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Media, Communication and the Struggle for Democratic Change

Case Studies on Contested Transitions

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Theorizes democratization within a communication framework
  • Explains normative dilemmas of journalism and media outside established western democracies
  • Provides guidance for practitioners of media development working in conflict zones

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Table of contents (12 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
  2. Mediating Democratization Conflicts: Communication Technologies, Journalism and Normative Ambiguities

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 33-33
    2. Media, Power, Citizenship: The Mediatization of Democratic Change

      • Katrin Voltmer, Lone Sorensen
      Pages 35-58
    3. Peace, But at What Cost? Media Coverage of Elections and Conflict in Kenya

      • Nic Cheeseman, Jacinta Maweu, Seth Ouma
      Pages 83-105
  3. Mobilizing Participation: Civil Society, Activism and Political Parties

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 107-107
  4. Communicating Power: Institution Building, Strategic Communication and Accountability

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 183-183
    2. Communicating Power and Resistance in Democratic Decline: The 2015 Smear Campaign against Serbia’s Ombudsman

      • Nebojša Vladisavljević, Aleksandra Krstić, Jovica Pavlović
      Pages 205-228
  5. International Perspectives

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 255-255
    2. The Participation Approach in Media Development Cooperation

      • Ines Drefs, Barbara Thomass
      Pages 257-279
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 297-305

About this book

This book investigates the role of media and communication in processes of democratization in different political and cultural contexts. Struggles for democratic change are periods of intense contest over the transformation of citizenship and the reconfiguration of political power. These democratization conflicts are played out within an increasingly complex media ecology where traditional modes of communication merge with new digital networks, thus bringing about multiple platforms for journalists and political actors to promote and contest competing definitions of reality. The volume draws on extensive case study research in South Africa, Kenya, Egypt and Serbia to highlight the ambivalent role of the media as force for democratic change, citizen empowerment, and accountability, as well as driver of polarization, radicalization and manipulation.

Editors and Affiliations

  • University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Katrin Voltmer

  • Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Christian Christensen

  • University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Irene Neverla

  • University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Nicole Stremlau

  • Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Barbara Thomass

  • University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Nebojša Vladisavljević

  • University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Herman Wasserman

About the editors

Katrin Voltmer is Professor of Communication and Democracy at the University of Leeds, UK. 

Christian Christensen is Professor of Journalism at Stockholm University, Sweden.


Nicole Stremlau is Research Professor in the Humanities at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa and Head of the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy, Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, at the University of Oxford, UK.


Irene Neverla is Professor Emerita at the Institute of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Hamburg, Germany.


Barbara Thomass is Professor for International Comparison of Media Systems at the Ruhr-University of Bochum, Germany.


Nebojša Vladisavljević is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade, Serbia.


Herman Wasserman is Professor of Media Studies and Director of the Centre for Film and Media Studies, University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Media, Communication and the Struggle for Democratic Change

  • Book Subtitle: Case Studies on Contested Transitions

  • Editors: Katrin Voltmer, Christian Christensen, Irene Neverla, Nicole Stremlau, Barbara Thomass, Nebojša Vladisavljević, Herman Wasserman

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16748-6

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-16747-9Published: 06 September 2019

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-16750-9Published: 06 September 2020

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-16748-6Published: 28 August 2019

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVII, 305

  • Number of Illustrations: 12 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Media and Communication, Political Communication, Cultural Policy and Politics, Development Communication

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access