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This article examines recent changes in the media situation in Bulgaria, particularly in the field of television supply and consumption. It focuses on the problem of how changed social conditions have influenced the adoption of home... more
This article examines recent changes in the media situation in Bulgaria, particularly in the field of television supply and consumption. It focuses on the problem of how changed social conditions have influenced the adoption of home satellite TV reception equipment. The growing pluralization of Bulgarian society and the increasing differentiation of personal information and entertainment needs are indicated as major prerequisites for the diffusion of the new communication medium. The results of an in-depth study of the motivation of early adopters are reported. An attempt at a typology of satellite television use patterns is made.
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The Canadian Refugees Welcome Movement (2015–2016) was one of the most sizeable, visible, and effective instances of collective action in recent Canadian history. It had a nationwide scope and grassroots initiation. It comprised a wide... more
The Canadian Refugees Welcome Movement (2015–2016) was one of the most sizeable, visible, and effective instances of collective action in recent Canadian history. It had a nationwide scope and grassroots initiation. It comprised a wide variety of participants and actively employed social media in its constitution. This article reports the results of a multimethod case study that seeks to explain how collective action frames emerged in the context of the Canadian Refugees Welcome Movement; which actors were involved in their articulation; and how they generated a following, collective action and humanitarian and political effect. The focus is on the discursive processes of construction of solidarity across difference as they unfolded in the social media environment. The Facebook event pages calling for rallies in support of Syrian refugees, it argues, served as a discursive space that helped transform the moral shock experienced by members of distinct moral communities into a process of concerting of voices and construction of solidarity and collective action frames across differences.
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ABSTRACT Critical approaches to information and communication technology have seen five very busy years as the central trends of ‘communicative capitalism’ have consolidated and taken distinct shapes hand in hand with the proliferation of... more
ABSTRACT Critical approaches to information and communication technology have seen five very busy years as the central trends of ‘communicative capitalism’ have consolidated and taken distinct shapes hand in hand with the proliferation of social media. This article offers an overview of some of the key developments that have preoccupied the attention of critical scholars over that period. With some inevitable gloss-over and reduction of complexity and nuance, it can be argued that the most prominent targets of critique have been: digital labour and its exploitation; big data and the process of datafication of social life; and social media platforms with their inherent algorithmic control over users’ behaviour and sociality, and the subjectivation and commodification of individual selves.
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This article offers a review of influential theoretical positions endeavouring to conceptualise the conditions and mechanisms through which civil society can become productively involved in the articulation of public opinion and... more
This article offers a review of influential theoretical positions endeavouring to conceptualise the conditions and mechanisms through which civil society can become productively involved in the articulation of public opinion and contribute its voice to political decision-making. It focuses specifically on the contested relationship between civil and political society and the specifics of the discourses they produce in the political public sphere. Employing the so constructed theoretical framework, the article proceeds to take stock of the processes currently unfolding in the Bulgarian public sphere paying special attention to the modes of their mediatisation. In the focus of the analysis is the case of the civil society group Protest Network. It concludes that a social formation labelled the protest sphere emerges out of the experiences of civil society activists who struggle for publicity of their causes and demands. The protest sphere takes the place of the missing mechanisms supp...
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This article examines recent changes in the media situation in Bulgaria, particularly in the field of television supply and consumption. It focuses on the problem of how changed social conditions have influenced the adoption of home... more
This article examines recent changes in the media situation in Bulgaria, particularly in the field of television supply and consumption. It focuses on the problem of how changed social conditions have influenced the adoption of home satellite TV reception equipment. The growing pluralization of Bulgarian society and the increasing differentiation of personal information and entertainment needs are indicated as major prerequisites for the diffusion of the new communication medium. The results of an in-depth study of the motivation of early adopters are reported. An attempt at a typology of satellite television use patterns is made.
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<p>This chapter aims to construct a line of inquiry on mobile convergence, a notion that has evolved since the end of the twentieth century, and to highlight the most promising directions of research. The authors apply the notion of... more
<p>This chapter aims to construct a line of inquiry on mobile convergence, a notion that has evolved since the end of the twentieth century, and to highlight the most promising directions of research. The authors apply the notion of mobile convergence not only to the convergence between the mobile phone and other communication media but also to the convergence of the smartphone with different families of objects. After a critical review of the most important studies that have been carried out on this topic, the authors advance the theoretical reflection on convergence in an attempt to capture the driving forces behind this phenomenon. To do so, they explore convergence from a sociological perspective and through the lens of political economy. Finally, they offer a projection regarding the new directions in which mobile convergence processes are headed and the new assemblages of devices and practices this convergence could bring about in the context of the Internet of things and QR codes.</p>
This article presents a case study based in a medium-size Bulgarian city, Stara Zagora, where three different electronic platforms intended to support the interaction between citizens and institutions were introduced and tested between... more
This article presents a case study based in a medium-size Bulgarian city, Stara Zagora, where three different electronic platforms intended to support the interaction between citizens and institutions were introduced and tested between 2010 and 2018. These platforms had different driving actors, somewhat different profiles, and markedly distinct effects. The construction of the first platform was pursued through an e-government project led by a municipal official and financed with funds from the European Union. The second platform was My e-Municipality, an initiative undertaken by a small group of active citizens in collaboration with the city administration. The third platform was a set of interconnected Facebook groups through which citizens protested the destruction of a local park. The article defines and assesses the three distinct models of participation exemplified by the three platforms and discusses the challenges of achieving authentic engagement and response on the part o...
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ABSTRACT/RESUME This paper develops the "intersections of diversity" problematic with respect to the social uses of information and communication technology (ICT). It argues that while keeping in view the big picture of who has... more
ABSTRACT/RESUME This paper develops the "intersections of diversity" problematic with respect to the social uses of information and communication technology (ICT). It argues that while keeping in view the big picture of who has access and who does not, researchers should focus their attention on the micro-practices of ICT use. The premise of such an inquiry is that there is a lot to be learned from users' own creativity and the ways they appropriate new information technologies for purposes aligned with their self-identity projects. Comparisons between the practices of people representing different intersections of diversity can be made on this basis to contribute to a refined understanding of the utility of the new media to various groups. The practical question to be tackled by policy-makers and service developers is: How can the design of new media content and services be improved in accordance with users' practices? Ce document aborde le probleme des > en ce...
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Numerous studies of media and communication processes employ the notion of practice under various working definitions. Recently, there has been growing interest and recurrent reference to a formal philosophical system developed by... more
Numerous studies of media and communication processes employ the notion of practice under various working definitions. Recently, there has been growing interest and recurrent reference to a formal philosophical system developed by Theodore Schatzki and labeled “practice theory.” Some scholars have stated an alignment with Schatzki’s practice theory and suggested that its application in media studies marks a new “practice turn.” This article argues that before we decide whether to accept practice theory as the foundation of a new paradigm, we need to take a critical look at its powers and limitations and the ways in which its conceptual instruments need to be adjusted to effectively address the key questions asked in media studies. The article offers a critical assessment of some of the main premises of practice theory. It focuses specifically on what role this theory assigns to material entities and human agency in the constitution of social life. On that basis, it proposes ways in ...
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ABSTRACT Critical approaches to information and communication technology have seen five very busy years as the central trends of ‘communicative capitalism’ have consolidated and taken distinct shapes hand in hand with the proliferation of... more
ABSTRACT Critical approaches to information and communication technology have seen five very busy years as the central trends of ‘communicative capitalism’ have consolidated and taken distinct shapes hand in hand with the proliferation of social media. This article offers an overview of some of the key developments that have preoccupied the attention of critical scholars over that period. With some inevitable gloss-over and reduction of complexity and nuance, it can be argued that the most prominent targets of critique have been: digital labour and its exploitation; big data and the process of datafication of social life; and social media platforms with their inherent algorithmic control over users’ behaviour and sociality, and the subjectivation and commodification of individual selves.
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The objective of the project reported here is to examine the process of formation of media policy in Bulgaria in the light of the policy models exhibited by western democracies. The main premise of the study is that the specific features... more
The objective of the project reported here is to examine the process of formation of media policy in Bulgaria in the light of the policy models exhibited by western democracies. The main premise of the study is that the specific features of the political, economic and cultural situation in Bulgaria, a small postcommunist state, have to be taken in consideration when elaborating the framework of an appropriate media policy for this country. The first chapter of the report analyses the specific features of the post-communist society which render mass media important instruments for gaining and exercising power. The central claim is that political actors in a transitional society cannot rely on many of the traditional means for achieving political goals and see the media as crucial to the implementation of their strategies. The struggle among political parties for control over the media often involves bodies and structures of the state. At the same time, civil society, the logical oppo...
ABSTRACT In this paper, we attempt to learn from Walter Benjamin (1968) by analyzing the observed and anticipated implications of electronic interaction for post-secondary education. We consider both the dangers of alienated, commodified... more
ABSTRACT In this paper, we attempt to learn from Walter Benjamin (1968) by analyzing the observed and anticipated implications of electronic interaction for post-secondary education. We consider both the dangers of alienated, commodified education and the ���unexpected fields of action��� for educators that arise from technologically mediated interaction between teacher and students. We begin with the premise that the practice of education is comprised of two main communication processes: information transmission and interaction (instructor-student/s; ...
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Against growing skepticism on the political role of social media, the contributions to this themed section argue that, for now, such platforms remain the go-to spaces and tools for Canadians looking to influence political decision-making... more
Against growing skepticism on the political role of social media, the contributions to this themed section argue that, for now, such platforms remain the go-to spaces and tools for Canadians looking to influence political decision-making processes. As such, the consequences of the wide-reaching and intense social interconnectedness they furnish for engaged citizens remain an important area of investigation. This themed section looks at the intersection between social media and the quality of civic culture understood as the matrix of attitudes, relations, knowledge, and practices that support citizens’ political engagement, participation and efficacy (Dahlgren, 2013).
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Background This article responds to the need for additional research into the role that social media play in the debate on energy transition in Canada.Analysis Based on a qualitative case study of the most recent protests against the... more
Background This article responds to the need for additional research into the role that social media play in the debate on energy transition in Canada.Analysis Based on a qualitative case study of the most recent protests against the Kinder Morgan pipeline project, this article raises questions concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the contemporary communication opportunity structure for “claimsmaking” (as Joel Best defines it in Social Problems) and achieving public resonance by the civic grassroots in Canada.Conclusions and implications This article investigates the ways in which social media have become a site for framing collective action by pipeline opponents. It documents how citizens and civic organizations combine online and offline tools and tactics to take part in the shaping of public understanding of pipeline projects in Canada and in the influencing of energy policy and decision-making.Contexte Cet article répond au besoin de recherches additionnelles sur le rô...
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Scholars of both resource mobilization theory and new social movement theory recognize leadership as integral to traditional social movements. Following global protest movements of 2011, some now characterize movements relying on social... more
Scholars of both resource mobilization theory and new social movement theory recognize leadership as integral to traditional social movements. Following global protest movements of 2011, some now characterize movements relying on social media as horizontal and leaderless. Whether due to an organizational shift to networks over bureaucracies or due to a change in values, many social movements in the present protest cycle do not designate visible leadership. Does leadership in social media activism indeed disappear or does it take on new forms? This paper undertakes an in-depth analysis of data obtained through interviews, event observations and analysis of media content related to three Canadian cases of civic mobilization of different scale, all of which strategically employed social media. The paper proposes a conceptual framework for understanding the role of these mobilizations’ organizers as organic intellectuals, sociometric stars and caretakers. By looking closely at the three cases through the lenses offered by these concepts, we identify the specific styles that characterize digitally mediatized civic leadership.
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This article explores the symbolic construction of civic engagement mediated by social media in Canadian newspapers. The integration of social media in politics has created a discursive opening for reimagining engagement, partly as a... more
This article explores the symbolic construction of civic engagement mediated by social media in Canadian newspapers. The integration of social media in politics has created a discursive opening for reimagining engagement, partly as a result of enthusiastic accounts of the impact of digital technologies upon democracy. By means of a qualitative content analysis of Canadian newspaper articles between 2005 and 2014, we identify several discursive articulations of engagement: First, the articles offer the picture of a wide range of objects of engagement, suggesting a civic body actively involved in governance processes. Second, engagement appears to take place only reactively, after decisions are made. Finally, social media become the new social glue, bringing isolated individuals together and thus enabling them to pressure decision-making institutions. We argue that, collectively, these stories construct engagement as a deeply personal gesture that is nevertheless turned into a communa...
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The eJournal of eDemocracy and Open Government (JeDEM) is a peer-reviewed, Open Access journal (ISSN: 2075-9517) published twice a year. It addresses theory and practice in the areas of eDemocracy and Open Government as well as... more
The eJournal of eDemocracy and Open Government (JeDEM) is a peer-reviewed, Open Access journal (ISSN: 2075-9517) published twice a year. It addresses theory and practice in the areas of eDemocracy and Open Government as well as eGovernment, eParticipation, and eSociety. JeDEM publishes ongoing and completed research, case studies and project descriptions that are selected after a rigorous blind review by experts in the field.
: This article situates the dynamics of the mass media transformations in post-totalitarian Bulgaria in the context of the political and economic conditions specific to the country. After an initial period of proliferation of numerous... more
: This article situates the dynamics of the mass media transformations in post-totalitarian Bulgaria in the context of the political and economic conditions specific to the country. After an initial period of proliferation of numerous party and independent publications, the highly liberalized press market has entered a process of concentration. The political parties represented in parliament have established themselves as the only decision-making authority as far as the functioning of the national radio and television institutions and licensing of private broadcasters are concerned. Résumé: Cet article situe les transformations médiatiques de la Bulgarie post-totalitaire dans le contexte des conditions politiques et économiques particulières à ce pays. Après une période initiale où prolifèrent de nombreuses publications partisanes et indépendantes, le marché de la presse hautement libéralisé entame un processus de concentration économique. Les partis politiques représentés au Parlement s&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;établissent comme la seule autorité pour la prise de décisions en ce qui a trait au fonctionnement des institutions nationales de radio et de télévision et l&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;octroi de permis aux radiodiffuseurs privés.