Communication research matters — Bericht von der 51. Jahrestagung der ICA in Washington D.C.

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Zur Lage der Kommunikationswissenschaft und ihrer Fachgesellschaft. Ergebnisse der DGPuK-Mitgliederbefragung 2003

Like other broad disciplines in the media/communications field, communication science is characterized by rapid growth and increasing diversity and hence confusion. That also affects the discipline’s scholarly associations. So the German Association for Communication Science (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft, DGPuK), the largest German-speaking association in this field, conducted a survey among its members in early 2003. This article reports on the design and findings of this study, focusing on the perception and evaluation of the association and on the scholarly orientations (theoretic perspectives and methodologies) of its members. Various subgroups within the DGPuK diverge in their positions and opinions. This applies in particular to the less well represented research traditions and subdisciplines (as compared to the social-scientific mainstream), which tend to view the DGPuK as one-sided. Deviations also show for professionals working outside the academic field (as compared to DGPuK members from universities) and in part for older members and women. The findings not only give an up-to-date picture of the state of the DGPuK but also shed light on the situation and development of the discipline as a whole.     

Dritte Tagung der Fachgruppe »Methoden der Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft« in Feldafing vom 27. bis 29. September 2001

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Das Bild der Nanotechnologie in deutschen Printmedien. Eine frameanalytische Langzeitstudie

According to a recent survey, roughly every second German has no mental association with the concepts of nanotechnology and nanomaterials. This is similar to reports from other countries. Nanotechnology is something that cannot be experienced and observed directly, which is hardly surprising, given that a nanometer is defined as one billionth of a meter. Accordingly, what people know about nanotechnology, and their interpretations and opinions of this knowledge, are based mainly on information from the mass media. Therefore, this first systematic study of the German media coverage aims at analyzing the media frames of nanotechnology. The analysis is based on a standardized content analysis of nine print media for the period 2000?C2008. The results indicate that the German media framing is predominantly highly positive towards nanotechnology, with particular emphasis being placed on its medical and economic benefits. The German media offers only a very limited critical alternative to this one-sided perspective of progress in this field. The situation is thus essentially the same as for media coverage in other countries.