Studies show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantining, lockdowns and a palpable shortage of outdoor activities led to increased media consumption as a means for audiences to keep themselves...Show moreStudies show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantining, lockdowns and a palpable shortage of outdoor activities led to increased media consumption as a means for audiences to keep themselves occupied, as they cope with the psychological consequences of extended periods of social isolation. Not only did the quantity of consumption increase, but the nature in which audiences engaged with media has changed also. For instance, many have started listening to podcasts during the pandemic. This appears indicative not only of a desperation to try new things, but also that new listeners were attempting to mimic social interaction somehow. Para-social interactions, the one-sided interactions between mediated personalities and their audiences, have existed long before the Web 2.0 era of media. This specific development is a hint that audiences were not only increasingly subjected to these interactions, they may have been actively seeking them out. Cum Town, a vulgar podcast featuring three comedians who have basically become niche micro-celebrities, is one such podcast that saw its audience grow during the pandemic. Given the mischievous character of this show, it seems pertinent to ask whether an increase in such interactions is a good thing, as well as what other repercussions come with this type of consumption.Show less
Taal speelt een centrale rol in hoe mensen denken en zich gedragen (Verhaeghe, 2020, p. 5), ook qua discriminatie van LHBTIQ+-personen. Mensen die binnen de media met inclusief taalgebruik in...Show moreTaal speelt een centrale rol in hoe mensen denken en zich gedragen (Verhaeghe, 2020, p. 5), ook qua discriminatie van LHBTIQ+-personen. Mensen die binnen de media met inclusief taalgebruik in aanraking komen, gaan deze taal vaker zelf gebruiken (Van Poecke et al., 1991, p. 83). Binnen deze scriptie wordt onderzocht hoe de Nederlandse opiniebladen Vrij Nederland, Elsevier Weekblad, De Groene Amsterdammer, HP/De Tijd en Maarten! omgaan met verwijzingen naar LHBTIQ+-personen. Het doel is om inzicht te krijgen in de taalkeuzes van opiniebladen m.b.t. LHBTIQ+-personen en hoe dit er in de praktijk uitziet. Aan de hand van semi-gestructureerde interviews is onderzocht welke opvattingen eindredacteuren en hoofdredacteuren over inclusief taalgebruik omtrent LHBTIQ+-personen hebben. Door middel van een kwalitatieve inhoudsanalyse is onderzocht hoe in de periode oktober 2016 tot maart 2022 naar LHBTIQ+-personen verwezen werd in opiniebladen. Uit het onderzoek is gebleken dat opiniebladen op het vlak van taalontwikkelingen meegaan met de modus, kwetsende termen vermijden en geen duidelijke voorkeur hebben voor identity-first language of person-first language. Voorstanders van person-first language willen dat een persoon in eerste plaats als persoon wordt gezien en in de tweede plaats als een persoon met een bepaalde eigenschap, terwijl bij identity-first language de focus ligt op een bepaalde eigenschap als onlosmakelijk deel van de identiteit (Simonsen & Mruczek, 2021). De Groene Amsterdammer gaf aan een voorkeur te hebben voor identity-first bijvoeglijk naamwoord (bijv. homoseksuele man), person-first language (bijv. man die op mannen valt) of werkwoorden (bijv. hij valt op mannen). Elsevier Weekblad heeft de voorkeur voor identity-first bijvoeglijk naamwoord. Maarten! heeft de voorkeur voor werkwoorden. HP/De Tijd heeft de voorkeur voor identity-first zelfstandig naamwoord (bijv. homo). Vrij Nederland gaf geen voorkeur aan. In de praktijk verwijzen deze opiniebladen het meest naar LHBTIQ+-personen door middel van termen die hun gender of seksuele oriëntatie reduceren tot het geheel of tot een deel van hun identiteit. De meeste termen behoorden tot identity-first zelfstandig naamwoord, gevolgd door identity-first bijvoeglijk naamwoord, gevolgd door person-first, gevolgd door werkwoorden. Concluderend, de meeste termen waarmee opiniebladen verwijzen naar LHBTIQ+-personen reduceren de gender of seksuele oriëntatie tot iemands identiteit. Verder gaan opiniebladen op het gebied van taalontwikkelingen mee met de modus en vermijden ze kwetsende termen.Show less
Abstract Story and reading comprehension are important parts of education and daily life and there has been concerns about the decrease in the comprehension level of Dutch children. The goal of the...Show moreAbstract Story and reading comprehension are important parts of education and daily life and there has been concerns about the decrease in the comprehension level of Dutch children. The goal of the current study was to determine the difference between video, audio and text when it comes to story comprehension. Besides the difference between the three different media, we were interested in the difference between the comprehension of strong and weak readers on these media. Because the standard of coherence could play an important part in story comprehension, we also examined if there was a difference in the standard of coherence between strong and weak readers. Children between eight and twelve years old (Grade 4-6) participated in this research. A within-subjects design was used and all children were presented with a video, an audio and a text. They answered open-ended questions to test their comprehension of the story. Their standard of coherence was tested with a self-report questionnaire. The results indicated a difference between the comprehension across different media. After watching a video, the story comprehension was better in comparison to after reading a text. No difference was found between audio and the other media. Strong readers appeared to have better comprehension than weak readers, but the pattern wasn’t different for video, audio and text. In addition, the standard of coherence didn’t differ between strong and weak readers. These findings have implications for the educational practice. Apparently both strong and weak readers seem to benefit from watching a video when it comes to their story comprehension. Teachers could therefore use videos to increase the story comprehension of their students. No difference was found between audio and text, but teachers may use audio to add some change to their lessons, in order to increase the engagement and motivation in reading education.Show less
De lokale omroepen in Nederland staan onder druk. Er is sprake van verschraling van het medialandschap. Vooral in de kleinere plaatsen is het nieuwsaanbod aanzienlijk kleiner dan in grote plaatsen...Show moreDe lokale omroepen in Nederland staan onder druk. Er is sprake van verschraling van het medialandschap. Vooral in de kleinere plaatsen is het nieuwsaanbod aanzienlijk kleiner dan in grote plaatsen en daar staan de lokale omroepen vaak op omvallen. Met het verschuiven van taken van de overheid naar de gemeente is de lokale journalistiek des te belangrijker en dat maakt deze verschraling des te zorgwekkender. Dit is ook in Aalten merkbaar. In het onderzoek is door middel van literatuuronderzoek, deskresearch en interviews geïnventariseerd wat de ontwikkelingen zijn in het medialandschap en wat de staat is van de Aaltense lokale omroepen. Op basis van de resultaten zijn er conclusies getrokken en bediscussieerd. Tot slot zijn er aanbevelingen geschreven aan het adres van zowel de omroepen als de gemeente Aalten.Show less
Mobiliteitswetenschappers zijn het erover eens dat mensen op een fundamenteel andere wijze over de betekenis van mobiliteit moeten gaan denken om de opwarming van de aarde tegen te gaan. De manier...Show moreMobiliteitswetenschappers zijn het erover eens dat mensen op een fundamenteel andere wijze over de betekenis van mobiliteit moeten gaan denken om de opwarming van de aarde tegen te gaan. De manier waarop de mens zichzelf en zijn goederen in de huidige samenleving vervoert, is immers van grote invloed op het klimaatprobleem. Aangezien de media bijdragen aan de betekenis die mensen aan de wereld geven, zouden zij een interessante ingang kunnen zijn voor het doel dat de mobiliteitswetenschap wil bereiken. In dit paper is daarom onderzocht of en hoe de Nederlandse en Vlaamse media bijdragen aan het veranderen van de manier waarop over mobiliteit wordt gedacht. Om hier een beeld van te krijgen, is gekeken naar de discoursen over het fileprobleem in de Vlaamse en Nederlandse kwaliteitskranten. Hiervoor is gebruik gemaakt van de Systematc Metaphor Analysis (SMA), waarmee conceptuele metaforen uit krantenartikelen over het fileprobleem zijn geïdentificeerd en gekeken is naar de discursieve patronen die uit deze metaforen spreken. Dit onderzoek onderscheidde één metonymie en zes conceptuele metaforen: ‘de file is een probleem van heel Vlaanderen/Nederland’, ‘de file is een object’, ‘de file is een ziekte’, ‘de file is de vijand’, ‘de file is een natuurlijk proces/product’, ‘de file is een meetbaar systeem’ en ‘de file is helend’. Uit de analyse van deze conceptuele metaforen kwam naar voren dat de Vlaamse en Nederlandse kwaliteitskranten weinig tot geen verandering brengen in de huidige, heersende mobiliteitsdiscoursen. De kranten vormen zo een deel van het probleem: ze bevestigen de heersende mobiliteitsdiscoursen, waar volgens mobiliteitswetenschappers juist verandering in moet komen. Dit paper betoogt daarom dat een verandering in de manier waarop over mobiliteit wordt geschreven in de media een middel kan zijn voor de mobiliteitswetenschap om haar beoogde doel te bereiken.Show less
Colour. A colour, the colour, any colour. Colour in everyday life. Coloured things that individuals use regularly. Colour on the walls, colour in the frames. Colour in the photographs. Colour on...Show moreColour. A colour, the colour, any colour. Colour in everyday life. Coloured things that individuals use regularly. Colour on the walls, colour in the frames. Colour in the photographs. Colour on the multiple screens. Colour in media and films. Furthermore, via things, colour has this potential to speak and evoke memory. In this thesis, I discuss how colour links with memory. More precisely, I analyse how coloured things work as memory’s mediators in two films: And the Wife shall Revere her Husband (1965), and The Red Balloon (1956). In the first case, I claim that coloured things can evoke memory, while in the second, how coloured things work as memes that create memory. In this process, my personal stories assisted me to approach colour in this way. Colours work within a network with their surroundings. In the following pages, I reflect on my own past experiences and I claim that colour and memory have an indisputable connection.Valuable theories and methods from different disciplines, such as media and film studies, sociology and philosophy, stand by my side in this journey. Colours are endless and constant. Without any further delay, allow me to remember and analyse moments through a rainbow costume, a homemade pie, a white hat, and a red balloon.Show less
This thesis discusses the show 'Dexter' (2006) and proves that Dexter confronts its audience with their own (often contradictory) ideas on right and wrong and seeks to show them how to judge those...Show moreThis thesis discusses the show 'Dexter' (2006) and proves that Dexter confronts its audience with their own (often contradictory) ideas on right and wrong and seeks to show them how to judge those that do not fit into the framework of the ruling ethical order. This analysis ties into the bigger picture of how society views ‘the serial killer’ (the ultimate criminal) and the attached moral implications of sympathetic responses to criminals in our current day and age.Show less
In this paper we will explore the complex relationship between the news media and political decision making in the United Kingdom, as well as how that relationship affects an actor’s role in...Show moreIn this paper we will explore the complex relationship between the news media and political decision making in the United Kingdom, as well as how that relationship affects an actor’s role in international relations. Focussing on a selection of British newspapers and the government, we analyse the discourse surrounding migration and refugees during the 2015 Refugee Crisis. We observe the intersections of political influence which travel between the press and politicians, and vice versa, as well as the ways in which those influence mechanisms can impact behaviour at the international level. Considering the relationship according to conceptions of normative values and social hegemony we can identify how the discourse informs the national attitude towards particular issues.Show less
Bilateral relations between the United States and China have increasingly soured since President Donald Trump assumed office in 2017. A key reason is that China’s growing power has made it a threat...Show moreBilateral relations between the United States and China have increasingly soured since President Donald Trump assumed office in 2017. A key reason is that China’s growing power has made it a threat to U.S. hegemony and the U.S. is more proactively seeking to contain China than ever before. While China’s threat can be examined from various theoretical angles, such as realism, few studies have looked at it from the perspective of the U.S. media. This is an important avenue for research as perceptions influence international relations and the media plays an important role in shaping such perceptions. Conversely, the media reflects tendencies in politics and society. Using content analysis, the portrayal of the China threat in the news coverage of the Wall Street Journal is examined between 2016 and 2018. The debate on the China threat has mostly consisted of three categories, namely military, economic, and political. The thesis adds a new category to be used in content analysis, namely world order.Show less
Current prevalent representations of displacement are ubiquitous and often deeply shocking. Previous studies of refugee representation have focused on the polarisation of pro/anti-refugee...Show moreCurrent prevalent representations of displacement are ubiquitous and often deeply shocking. Previous studies of refugee representation have focused on the polarisation of pro/anti-refugee narratives and highlighted patterns in their depiction at opposite poles (in humanitarian and media/political discourses). However, new methods and mediums for representation indicate the evolution of a third discourse which this thesis identifies. At once material, ethical, political and representational, the current crisis of forced migration demands response beyond the reach of governments, intergovernmental and humanitarian organisations. In looking to narrative to enhance our understanding of the contemporary ‘crisis’, cultural representations find new ways of responding to displacement and hosting— without which the debate cannot be advanced. This paper testifies to one strand of cultural engagement with forced migration by focusing on four narratives published since 2015. Reading across genres from fiction to life-stories to journalistic literature and theatre, this thesis examines new discursive approaches to refugee representation in Patrick Kingsley’s The New Odyssey, collaborative refugee writing projects, Voices from the ‘Jungle’ and Shatila Stories, and Joe Robertson and Joe Murphy’s play The Jungle.Show less
The Ryūkyū archipelago, in Southern Japan, is home to some ancient techniques for crafting (Kijōka-bashōfu) and dyeing (Bingata) textiles which are not found elsewhere in mainland Japan. The...Show moreThe Ryūkyū archipelago, in Southern Japan, is home to some ancient techniques for crafting (Kijōka-bashōfu) and dyeing (Bingata) textiles which are not found elsewhere in mainland Japan. The Kingdom of Ryūkyū was annexed to the Japanese empire only in recent times (1879), after centuries of relative independence, and the Japanese governments of the first decades of the 20th century has made considerable efforts to reshape and silence the local identity. This process of neutralization of local culture also affected the visibility and the perceived identity of those crafts within the national cultural discourse throughout the whole century. My thesis inspects different issues related to the intercurrent relations between heritage and nation. I will reconstruct what has been done to the Ryūkyū local heritage in the past and what the latest developments have been. I will also highlight the differences existing between the ways the identity of these crafts, Kijōka-bashōfu in particular, are presented in documents aiming at the international, rather than domestic, public. By doing so, I will offer an insight on the cultural policies implemented by the Japanese governments in this respect. Finally, I will operate an audiovisual analysis on a documentary made by entities independent by Japan, representing the everyday life and the activities of local craftspeople involved in the production of these textiles. With that, I will also assess how the local discourse on identity differs from the national discourse.Show less
Morning drama series, asadora, attract one of the highest number of viewers watching programmes on Japanese television. These serialised drama series broadcasted by state broadcaster NHK over the...Show moreMorning drama series, asadora, attract one of the highest number of viewers watching programmes on Japanese television. These serialised drama series broadcasted by state broadcaster NHK over the course of half a year, have induced large-scale tourism to sites related to the film locations in the series. The success of such “contents tourism” has a significant economic effect, inspiring producers to choose rural areas coping with depopulation and economic loss. This thesis takes the series Hiyokko, broadcasted in 2017, as an example to explore the field of contents tourism and its cultural framework and history. By investigating the content and narrative of asadora, as well as the economic impact of rural revitalisation, this thesis provides an extensive study on asadora from a socio-cultural and economic perspective.Show less
The term post-truth politics has become increasingly popular and more frequently used since 2016, a time that has also coincided with Donald Trump becoming the president of the United States of...Show moreThe term post-truth politics has become increasingly popular and more frequently used since 2016, a time that has also coincided with Donald Trump becoming the president of the United States of America and of the growing global popularity of populist politics. To properly understand post-truth politics an analysis of political truths, lies, and bullshit are necessary, as is a broader investigation and analysis of society in general, specifically it’s media. This thesis seeks to investigate and analyse what post-truth politics exactly is and also answer whether or not such a term is describing a new political phenomenon, because if post-truth politics is not describing a new political phenomenon then the use of the term seems to be unjustified.Show less
This thesis researches to what extent Indonesian online based media create a discourse that emphasize the Chinese-Christian identity of Basuki Thjahaja Purnama (Ahok) as a minority during the...Show moreThis thesis researches to what extent Indonesian online based media create a discourse that emphasize the Chinese-Christian identity of Basuki Thjahaja Purnama (Ahok) as a minority during the Jakarta gubernatorial elections of 2017. The thesis employs a qualitative discourse analysis method that researches online articles of news portals Tempo.co, Kompas, and The Jakarta Post. To understand discourse on the Chinese-Christian identity in its proper context, first is researched what the Chinese identity means within Indonesian society by taking a historical perspective. Secondly, this thesis explores the role of religion in modern Indonesian politics as well as the political and religious context of the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial elections. News articles linked to Ahok’s blasphemy case, demonstrations against Ahok, and the elections are selected for analysis. In total 42 articles have been analyzed. The results show that there is difference in writing styles between English and Indonesian language based online news portals. Whereas the Indonesian language based news portals remain neutral to Ahok’s identity as Christian-Chinese by not referring to it, the English language based The Jakarta Post creates a narrative in which Ahok is emphasized as part of a Christian-Chinese minority.Show less
Er zijn financiële problemen op redacties van Nederlandse kranten. Lezers vinden hun nieuws online en daarmee nemen de inkomsten van kranten af. Commerciële actoren krijgen hierdoor steeds meer...Show moreEr zijn financiële problemen op redacties van Nederlandse kranten. Lezers vinden hun nieuws online en daarmee nemen de inkomsten van kranten af. Commerciële actoren krijgen hierdoor steeds meer kans om invloed uit te oefenen op de inhoud van het nieuws. Om de onafhankelijkheid van deze redacties te beschermen, hebben veel kranten een redactiestatuut, waarin onder meer staat dat de directie geen invloed mag uitoefenen over zaken als de inhoud van de artikelen. Dit statuut blijkt echter niet altijd helemaal volledig, dus waarborgt het de journalistieke onafhankelijkheid dan nog wel genoeg?Show less
In 2011 a coalition of states began a military intervention in Libya. The coalition consisted primarily of NATO members, but also included several Arab countries. The justification for the...Show moreIn 2011 a coalition of states began a military intervention in Libya. The coalition consisted primarily of NATO members, but also included several Arab countries. The justification for the intervention was the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1973 which allowed the intervening forces to “take all necessary measures” to protect civilians, but also prohibited an occupying force, meaning the interveners had to focus primarily on an air campaign and the implementation of a no-fly zone. This thesis looks at the British press coverage of the intervention in order to analyse the changing opinions that were displayed regarding Libya. Overall there is a clear trend showing that coverage of the intervention became more negative over time, leading to the current situation in which it is almost universally regarded as a failure.Show less
