Occasional
Papers

Today's public sphere can be characterized by sophisticated interrelations between the media landscape, politics, and public opinion. All of them exert a certain influence on each other and more often than not it is not quite clear who influences whom. Analyzing the influence of the different players on one another often comes down to the question of the chicken and the egg. While there are rarely definite answers in terms of causality, light can be shed onto the structures and workings of the process.  [Full text]

The relationship between media and politics is one of many obstacles. At times nerve-wrecking pressure build up by the media keeps politicans on the edge. At others their information-keeping tendencies let journalists doubt their own abilities. In his recently published book The Media Effect, Dr. William James Willis, Professor of Communication Studies at Azuca Pacific University in California, shows how news influences politics and the government. Or is it the other way around?  [Full text]

A rival to traditional journalism, the term ‘We Media’ emerged to describe a new form of participatory journalism that seemed to produce an innovative type of media citizen: the all-in-one consumer, creator, and contributor.  [Full text]

In the new law you will get what you want (…) For a price of 17.5 million dollars. It can be a little less, I think. I think they exaggerated (...) But they need money - said Lew Rywin to Adam Michnik, the editor in chief of the biggest and most influential Polish daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza on July 22nd 2002.  [Full text]