Comparing international television news : the case of violence presentation in Germany, Great Britain and Russia -- [in German : Gewalt in internationalen Fernsehnachrichten - eine komparative Analyse medialer Gewaltpräsentation in Deutschland, Großbritannien und Russland]

This is an important book that ought to launch a debate about how we research our understanding of the world, it is an innovative intervention in a vital public issue, and it is an elegant and scholarly hard look at what is actually happening. Jean Seaton, Prof of Media History, U of Westminster, UK & Official Historian of the BBC -- Summary: This book investigates the question of how comparative studies of international TV news (here: on violence presentation) can best be conceptualized in a way that allows for crossnational, comparative conclusions on an empirically validated basis. This book shows that such a conceptualization is necessary in order to overcome existing restrictions in the comparability of international analysis on violence presentation. Investigated examples include the most watched news bulletins in Great Britain (10o'clock news on the BBC), Germany (Tagesschau on ARD) and Russia (Vremja on Channel 1). This book highlights a substantial cross-national violence news flow as well as a cross-national visual violence flow (key visuals) as distinct transnational components. In addition, event-related textual analysis reveals how the historical rootedness of nations and its symbols of power are still manifested in televisual mediations of violence. In conclusion, this study lobbies for a conscientious use of comparative data/analysis both in journalism research and practice in order to understand what it may convey in the different arenas of today’s newsmaking.

Zur kognitiven Konstruktion von (Un-)Gerechtigkeit militärischer Gewalt: Die moralische Beurteilung des Kosovo-Kriegs

With reference to the Kosovo war, we examined how the (un-)justness of military intervention is cognitively constructed. Four types of reinterpretation were hypothesized to relate to positive evaluation of the intervention: minimisation of negative consequences of NATO's intervention, denial of responsibility of the Western countries for the war, blame of Yugoslavia, and justification of the intervention through positive motives. As determinants of evaluation of the war, belief in a just world, militarism-pacifism, authoritarianism, and diffuse political support were taken into account. Hypotheses were tested with 165 university students using structural equation modelling. Consistent with our assumptions, the four types of reinterpretation related strongly to positive evaluation of the intervention, showing their relevance with regard to military intervention. Further, the assessed political attitudes influenced evaluation of the war while, contrary to predictions, belief in a just world did not. The causal status of the reinterpretations and the interplay of belief in a just world and political attitudes are discussed.

Zur Bedeutung von Strafe im Kontext struktureller Gewalt : Weibliche und männliche Erfahrungen in der Sozialisation

Bestrafungen gehören seit „Erfindung“ der Kindheit zu einem wesentlichen Bestandteil der Kindererziehung bis heute. Bestraft werden sowohl Jungen als auch Mädchen, wenn auch für unterschiedliche Taten. Zwar ist z.B. in der jüngeren Geschichte die körperliche Gewalt in der Schule verschwunden und seit kurzem auch zumindest formell im Elternhaus, dennoch werden Kinder immer noch bestraft. Alle Menschen haben als Kinder Strafen am eigenen Leibe und/oder in der eigenen Seele zu spüren bekommen oder waren zumindest Zeugen derselben. Wie also lernen Jungen und Mädchen mit Strafen umzugehen, sie anzunehmen oder sich in bestimmten Fällen zu distanzieren, ohne sie als solche infrage zu stellen? Und welche gesellschaftlichen Regelungen werden über Strafe vermittelt? Diesen Fragen geht die Autorin mit Hilfe der qualitativen empirischen Forschungsmethode der Erinnerungsarbeit (nach Frigga Haug 1990) nach.