Chua to present at LSE PhD symposium

NPCU research student Puay-Hoe Chua will present at this week at the LSE Media and Communications PhD Symposium 2014: Power in Media and Communications: Change or Continuity? He will talk about the nature of legitimacy in East Asian media-political systems, using analysis of the Asian Barometer Survey to contextualise how political communication operates in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. This is drawn from his ongoing PhD research. His paper is titled, “Change or continuity in political communication control? A comparison of 4 Sinic societies.”

LSE Media and Communications PhD Symposium 2014

Power in Media and Communications: Change or Continuity?

Date: Thursday 5 June 2014, 09:00–18:00

Graham Wallas Room | 5th floor Old Building

Programme here.

Strategic narratives discussion on tech radio show Hearsay Culture

After airing an interview last month with the NPCU's Ben O'Loughlin and co-author Laura Roselle about their book Strategic Narratives: Communication Power and the New World Order, the KZSU-FM Stanford University radio interview show and podcast Hearsay Culture now has that interview available as a podcast here. 

Hearsay Culture has been interviewing communications scholars since its founding, including Manuel Castells, Ethan Zuckerman and Lawrence Lessig, and its podcast archive is well worth exploring. The host, Dave Levine, describes its audience as 'techies and IP geeks' in California but the subjects addressed range across the field of political communication. 

5 June: Smith and Soo to present at University of Kent Politics graduate conference

On 5 June 2014 Amy Smith and Nikki Soo will present papers at the conference Politics: The State of the Discipline at the University of Kent. The conference is organised on behalf of the ESRC's South-East Doctoral Training Centre and provides an opportunity for early-stage PhDs to present their initial research to peers and staff at other universities. The abstracts of Amy and Nikki are below. Thanks to the University of Kent for organising the event. If you wish to attend, contact them at: polirsedtc@kent.ac.uk

Amy Smith: Hitting a Moving Target: Controlling the news agenda during elections in the new media environment

This paper will argue that existing models of agenda-setting are not applicable to political communication during elections in the ‘internet-age’. Seminal models, such as Herman and Chomsky’s propaganda model and Bennett’s indexing hypothesis, no longer accurately reflect the power relationships between the three main actor groups in political communication: political elites, traditional media, and citizens. An alternative model will be presented, drawing on Andrew Chadwick’s theory of the hybrid media system and Cristian Vaccari’s analysis of citizen’s use of ‘digital politics’ in western democracies. There will be a discussion of the implications for power relationships in the new media environment, and the normative dimension provided by our discipline. Finally, this paper will show how the new model of agenda-setting will be utilised during the 2015 United Kingdom General Election.

A core assumption of political communication is that political and media elites will look to control the news agenda during an election campaign. However, with newer media and digital technologies, citizens are able to interact more efficiently with both elites; this alters the power dynamics between actors. As scholars within the discipline we need to analyse agenda-setting during elections from a fresh perspective. This paper acknowledges the impact of citizens through online tools and recognises the strategies that elites use to retain control of message dissemination. It argues for a reconceptualization of agenda-setting which realistically reflects power relations as they are played out during elections, and shows how this will be demonstrated during the 2015 United Kingdom General Election.

Contact: amy.smith.2011@rhul.ac.uk

Nikki Soo: Digital Media and Democratic Hopes: A Study of ICT Impacts

The pervasive presence of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has been deemed by many such as Karlsen to be a driving force for change. As a hierarchy-free, interactive and global medium rooted in multiple information sources, the Internet and ICTs have allowed an expanding number of users unrivalled opportunities to access information as well as politically express themselves through new avenues. Available research reveal that ICTs have precipitated a paradigm shift in contemporary politics but these studies are predominantly focused on Western liberal democracies.

Recognising this caveat, this paper proposes to inquire and assess the interactions between ICTs, political parties and civil society in non-democratic Asian nations. Singapore will be used as a case study. Democracy eludes this island state despite high levels of Internet penetration, economic development and a well-educated population. To understand if ICTs have made an impact in Singapore’s road to democracy, the following methodology will be employed. Vanhanen’s participatory democracy theory will be synthesised with the theory of mass responsive democratisation to generate a causal path. A qualitative study of three indicators (political institutions, political culture and media system) will be carried out alongside several interviews before being evaluated against the hypothesis. This research hopes to contribute towards democratic transition studies revolving around the potential of the Internet, generating significant analytical and practical ramifications in subsequent ICT-related democratisation studies.

Contact: Nikki.Soo.2011@live.rhul.ac.uk

4 June - Communicating Contested Political Histories: Memory, Truth and Denial in the Srebrenica Genocide

The Srebrenica massacre in July 1995 was the single greatest atrocity on European soil since the Second World War, during which Bosnian Serb forces systematically massacred more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in a crime judged by the International Court of Justice at The Hague to be an act of genocide. As we approach the 20th anniversary of Srebrenica, the terrible events of the past continue to haunt us – not just through the ongoing discovery of mass grave sites in Tomasica and elsewhere, but also through the pernicious denials of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and the rise of revisionist history that has taken hold in parts of the Balkans. 

​How do we communicate and remember contested political histories, particularly those involving extreme  violence? How do we commemorate these tragic events without first achieving agreement on the narratives of what took place? How do we arrive at 'reconciliation' when the 'truth' itself is so polarising?

This event seeks to address these issues surrounding remembrance of Srebrenica, by discussing survivor testimonies, the painstaking process of establishing facts and truth, and the contesting of genocide denial and revisionist history.

PANEL

• ​Dr Akil N Awan, Lecturer in Political Violence and Terrorism, Department of History, Royal Holloway, University of London.
• Adam Boys, Director of International Programs, International Committee for Missing Persons (ICMP).
• Muhamed Durakovic, Srebrenica survivor, and Head of Libya programme at the ICMP.
• Dr. Eric Gordy, Senior Lecturer in Politics of Southeast Europe at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) of University College London.

Date/Time: 4 June 2014 6:30pm

Location: Room 261, Senate House, Malet St, London WC1E 7HU

Map/Directions: http://senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/visiting-the-library/how-to-find-us/

Generously supported by the Humanities & Arts Research Centre (HARC) at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Remembering Srebrenica.

Narratives of transition in Syria

The NPCU's Ben O'Loughlin has published a new column for the journal Global Policy, 'Narratives of Transition in Syria'. This emerges from recent discussions at the Carter Center in the US addressing the prospects for reconciliation and the role media might play in the process. He argues that any new national narrative or story that incorporates the identities and aspirations of different sections of Syrian society must also mesh with narratives the major international powers have about sovereignty, human rights, and how such conflicts should be settled. Without that international buy-in, those external actors will continue to support differing factions and conflict will continue.

After the party - what can political parties learn from 38 Degrees

NPCU PhD researcher James Dennis has published a new article in openDemocracy , 'After the party - what can political parties learn from 38 Degrees'. His analysis comes from recent research he has carried out of the organisation across different locations and campaigns. He argues that if parties are to avoid terminal decline they must heed the lessons 38 Degrees offers - people want influence and tangible efficacy from their politics rather than being offered rigid ideological platforms and unresponsive hierarchies.

Religion, Conflict Resolution, and Media in the Syrian Crisis - Carter Center, Atlanta this week

"Women refugees from Syria queue to register on arrival at the Za'atari camp in Jordan. 26 Jan 2013." Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license (CC BY-SA 2.0), courtesy of the UK Department for International Development and Georgia State University.The second leg of the NPCU-Georgia State University programme on Religion, Media and Conflict takes place in Atlanta, Georgia on 7-9 May. This workshop focuses on Syria, and takes place at the Carter Center. It will provide a closed-door forum for a small group of policy makers, experts, and religious actors to think critically about the challenges posed to the international community by the Syrian civil war and ensuing humanitarian crisis. While a number of immediate operational and tactical issues deserve attention, the workshop aims to anticipate and envision solutions to medium and long- term problems such as sectarian conflict, political reconciliation, and nation- (re)building. The project is supported by grants from the British Council and the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Our colleagues at GSU, Shawn Powers and Abbas Barzegar, have put together a stellar agenda. The NPCU's Akil Awan and Ben O'Loughlin will participate in the workshop.

For those in town, below are details of a free and public event that is part of the workshop. Kindly RSVP to jphil22@emory.edu or 404.727.1438.

Syria, The Human Toll: Prospects for Reconciliation and Redevelopment

Thursday, May 8 7pm Jimmy Carter Library and Museum

Not since the Rwandan genocide has the world seen a humanitarian crisis like the one caused by Syria’s civil war. As the conflict enters its fourth year nine million people have been displaced, the education system is in ruin and the country’s medical system is near total collapse. With religious extremism on the rise and opposition groups divided, the prospects for peace remain elusive for the near future. While much international attention is focused on political processes that will lead to a cessation of conflict and a peace settlement, Syria’s humanitarian crisis continues to deepen. Governments and private donors are focused on the challenges of meeting immediate needs for food, shelter and medical care. But, what are the prospects for the future? This public discussion with policy, NGO and academic experts provides an opportunity for stakeholders to share their perspectives on the challenges of post conflict reconciliation and redevelopment in Syria.

Panelists

Basma Atassi, Journalist, Aljazeera

Hrair Balian, Director, Conflict Resolution Program, The Carter Center

Karen Betts, Foreign Policy Counsellor, UK Embassy, Washington DC

Juan Cole, Professor of History, University of Michigan

John Blevins,  Associate Professor, Hubert Dept. of Global Health, Emory University

Thanks as ever to Tim Rivera from British Council USA for assistance with the Bridging Voices program, as well as to The Carter Center, GSU, and Emory University. 

Remembering Srebrenica: Akil Awan takes part in international delegation

With Srebrenica survivor Hasan Hasanovic (right) at the Srebrenica-Potocari Genocide memorialThe NPCU's Dr Akil Awan has just returned from Srebrenica as an academic expert on Political Violence & Conflict accompanying the House of Lords UK delegation organised by Remembering Srebrenica, tasked with documenting and commemorating the genocide of 1995 that took place there, during the Bosnian war, following the break up of the former Yugoslavia.

In 1993, with Bosnian Serb forces poised to over-run the enclave of 60,000 Bosnian Muslims, the United Nations Security Council had declared Srebrenica to be an internationally protected “safe area”, and deployed UN peacekeepers to protect its inhabitants. The town was quickly demilitarised and residents were compelled to give up all of their arms, under the guarantee that they would be protected by the UN. In July 1995, however, the remaining 400 poorly-equipped Dutch UN peacekeepers effectively abandoned the unarmed inhabitants, and the enclave fell to Serb forces on the afternoon of 11th July. Over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were executed in the ensuing slaughter, before being buried in mass graves to hide the crimes. As international scrutiny fell on these locations, Serb forces often exhumed the mass graves and reburied the corpses in secondary and tertiary mass graves. In some cases, body parts from a single victims were later discovered from 15 different mass grave locations.

The delegation, consisting of five peers, including Baroness Doreen Lawrence, Baroness Susan Williams, and Baroness Hussein-Ece, met with survivors of the Srebrenica massacre, as well as the Mothers of Srebrenica, who all recounted harrowing stories of rape camps, mass killings and unspeakable acts of horror. The delegation also visited the International Committee for Missing Persons, which carries out the crucial and painstaking forensic identification efforts on victims of the massacre, witnessing first-hand the mortuary that houses rows upon rows of yet unidentified body parts of victims. 

​The delegation also met the Grand Mufti of Bosnia, and President Izetbegović of Bosnia, and discussed remembrance and reconciliation efforts, and how to communicate the genocide to future generations, which is particularly important in the run up to next year's 20th anniversary commemorations of the massacre. The UK delegation ended their trip by visiting the site of the massacres, and the Potočari-Srebrenica memorial to the genocide opened by former US President Bill Clinton in 2003.

James Dennis speaking at OpenDemocracy event tomorrow on the future of mass party politics

The NPCU's James Dennis will speak at a debate tomorrow, April 24: After the Party? The Future of and After the Mass Party. In collaboration with OurKingdom, the Centre for the Study of British Politics and Public Life at Birkbeck are hosting this free debate about the future of mass party politics - is radical reform needed, or will we move beyond parties completely?

April 24 2014, 18:15 - 20:00

Birkbeck College, Dept. of Politics

Room 101, 30 Russell Square

Speakers:

Liam Barrington Bush (More Like People)

Nick Anstead (LSE)

Barbara Zollner (Birkbeck)

Jason Edwards (Birkbeck)

Neal Lawson (Compass)

James Dennis (Royal Holloway)

Free and open to all, but booking is required: RSVP to britishpoliticscentre@bbk.ac.uk

#SocMediaAME: O'Loughlin on keynote panel at Social Media Analysis workshop, Glasgow 25 April

The University of Glasgow will host a workshop on Friday 25 April 2014 on the theme Social Media Analysis: Methods and Ethics. The NPCU's Ben O'Loughlin is part of the keynote panel and will look at the role of media analytics in elections, looking back to the UK 2010 election and ahead to 2015.

If you are in Glasgow, do come along. Register for free here.

Keynote panel, 2.25pm:

Mike Thelwall Twitter Analysis for the Social Sciences and Humanities

Ben O'Loughlin Semantic Polling: The 2010 UK General Election and the Ethics of Social Media Monitoring

Louis Reynolds Application of the ESRC's principles of ethical research to the evolution of social media analytics tool

Francesco D'Orazio Making Sense of Social Data

Andy Miah Mobile Media & Morality: Cultivating Ethical Practice in Social Media Research

Thanks to Stevie Docherty and Giuliana Tiripelli for organising the event.