Central European Journal of Communication

Broadcasting a Nuclear Accident: Chernobyl on Hungarian Radio

Dalma Kékesdi-Boldog — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

On 26 April 1986 a fatal nuclear accident occurred in the Soviet Union. Reactor No. 4 of the Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Nuclear Power Plant exploded, and harmful radioactive fall-out effused. The disaster threatened most of the population of Europe, but the people – including the Hungarian – could not receive appropriate information about the danger as an authoritarian media policy was in effect in all of the Eastern Block’s countries. This paper, based on an analysis of archival radio news and political communiques, describes how the Hungarian political leadership managed this crisis domestically. It also discusses what kind of information, and when, was aired on Hungarian Radio. The aim of this case study to reveal the domestic features of a specific platform of the Soviet communist media system in a time of global crisis.

Environmental politics

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The sharing of news across various social media platforms has become an integral part of our daily information intake. But our understanding of the specific types of environmental news stories that gain widespread traction across diverse media platforms remains limited. In our study we examine the most popular posts appearing on Facebook and Twitter for a three-month period (September – November 2021). Our research revealed that social media users predominantly depend on traditional media outlets rather than seeking information from alternative news sources. The news shared on social media platforms primarily originates from political actors and institutions, either in the form of statements or press releases. This content tends to focus on the societal and economic implications of the crisis. Consequently, despite the unquestionable importance of the climate crisis, social media in Greece has not yet managed to establish an alternative narrative or agenda surrounding this issue.

Digital, Hybrid and Traditional Media Consumption and Religious Reflection

Damian Guzek, Jan Słomka, Emma Cieslik — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

When a person incorporates a diverse selection of digital, hybrid, and print news into their media diet, scholars can analyze these sources as indicators of the user’s reflexivity on the religious content. This study broadens our understanding of the relationship between the diversity of Catholic believers’ news feeds and their capacity to conduct more critical reflection. We explore the relationship between different media diets and reflexivity through a discursive analysis of 30 digital media diaries and their related 30 in-depth interviews collected among traditional Catholic and post-Vatican II media users. Our results point to two patterns emerging between reflexivity and media consumption. The more diverse the repertoire of a given Catholic media user’s consumption, the more likely they are to engage in reflection about the content of this media. At the same time, traditionalist Catholic media consumers, consuming counterpublic, homogenous digital content, are still able to engage in deep reflection.

Less is more. Study on slow journalism outlets’ authors

Virgo Siil — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The concept of slow journalism has evolved from the dissatifaction with speed-driven journalism. Discussion about this form of journalism has revolved around what it is or should be, what its goals might be, what principles it should follow, and how. Although authors play an essential role in achieving its goals, there is a lack of empirical research about their motivation and practices. I interviewed 22 authors and conducted four observations in two slow journalism outlets in Estonia. The results show that the authors are motivated by contributing to society, their autonomy, and self-fulfillment, which they were often not afforded in other outlets. However, some journalists had difficulties switching from one set of principles and values to other and experienced problems with time management, storytelling, and self-motivation. Non-journalists may bring some advantages in following slow journalism principles and working with sources.

Three publications competing for the Media and Democracy Karol Jakubowicz Award 2024

Dagmara Sidyk-Furman — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Publications by scholars from Europe which are nominated for 2024 Edition of the Media and Democracy Karol Jakubowicz Award.

Katarzyna Konarska (2021). Media publiczne a demokracja: teoria i praktyka. Media publiczne Europy Środkowo‑Wschodniej [Public media and democracy: theory and practice. Public media in Central and Eastern Europe]

Adam Szynol — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Anita Zawisza (2023): Przez obiektyw kamery. Postacie osób duchownych i zakonnic w polskim filmie fabularnym [Through the Camera Lens. Characters of clergymen and nuns in Polish feature films].

Joanna Sosnowska — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Interview: Media self-regulation in contemporary Europe

Jacek Mikucki — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Fact-checkers as a Professional Community of Experts

Karina Stasiuk-Krajewska — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

The following article presents an elaborate methodological concept that, in perspective, can serve as a model for analyzing professional communities (such as journalists, for example) understood primarily as symbolic/discursive communities. This concept was partially tested by the author in the course of her research on the community of fact-checkers (FC) in Poland. This study used the method of in-depth interviews. The article, in its main part, presents the research design and its implementation, as well as the preliminary generalized results of the study. Special attention is paid to the usefulness of the IDI method in the context of professional community research, and to the difficulties that may be associated with the use of this method.

Ainārs Dimants (1966 – 2024)

Ilva Skulte, Anda Rožukalne — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

In memoriam of Professor Ainārs Dimants - distiguished Latvian media scholar and journalist

In memoriam Professor Stanisław Michalczyk

Katarzyna Brzoza-Kolorz, Karolina Polińska, Damian Guzek — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0100

Editor’s Introduction