Catalan Journal of Communication & Cultural Studies - Volume 3, Issue 1, 2011

This article clarifies the applicability of the cyber-campaign concept to the Spanish 2008 general elections in the light of data from two surveys of Internet use for political purposes during the elections, namely, of general and of intensive Internet users. Our results are compared with patterns of political use of the Internet in Spain and other countries. Findings reveal poor use of the political resources available online (not explained only by a comparatively lower Internet-adoption rate) and a multimedia political information consumption pattern even among intensive Internet users in which the most interactive devices have the least importance. These results are explained by an imbalance between demand for online political action during elections and the technology and content offered by political actors over the Internet.

This article presents some preliminary conclusions on the use of information society technologies (IST) as communication tools in Catalan museums, drawn from a research project that was undertaken jointly by the University of Manchester and the Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona. The general aim of the project was to widen the understanding of the specific usefulness of technology for exhibitions. We evaluated an exhibition in the United Kingdom and a second exhibition in Catalonia, by interviewing staff, observing and interviewing visitors and holding a round table discussion with museum experts. The general conclusion was that the integration of technological applications might ultimately depend on the museological tradition of the country, which influences the use and perceptions of technologies. The article also describes empirical data for Catalonia and guidelines for future applications.

Our research focuses on a satirical political television programme called Polnia¹ broadcast on a public Catalan channel. Infotainment is a controversial subject in academic circles. After an academic review of the civic effects of the television satire on the general public, we provide data on infotainment in terms of its effects on the general public's understandings of Catalan and Spanish politics and politicians. Our study reflects viewers' understandings of Polnia and adds to the data on trends in European television. Two surveys and two focus groups were organized, involving a total of 1985 people with different social, political and viewing profiles. The results confirm the influence of infotainment in generating changes in peoples' perceptions of politics. There is a general agreement among the participants that the programme affects neither the voting turnout nor voting patterns. The results suggest that Polnia could reinforce the previous political malaise.

In postmodernist fiction and new journalism, parody is used to combat the manipulation of classical literary and journalistic genres, based on objectivism as a commonplace, which usually impose an unequivocal vision of facts preventing any kind of dissidence. This shrewd control of language, revealed in clich use, also characterizes political discourse. Parody has been studied in Quim Monz's fiction and non-fiction, but not in his radio and television shows. The aim of this article is to examine parody in the radio show Articles que no farem/Articles we won't write (20052006), where Monz imitates the trite style of archetypal columnists issuing banal opinions on society, culture and politics. Rather than express original ideas, they merely strengthen mainstream ideas using commonplaces. Monz's parody mainly operates through the manipulation of individuals and their column titles; he also uses humoristic devices such as paronomasia and comparison. As a complement to previous research into Monz's journalism, it will help us understand his conception of columns and of the mainstream ideas he humorously censures, particularly political correctness.

This article surveys how advertising language narrates nature, beginning with a review of the principal studies that have discussed the relationship between nature and advertising, often neglected by cultural studies. Applying an existing Floch model and the heuristic tools of narrative semiotics, four prototypes of nature are established and illustrated according to representations and associated values. How we relate to nature is mediated by how it is treated in the media. There is no essential and immutable signifier of nature, but as many uses and forms as there are narratives around it. The more the return to nature is discussed, the further we move from the natural world. This is one of the principal paradoxes constituting the cultural universe of late capitalism that burdens the individual with responsibility for recovering nature on an individual scale. This new way of relating to nature has a privileged screen for viewing and analysis in promotional culture.

The article analyses the main characteristics of scientific production in the communication sciences by Catalan authors during the years 20072009. Bibliometric techniques were used to observe institutional productivity, publication patterns, collaboration dynamics (intra- and inter-institutional) and journal consumption. The study is based on articles by authors attached to Catalan universities, companies and institutions and published in any of the sixteen main Spanish communication journals or in publications listed in the communication section of the Social Sciences Citation Index. Results reveal two different patterns of behaviour, depending on whether a Catalan researcher publishes in a Spanish or international journal.

David L. Altheide is a sociology professor at Arizona State University. His main research interest is the role of the mass media in the dissemination of discourses on fear and risk to control the population. The following interview, which was held at the beginning of October 2010 at the opening ceremony for the Master's in Political, Institutional and Corporate Communication in Crisis and Risk Environments offered by Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona, Spain), is a summary of his theories on fear and risk discourse and the roles played by journalists and researchers.

This is the speech delivered by Joaquim Maria Puyal i Ortiga when, at the proposal of the Department of Communication, he was awarded an honorary degree by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili on 2 March 2010 in the university's auditorium. In the speech, he reflects on rhythm and tone as communication tools. He makes particular reference to sports broadcasts but what he says is generally applicable to all forms of communication. He also makes an emotional review of his professional career as a journalist and media analyst.

NATIONAL DAYS: CONSTRUCTING AND MOBILISING NATIONAL IDENTITY, DAVID McCRONE AND GAYLE McPHERSON (EDS) (2009) Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 232xiv pp., ISBN-13: 978-0-230-23661-5, Hardback, 60

CATALONIA. NATIONAL IDENTITY AND CULTURAL POLICY 19802003, KATHRYN CRAMERI (2008) Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 229 pp., ISBN 978-0-7083-2013-6, Hardback, 75.00

EL DISCURSO TELEVISIVO SOBRE LA INMIGRACIN. FICCIN Y CONSTRUCCIN DE IDENTIDAD, CHARO LACALLE (2008) Barcelona: Ediciones Omega, 147 pp., ISBN 978-84-282-1505-3, Paperback, 40.00

L'ESPECTRE DEL TRIPARTIT. COMUNICACI POLTICA I COMPORTAMENT ELECTORAL A LES ELECCIONS CATALANES DEL 2006, JORDI PERICOT AND ARANTXA CAPDEVILA (EDS) (2009) Barcelona: UNICA, 226 pp., ISBN 978-84-92707-04-1, Paperback, 26.00

THE NATION ON SCREEN. DISCOURSES OF THE NATIONAL ON GLOBAL TELEVISION, ENRIC CASTELL, ALEXANDER DHOEST AND HUGH O'DONNELL (EDS) (2009) Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 345 pp., ISBN (10): 1-4438-0614-5, Hardback, $76.99

HISTORIAS DE LA PEQUEA PANTALLA. REPRESENTACIONES HISTRICAS EN LA TELEVISIN DE LA ESPAA DEMOCRTICA, FRANCISCA LPEZ, ELENA CUETO ASN AND DAVID R. GEORGE, JR. (EDS) (2009) Madrid-Frankfurt-am-Main: Iberoamericana-Vervuert, 321 pp., ISBN 978-84-8480-462-9; 978-3-86527-487-8, Paperback, 28.00

INFORME DE LA COMUNICACI A CATALUNYA 20072008, MIQUEL DE MORAGAS, ISABEL FERNNDEZ ALONSO, NRIA ALMIRN, JOS JOAQUN BLASCO GIL, JOAN M. CORBELLA CORDOM, MARTA CIVIL I SERRA AND ORIOL GILBERT I FORTUNY (2009) Bellaterra: InCom (Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona), 400 pp., ISBN 978-84-393-8063-4, Paperback, 35.00