Abstract: Russia as Civilization: Ideological Discourses in Politics, Media, and AcademiaPål Kolstø (University of Oslo, Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages) reviews Russia as Civilization: Ideological Discourses in Politics, Media, and Academia, edited by Kåre Johan Mjør and Sanna Turoma (Routledge, 2020).
Cyberpsychology. New perspectives in researching media and their users Abstract The aim of the article is a synthetic presentation of the origins and directions of development of cyberpsychology and its relationships with other disciplines of science, as well as the indication of the possibility of using cyberpsychological research in media studies and analyzes dedicated to new media and their users.
The purpose of our research was to analyse the influence of social networks on the perception of the war in Ukraine as well as on the course of the struggle in the information field. Today, social networks have become one of the main trendsetters, therefore, to effectively fight against disinformation and enemy information attacks, it is necessary to understand not only the specifics of their audience's perception of information but also to be well-versed in the specifics of the content generated by social media. For this purpose, we used the comparative method, monitoring, and content analysis. In the article, we give examples of ethical dilemmas that Russia can use to its advantage in the war against Ukraine. For example, social media policies prohibit the posting of sensitive content. This does not allow telling the whole truth about the war, as a result of which not everyone understands the depth of the tragedy. Thanks to this, the world's reaction to Russia's criminal actions is not as harsh as it could be. Our research was an attempt not only to outline the problem but also to propose ways to solve it. It is clear that media and ethics are inseparable, but at the same time, it is necessary to understand that ethics cannot hide the truth. In future studies, it is worth investigating more deeply the ethical norms of the coverage of sensitive content, especially about war. Perhaps it would be worthwhile indicating the situations that allow departure from the general rules.
The restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic limited the functioning of society as a whole. For organizations working in the field of social activation, e.g., for older people, this meant that existing activities came to a stop. Was it, therefore, possible to continue activating older people? The aim of this study is to identify the ways in which selected organizations in Poland tried to cope with this situation through their Facebook pages. Posts from 20 accounts run by entities involved in the social activation of older people in four provincial cities were analyzed. As a result of a thematic analysis of the collected posts, it was possible to determine the spectrum in which the examined pages functioned, i.e., from a creator of reality providing the latest information, to a close friend who cares for, helps, and even talks to the recipients. Also connected to this was the form of activation carried out on the sites. The research revealed varying degrees of participation in activities conducted by organizations and institutions, and the conclusions presented here are a contribution to research into social media in public policy and the activation of older people.
Multilayering hardrock/heavymetal music in "Only Rock" resources
This article is composed of two parts. The first discusses the role of metal hardrock music (broadly understood) in the structure of the most opinion-making music magazine after 1989, ie "Only Rock", and in the second study focused on analyzing the content of the monthly magazine in terms of title genres, but in the optics of genology. The text uses existing statistical data, studies and, of course, source materials. Methodologically and substantively – in a narrower sense, the publication encompasses two new streams: Metal Music Studies (humanistic) and Journalism and Music Media (social sciences, media studies), and in broader terms quantitative and qualitative research (including structural analysis). The research showed that metal music was a constitutive aspect of the subject matter in a strictly formal rock writing, and even some of the leading elements.
Civil dialogue has an impact on the quality of public policy, in the online form it allows direct influence of stakeholders on the process of formulation and its implementation. It is also a new quality in the process of evaluating public policy. Civil dialogue is usually understood as a process of communication between the state authority and non-governmental organizations, but the author of the article indicates that it is possible to conduct civil dialogue in a direct way with citizens through social media. He presents the results of research aimed at verifying the use of social media by the authorities in order to establish a dialogue with citizens. The research consisted in measuring and analyzing communication conducted by selected Polish voivodeship cities on the Twitter social network. The author points out the characteristic styles of communication that can be interpreted from the perspective of civil dialogue.
The principle of equal electoral opportunities is implemented, inter alia, by allocating free airtime to political entities. In Poland, like in many other countries, the authorized committees have the right to use the public media's airtime free of charge during election campaigns. The present article's objective is to show the Polish solutions in this domain compared with the regulations in other countries and to present the research results and their analysis concerning Poles' attitude to free election broadcasts – including their assessment of the broadcasts as a source of knowledge about candidates and parties taking part in the election campaign. The studies were carried out based on the survey questionnaire, which was compiled using the five-level Likert scale. The sample was selected by the stratifiedquota method (N = 971). The conclusions resulting from the survey suggest the need to retain the regulation that enables political entities in Poland to use free election broadcasts during election campaigns. At the same time, they point out that it is necessary to seek more advantageous forms and content to put airtime to appropriate use during the campaign period.
The aim of the article is to present the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the situation of selected categories of migrants, in particular Polish citizens residing abroad, economic migrants, and persons seeking international protection from the socio-political and media perspective. The article discusses the actions taken toward migrants by Poland and, based on the results of empirical research and media coverage, analyses the consequences of the pandemic, especially in the areas of health, labour market, and social integration.
The article presents the results of the analysis of the Polish media discourse on the problem of paedophilia cases and paedophilic acts among the clergy in the years 2013-2019. A particular emphasis in the analysis was placed on the events and components of the process known in social sciences as the moral panic. The study used the method of critical analysis of media discourse (the analysis covered portals known as right-wing, left-wing and liberal) along with the analysis of the existing data. The results of the study show that in Polish society there is a discursive overcoming of the topic of paedophilia and openness to the debate around ways to solve the problem, also on the side of church institutions. Over the past six years, there has been a significant transformation of public discourse on the subject of paedophilia cases of the clergy and postulated ways of solving the problem. The study observed the impact of the symbolic elites - politicians, journalists, members of organizations and people of culture on progressive changes at the level of perception of the phenomenon. During the analysis there was also noticed the process of creating a new enemy in the form of a sexual minority environment and the sexualization of children, which, in the opinion of the examined environments, is expected to increase the scale of paedophilia.
The article explores the concept of civil society in connection with Web 2.0 and its transformative impact on society and politics, contrasting it with the earlier era of Web 1.0. Web 2.0, characterized by enhanced user interaction and content production, has given rise to a new media ecosystem that has reshaped the way people communicate, obtain information, and participate in the polity. The article highlights the emergence of popular social media platforms and how they have become integral to the platform society. These platforms have not only revolutionized online interactions but have also intersected with offline realms, including politics, commerce, and social relations. The article further explores the implications of Web 2.0 for civil society, contentious politics, and citizen engagement, examining the rise of protests, transnational movements, and the impact of digital resources on democracy and (digital) citizenship. Finally, the work discusses the potential of digital counter-democracy in the platform society and the need for democratic control in the digital age.
The spatial order constitutes the first commune's own task among those listed exhaustively by the legislator. In fact, the full responsibility for defining areas has been entrusted to the commune authorities as they have been equipped with appropriate spatial planning tools, which make it possible to realize their sovereign competencies. However, space disharmony is raised in the scientific discourse as well as in media reports and political disputes. The aim of this article is an attempt to perform a synthetic analysis of both theoretical and practical significance and the use of spatial planning tools by commune authorities.
Nowadays, much attention is paid to the leaders of political groups because they determine the direction of a political group and create government policy. The media also play an important role in the portrayal of leading politicians and their activities. The responsibility that political leaders bear is multidimensional, including issues related to their mandate as MPs. This article analyses the work of MPs who simultaneously headed political groups represented in the Sejm of the 8th term. The research may serve as a basis for a broader discussion on the role of group leaders in parliament.
The presence of an extensive number of Polish immigrants in Ireland has a short history, which began after Poland's accession to the EU. Therefore, the organizations that have been set up since 2004 were to a high degree built up with no or little impact of the existing tradition of immigrant structures and institutions. This makes Ireland a specific laboratory for testing a new model of immigrants' organization of the 21st century. The article aims to describe the development of Polish immigrant organizations in Ireland and to present their characteristics, including their goals, activities, the role of new media and technology, as well as the patterns of participation and communication. The detailed presentation of these characteristics and case studies serves the goal of answering the question: if and to what extent "young" Polish immigrant organizations in Ireland can be seen as the forerunners of a new model of immigrants' organization of the 21st century.
The article investigates framing of the presence of Ukrainian war refugees and Ukrainian immigrants in Poland in Polish public debate on the empirical basis of selected leading opinion forming weeklies. The action "Stop of Ukrainisation of Poland" launched by far right Konfederacja Korony Polskiej party is considered as an attempt to launch moral panic. The author examines the mainstream media reactions on this activity and concludes (also using results of public opinion surveys), that, so far, neither classic, nor polarizing moral panic has begun. The important part of the analysis is an overview of the visons of further co-existence of Poles and Ukrainians in Poland, as the competing postulates regarding to areas of social inclusion and exclusion are present in the analyzed material.
