Suchergebnisse

IN EXPLORING WHETHER OR NOT THE FREE AND EQUAL COMMUNICATION OF CITIZENS IS A FEASIBLE IDEAL AT THE END OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS A NEW ACCOUNT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MEDIA TO DEMOCRACY. IT OFFERS A REVISED INTERPRETATION OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE MODEL OF COMMUNICATIONS, IN A RISK-RIDDEN SOCIETY, AND SPELLS OUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE ARGUMENTS FOR CONVENTIONAL VIEWS OF DEMOCRACY. AFTER CONSIDERING AND REJECTING FOUNDATIONALIST AND RELATIVIST ACCOUNTS OF DEMOCRACY, IT OFFERS A NOVEL CONCEPTION OF DEMOCRACY AS A PROJECT OF FLEXIBLY CONTROLLING THE EXERCISE OF POWER.

Public service media is now threatened by market liberalism, which criticises it for being costly, paternalistic and riddled with restrictive practices and suggests a commodification of TV--downplaying the market's monopolistic tendencies and wasteful duplication of 'majority-appeal' spazzatura programmes. Relates the trends to democracy's deep crisis of legitimacy and the end of the 'scarcity of information' threat in an era of semiotic guerrilla warfare and information blizzards. (SJK)

THE AUTHOR SUMMARIZES AN INTERVIEW WITH ADAM MICHNIK, THE EDITOR OF "GAZETA WYBORCZA," A LEADING POLISH HISTORIAN, A SEJM DEPUTY, AND A KEY ADVISER TO THE NEW SOLIDARITY GOVERNMENT. MICHNIK DISCUSSES THE DRAMATIC CHANGES UNDERWAY IN POLAND AND THE COUNTRY'S UNIQUE POSITION AS AN EXPERIMENTAL LABORATORY FOR POLITICAL CHANGE IN THE SOVIET BLOC.

Looks at the difficult relationship between Solidarity and their partners in governmental alliance, the Polish United Workers Party. Seeks to establish whether a Solidarity-led government can defend the interests of workers whilst imposing a tough austerity programme. (SJK)

The West has failed to appreciate the widespread and deep wariness and frustration expressed by many soviets about Gorbachev. Argues that the reform process predated him and he and his team have not been able to examine the unintended consequences of their manoeuvrings. Examines 4 overlapping phases of totalitarianism in retreat and argues that there comes a point when the politics of retreat intensifies the crisis it is supposed to resolve. (SJK)

In the light of the opening up of British television to the competitive free market, discusses the degrees to which freedom of viewing and advertising should be regulated and controlled. (RSM)