Towards (Hyper)Local Public Sphere: Comparison of Civic Engagement across the Global North
The role of hyperlocal media is of increasing relevance as traditional local journalism experiences a decline due to centralisation and consolidation. The affordances of Internet and digital technologies also enable hyperlocal initiatives to enhance civic engagement in localities and serve as a plac...
Published in: | Media and Communication |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
PRT
2022
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/78115 https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/3929 https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v9i3.3929 |
id |
ftssoar:oai:gesis.izsoz.de:document/78115 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftssoar:oai:gesis.izsoz.de:document/78115 2023-05-15T17:40:19+02:00 Towards (Hyper)Local Public Sphere: Comparison of Civic Engagement across the Global North Hujanen, Jaana Dovbysh, Olga Jangdal, Lottie Lehtisaari, Katja 2022-03-18T11:12:41Z https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/78115 https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/3929 https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v9i3.3929 unknown PRT 2183-2439 https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/78115 https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/3929 https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v9i3.3929 Creative Commons - Namensnennung 4.0 Creative Commons - Attribution 4.0 CC-BY Media and Communication 9 3 74-84 Spaces, Places, and Geographies of Public Spheres Publizistische Medien Journalismus,Verlagswesen Politikwissenschaft News media journalism publishing Political science Finland Global North Russia Sweden civic engagement hyperlocal media local media public sphere Kommunikatorforschung Journalismus politische Willensbildung politische Soziologie politische Kultur Communicator Research Political Process Elections Political Sociology Political Culture Zeitschriftenartikel journal article 2022 ftssoar https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v9i3.3929 2022-12-13T22:06:50Z The role of hyperlocal media is of increasing relevance as traditional local journalism experiences a decline due to centralisation and consolidation. The affordances of Internet and digital technologies also enable hyperlocal initiatives to enhance civic engagement in localities and serve as a place and resource for local deliberative processes. This study examines how the aims, perceptions and practices of hyperlocal media vary in three countries of the Global North - Sweden, Finland and Russia - and what implications this has for connectedness and civic engagement in local public spheres. The context of different media systems and local political regimes help to explore possibilities and limitations of hyperlocals as agents of place-oriented civic engagement. The data includes interviews with practitioners and analysis of selected hyperlocal media. Our results indicate that hyperlocal media practitioners in all three countries aim to provide local people and communities with a voice, and to enhance resident engagement in local life. We reveal three civic roles of hyperlocal media: (i) information provider, (ii) community builder, and (iii) civic mediator. Practices of civic engagement used by hyperlocal media range from relying on civic journalism to fostering civic debates and can be classified in two main categories: civic information and civic debate and interaction. The perceptions and practices of these hyperlocal media are, to some extent, similar because of comparable changes and challenges regarding the local media and public spheres. At the same time, the perceptions of civic roles vary, reflecting both the developments and differences in the countries' media spheres and political regimes. This research raises a critical question about hyperlocal practitioners' understanding of their own roles and aims, and in addition, how differences in media cultures and local regimes affect their performance as agents of local public spheres. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Sweden SSOAR - Social Science Open Access Repository Media and Communication 9 3 74 84 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
SSOAR - Social Science Open Access Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftssoar |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Publizistische Medien Journalismus,Verlagswesen Politikwissenschaft News media journalism publishing Political science Finland Global North Russia Sweden civic engagement hyperlocal media local media public sphere Kommunikatorforschung Journalismus politische Willensbildung politische Soziologie politische Kultur Communicator Research Political Process Elections Political Sociology Political Culture |
spellingShingle |
Publizistische Medien Journalismus,Verlagswesen Politikwissenschaft News media journalism publishing Political science Finland Global North Russia Sweden civic engagement hyperlocal media local media public sphere Kommunikatorforschung Journalismus politische Willensbildung politische Soziologie politische Kultur Communicator Research Political Process Elections Political Sociology Political Culture Hujanen, Jaana Dovbysh, Olga Jangdal, Lottie Lehtisaari, Katja Towards (Hyper)Local Public Sphere: Comparison of Civic Engagement across the Global North |
topic_facet |
Publizistische Medien Journalismus,Verlagswesen Politikwissenschaft News media journalism publishing Political science Finland Global North Russia Sweden civic engagement hyperlocal media local media public sphere Kommunikatorforschung Journalismus politische Willensbildung politische Soziologie politische Kultur Communicator Research Political Process Elections Political Sociology Political Culture |
description |
The role of hyperlocal media is of increasing relevance as traditional local journalism experiences a decline due to centralisation and consolidation. The affordances of Internet and digital technologies also enable hyperlocal initiatives to enhance civic engagement in localities and serve as a place and resource for local deliberative processes. This study examines how the aims, perceptions and practices of hyperlocal media vary in three countries of the Global North - Sweden, Finland and Russia - and what implications this has for connectedness and civic engagement in local public spheres. The context of different media systems and local political regimes help to explore possibilities and limitations of hyperlocals as agents of place-oriented civic engagement. The data includes interviews with practitioners and analysis of selected hyperlocal media. Our results indicate that hyperlocal media practitioners in all three countries aim to provide local people and communities with a voice, and to enhance resident engagement in local life. We reveal three civic roles of hyperlocal media: (i) information provider, (ii) community builder, and (iii) civic mediator. Practices of civic engagement used by hyperlocal media range from relying on civic journalism to fostering civic debates and can be classified in two main categories: civic information and civic debate and interaction. The perceptions and practices of these hyperlocal media are, to some extent, similar because of comparable changes and challenges regarding the local media and public spheres. At the same time, the perceptions of civic roles vary, reflecting both the developments and differences in the countries' media spheres and political regimes. This research raises a critical question about hyperlocal practitioners' understanding of their own roles and aims, and in addition, how differences in media cultures and local regimes affect their performance as agents of local public spheres. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hujanen, Jaana Dovbysh, Olga Jangdal, Lottie Lehtisaari, Katja |
author_facet |
Hujanen, Jaana Dovbysh, Olga Jangdal, Lottie Lehtisaari, Katja |
author_sort |
Hujanen, Jaana |
title |
Towards (Hyper)Local Public Sphere: Comparison of Civic Engagement across the Global North |
title_short |
Towards (Hyper)Local Public Sphere: Comparison of Civic Engagement across the Global North |
title_full |
Towards (Hyper)Local Public Sphere: Comparison of Civic Engagement across the Global North |
title_fullStr |
Towards (Hyper)Local Public Sphere: Comparison of Civic Engagement across the Global North |
title_full_unstemmed |
Towards (Hyper)Local Public Sphere: Comparison of Civic Engagement across the Global North |
title_sort |
towards (hyper)local public sphere: comparison of civic engagement across the global north |
publisher |
PRT |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/78115 https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/3929 https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v9i3.3929 |
genre |
North Sweden |
genre_facet |
North Sweden |
op_source |
Media and Communication 9 3 74-84 Spaces, Places, and Geographies of Public Spheres |
op_relation |
2183-2439 https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/78115 https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/3929 https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v9i3.3929 |
op_rights |
Creative Commons - Namensnennung 4.0 Creative Commons - Attribution 4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v9i3.3929 |
container_title |
Media and Communication |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
74 |
op_container_end_page |
84 |
_version_ |
1766141207537254400 |