In light of the rise of ultra-right ideologies in Europe, this article offers an in-depth analysis of the discourse on immigration presented by CasaPound Italia (CPI), a self-defined fascist organization in Italy. This case study illustrates the importance of media and communication activism for the promotion of contemporary ultra-right movements. Specifically, the analysis focuses on how CPI reported one of the first widely covered immigration-related disaster in the Mediterranean, on 3 October 2013, and on the audience interactions that followed on the organisation’s website. In this article, I argue that CasaPound Italia’s online communiqué and its members’ comments need to be considered as one discursive event in which the encoding/decoding processes at play can be explored in detail. The examination, which draws from critical discourse studies, reveals audiences’ contributions in unpacking the implicit message contained in the original communiqué and underlines the active role that “rank and file” members play in the promotion of ultra-right ideologies.
In this article, the authors explore the relationship between the philosophical principles on which the institutions of public broadcasting rest and their contemporary conditions. The questions are, In what ways is public service broadcasting (PSB) changing in the contemporary audiovisual environment? How is the contradiction between commercial needs and the public service mission being articulated? Which paradigms are shaping the practices surrounding PSB institutions? To answer these questions, the authors analyzed the trends toward digitalization and funding in selected broadcasters: the British Broadcasting Corporation, Radiotelevisione Italiana, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. After discussing claims that PSB organizations have been enjoying a period of relative stability, the authors conclude that the broadcasters' resilience is mainly due to their readiness to embrace competition and commercialism; as a result, public broadcasters are losing their distinctiveness and purpose. The sidebar details the exemplary conditions of the Italian public service broadcaster.
In many western democracies, public service broadcasting institutions (PSB) have long been criticised, their legitimacy thwarted by technological, cultural and political developments. However, while the future might appear bleak to those who have a 'nostalgic vision' of PSB, more encouraging and 'forward-looking visions' are possible. As an example of 'forward-looking vision', this paper looks at the evolution of public broadcasting in Jamaica from the establishment of the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) in 1962, to its dismantlement in 1997, and to the formation of a new public broadcaster, the Jamaica Public Broadcasting Corporation (PBCJ), in Spring 2006. Throughout this history, and notwithstanding its many challenges, public service broadcasting continues to be a vital institution in Jamaican social, political and cultural life. Some of the questions that spur from this complex history are: In an era characterised by the everexpanding choice of media channels, while governments in wealthier countries are trying to get rid of their PSB, why is a new public broadcaster being re-established in the Caribbean island? What are its characteristics? Finally, could this attempt to recreate a public broadcaster in Jamaica be indicative of broader trends pointing to the necessity of preserving, or re-creating, public spaces in commercially saturated media environments? Although the lack of financial resources is a major challenge for the newly born PBCJ, efforts to re-build a public broadcaster speak to Jamaica's continuous desire to create a valuable alternative to commercial media. Attempts to create an efficient and socially relevant institution of public service broadcasting are discussed.
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