Robert W. McChesney: Rich Media, Poor Democracy: Communication Politics in Dubious Times

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Zur Qualität der Medienkontrolle: Ergebnisse einer Befragung deutscher Rundfunk- und Medienräte

This article presents the results of a survey among German media supervisors (members of supervising boards in public broadcasting stations and state media institutions). Given the increasing commercialization and internationalization of television, the supervising boards play a crucial part in assessing the quality of programs. From among 940 German supervisors, 364 took part in the survey, which covered the individual role conceptions of respondents as well as their attitudes towards quality criteria for television. Results suggest that both the supervisors’ amount of television use and the types of programs they prefer is clearly different from patterns in the population. This, along with the observation that supervisors often criticize what they saw privately, suggests (given the diversity of programs) that too much might be expected of them. Media supervisors do heed quality criteria in their work, but these probably do not correspond to other groups’ criteria, and especially not to the general population’s. To conclude, suggestions are discussed to improve the system of supervising programs by important social groups.     

Thesen und Gegenthesen

Summary Theses and Counter-theses. Notes to Milton Friedman’s monetary concept of “New Liberalism.” —This paper summarizes Milton Friedman’s most important statements concerning problems of national money supply and credit policy into the following seven theses, to each of which the author opposes a counter-thesis. Thesis 1: The total amount of money in circulation is the most important monetary factor. Counter-thesis 1: The liquidity balance is the most important monetary factor. Thesis 2: The total amount of money influences nominal income and prices. Counter-thesis 2: Expenditure influences the amount of money. Thesis 3: The total amount of money can be manipulated by monetary policy. Counter-thesis 3: The amount of money in circulation cannot be manipulated. Thesis 4: Bank credits should be curtailed. Counter-thesis 4: Bank credits should be directed. Thesis 5: Monetary policy only with open market transactions. Counter-thesis 5: Credit policy through several combined instruments. Thesis 6: Price stability through a continuous development of the amount of money in circulation. Counter-thesis 6: Price stability through a continuous development of bank liquidity. Thesis 7: Monetary policy instead of fiscal policy. Counter-thesis 7: Credit policy and fiscal policy.

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Résumé Thèses et contre-thèses. Remarques au sujet de la notion monétaire ?New Liberalism? de Milton Friedman. —Cet article résume les propositions les plus importantes de Milton Friedman concernant les problèmes de l’approvisionnement national en argent, et de la politique de crédit, en les présentant sous forme de sept thèses, à chacune desquelles l’auteur oppose une contre-thèse: Thèse 1: Le total de l’argent en circulation représente le facteur monétaire le plus important. Contre-thèse 1: Le solde de liquidité est le facteur monétaire le plus important. Thèse 2: Le total de l’argent en circulation exerce une influence sur le revenu nominal et les prix. Contre-thèse 2: Les dépenses exercent une influence sur le total de l’argent. Thèse 3: On peut contr?ler le total de l’argent en circulation par des mesures de politique monétaire. Contre-thèse 3: On ne peut pas exercer d’influence sur le total de l’argent en circulation. Thèse 4: II faut arrêter les crédits bancaires. Contre-thèse 4: II faut diriger les crédits bancaires. Thèse 5: Politique monétaire seulement avec des transactions de marché ouvert. Contre-thèse 5: Politique de crédit au moyen de plusieurs instruments combinés. Thèse 6: Stabilité des prix grace à un développement continu du total de l’argent en circulation. Contre-thèse 6: Stabilité des prix grace à un développement continu de la liquidité des banques. Thèse 7: Politique monétaire au lieu de politique fiscale. Contre-thèse 7: Politique de crédit et politique fiscale.

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Resumen Tésis y antitesis. Comentarios sobre el concepto monetario del ?New Liberalism? de Milton Friedman. —En el presente trabajo el autor sintetiza las principales afirmaciones de Milton Friedman sobre problemas de provision de dinero y de política crediticia en siete tésis a las que opone otros tantos contraargumentos: Primera tesis: El volumen de dinero es la variable monetaria más importante. Contraargumento: El saldo de liquidez es la variable monetaria más importante. Segunda tesis: El volumen de dinero incide en el ingreso nominal y los precios. Contraargumento: Los gastos inciden en el volumen de dinero. Tercera tesis: El volumen de dinero puede ser regulado a través de la política monetaria. Contraargumento: El volumen de dinero no puedo ser regulado. Cuarta tesis: La creaci?n de crédites bancarios ha de ser reprimida. Contraargumento: La creaci?n de crédites bancarios ha de ser regulada. Quinta tesis: La politica monetaria debe basarse exclusivamente en operaciones del Banco Central en el mercado abierto. Contraargumento: La politica monetaria debe consistir en la aplicaci?n combinada de varios instrumentes. Sexta tesis: La estabilidad de precios se logrará por medio de una evolución continua de la masa dineraria. Contraargumento: La estabilidad de precios se logrará mediante una evolutión continua de las disponibilidades liquidas de la Banca. Séptima tesis: La politica coyuntural debe valerse de operaciones monetarias y no de operaciones fiscales. Contraargumento: La politica coyuntural debe valerse de operaciones tanto monetarias como fiscales.

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Riassunto Tesi e controtesi. Osservazioni all’abbozzo monetario del ?New Liberalism? di Milton Friedman. —Le affermazioni più importanti di Milton Friedman sui problemi dell’approvigionamento nazionale del denaro e della politica di credito sono riassunte nel présente saggio nelle sette tesi seguenti, alle quali l’autore di volta in volta contrappone una controtesi: Tesi I: La quantità di denaro è la più importante grandezza monetaria. Controtesi I: II saldo di liquidità è la più importante grandezza monetaria. Tesi II: La quantità di denaro influisce sul reddito nominale e sui prezzi. Controtesi II: Le spese influiscono sulla quantità di denaro. Tesi III: La quantità di denaro puó essere diretta dal punto di vista della politica monetaria. Controtesi III: La quantità di denaro non puó essere influenzata. Tesi IV: Creazione di credito délie banche deve essere ostacolato. Controtesi IV: Creazione di credito délie banche deve essere diretto. Tesi V: Politica monetaria soltanto con transazioni di mercato aperto. Controtesi V: Politica creditizia con l’impiego combinato di più strumenti. Tesi VI: Stabilità dei prezzi mediante sviluppo continuo della quantità monetaria. Controtesi VI: Stabilità dei prezzi mediante sviluppo continuo della liquidità bancaria. Tesi VII: Politica monetaria invece di politica fiscale. Controtesi VII: Politica creditizia e politica fiscale.

     

U.S. Equity Investment in Emerging Stock Markets

This article examines U.S. equity flows to emerging stock marketsfrom 1978 to 1991 and draws three main conclusions. First, despitethe recent increase in U.S. equity investment in emerging stockmarkets, the U.S. portfolio remains strongly biased toward domesticequities. Second, of the fraction of the U.S. portfolio thatis allocated to foreign equity investment, the share investedin emerging stock markets is roughly proportional to the shareof the emerging stock markets in the global market capitalizationvalue. Third, the volatility of U.S. transactions in emerging-marketequities is higher than in other foreign equities. The normalizedvolatility of U.S. transactions appears to be falling over time,however, and we find no relation between the volume of U.S.transactions in foreign equity and local turnover rates or volatilityof stock returns.     

Risk aversion and the dynamics of optimal liquidation strategies in illiquid markets

We consider the infinite-horizon optimal portfolio liquidation problem for a von Neumann–Morgenstern investor in the liquidity model of Almgren (Appl. Math. Finance 10:1–18, 2003). Using a stochastic control approach, we characterize the value function and the optimal strategy as classical solutions of nonlinear parabolic partial differential equations. We furthermore analyze the sensitivities of the value function and the optimal strategy with respect to the various model parameters. In particular, we find that the optimal strategy is aggressive or passive in-the-money, respectively, if and only if the utility function displays increasing or decreasing risk aversion. Surprisingly, only few further monotonicity relations exist with respect to the other parameters. We point out in particular that the speed by which the remaining asset position is sold can be decreasing in the size of the position but increasing in the liquidity price impact.      

Analyse der Marktaussichten von Biogasanlagen

Without guaranteed compensation, granted by the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (Erneuerbare Energien Gesetz/EEG), biogas plants compete with all other plant types on the market for electrical energy. However, exchange-based electricity products do not currently permit an economically viable operation of biogas plants owing to their cost situation.     

Swedish technology teachers’ views on assessing student understandings of technological systems

Technology education is a new school subject in comparison with other subjects within the Swedish compulsory school system. Research in technology education shows that technology teachers lack experience of and support for assessment in comparison with the long-term experiences that other teachers use in their subjects. This becomes especially apparent when technology teachers assess students’ knowledge in and about technological systems. This study thematically analysed the assessment views of eleven technology teachers in a Swedish context. Through the use of in-depth semi-structured qualitative interviews, their elaborated thoughts on assessing knowledge about technological systems within the technology subject (for ages 13–16) were analysed. The aim was to describe the teachers’ assessment views in terms of types of knowledge, and essential knowledge in relation to a progression from basic to advanced understanding of technological systems. The results showed three main themes that the interviewed teachers said they consider when performing their assessment of technological systems; understanding (a) a system’s structure, (b) its relations outside the system boundary and (c) its historical context and technological change. Each theme included several underlying items that the teachers said they use in a progressive manner when they assess their students’ basic, intermediate and advanced level of understanding technological systems. In conclusion, the results suggest that the analysed themes can provide a basis for further discussion about defining a progression for assessing students’ understanding about technological systems. However, the findings also need to be examined critically as the interviewed teachers’ views on required assessment levels showed an imbalance; few students were said to reach beyond the basic level, but at the same time most assessment items lay on the intermediate and advanced levels.