Transnational communication as the future of international communication

Processes of globalization, digitalization and convergence have radically transformed mass communication, opening new possibilities for communicating. These transformations have also shaped the traditional international communication, based on the model of transmission and domination of nation states. This caused a need for new approach to the meaning and issues of such communication, hence such expressions as: international communication or global communication appeared in Polish literature of Media studies. In the opinion of German researchers the most adequate term, which also reflects the essence of transformations in international communication is: transnational communication. This article aims to explain this term by identifying its denotation, fields and perspectives for studies and by outlining characteristic features of transnational communication.

Key words:

international communication, global communication, transnational communication, states and national communities

Freedom of expression and political culture in Nordic countries. Analysis of Prime Minister’s pressure on public service media in Finland

Nordic countries have been on top of transparency and freedom of expression indexes for years. Denmark topped Transparency International list for 2016 while Finland took first place on World Press Freedom Index 2017. However, it does not mean that Nordic politicians never try to interfere with media content. The purpose of this article is the analysis of pressure that politicians put on Nordic public service media. Serving as a showcase are the events that have recently taken place in Finland. Some elements of the Nordic political culture are also presented, as they can influence the society’s perception of political pressure on media.

Key words:

freedom of expression, Nordic countries, Finland, public service media

Social media in Swedish foreign policy

The article discusses the use of social media in Sweden's foreign policy, which, as part of public diplomacy, complements the diplomatic channel by reaching a wider audience - the international public. The starting point for the discussion was the presentation of Sweden's foreign policy concept, its normative character where human rights, peace diplomacy, sustainable development or feminism are key values and set the course of action. In Swedish case the nation brand and the associated categories of credibility and reputation, which are sources of power (soft power), are also an important aspect used for effective foreign policy. The analysis of contents of the three key profiles, allowed to present the strategy of using social media in Sweden's foreign policy, to observe what issues are being addressed in them, the relationships between the official diplomatic discourse and the less formal social media content.

Key words:

Sweden, public diplomacy, foreign policy, social media

Politics less danger than economy (economics)? The Relations between Media and Politics in the Opinion of German Journalists and Politicians

The paper presents the results of the individual depth interviews (IDI) conducted with German press journalists (16) and politicians (21) from all levels of politics (local & regional, national and European) and the most important political parties in Germany (CDU/CSU, FDP, SPD, Die Linke, Die Grünen, Piraten Partei). The answers of the respondents relate to the role of the media in politics, the importance of informal relationship between journalists and politicians and the predictions of the media impact on politics in the future.

Key words:

the relation between politics and media, political communication, journalism research

Observers or activists? Citizen journalists and the public sphere

Citizen journalism is frequently perceived as one of the most important developments in the media in early XXI century. However, several important issues have to be discussed in order to describe the nature of this phenomenon. One of these questions refers to the way citizen journalists cover important social and political events and debates – trying to participate in the public debate, and to shape public sphere. The most important question in this respect is: are they mostly neutral observers – or rather engaged activists? On the other hand, independently from the answer regarding mentioned question, we need to assess citizen journalists’ ability to product newsworthy, relevant stories which at the same time meet the standards of “serious” journalism (with its basic rules, as separation of facts and opinion). All these issues are analyzed in this article in context of results of research project “Training or improvisation? Citizen journalist and their journalistic education”, carried out in six European countries (United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and Poland). This text concentrates on results from Poland, providing also some comparative data from other five countries. Research methods included: desk study which helped to map the field of citizen journalism and provide the most relevant examples in each country as well as semi-structured interviews with 9 (in each country, 54 in sum) practitioners in the field, representing three different types of citizen journalism.

Key words:

citizen journalism, participatory journalism, public sphere, activism, journalistic ethics, digital media

Politicization of the press in selected opinion-forming weeklies. Preliminary research report

The aim of this article is to present the results of a research on media and policy relations in Polish media system. The authors use acontent analysis of the press to show the bias of the Polish weekly and an attitude of editors to a specific subject in political context. The analysis of presented results shows a specific model of journalism and the model of media-politics relations in Poland.

Key words:

political paralelism, media in Poland, opinion press

Degree of bias in polish general-information newspapers (selected determinants)

This article attempts to determine the degree of bias in Polish general-information newspapers (“Gazeta Polska Codziennie”, “Nasz Dziennik”, “Gazeta Wyborcza” and “Rzeczpospolita”), based on selected determinants. They include: thematic agenda, political pluralism and media coverage, degree of directives and persuasiveness of messages. The author used the method of content analysis of press, analysis method and synthesis method.

Key words:

media bias, media-party parallelism, polish general-information newspapers

"Alternative worlds" - differences in a coverage of events in TVN's "Facts" and TVP's "News"

A subject of research are television news bulletins (public television – “Wiadomości” and private television – “Fakty”) in view of a presentation of information way. An analyse of a piece of discourse helps show differences between journalists who can present opposite facts, and consequently they can create public opinion. A research focus on a subject touch on news bulletins, different elements which concur to do news and the background. An aim of the analyse is also an explanation of causes differences in reporting on.

Key words:

TV News Bulletin, reporting on events, relations between media and politics

A few words about the mediatization of memory, it is, how "Polityka" and "Tygodnik Powszechny" have built narration on Polish-German reconciliation in 1965-1989/90

Mediatization of politics, including historical politics which takes a crucial part in the process of creating collective memory, is a fact. Media - as a carrier of memory - are used to circulate the images of the past and the present and give meaning to them. The objective of this article was an attempt to analyze Polish media discourse between 1965 and 1989/90 with reference to the phenomenon of creating memory about Polish-German reconciliation. In what way, taking into consideration the role of press and media in creating memory, was the memory about the most significant in the discussion about Polish-German reconciliation events (Letter of Reconciliation of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops, kneeling of Willy Brandt in front of the monument commemorating 500 thousand Jewish people murdered by Nazis) created, presented, in what way was it commemorated in "TygodnikPowszechny" and "Polityka" between 1965-1989/90. The following paper attempts to describe the changing media discourse (its elements and qualities) which was the basis for building the image of Polish-German reconciliation emerging from the source material.

Key words:

media discourse, mediatization, memory studies, Poland, German, reconciliation

A MediaEgo in the MediaPolis: Introduction to an essay concerning changes in communication paradigms in the process of image creation of “new” politicians

The study is aimed to analyse an interesting phenomenon that belongs to the intersection of communicology and media studies and (in the Author’s opinion) has brought into existence a politician with a new type of identity - a MediaEgo. Politicians of this type function in an environment having a special nature for the researcher – in the MediaPolis. The Author, while identifying the determinants (indicata) that constitute a MediaEgo in the researched space (the new public sphere), also observed changes in the communication paradigms that defined communication methods used by candidates to public offices. The Author discusses two new paradigms that illustrate those changes: Communication paradigm 1: new rhetoric, new narration; communication paradigm 2: communication of the image, (not)new media, (not)new communication channels.

Key words:

MediaEgo, MediaPolis, Image of politicans, mediatisation, communication paradigm