Media, Margins and Civic Agency

Media, Margins and Civic Agency brings together new research on contemporary media, politics and power. It explores ways and means through which media can and do empower or dis-empower citizens at the margins – that is, how they act as vehicles of, or obstacles to, civic agency and social change. Here we put the activities of groups and practitioners traditionally seen at the margins at the centre of our focus. This means examining the power relations at play in mediated environments at the margins, by the margins, and for the margins. Authors consider which voices we hear and how should we hear them; from black bloggers to extremist voices to NGOs and citizen voices; the role and function of 'traditional' media through reflection on media policy, and media coverage for example in the reporting of protest around issues such as tax avoidance and Margaret Thatcher's funeral.

Einar Thorsen is Senior Lecturer in Journalism and Communication at Bournemouth University, and Associate Director of the Centre for the Study of Journalism, Culture and Community. His research focuses on online journalism, particularly during crisis and conflicts, and in response to political and environmental change. He has co-edited two volumes of Citizen Journalism: Global Perspectives with Stuart Allan (2009, 2014), and has also published journal articles and book chapters on public service media online, crisis reporting, Wikinews, whistleblowing and WikiLeaks.
 
Daniel Jackson is Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication at Bournemouth University, where he is also Head of Knowledge Exchange for the CMC group in the Faculty of Media and Communication. His research broadly explores the intersection of media and democracy, including news coverage of politics, the construction of news, political communication, and political talk in online environments. Daniel is co-convenor of the Political Studies Association Media and Politics Group. He is co-editor of The Media, Political Participation and Empowerment (2013) and Re-framing Disability? The Media, (dis)empowerment and Voice in the London Paralympics (2014).
 
Heather Savigny is Senior Lecturer in Politics in the Faculty of Media and Communication at Bournemouth University. She researches and teaches in the broad areas of gender, media and politics. Most recently, with Helen Warner she co-edited The Politics of Being a Woman; Feminism, Media and 21st Century Popular Culture (2015) and with Deirdre O'Neill she published in the AJE journal and the New Statesman on the representation of female MPs in the press. She also writes more widely about heavy metal and feminism.

Jenny Alexander is Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication at Bournemouth University. She previously worked for the Advertising Standards Authority in London, where she was their environment specialist. Her research interests include gender, sexuality and representation, fan cultures, advertising semiotics, anarchism, and environmental communication. She teaches Media and Popular Culture and a specialist final year degree option in Environmental Communication. She enjoys firesides, science fiction and the sea.

Introduction; Daniel Jackson, Jenny Alexander, Einar Thorsen And Heather Savigny
PART I: CITIZEN VOICES
1. Alternative Voices, Alternative Spaces: Counterhegemonic Discourse In The Blogosphere; Deborah Gabriel
2. Unlocking The Gate? How Ngos Mediate The Voices Of The Marginalized In Social Media Context; Glenda Cooper
3. 'I Wouldn't Be A Victim When It Comes To Being Heard': Citizen Journalism And Civic Inclusion; Einar Thorsen, Daniel Jackson And Ann Luce
4. The Voices Of Extremist Violence: What Can We Hear?; Barry Richards
PART II: MEDIATING MARGINS
5. European Media Policy: Why Margins Actually Matter; Monika Metykova
6. The Rise Of 'Creative Diversity' In Media Policy; Sarita Malik
7. Victims At The Margins? A Comparative Analysis Of The Use Of Primary Sources In Reporting Personal Tragedy In Norway And The UK; Jackie Newton And Lene Brennodden
8. Public Service From The Margins: A Case Study Of Diasporic Media In The UK; Ola Ogunyemi
9. Space And The Migrant Camps Of Calais: Space Making At The Margins; Anita Howarth And Yasmin Ibrahim
PART III: PROTESTS AND POWER
10. Visibility Of Protest At The Margins: The Thatcher Funeral Protests; Katy Parry
11. 'Pay Your Tax!' How Tax Avoidance Became A Prominent Issue In The Public Sphere In The UK; Jen Birks And John Downey
12. UGC In The Newsroom: How BBC Journalists" Engagement With Internet Activists Has Altered Newsroom Practices; Lisette Johnston
13. Police, Protester, Public: Unsettling Binaries In The Public Sphere; Pollyanna Ruiz
Afterword; Stuart Allan