“Radio Activity”

The Role of Technical Objects and Agency for Participatory Practices of Radio Communication

Nele Heise, M. A.

Doctoral ColloquiumGraduate School Media and Communication

April 16, 2013 | Hamburg

Outline

1. My background

2. The emergence of my dissertation project

3. Research Object(s) of my project

4. Principles and Case Studies of my project

5. Next steps & added value

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•Home discipline: Communication Science (qualitative research)

•Junior researcher at the Hans Bredow Institute for 2.5 years within a DFG-funded research project (2011-2014), i.e. great work conditions but few time for my dissertation project

•Main focus: relationship of journalism and audience

My background

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My initial starting point

Emergence of my dissertation project

The idea of an“Active Audience”

Has for long been an important reference within scholarly discourses “participatory turn” due to advent of Web 2.0 and social media?

Facets of “Audience Activity”(Cognitive) processes of selection and interpretation of media content (e.g. uses & grats, encoding/decoding)Practice orientation: Usage of interactive / feedback features and produsage / prosumption (Bruns 2007)

A conceptual gap? the role of technology for “audience

activity”

Role of Technology for reception and production on the levels of Access [presence], Interaction [socio-communicative relationships] and Participation [co-deciding] AIP model (Carpentier 2011)

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(Techn.) Artifact Agency

Medium Practice

Active Role of ICT Users Appropriation of (media) technology (e.g.

Domestication approach)Social Construction/Shaping of Technology

Active Interpretation and familiarization (Sarrica 2010)

(Active) use of participatory features and its preconditions

Motivation, self-esteem, attitudes, technology acceptance as well as skills and

competence (e.g. Hujanen/Pietikäinen 2004; King/He 2006; Correa 2010)

Media characteristicsMedia affordances (e.g. Zillien 2008, Hepp 2012) as well as design, functionality, purpose

Interactivity and interactive features (e.g. Chung 2007/2008; Himelboim/ McCreery 2012)

Media arrangementsMedia repertoires (Hasebrink/ Domeyer 2012)

Media HistoriesEmergence, continuities & variations as well as diffusion of media artifacts, genres, formats (e.g. “personal media”, Lüders 2008)

(Dis-) Advantage: Intersection of diverse theoretical concepts and disciplines

Texto-material perspective: intersection of practices of content creation and interpretation as well as appropriation and shaping of artifacts (Siles/Boczkowski 2012)

Emergence of my dissertation project

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Important Step“Narrowing” the Research Object

III

III Practice dimension

IV

IV Medium dimension

I

I Artifactual dimension

II

II Agency dimension

What role do (arrangements of) technical objects and their affordances

as well as technical skills and competence

play forparticipatory practices

of radio communication?

Overarching RQ of my project

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Why “radio communication”?

Research Object(s) of my project

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the “flexible” medium many definitions, formats, genres, theories; “universal usability”

the “participatory” mediumlong history of listener involvement (e.g. talk radio) and participation models (e.g. community radio) due to low access barriers; mental involvement

the “ubiquitous” medium extensive and stable usage; multiple reception devices (offline, online, mobile)

the “forgotten” medium “seamlessness” of usage, “invisibility”;lack of empirical research (in Germany)

A (preliminary) definition of “radio communication”

Radio communication includes the (frequent) practices of production and reception of audio material or content which is distributed through various channels (terrestrial and/or online, simulcast) and devices.

Radio communication includes a broad variety of traditional and emerging formats (e.g. Hörfunk, web radio, Social Radio).

Radio communication is characterized by “multiple layers of radio contexts” (Vagle 2011: 96): natural order (human biology, technologies as well as physical time and place), structural agents of social nature (e.g. political/economic system, social groups and institutions) as well as cultural (inventory of genres) and situational contexts.

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Research Object(s) of my project

General approach of my dissertation project

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Overall assumption Different types of “radio communication” enable or facilitate different participatory practices of “doing radio” which require different (arrangements of) technologies and technical agency

Research Principles Based on case studies (Yin 2009) Pro’s: flexibility (methods, data material), “thick” descriptions, context sensitivity Con’s: scope and generalization of results; justification

Variation of perspectives, search for similarities & structural relations (Kleining 1995, Hagemann 2003, Krotz 2005)

Research Goal Conceptual mapping and description of different cases of contemporary “radio communication”

Systematization and extension of existing theories (dimensions: artifactual, medium, agency, practice)

Case studies of my dissertation project

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Amateur / Ham Radio

Community Radio

“Classical” Radio Stations

Web Radio Stations

Podcasts / Podcasting

Actors [media organizations, communities, individuals]

Professionalization [amateurs, Pro-Ams, journalists]

Other: features of audience involvement, economic structure, reach/publicity, frequency, “sense of mission”

Technical infrastructure [terrestrial and/or online distribution]

Institutionalization [independence vs. “embeddedness”]

Content [program structure, topicality, target group etc.]

Regional context: Hamburg

Case studies of my dissertation project

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Amateur Darc e.V.

Community Tide / FSK

“Classical” N-Joy

Web Radio ByteFM

PodcastingH.P.C.

Group discussion / focus group

Participatory observation (meetings, workshops etc.)

In-depth-Interviews

Standardized surveys

Feature Analyses and “home” visits (technical objects & arrangement)

* Concrete methodology also relies on field access (+ study group) & previous research/knowledge

*

Current status of my dissertation project

Literature review Main areas: concepts of participation, technological change, appropriation and shaping of technology

“Defining” my field Step 1: role of technological objects in the relation between journalism and audience (ICA 2013)Step 2: selecting relevant case studies with regard to previous knowledge and assumptions

“Entering” the field Empirical field research on five case studies Starting point (05/13): Podcasting Workshop in Berlin

Next steps

First steps

“Entering” the PhD Decision 1: cumulative vs. conventional dissertation?Decision 2: status of empirical work and theory?Decision 3: ECREA Summer School in Bremen?

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Added value

Descriptive examination of emerging and differentiating media formats deeper understanding of motivations of active audience members and dimensions of media related technical agency

Normative democratic value of participatory practices (e.g. for opinion formation and diversity) emancipatory potential of participatory practices (e.g. empowerment of minorities)

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Supportive technology-related barriers of participation (e.g. in journalism) and inequalities (due to gender, education, access etc.) recommendations for media education

Thanks for your attention!

Nele Heise, M. A.

Hans Bredow InstituteWarburgstraße 8-10

20354 Hamburg/Germanyn.heise@hans-bredow-institut.de

@neleheisehttp://de.slideshare.net/garneleh

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References

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