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virtual democracy
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Date: Tue, 22 Oct 96 09:58 -0400
From: CIOS/Comserve Support Staff
InterCom: A newsletter of the Communication Institute for Online Scholarship
Seven items in this issue:
1. New issue of the Electronic Journal of Communication addresses virtual democracy
2. Help needed for research project on the image of Belgium in the media
3. Call for papers: The politics of cyberspace
4. Call for papers: Plebiscitary politics and political parties
5. New Museum of Contemporary Art web site features exhibit on youth and media
6. Second call for papers: Conference on media & politics
7. How to cancel one or more Comserve hotline subscriptions / How to cancel your subscription to InterCom
NOTE: Please do not use a "reply" function to respond to an item in this file. If you wish to respond, leave your mail reading software and address your message explicitly. For example, if you wish to send a command to Comserve, leave the environment of your mail reading software and address your message by hand to Comserve@CIOS.LLC.RPI.EDU
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The Electronic Journal of Communication/ La Revue Electronique de Communication (EJC/REC)
A publication of the Communication Institute for Online Scholarship
------------------------------------------------------------ Volume 6 Number 2 1996 ------------------------------------------------------------
VIRTUAL DEMOCRACY ----- LA DEMOCRATIE VIRTUELLE
Please note: This is an abbreviated version of the table of contents of the new issue. The complete table of contents (with article abstracts in English and French) can be retrieved from the EJCREC section of the CIOS WWW server (HTTP://CIOS.LLC.RPI.EDU) or by sending the following command by itself in the body of email to Comserve@CIOS.LLC.RPI.EDU --
Send EJCTOC V6N296
Editor/Editeur: Slavko Splichal University of Ljubljana
------------------------------- Table of Contents Table des Matieres -------------------------------
Introduction: Joint Issue of "Javnost--The Public" and
EJC/REC on Virtual Democracy/ Introduction: Numero de
<
Teresa M. Harrison Managing Editor, EJC/REC
Editor's Note/ Note de la redaction
Slavko Splichal University of Ljubljana
The making of the public sphere: Class relations and communication in the United States/ La vie publique en gestation: Rapports entre les classes sociales et les etudes de la communication aux Etats Unis.
Hanno Hardt University of Iowa
Filename: Hardt V6N296
The network and the fragmentation of the public sphere/ Le Reseau et la compartimentation de la vie Publique.
Sinikka Sassi University of Helsinki
Filename: Sassi V6N296
Models of democracy: Behind the design and use of new media in politics/ Des modeles de democratie: Ce qu'il en est de la conception et de l'usage des nouveaux medias et de leur portee politique.
Jan A.G.M. van Dijk Utrecht University
Filename: Dijk V6N296
Policing democracy: Communication freedom in the age of Internet/ Controle et reglementation de la democratie: La liberte d'expression a l'heure de l'Internet.
Kees Brants University of Amsterdam
Filename: Brants V6N296
Virtual democracy at the Clinton White House: An experiment in electronic democratisation/ Democratie virtuelle a la Maison Blanche sous le mandat du President Clinton: Une experience en democratisation electronique.
Kenneth L. Hacker and Michael A. Todino New Mexico State University
Filename: Hacker V6N296
Cyberspace: The continuation of political education by other means/ Cyberspace: La continuation de l'education politique par d'autres moyens.
Ian Connell University of Wolverhampton
Filename: Connell V6N296
Manchester: Democratic implications of an economic initiative?/ Manchester: Consequences d'une initiative economique pour la democratie.
Cathy Bryan University of Westminster
Filename: Bryan V6N296
The Internet and information control: The case of China/ L'Internet et la mainmise sur l'information: Le cas chinois.
Hao Xiaoming Nanyang Technological University
Kewen Zhang University of Missouri
Huang Yu Baptist University, Hong Kong
Filename: Xiaoming V6N296
---------------------- EJC/REC Staff:
Managing Editor: French Editor: Teresa M. Harrison Lucien Gerber Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Book Review Editor: Glenn Geiser-Getz East Stroudsburg University
ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION LA REVUE ELECTRONIQUE DE COMMUNICATION
A publication of the Communication Institute for Online Scholarship
------------------------------------------------------------ Volume 6 Number 2 1996 ------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction: Joint Issue of "Javnost--The Public" and EJC/REC on Virtual Democracy
One of the advantages electronic publication brings to the academic world is the ability to share scholarship on a global basis. We have sought to capitalize on this advantage with the current issue, which is the product of a partnership between EJC/REC and "Javnost--The Public" to co-publish this issue devoted to the topic of Virtual Democracy. "Javnost--The Public" is a quarterly printed publication of the European Institute for Communication and Culture in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It is certainly appropriate that the technology responsible for giving rise to the concept of "virtual democracy" should also be used to distribute the scholarship that now addresses the potential of this medium to create more opportunities for democratic participation in political decision making.
We thank Slavko Splichal for making this issue of EJC/REC possible.
Teresa M. Harrison Managing Editor, EJC/REC
------------------------------------------------------------ Editor's Note
"Virtual democracy," the dominant theme of this issue, often denotes a popular belief that modern spectacular advances in information and communications technologies open an array of possibilities for direct citizen participation in political decision-making and control. No doubt, the notion of communication is changed forever. But, as Raymond Williams put it in the time we hardly imagined the massive use of computers, it is only half of the truth that the extension of communication has been, throughout the history, a part of the extension of democracy. The other half of the same truth is that the control over the communication means has narrowed continuously. In other words, as Williams was saying, all the new means of communication have been abused either for political control or for commercial profit. Obviously, new communication technologies make both direct (mass) communication and mass organisation easier and cheaper. Much more doubtful, however, are the beliefs that all the information in the universe will be accessible at every moment to everyone with an access to "information superhighway," and that the massive use of information will create more opportunities for citizens' participation in the world of politics, a sort of "cyberdemocracy."
These and many other related questions were discussed during the ninth Euricom colloquium in Piran, Slovenia, in April 1996. This issue of "Javnost--The Public" brings a selection of papers presented at the colloquium. I am especially grateful to Colin Sparks whose help was central, as many times in the past, in the organisation of the colloquium.
The institute and the journal are planning a number of events later this year and in 1997. Our next colloquium devoted to the future of journalism will take place in September. "Political Representation and Public Opinion" and "Gender, Citizenship and Communication: The Politics of Pleasure and the Pleasure of Politics" are the themes of the colloquia and special issues of the journal in 1997, while the next issue of "Javnost--The Public" will be devoted to "Public Service Broadcasting" with contributions covering America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Last but not least, the journal is richer for its own world wide web home page:
http://www2.arnes.si/guest/ljjavno1/euricom.html
For all information about past and future events, take a look at our home page asap!
Slavko Splichal Editor
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WE NEED YOUR HELP! Research Project: The Image of Belgium/Belgians in the Foreign Media
Submitted by: Rico Lie
We kindly seek your assistance for the research project on "the image of Belgium/Belgians in the foreign media", which has been initiated by communication students of the Catholic University of Brussels (KUB).
We would appreciate it very much if you would submit articles/press clippings/audio or video material of news reports which got published or transmitted in the media of your country.
The research period covers August 1 to December 31, 1996. Please provide at least the following references: title of publication or program/channel, place of publication, date of publication, page and/or time of transmission.
Please send your contributions to: Rico Lie KUB-CSC Vrijheidslaan 17 B-1081 Brussels, Belgium Fax: +32-2-412 42 00 Email: Rico.Lie@kubrussel.ac.be URL: http://www.kubrussel.ac.be/psw/ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Call for Papers: The Politics of Cyberspace
Submitted by: Chris Toulouse
The journal NEW POLITICAL SCIENCE is planning a special issue on THE POLITICS OF CYBERSPACE for its Fall 1997 issue. The editors are Chris Toulouse (Hofstra University) and Tim Luke (Virginia Tech).
Any matter of relevance to the general field will be considered, although we want to give preference to articles exploring the impact of the world wide web on the political process. Submissions should take the form of an article, no longer than 25 double-spaced pages (excluding endnotes). The deadline for submissions is January 31st 1997. Submissions will be referred to two anonymous referees (in the conventional academic fashion) and authors will be contacted by March 1st 1997. Since this is an issue on cyberspace we hope to be able to upload the articles to the forthcoming New Political Science web site. This would provide authors with the opportunity to embed hyperlinks within their articles and take full advantage of the web as a publishing medium.
For further information contact Chris Toulouse at urbsoc@gramercy.ios.com Tim Luke at TWLUKE@VT.EDU
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Call for Papers Plebiscitary Politics and Political Parties: European Consortium for Political Research Workshop
Submitted by: Chris Toulouse
Bern, 27 February-4 March 1997
The purpose of this workshop is to explore the relation between the rising popularity of plebiscitary democracy and the changing capacities of political parties. The choice to combine direct and representative democracy will be considered from the perspectives of political theory as well as of political competition. The workshop aims to consider contemporary political, social and intellectual pressures that make expanded direct democracy an attractive option, and to examine the implications of such an expansion for established patterns of party-based democracy.
Paper proposals by December 1st, 1997 to:
Patrick Seyd
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New Museum Web Site
Submitted by: Brian Goldfarb
The New Museum of Contemporary Art in NYC invites you to visit the web site for the exhibition alt.youth.media which is on view at the Museum through November 5, 1996.
The URL is: www.newmuseum.org
alt.youth.media is an exhibition of new media which includes hundreds of computer, print, video, and audio projects by and about youth. From high-tech CD-ROMs to handmade zines, alt.youth.media presents a fresh take on media culture by young people who are underrepresented in the mainstream media.
This highly interactive exhibition provides visitors with the tools to publish their own zines and make audio mixes and recordings.
Admission to alt.youth.media is free to visitors 21 and under courtesy of Chase Manhattan Bank.
The New Museum is located at 583 Broadway (Between Houston and Prince Streets) in New York City.
Hours: 12-6pm Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday 12 -8pm Saturday (Free admission Saturday 6-8pm) closed Monday and Tuesday
information: 212-219-1355
offices: 212-219-1222
=+-+=+-+=+-+=+-+=+-+=+-+=+-+=+-+=+-+=+-+=+-+=+-+= Brian Goldfarb, Curator of Education The New Museum of Contemporary Art 583 Broadway New York, NY 10012
Phone: 212-219-1222 FAX: 212-431-5328 Email: brigo@thorn.net
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Call for Papers: International Conference on MEDIA & POLITICS Submitted by: ping1513@ping.be (Fiona Servaes-Malikhao)
Brussels (Belgium), 27 February - 1 March, 1997
NOTE: This is a truncated announcement. Full text may be obtained from the Comserve email interface to CIOS services. Send the following command to Comserve@CIOS.LLC.RPI.EDU in the body of email to retrieve the full announcement: Send MEDIAPOL CONFRNCE
The world of politics and mass communication has changed substantially over the past decades. Both separate and integrated developments have led to the present-day situation of turmoil. The confusion is apparent in a number of ways and at distinct levels.
The disparity in communication resources between different parts of the world or within nations is increasingly recognised as a cause of concern. The attempt by local power-elites to totally control the modern communication channels -- press, broadcasting, education, and bureaucracy -- does no longer ensure control of all the communication networks in a given society. Nor does control of the mass media ensure support for the controlling forces, nor for any mobilisation around their objectives, nor for the effective repression of opposition.
Therefore, no longer governments or rulers are able to operate effectively, to control, censor, or to play the role of gatekeeper with regard to all communications networks at all times. Both alternate and parallel networks, which may not always be active, often function through political, socio-cultural, religious or class structures or can be based upon secular, cultural, artistic, or folkloristic channels. These networks feature a highly participatory character, high rates of credibility, and a strong organic integration with other institutions deeply rooted in a given society.
The traditionally claimed high standards of public media performance and especially news reporting, have become eroded by commercialism and transnationalisation. Journalists have to give in to the demand of viewer ratings and outside pressures. The thin demarcation line between the political and media world has become even more blurred as a result of political marketing strategies and economic and political interest groups.
Different and often contradictory logics are guiding public policies. At the level of the European Union, for instance, the telecommunications policy with an emphasis on liberalisation and deregulation differs from the policy recommendations in the broadcasting field where some measures could be interpreted to be protectionist. In general the EU-policies advocate total freedom to provide services across borders, and that, therefore, total liberalisation may lead to a future cultural synchronisation and economic oligopolisation of Europe. Therefore, it is questionable whether the present EU policies contribute to more than just a single marketplace for producers, and whether the average European citizen can also benefit from a united Europe?
These and many more topics will be discussed at an international conference on "Media & Politics", which will take place from Thursday, February 27, to Saturday, March 1, 1997, at the Catholic University of Brussels, Belgium.
The theme of the conference will be reflected in a number of plenary sessions with invited national and international speakers from the academic, political and media world.
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