Suchergebnisse

From a normative standpoint the media are usually seen as one of the pillars of a national integrity system, entrusted with the tasks of exposing and preventing acts of corruption and educating the public of the harm caused by corruption. Nevertheless, corruption continues to be one of the most significant challenges that Europe faces, undermining citizens' trust in democratic institutions and weakening the accountability of political leadership. Evidence suggests that in fragile EU democracies such as Bulgaria, despite more than eight years of full membership and numerous preventive measures, corruption is rife and the press is hardly capable of exposing abuses of power or authority. On the contrary - drawing on in-depth interviews with 35 Bulgarian journalists - this paper argues that since communism collapsed in the late 1980s the media in post-communist societies such as Bulgaria has gradually become an instrument to promote and defend private vested interests, and is plagued by corruption. Senior journalists and editors cast serious doubt over the ability of the post-communist free press and journalism to act as a watchdog for society.

From a normative standpoint the media are usually seen as one of the pillars of a national integrity system, entrusted with the tasks of exposing and preventing acts of corruption and educating the public of the harm caused by corruption. Nevertheless, corruption continues to be one of the most significant challenges that Europe faces, undermining citizens' trust in democratic institutions and weakening the accountability of political leadership. Evidence suggests that in fragile EU democracies such as Bulgaria, despite more than eight years of full membership and numerous preventive measures, corruption is rife and the press is hardly capable of exposing abuses of power or authority. On the contrary - drawing on in-depth interviews with 35 Bulgarian journalists - this paper argues that since communism collapsed in the late 1980s the media in post-communist societies such as Bulgaria has gradually become an instrument to promote and defend private vested interests, and is plagued by corruption. Senior journalists and editors cast serious doubt over the ability of the post-communist free press and journalism to act as a watchdog for society.

The subject of this article is the issue of journalist-spies in the Bulgarian media before and after the fall of communism in 1989. The focus is on the perceptions of Bulgarian journalists on the role alleged secret service collaborators played, and continue to play, in the postcommunist society and media landscape. Role perceptions are explored through semi-structured interviews with practicing journalists from the capital city, Sofia. The findings suggest that Bulgarian journalists continue to be concerned with, and affected by, the influence of former communist spies on the Bulgarian media, a controversy that has largely been ignored by media scholars.

"The volume provides a comprehensive discussion of enduring and emerging challenges to ethical journalism worldwide. The collection highlights journalism practice that makes a positive contribution to people's lives, investigates the link between institutional power and ethical practices in journalism, and explores the relationship between ethical standards and journalistic practice. Chapters in the volume represent three key commitments: 1) ensuring practice informed by theory, 2) providing professional guidance to journalists, and 3) offering an expanded worldview that examines journalism ethics beyond traditional boundaries and borders. With input from over 60 expert contributors, it offers a global perspective on journalism ethics and embraces ideas from well-known and emerging journalism scholars and practitioners from around the world. The Routledge Companion to Journalism Ethics serves as a one-stop shop for journalism ethics scholars and students as well as industry practitioners and experts"--

The Myth of Digital Democracy, Matthew Hindman (2008) Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 181 pp., ISBN: 978-0-691-13868-8, Paperback, 16.50


Age of Oprah: Cultural Icon for the Neoliberal Era, Janice Peck (2008) Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers,
288 pp., ISBN: 9781594514685, Hardback, $90.00, ISBN: 9781594514692, Paperbac, $26.95, k


Internet-Mediated Participation Beyond the Nation State, Bart Cammaerts (2008) Manchester: Manchester University Press, 266 pp., ISBN: 978-0-7190-7648-0, Hardback, 60


The
Baltic Media World, Richard Brug (ed.), (2005) Riga: Flra Printing House, 198 pp., ISBN: 9984-19-683-6, Paperback


Posters, Propaganda, and Persuasion in Election Campaigns Around the World and Through History, Steven A. Seidman, (2008) New York: Peter Lang Publishing
Group, 327 pp., ISBN 9780820486178, Hardback, $109.95, ISBN 9780820486161, $33.95, Paperback


Internet and Society: Social Theory in the Internet Age, Christian Fuchs, (2008) London and New York: Routledge, 408 pp., ISBN 0415961327, Hardback, $95.00