Cristina Archetti | University of Oslo (original) (raw)

Books by Cristina Archetti

Is the media obsession with image leading to a degeneration of politics? Are politicians more con... more Is the media obsession with image leading to a degeneration of politics? Are politicians more concerned with their appearances than with policy substance? By relying on the frank and colorful voices of over 50 politicians across the UK and Italy, this book not only leads the reader through the wardrobes of our elected representatives, but also develops a different understanding of the “mediatization” of politics.

The book challenges what we know about terrorism, showing that current approaches are inadequate ... more The book challenges what we know about terrorism, showing that current approaches are inadequate and outdated. It argues that we cannot truly understand violent extremism unless we also understand the processes of communication that underpin it. It develops a new communication model to understand terrorism in the media age.

Is globalization leading to a worldwide homogenization of news? Is news shaped by political spin?... more Is globalization leading to a worldwide homogenization of news? Is news shaped by political spin? Or is news controlled by the professionals who produce it? By systematically testing a range of theories, this book demonstrates the inability of current communication research to explain the nature of news. By comparing the coverage of two defining crises of our time—9/11 and the War in Afghanistan—across the US, Italy, France, and Pakistan, the study develops a new theoretical framework. The model brings together previously distinct levels of analysis: the organizational environment of the single news organization, national social and political contexts, the macro level of international relations. Translated excerpts of political statements and news stories from around the world offer a rich and colorful insight into the least-known aspects of the political and public reactions in the aftermath of 9/11.

“In Explaining News, Cristina Archetti presents a multi-disciplinary investigation of how the elite press in America, France, Italy, and Pakistan covered 9/11 and the invasion of Afghanistan. Using a constructionist approach, Archetti challenges existing paradigms--including the assumption that globalization is generating the homogenization of news--by assessing the influence of national structures on newspaper content. The result is a penetrating analysis, full of stimulating insights drawn from a rich and detailed pool of empirical research. Without question, Explaining News is an ambitious and groundbreaking book--required reading for scholars and students interested in global news.”-- Professor Edward A. Comor, University of Western Ontario

“An ambitious and successful 'forensic study of international news' that restores coherence to discrepant theories of news formation, debunks the notion of 'the media' as a unified agency, and restores the particularity of politics, location and journalistic independence to their rightful place. Altogether a very refreshing addition to our stock of ideas and a vindication of the comparative approach”--Denis McQuail, Professor Emeritus, University of Amsterdam, School of Communication Research

Peer Reviewed Articles by Cristina Archetti

International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics , 2019

Forming a family and having children constitutes an adulthood rite of passage, one of the tacitly... more Forming a family and having children constitutes an adulthood rite of passage, one of the tacitly assumed requirements of a fulfilled life. What happens, then, when the "family dream" does not materialize? This article addresses the dark sides of the "family imperative" by focusing on representations of involuntary childlessness (i.e. childlessness not by choice) in film. It advances the argument that popular culture, far from being "mere entertainment" has an important role in wider processes of stigmatization, silencing and, as a result, exclusion of those who do not have a family. The analysis, which is informed by a broader study into the structure of silence surrounding childlessness, presents the findings of a comparative qualitative content analysis that examined the (troubling) representations of involuntary childless individuals in 50 films from Italy, Norway, the US. It discusses their far reaching cultural and political implications, making practical suggestions to counter their stigmatizing effects.

Journal of Medical Humanitites, 2018

By drawing on hundreds of hours of footage from seven infertility reality TV shows, the article p... more By drawing on hundreds of hours of footage from seven infertility reality TV shows, the article points at the distorted and limited representations of lived infertility, with particular focus on how such representations may have significant and potentially harmful repercussions for the ways in which viewers come to assess and evaluate infertility.

The way politicians 'look' is taken to be one of the essential aspects of the 'mediati-zation' an... more The way politicians 'look' is taken to be one of the essential aspects of the 'mediati-zation' and 'professionalization' of politics. Yet there is very little research about the role of image and self-presentation in political communication. This article presents the results of a study that aims to fill this gap by mapping where and how image fits within broader processes of identity and meaning construction in contemporary politics. On the basis of 51 interviews, it compares the role of personal image in the everyday political practices of both British and Italian local politicians and members of the European Parliament. The analysis develops an alternative conceptual framework to make sense of the role of image in twenty-first century politics, showing that the alleged deleterious effects of a 'cult of appearances' on democracy reflects more the narrowness of academic enquiry and the legacy of outdated linear models of politics-media relationships than the much more variegated and networked reality of contemporary politics.

International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, 2015

Journalism Studies, 2015

This article examines the role of creative writing in understanding journalism. It argues that no... more This article examines the role of creative writing in understanding journalism. It argues that nonacademic writing—poetry in this case—can play a far more significant part in journalism research than that of an entertaining genre for disseminating a study’s findings, mainly to audiences beyond academia. Not only can poetry complement traditional “academic” texts by filling the gaps of the vivid details of the situated practices of journalism as they are lived in real life. It also has far-reaching epistemological and ontological implications: it raises fundamental questions about the world where journalists operate, the role of imagination, sensory perceptions and materiality in everyday
manifestations of journalism, as well as the place of the scholar in the research process. The benefits of creative writing are illustrated through examples of actual poems written while conducting a comparative study of foreign journalists in the United Kingdom, Norway and Somalia.

This article aims to demonstrate that a greater understanding of communication in the 21st centur... more This article aims to demonstrate that a greater understanding of communication in the 21st century is essential to more effective counterterrorism. In fact, while “strategic communication” and “narratives” are advocated by many analysts as essential weapons in countering extremism, few seem to truly understand the reality of the digital-age information environment where such tools need to be deployed. To contribute to bridging this gap, the article outlines some problematic misunderstandings of the contemporary information environment, provides an alternative communication-based framework to explain radicalization, and draws some counterintuitive lessons for tackling terrorism.

Place matters a great deal in journalism, even in the era of the ‘death of geography.’ Yet space ... more Place matters a great deal in journalism, even in the era of the ‘death of geography.’ Yet space never produces effects through its existence alone. To understand the relevance of location beyond its most immediate assigned role of ‘logistic constraint’ we must rework not only our understanding of journalism, but of the whole social world. This article presents a comparative analysis of foreign correspondents’ practices in London and Oslo. The foreign journalists’ experiences in the case studies are analytically dissected through the lens of Bruno Latour’s Actor Network Theory (ANT). The analysis shows the utility of the application of Latour’s framework to the study of international journalism in two respects. First, by mapping how local practices—identities, newsgathering routines and story outputs—are relationally constructed through the interactions of social actors, technologies, and material infrastructures, ANT provides an understanding of the role of location that transcends the merely physical and geographical dimensions. Second, by showing how situated practices are the outcomes of unique network configurations, ANT questions the validity of any generalized one-size-fits-all statements about the current state of foreign correspondence.

The article challenges the widespread notion that, in the age of global and instantaneous communi... more The article challenges the widespread notion that, in the age of global and instantaneous communication, foreign correspondence is becoming “redundant.” Based on a range of in-depth interviews with foreign correspondents in London, it examines the identity, newsgathering routines, and outputs of journalists working for a range of foreign media organizations. The study suggests that foreign correspondence is indeed evolving, but the changes are not necessarily for the worse. In fact, not only foreign journalists are not disappearing, but the heavy use of new communication technologies—rather than leading to superficial and low-quality reporting—can indeed support the pursuit of exclusive news-story angles and a fuller delivery the correspondent’s value.

, 2012

This article challenges the widespread idea that, in an age of instantaneous and ubiquitously acc... more This article challenges the widespread idea that, in an age of instantaneous and ubiquitously accessible information, foreign correspondents are doomed to disappear. The last study of foreign correspondents in the London hub was conducted 30 years ago. Based on a new study involving a range of in-depth interviews with foreign correspondents in the British capital, the article reveals the ‘‘story behind their stories’’ and the changes that have occurred since then. It particularly focuses on the impact that advances in communication technologies have had on the correspondents’ professional identity, newsgathering routines, and news outputs. The findings contribute to a more nuanced and empirical understanding of the impact of media globalization on the practice of journalism. They underline the increasingly important role of foreign correspondents as ‘‘sense makers’’ within the huge tide of information available. While foreign journalists have to a large extent always fulfilled this function, they appear more needed than ever in a deeply interdependent world. Foreign correspondents are also developing novel ways of reporting. Indeed, rather than a ‘‘crisis’’ of foreign correspondence, we could perhaps be witnessing its renaissance.

Based on a range of interviews with foreign diplomats in London, this article explains the consid... more Based on a range of interviews with foreign diplomats in London, this article explains the considerable variation in the way that communication technologies both affect diplomatic practices and are appropriated by diplomats to pursue the respective countries’ information-gathering and public outreach objectives.
The study shows that London, as an information environment, is experienced differently by each of the diplomats and embassy actors. The analysis elaborates a model of the ‘communication behaviour’ of foreign diplomats, based on an evolutionary analogy: foreign diplomats in the context of the British capital, within their respective embassy organizations, can each be compared to the members of a species that is attempting to survive in a natural environment. The nuances highlighted by the explanatory model challenge the largely homogeneous and generalized nature of current debates about media and diplomacy, as well as public diplomacy.

The aim of this article is questioning the commonly held assumption that Problem-Based Learning (... more The aim of this article is questioning the commonly held assumption that Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is necessarily good for students. Drawing on the experience of teaching a postgraduate module about terrorism and the media as a case study, it shows that PBL can definitely benefit the Political Communication curriculum. However, this is only part of the story. PBL, in fact, appears to have an ‘amplifier’ effect on the learning outcomes of a module: the achievement of outstanding results for those who are committed to the coursework; lower achievement than would have been gained through more ‘traditional’ learning methods for those who do not fully engage with it. As the case study suggests, students’ individual expectations and previous experiences of coursework, although currently overlooked, appear to make all the difference within the learning process.

This article presents an interdisciplinary model attempting to explain how news is constructed by... more This article presents an interdisciplinary model attempting to explain how news is constructed by relying on the contributions of different fields of study: News Sociology, Political Communications, International Communications, International Relations. It is a first step towards developing a holistic theoretical approach to what shapes the news, which bridges current micro to macro approaches. More precisely the model explains news variation across different media organization and countries by focusing on the different way the sense of newsworthiness of journalists is affected by three main variables: national interest, national journalistic culture, and editorial policy of each media organization. The model is developed on the basis of an investigation into what shaped the media coverage of 9/11 in eight elite newspapers across the US, France, Italy and Pakistan.

An international comparative study of the elite press framing of 9/11 in the US, Italy, France an... more An international comparative study of the elite press framing of 9/11 in the US, Italy, France and Pakistan reveals that there is no empirical backing for the claims of three core strands of research about news exchanges within the field of International Communications. The findings of the empirical investigation neither support the existence of international news flows, nor the idea that news is becoming homogenised on a global scale. The analysis does not suggest a localization of news at a national level either. News coverage, instead, appears to be markedly different at the level of the single newspaper and this can be explained through different variables than the international macro-processes addressed by news studies within the field. The analysis fundamentally suggests that, if research within International Communications wants to explain news in the information age, it needs to broaden its horizons and adopt a multidisciplinary perspective that includes both the analysis of national political processes and a deeper understanding of the dynamics of news production in each single media organization.

The article shows the limitations of the 'indexing' hypothesis, an influential conceptualization ... more The article shows the limitations of the 'indexing' hypothesis, an influential conceptualization of state-press relations based on the notion that the media tend to reproduce the range of debate within political elites. The hypothesis, as confirmed by an international comparative investigation of the elite press coverage of 9/11 in the US, Italy, France, and Pakistan, cannot be applied outside the American context. The analysis finds that the variation in the levels of correlation between elite press coverage and governmental discourse are explained by previously neglected variables: national interest, national journalistic culture, and editorial policy within each media organization. The article argues that more international comparative research and multidisciplinary approaches are needed in order to renew old paradigms, especially at a time when the distinction between foreign and domestic politics is disappearing.

"Political Communications, International Communications, News Sociology, all claim to offer an ex... more "Political Communications, International Communications, News Sociology, all claim to offer an explanation for what shapes the news, but provide extremely different, if not contradictory suggestions. Political communications almost takes for granted the fact that official actors have a major role in shaping news stories at the national level. International Communications points at several possibilities: structural economic imbalances lead to unidirectional news flows from rich countries towards poor countries; globalization causes news to become homogenized on a worldwide scale; news is geared to the tastes of local audiences by national news producers. News sociology, instead, argues that the news product of each media organization is the unique output of patterns of social interactions among media professionals.
An international comparative study of the elite press framing of 9/11 in the US, Italy, France, and Pakistan reveals the limits of these approaches: none of them alone is able to explain the patterns of news contents that were detected in the empirical investigation.The analysis suggests that the content of press coverage in the newspapers under analysis is more effectively explained in terms of selection of newsworthy sources, guided by national interest, journalistic culture, and editorial policy. The study points to the benefit of adopting international comparative research designs and fundamentally argues that, if we want to explain news in the information age, we need to approach its study in a multidisciplinary perspective.
"

"The paper challenges the claim that an increasingly global media is creating a homogenisation of... more "The paper challenges the claim that an increasingly global media is creating a homogenisation of political discourses at the international level. In particular, it explores the extent to which the U.S. government managed to affect global perceptions of the War On Terrorism through the media in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 events.

The research starts from the consideration that the U.S. government created, through the repetition of consistent messages, a very specific interpretation of the 9/11 events (a War On Terrorism frame) and attempted to export it globally in order to support its own foreign policy objectives. The analysis then focuses on the comparison between the War On Terrorism frame as delivered by the U.S. government and its reproduction within both the political and media discourses in a range of local cases at the international level. They include the U.S., France, Italy and Pakistan.

The study questions current literature on globalization by drawing on political communications' framing theory. More in detail, it suggests first that there is no evidence of an on-going globalization of either political or media discourses; secondly that the local nation-state level plays a key role in understanding the mechanisms of frames' spreading at the global level; and thirdly that national culture is a major determinant in defining local political and media discourses' contents, even in presence of a strong persuasion attempt by a powerful international actor such as the U.S. government.
"

Book Chapters by Cristina Archetti

This chapter deals with the conceptual and theoretical problems of strategic communication litera... more This chapter deals with the conceptual and theoretical problems of strategic communication literature. They are illustrated through empirical examples ranging from the propaganda of terrorist groups to governmental measures aimed at a countering violent extremism (CVE), to foreign information-based threats (from Russia, for example) and the debate about responding to them. The analysis identifies three key limitations within current research and debate. The conclusions are twofold: while strategic communication has an important role in countering key threats to our society and thus deserves further study, it cannot be approached in isolation from the political and social context; although strategic communication is a useful tool in shaping reality, its power should not be exaggerated, especially in the context of increasing political polarization.

International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics , 2019

Journal of Medical Humanitites, 2018

International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, 2015

Journalism Studies, 2015

, 2012

Both in terrorism research and counterterrorism practitioners’ circles “narratives” are en vogue.... more Both in terrorism research and counterterrorism practitioners’ circles “narratives” are en vogue. The interest in narratives stems from the growing realization, in the post-9/11 context, that both terrorism and counterterrorism take place, beyond the material and military dimensions, in the realm of communication, perceptions and persuasion. The very idea of progress in counterterrorism, in fact, appears to be related to both establishing a credible narrative and damaging “their” narrative. Yet, despite the continuous repetition of the term, surprisingly little effort has gone into understanding the nature of narratives as well as their role in the phenomenon of contemporary extremism: What are narratives, exactly? How do they support—even supposedly drive—radicalism? This chapter aims to fill this gap by explaining the role of narratives in the political mobilization of terrorist groups within a globally interconnected media environment.

Populist Political Communication in Europe: Comprehending the Challenge of Mediated Political Populism for Democratic Politics, 2016

This chapter is part of a book dedicated to the memory of Professor Philip Taylor. It critically ... more This chapter is part of a book dedicated to the memory of Professor Philip Taylor. It critically reviews existing assessments about the role of media and communication technologies in the current phenomenon of international terrorism. It demonstrates that most approaches are based on either flawed assumptions or outdated theories. It makes the point that an explicit engagement with communication theory and media studies supports not only a greater understanding of the phenomenon in an age of interconnectedness, but could also inform more effective counterterrorism practice.

The paper advances the argument that creativity makes unique theoretical and methodological contr... more The paper advances the argument that creativity makes unique theoretical and methodological contributions to Political Communication. The analysis draws on the author's experience of using creative approaches, beside more "traditional" methods, to develop a new theoretical framework about the causes and political consequences of silence in the 21 st century. The model explains the mechanisms through which suffering and pain felt inside the body-through intermediate steps that involve, among others, the role of the media in the narrative construction of the body and the self-translate into silence, exclusion from public debate, and lack of political representation. It is based on empirical evidence provided by the case study of involuntary childlessness (i.e. childlessness not by choice). The discussion starts from outlining the shortcomings of a field of study that is heavily shaped-and limited-by a history of quantitative approaches and a (arbitrarily defined) standard of what is a "legitimate" topic of investigation. It then demonstrates the utility of creative approaches: first by briefly presenting the theoretical result they contributed to: a more comprehensive theory of silence than existing theories currently offer; second, by illustrating four key roles for creativity in the research process: a tool of investigation, engagement, reflexivity, social and political change. Excerpts of evocative writing, poetry, and links to the video of a performance lecture based on the study are integrated in the academic text, both as practical illustrations and as experiential "tasters" for the reader of the points presented.

Forming a family and having children constitutes an adulthood rite of passage, one of the tacitly... more Forming a family and having children constitutes an adulthood rite of passage, one of the tacitly assumed requirements of a fulfilled life. What happens, then, when the "family dream" does not materialize? This paper addresses the dark sides of the "family imperative" by focusing on representations of involuntary childlessness (i.e. childlessness not by choice) in film. It advances the argument that popular culture, far from being "mere entertainment" has an important role in wider processes of stigmatization, silencing and, as a result, exclusion of those who do not have a family. The analysis, which is informed by a broader study into the structure of silence surrounding childlessness, presents the findings of a comparative qualitative content analysis that examined the (troubling) representations of involuntary childless individuals in 50 films from Italy, Norway, the US. It discusses their far reaching cultural and political implications, making practical suggestions to counter their stigmatizing effects.

This paper develops a theoretical framework that explains the mechanisms through which suffering ... more This paper develops a theoretical framework that explains the mechanisms through which suffering and pain felt inside the body translate into silence, exclusion from public debate, and lack of political representation. This happens through intermediate steps that involve, among others, the role of the media in the narrative construction of the body and the self. This framework both combines and extends current explanations of silence that span sociolinguistic approaches, theories of stigma, the "spiral of silence," and the "sphere of deviance." It is developed on empirical evidence provided by the case study of involuntary childlessness (i.e. childlessness not by choice): even in the age of ubiquitous communication, despite affecting about 25% of the adult population of practically all developed countries, this issue is shrouded in taboo and seldom heard of. This leads to policy gaps, for instance, in dealing with the long-term trauma of infertility and lack of support for isolated childless individuals in their old age. The study combines in-depth interviews, content analysis of popular culture and a five-year ethnography. Its findings show the limitations of current theories, making the case for a more material, indeed embodied, approach to political communication.

This paper is about explaining political communication in an age of both extreme interconnectedne... more This paper is about explaining political communication in an age of both extreme interconnectedness and fragmentation. It argues that we cannot understand the political implications of the communication processes that saturate the world we inhabit unless we engage with the material and everyday micro-reality of a wider range of actors than " traditional " elected politicians and their organizations. The findings presented, based on 71 interviews conducted over the last six years, are part of a study aimed at explaining the communication practices of foreign diplomats and journalists across the UK, Norway and Somalia. The analysis shows the fruitfulness of addressing the social, material and spatial context of communication, beyond the conventional focus on the production, content and reception of messages. In doing so it takes on ambitious challenges: to question current approaches to the study of political communication, to problematize the very notion of what is " politics " in the digital age; to suggest new methodological avenues to explore connections and discontinuity within and beyond national borders.

Place matters a great deal in journalism, even in the era of the “death of geography.” Yet space ... more Place matters a great deal in journalism, even in the era of the “death of geography.” Yet space never produces effects through its existence alone. To understand the relevance of location beyond its most immediate assigned role of “logistic constraint” we must rework not only our understanding of journalism, but of the whole social world. This article presents a comparative analysis of foreign correspondents’ practices in London and Oslo. The foreign journalists’ experiences in the case studies are analytically dissected through the lens of Bruno Latour’s Actor Network Theory (ANT). The analysis shows the utility of the application of Latour’s framework to the study of international journalism in two respects. First by mapping how local practices—identities, newsgathering routines and story outputs—are relationally constructed through the interactions of social actors, technologies, and material infrastructures ANT provides an understanding of the role of location that transcends the merely physical and geographical dimensions. Second, by showing how situated practices are the outcomes of unique network configurations, ANT questions the validity of any generalized one-size-fits-all statements about the current state of foreign correspondence.

How are international relations constructed in an age of media ubiquity and globalization? How to... more How are international relations constructed in an age of media ubiquity and globalization? How to explain the way both official and non-official actors contribute every day to shaping international politics in an increasingly interconnected world? What is the link between, on the one hand, individual and local practice and, on the other hand, the transformation of international affairs? The paper presents the findings of an empirical study that takes up the challenges posed by the ‘practice turn’ in international relations. Based on the case study of the UK and over forty interviews, it focuses on the daily practices of two sets of actors who operate at the interface between the national and the international dimensions and who are in a privileged position to “construct” the UK—its image and discourses—to the eyes of publics abroad: foreign diplomats and foreign correspondents based in London. The findings demonstrate that, within an appropriate ontological framework, the study of micro-practice can successfully account for the way in which individual thinking processes, respective organizational perspectives, and appropriation of emerging communication technologies ultimately translate into change at the macro level of international relations.

The paper presents a new theoretical framework to explain terrorism in an age of interconnectedne... more The paper presents a new theoretical framework to explain terrorism in an age of interconnectedness and globalization. It argues that we cannot truly understand terrorism in the 21st century—let alone counter it effectively—unless we also understand the processes of communication that underpin it. In doing so the analysis raises questions about the very notion of violent extremism and the state of terrorism research.

"The idea that image and presentation are important in contemporary politics is almost obvious. Y... more "The idea that image and presentation are important in contemporary politics is almost obvious. Yet, despite the extensive anecdotal evidence, little rigorous academic research exists about it. Sociology, Fashion Studies, and Material Culture Studies, in fact, examine in-depth the social significance of dressing codes, but rarely focus on their political function. Political Communication literature, instead, analyzes the impacts of political actors’ communication (mainly their rhetoric and attempt at controlling “the message”) on the media and the public. Most research is couched in terms of the “mediatization” of politics. The latter is mostly approached through the narrow lens of political marketing, its connections to popular culture, and only marginally addresses the issue of aesthetic presentation.
This paper develops a multidisciplinary and international comparative approach that aims at fitting the visual aspects of political communication within the construction of political identity in contemporary societies. The study, more specifically, examines the role of image in the political domains that are most neglected by current political communication literature: local and supranational politics, as well as the daily routines of politicians rather than electoral high-times. On the basis of over 50 interviews, it compares the role of image in the daily political practices of both British and Italian local politicians and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), respectively based in West Yorkshire and the Lombardy region of Italy.
Ultimately the paper makes four contributions: it is a first step to mapping the mechanisms through which identity and political meaning are collectively constructed in contemporary politics; it both rejects the notion of “mediatization” and suggests a radically different alternative way of understanding the role of the media in politics; it demonstrates that current analyses really apply to the proverbial tip of the political iceberg, thereby showing the analytical benefits of bringing the “everyday” and the “individual” back into the study of Political Communication; it shows that the moralistic stand about the supposed deleterious effect of appearances (and image) on democratic politics—the dreaded “celebrity politics”—reflects more the narrowness of academic enquiry and the legacy of outdated models of politics-media relationships than the much vaster, variegated, and relational reality of contemporary politics."

"The paper challenges the widespread idea that, in an age of instantaneous and ubiquitously acces... more "The paper challenges the widespread idea that, in an age of instantaneous and ubiquitously accessible information, foreign correspondents are doomed to disappear.
The last study of foreign correspondents in the London hub was conducted by Morrison and Tumber 30 years ago. Based on a new study involving a range of in-depth interviews with foreign correspondents in the British capital, the paper reveals the “story behind their stories” and the changes that have occurred since then. It particularly focuses on the impact that advances in communication technologies have had on the correspondents’ professional identity, newsgathering routines, and news outputs.
The findings do not only contribute to a more nuanced and empirical understanding of the impact of media globalization on the practice of journalism. They also underline the increasingly important role of foreign correspondents as “sense makers” within the huge tide of information available. While foreign journalists have to a large extent always fulfilled the function of interpreters, they appear more needed than ever in an increasingly interdependent world. They are also developing novel ways of reporting. Indeed, the experience of the London foreign journalists reveals that we are not only living through a period of transformation of foreign correspondence. The analysis suggests that, rather than a “crisis” of foreign correspondence, we could perhaps be witnessing its renaissance."

Foreign correspondents shape the image of a country to the eyes of foreign audiences every day th... more Foreign correspondents shape the image of a country to the eyes of foreign audiences every day through their reporting. Despite this, their role tends to be neglected by both policy-makers and researchers.
By focusing on the UK as a case study, this paper addresses a gap in public diplomacy literature by illuminating the communication processes through which narratives of power and identity are both constructed and projected to foreign publics through journalists. It is based on interviews with foreign correspondents in London and the International Media Officers at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The study analyzed, on the one hand, the impact of new media on the correspondents’ reporting routines, particularly on their micro-interactions with sources, editors, members of the public, and other journalists. It also focused on the effects that such interactions—spanning face-to-face real world contacts and virtual exchanges—have on the stories they produce. On the other hand it compared the “theory” of dealing with foreign correspondents in public diplomacy official reports to the practice of the International Media Officers.
The paper points to the benefits of developing a research agenda that brings together international communications, news sociology, and international relations. This can help overcome the outdated conceptualizations of public diplomacy that revolve around the idea of “sending a message” and support, instead, forms of engagement fit for the twenty-first century.

Based on a range of interviews with foreign diplomats in London, the paper explains the considera... more Based on a range of interviews with foreign diplomats in London, the paper explains the considerable variation in the way communication technologies both affect diplomatic practices and are appropriated by diplomats to pursue the respective countries’ information gathering and outreach objectives. The study shows that London, as an information environment, is experienced differently by each of the diplomats and embassy actors. The analysis elaborates an explanatory model of the “communication behaviour” of foreign diplomats in London based on an evolutionary analogy: foreign diplomats in the context of the British capital, within their respective embassy organizations, can each be compared to the members of a species attempting to survive in a natural environment. The nuances highlighted by the model challenge the largely homogeneous and generalized nature of current debates about media and diplomacy, as well as public diplomacy.

More than a military confrontation, the fight against terrorism is being played in the realm of c... more More than a military confrontation, the fight against terrorism is being played in the realm of communication and it involves ideas, values, and perceptions. Official counterterrorism documents and research on radicalization identify a terrorist narrative being strategically deployed by al-Qaida to fuel extremism and attract new recruits. In this context some suggest that the most effective way for Western democracies to counter terrorism is by developing a credible counter-narrative. The article develops the argument that the concept of narrative is more complex than a simple story. It can be useful in understanding the way strategic narratives, while promoted by specific actors to achieve desired objectives, keep on existing through a collective construction and re-telling process. A strategic narrative can be conceptualized for analytical purposes as a brand, particularly in terms of measuring the extent to which the narrative varies across countries and terrorist groups, over time, and in the mind of audiences. A greater understanding of the social construction of strategic narratives can inform a better assessment of what is feasible in the war of ideas against al-Qaida.

This paper argues that the concept of narrative is essential to understanding of the process thro... more This paper argues that the concept of narrative is essential to understanding of the process through which individuals develop extremist views and become engaged in terrorist activities (radicalization). The narrative concept, in fact, can help bridging explanatory approaches to extremism that are currently developed in different branches of the terrorism literature.

Despite the growing number of references to networks (eg network society, terrorist networks, adv... more Despite the growing number of references to networks (eg network society, terrorist networks, advocacy networks, netwars) in the literature of international studies there have relatively been few attempts to apply the techniques or theories of social network analysis. This paper argues for the potential of systematic network approaches for the development of our understanding of the role of communications in international relations. Network approaches offer strategies for mapping and analysis of the evolving communications dimension within world politics but they also offer new options for the analysis of central issues of power and identity.

Studies of the news media in international affairs have demonstrated that national news organizat... more Studies of the news media in international affairs have demonstrated that national news organizations tend to follow the lead of national governments in reporting international events. On the other hand arguments have been made about the way media globalization is leading to a worldwide homogenization of journalistic practices and news reports. This paper presents results from an innovative analysis of Coalition news management activities during the Major Combat Operations phase of the 2003 conflict in Iraq. Using data from briefings and press conferences including the agendas and framings used by politicians, briefers and journalists the study tracks the dynamics of news management across a four weeks period. The study concentrates on the news production process and the exchanges between officials and both national and foreign journalists. The data is broken down across briefing locations allowing comparison of US, UK and theatre-of-war venues. The analysis suggests continuities with earlier conflicts in the tendency of journalists to reflect distinctive national priorities and framings of the situation. It also suggests, however, that journalists‘ access to an international range of external information sources undermined the ability of news managers to control agendas and framings and forced them into a reactive mode. This suggests the weakening of states ability to use the control of information as a source of news management and the importance of the development of non-linear models of news if we are to understand the impact of the news media in 21st century international affairs.

The report argues that, in the post-9/11 world, managing the imagined threat of terrorism is as m... more The report argues that, in the post-9/11 world, managing the imagined threat of terrorism is as much, if not more, important than dealing with its real threat. This is not only due to the peculiar nature of the global War On Terror, a struggle for “hearts and minds” and for the moral high ground, but also to the relevance of perceptions within an increasingly media-saturated international environment. Starting from the analysis of the government/media interactions in a range of terrorist alerts in the UK, the report identifies a series of problem areas in successfully countering the imagined threat. They not only apply to the UK, but to the whole Euro-Atlantic context and span from defining (framing) the threat in “manageable” terms to approaching the media as a different kind of actor than normally regarded by politicians. The research suggests that, if these problems are not addressed, they could not only contribute to a heightened sense of society’s vulnerability, but also to a weakening of trust in authorities and the information they provide the public with. This would, in turn, erode our democratic institutions and ultimately raise the question of whether we can really win the war on terrorism.

While “strategic communication” and “narratives” are advocated by many as essential weapons in co... more While “strategic communication” and “narratives” are advocated by many as essential weapons in countering extremism, very few seem to truly understand the reality of the digital-age information environment where such tools need to be deployed.
This piece briefly draws a map to overcome current gaps on the way to more effective counterterrorism: first it examines the limitations of current approaches; second it presents an explanation of narratives as socially constructed; finally it outlines some practical “lessons.”

This submission addresses the role of new media (the internet and social media) and international... more This submission addresses the role of new media (the internet and social media) and international news in the delivery of the UK’s soft power.

LS13 is a snapshot of a generation of emerging writers working or living in Leeds today. The sel... more LS13 is a snapshot of a generation of emerging writers working or living in Leeds today. The selection is diverse – from sea shanties about Clarence Dock to science fiction, social realism, concrete poetry, magic realism, flash fiction, a crime novel, rocket builders, dreamers, monsters and ice men – these are stories from Leeds, in Leeds and outside of Leeds, from the pens and imaginations of LS13's ‘20 under 40’.

This book is a study of the way the image of the UK is constructed to the eyes of foreign audienc... more This book is a study of the way the image of the UK is constructed to the eyes of foreign audiences through the stories written by foreign correspondents in London, the practice of diplomats, and the narratives projected by national political actors.

This book is designed to be a one-stop-shop book for students, teachers and practitioners to unde... more This book is designed to be a one-stop-shop book for students, teachers and practitioners to understand the relationship between media and extremism.

The blog post uses the case study of the terrorist plot uncovered in Birmingham, UK, in February... more The blog post uses the case study of the terrorist plot uncovered in Birmingham, UK, in February 2013 to question the widespread idea that the internet is responsible for "home grown" radicalisation.

Im Netz sind Nachrichten aus jedem Winkel der Erde verfügbar. Wer braucht da noch Auslandskorresp... more Im Netz sind Nachrichten aus jedem Winkel der Erde verfügbar. Wer braucht da noch Auslandskorrespondenten? Eine Studie über ausländische Journalisten in London versucht Antworten zu geben.

Ten years after its most devastating attack, al-Qaeda has turned into a franchiser, publisher, an... more Ten years after its most devastating attack, al-Qaeda has turned into a franchiser, publisher, and occasional climate-change activist. Can the world’s most deadly terrorist group go mainstream and keep its edge?

We cannot truly understand terrorist--let alone counter it effectively--unless we also make sense... more We cannot truly understand terrorist--let alone counter it effectively--unless we also make sense of the communication processes that take place in an interconnected an globalized world. This talk challenges widespread claims about the role of the media in radicalization and the spreading of extremism.

What is the impact of the advent of global and instantaneous media on diplomatic practice? How do... more What is the impact of the advent of global and instantaneous media on diplomatic practice? How do foreign diplomats use communication technologies--perhaps even social media like Facebook and Twitter--to engage foreign audiences? In this talk I will present the findings from a recent study in which I interviewed foreign diplomats in London. The results of my analysis suggest that there is no one-size fits all when it comes to define the most effective communication strategy for each diplomatic actor. Strategies, in fact, are not just shaped by existing interests and communication tools available, but by an adaptation to the broader political, social and media context...