Suchergebnisse

The review article analyzes some of the most recent developments in political communication with particular concern for those processes involving the notions and the practices of citizenship in contemporary democracies. Some of the contributions taken into consideration can be regarded as seminal books supporting the view that popular media, infotainment and new media are all new channels of political information and, notwithstanding their oversimplification, may be useful to extend citizens' political knowledge. The review aims also at offering some insights on specific features of political communication in Italy through the analysis of contributions dealing with the processes of personalization and popularization of politics as well as with the increasing role of internet in Italian politics. Adapted from the source document.

The article draws an assessment of the impact of communication & electoral campaigns during the four elections that followed the entry of Berlusconi in the political arena. The article explores three questions. First, the characteristics of communicative & televise supply. Second, the specific features of the 2006 electoral campaign. Third, the media consumption by voters & its "effects" on their attitudes & electoral behaviour. The first section discusses the debate on mass media influence on politics before & after the electoral transition at the beginning of the Nineties & presents some data on pluralism on television. The second section discusses the characteristics of the 2006 campaign: its development, the strategies by Berlusconi & Prodi & the role of survey predictions. The third section deals with media consumption & its "effects." The strength of the relationship between TV preferences & voting in Italy can be explained partly as "media influence" & partly (for the most part) as "political encapsulation" of media preferences. The conclusive remarks assess the relationship between a very stable inter-coalitional electoral market & the high aggressiveness of Italian electoral campaigns & offers some indications for future research. Tables, Figures, References. Adapted from the source document.

This work examines the political legacy of colonialism in Kenya and the knock-on effect this has had on the current crisis of citizenship in Kenya. In colonial times, the British introduced indirect rule through the Provincial Administration, a hierarchical structure that imposed upon the urban and rural populace two distinct forms of political and legal identities: that of citizens and that of natives. In the rural areas, natives were governed according to "customary law" (which the colonisers called "tribal tradition"). This paper concentrates on this sphere of the colonial State because its consequences can still be felt today in rural areas -- in particular in terms of the recurrent violence resulting from a crisis of citizenship. In rural provinces, land represents the main source of income and means of survival. Land was managed by the Provincial Administration according to the logic of colonial power and, of course, to its benefit. During decolonisation and after independence, the same logic was applied by the African elites. An analysis of how Britain and post-colonial governments have ruled Kenya shows the need for a radical change in the approach originally adopted by the Provincial Administration. The European colonial outlook underpinning this approach is outmoded and dangerous as it fans the flames of contemporary social violence, which the media often characterises over-simplistically as ethnic conflict. Adapted from the source document.

During the last decade, political communication (particularly through TV) has become a key issue in Italian politics. It has been argued by politicians & observers that partisan bias in the broadcasts of the two major networks operating in the country has had a strong influence on the outcome of elections. This article presents evidence pertaining to this controversy collected in the course of the 2001 campaign. Analysis of archived data on TV programs shows that public network (Rai) & Mediaset channels differed in terms of the amount of "visibility" granted to the leaders of the two major electoral coalitions. Analysis of survey data from the archive of the Ispo Instit shows the existence of a fairly strong association between voting choices & viewing preferences for the various channels. In conclusion, the authors present alternative models of the linkages between selective exposure to different sources & political preferences. 6 Tables, 5 Figures, 28 References. Adapted from the source document.