders the effect is not significant. Income growth was strongest across regional and metropolitan stations, with these stations reporting total income 84% and 47% higher than four years ago respectively. Rural stations also grew, while suburban stations reported income lower than in 2011-2012. Youth stations experienced the most significant growth since the last Census, with income growing by 125% between 2011-2012 and 2015-2016. Significant increases in total income were also reported by religious stations, who reported income 82% higher than in 2011-2012." (Page 8)
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"The tension between blasphemy laws and the freedom of expression in modern times is a key area of debate within legal academia and beyond. With contributions by leading scholars, this volume compares blasphemy laws within a number of Western liberal democracies and debates the legitimacy of these l
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aws in the twenty- first century. Including comprehensive and up-to-date comparative country studies, this book considers the formulation of blasphemy bans, relevant jurisprudential interpretations, the effect on society, and the ensuing convictions and penalties where applicable. It provides a useful historical analysis by discussing the legal-political rationales behind the recent abolition of blasphemy laws in some Western states. Contributors also consider the challenges to the tenability of blasphemy laws in a selection of well- balanced theoretical chapters. This book is essential reading for scholars working within the fields of human rights law, philosophy and sociology of religion and comparative politics." (Publisher description)
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"There are over 120 Australian Government funded Indigenous Broadcasting Services (IBSs) operating in Australia, with further unfunded IBS transmission sites. They vary in size from very small remote services to large community radio broadcasting services, and together, they reach an estimated audie
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nce of at least 100,000 Indigenous listeners who listen regularly. The most substantial investment in Indigenous broadcasting is provided by the Culture and Capability Programme under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS) which is administered by the Department of the Prime and Minister and Cabinet (PM&C). The purpose of this project was to forecast the return on investment over three years of a very remote, regional and urban IBS by understanding, estimating and valuing their impact on stakeholders. The analysis was verified through broader sector consultation to inform the Australian Government about the breadth and depth of impact likely to occur as a result of their continued investment in IBSs [...] We have identified six key insights from the analyses, explored in detail in section 7 of this report:
1. IBSs provide much more than radio – they are community assets that contribute to strengthening culture, community development and the local economy.
2. The outcomes achieved by IBSs appear consistent but the activities they undertake are varied.
3. The activities IBSs undertake are tailored to the specific needs of the community which helps build trust amongst the community.
4. IBSs are achieving a range of social returns on investment, heavily informed by their context, and value flows to a variety of stakeholder groups.
5. IBSs are contributing towards more of the Government’s priorities than is currently realised.
6. IBSs can leverage government funds to generate additional revenue – and greater impact – but only if they have sufficient resourcing available." (Executive summary, page 4-6)
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"This book is a broad and detailed case study of how journalists in more than 20 countries worldwide covered the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment (AR5) reports on the state of scientific knowledge relevant to climate change. Journalism, it demonstrates, is a key elem
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ent in the transnational communication infrastructure of climate politics. It examines variations of coverage in different countries and locations all over the world. It looks at how IPCC scientists review the role of media, reflects on how media relate to decision-making structures and cultures, analyzes how key journalists reflect on the challenges of covering climate change, and shows how the message of IPCC was distributed in the global networks of social media." (Publisher description)
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"Press freedom worldwide deteriorated to its lowest point in 13 years in 2016, driven by unprecedented threats to journalists and media outlets in major democracies, intensified crackdowns on independent media in authoritarian settings, and moves by the Russian and Chinese regimes to increase their
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influence beyond their borders. The share of the world’s population that enjoys a Free press according to the Freedom of the Press report criteria stood at just 13 percent, meaning fewer than one in seven people live in countries where coverage of political news is robust, the safety of journalists is guaranteed, state intrusion in media affairs is minimal, and the press is not subject to onerous legal or economic pressures." (Page 3)
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"There have been significant changes in journalistic practices in various countries over the years. Yet little is known about the nature of changes in journalism in transitional developing countries following military rule. Drawing on email surveys of journalists in Nigeria and Fiji, two countries w
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ith recent histories of military dictatorship that are rarely examined in the research literature, this comparative study investigates journalistic practices in the two countries. Results show that in Nigeria, the transition from military rule to democratic system of government in May 1999 and the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act in 2011 have ushered in significant changes in the way journalism is practised. However, there remains an adversarial relationship between the government and journalists. In Fiji, the 2006 coup, the fourth in the country’s history, led to a more restrictive environment for journalists, despite democratic elections in 2014. Under pressure, journalists are rethinking their roles, with some now considering ‘development journalism’ as a legitimate journalistic genre." (Abstract)
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"Currency research organisations, i.e. organisations conducting research into media use, whose results constitute a nationally valid standard (“currency”) for the advertising business, are of prime importance for developed media systems. In 2017, the global advertising market will reach a volume
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of more than 500 billion US dollars. Nearly a third of that is spent in the USA, but countries such as China, Brazil and Mexico are registering big increases too.(199) Therefore, currency organisations and their research findings contribute not only to the allocation of economically significant resources, but also determine the very existence of media companies and products. Their relevance is thus not only of an (advertising) economic nature, but indirectly bears a political dimension. First and foremost, however, the function of the currency organisations is to provide transparency for the advertisers in terms of the advertising media’s contact performance. The current situation of currency research organisations is heavily shaped on onehand by developments in the media markets, and on the other by historic circumstances and the institutionalisation of the media systems in the various countries. As a general rule, in countries with strongly libertarian institutionalised media such as the USA and Brazil it seems to be harder to establish nationally recognised currencies – in the USA this is even banned through anti-trust laws. Then again, the institutionalisation of currencies may also hit difficulties in a country such as South Korea, where the boundaries between the media and (the rest of) the economic system are somewhat fluid, as the major industry conglomerates have their own media and advertising agencies." (Conclusions)
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"Global Media Giants takes an in-depth look at how media corporate power works globally, regionally, and nationally, investigating the ways in which the largest and most powerful media corporations in the world wield power. Case studies examine not only some of the largest media corporations (News C
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orp, Microsoft) in terms of revenues, but also media corporations that hold considerable power within national, regional, or geolinguistic contexts (Televisa, Bertelsmann, Sony). Each chapter approaches a different corporation through the lens of economy, politics, and culture, giving students and scholars a thoughtful and data-driven guide with which to interrogate contemporary media industry power." (Publisher description)
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"Global press freedom declined to its lowest point in 12 years in 2015, as political, criminal, and terrorist forces sought to co-opt or silence the media in their broader struggle for power. The share of the world’s population that enjoys a Free press stood at just 13 percent, meaning fewer than
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one in seven people live in countries where coverage of political news is robust, the safety of journalists is guaranteed, state intrusion in media affairs is minimal, and the press is not subject to onerous legal or economic pressures. Steep declines worldwide were linked to two factors: heightened partisanship and polarization in a country’s media environment, and the degree of extralegal intimidation and physical violence faced by journalists. These problems were most acute in the Middle East, where governments and militias increasingly pressured journalists and media outlets to take sides, creating a “with us or against us” climate and demonizing those who refused to be cowed." (Page 1)
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"This article shows how results were merged from a study conducted in four countries-Australia, the Philippines, South Africa and Mexico-in which differently versioned television news stories about conflict were played to audiences, and their responses gathered through a mix of methods, to yield bot
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h quantitative and qualitative results. These versions were coded according to the Peace Journalism model, a set of distinctions in the representation of conflict, originally conceived by Johan Galtung. A Peace Journalism bulletin and a War Journalism bulletin were produced in each country. Viewer responses-both emotional and cognitive-showed significant differences, depending on which version they watched. This article compares selected stories in each country, which had the strongest measured effects in the original study, and identifies common thematic elements. The most significant of these is that, in the Peace Journalism version of each of the selected stories bar one, viewers were provided with the personal narrative of a carefully chosen individual protagonist, which prompted both their empathy and, through that, their cognitive engagement with counter-hegemonic arguments in favour of non-violent conflict responses." (Abstract)
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"International trade in creative industries showed sustained growth in the last decade. The global market for traded creative goods and services totaled a record $547billion in 2012, as compared to $302 billion in 2003. Exports from developing countries, led by Asian countries, were growing faster t
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han exports from developed countries. Among developed country regions, Europe is the largest exporter of creative goods. In 2012, the top 5 creative goods exporters included Germany, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium. Exports of creative goods from developed economies grew during the period 2003 to 2012, with export earnings rising from $134 billion to $197 billion. Among developing countries, China is the largest exporter of creative goods. In 2012, the top 5 exporters were China, Hong Kong, China, India, Turkey and South Korea. Exports of creative goods from developing economies grew during the period 2003 to 2012, with export earnings rising from $87 billion to $272 billion. Developing countries are playing an increasingly important role in international trade in creative industries." (Executive summary)
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"This book interrogates trends in training and employment of people with disabilities in the media through an analysis of people with disabilities’ self-representation in media employment. Improving disability representations in the media is vital to improving the social position of people with di
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sability, and including people with lived experience of disability is integral to this process. While the media industry has changed significantly as a result of digital and participatory media, discriminatory attitudes around fear and pity continue to impact whether people with disability find work in the media. The book demonstrates no significant changes in attitudes towards employing disabled media workers since the 1990s when the last major research into this topic took place." (Publisher description)
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"This article presents the attitudinal response of rural villagers in Papua New Guinea to mobile telephony, based on a threshold study made during the early stages of its adoption. The research indicates that the introduction of mobile telecommunications has generally been viewed positively, with mo
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bile phones affording social interaction with loved ones. Nonetheless, negative concerns have been strongly felt, notably financial costs and anxiety about mobile phones aiding in the coordination of extramarital liaisons and criminal activities. The communities investigated previously had scant access to modern communication technologies, some still using traditional means such as wooden slit drums, known locally as garamuts. The expansion of mobile network coverage has introduced into communal village life the capability to communicate dyadically and privately at a distance. Investigation into the adoption of mobile phones thus promotes understanding about traditional means of communication and notions of public and private interactions." (Abstract)
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"This collection offers fresh perspectives on the aesthetics, politics and histories of applied theatre. With contributions from leading scholars in the field, the book illuminates theatre in a diverse range of global contexts and regions. Divided into three sections - histories and cultural memorie
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s; place, community and environment; and poetics and participation - the chapters interweave cutting-edge theoretical insights with examples of innovative creative practice that traverse different places, spaces and times." (Publisher description)
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