scholarly journals Advocate, Copycatting or Simply Pragmatic: Reconceptualising Contemporary 'Marginal' Journalism(s)

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-58
Author(s):  
Daniel H. Mutibwa

Journalism(s) at the margins have often been perceived to focus exclusively on public service obligations.The motivation for this lies in the inability and/or unwillingness of mainstream public service and commercialmedia to provide a range of civic programming that caters to the needs and interests of diverse groupsin society. This research, however, shows that evolving socio-political and socio-economic circumstanceshave had a considerable impact on contemporary marginal journalism(s). Whilst a commitment to publicservicegoals remains perceptible, this article makes two key arguments. First, the changing conditionsin which journalists at the margins operate increasingly compel them to embrace mechanised journalisticroutines associated with mainstream media, thereby compromising their public-service function. Secondand following on from the first point, marginal journalism(s) have devised innovative media strategies tocope with the evolving circumstances in a manner reminiscent of the concept of the “third sector”. Thisevidence – based on data gathered through ethnographic research at three selected case study organisations- provides us with an enhanced understanding of current trends in this field. The article highlightsthese developments and in doing so, makes a contribution to the development of a conceptual frameworkof contemporary marginal journalism(s).

2020 ◽  
pp. 026101831989817
Author(s):  
Lindsey Garratt ◽  
Bridget Byrne ◽  
Bethan Harries ◽  
Andrew Smith

This article engages with the shift towards an emphasis on ‘resilience’ in local government discourses. Using the London Borough of Newham as a case study, it will argue that contradictory definitions of the term have, until recently, been used to justify the erosion of the third sector in the borough, specifically groups who support religious and linguistic minorities. Interviews and documentary analysis are used to consider how the concept of resilience had a racializing effect in this borough, and we argue that as a facet of policy resilience risks treating plurality as a threat rather than a strength. This is highlighted through an examination of how the third sector was characterised as retarding individuals’ resilience and promoting ‘ethno-centrism’ in official resilience discourse. We offer three distinctive insights on the problem of resilience as a feature of policy, firstly, that resilience has a symbolic power that makes it difficult to securitize; secondly, resilience discourses risk instituting racism within policy; and thirdly, that resilience is built against collective forms of resistance and is therefore incapable of harnessing the resources and capacities of local populations. To conclude, we discuss the evolving political situation in the borough and the demise of the administration promoting resilience, through collective forms of resistance.


Author(s):  
Ichiro Tsukamoto ◽  
Mariko Nishimura

The aim of this research is to examine and compare the shifting relationships between third sector organizations and local government under the current public service reforms in Japan and the UK. In both cases, institutional isomorphic tendency amongst third sector organizations can be found. However, in the case of UK, more formalized partnership frameworks set by central government as well as contractual relationships has an impact on this tendency. Contrastingly, Japan partnerships tend to be individualized. In this regard, the contracting framework seems to have more impact on behavior of the third sector organizations than partnership frameworks. In addition, the aspect of co-governance of the third sector organizations has been less developed than in the third sector in the UK. This affinity seems to be associated with the lack of sense of identity as a sector and also the lack of strong third sector organizations.


2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin C. Williams

Attempts to harness community self-help currently tend to follow the ‘third sector’ route of developing existing community-based groups. The aim of this paper is to evaluate critically this approach. Drawing upon case study evidence from rural England, existing community-based groups are displayed to be primarily sociability vehicles for higher-income populations. In consequence, if community self-help is to be harnessed to improve the material circumstances of lower-income populations, a ‘third sector’ approach is inappropriate. Instead, a ‘fourth sector’ approach is shown to be required that develops acts of one-to-one reciprocity. The paper concludes by outlining some possible initiatives to implement this policy approach.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Maria Mazzanti ◽  
Giulio Ecchia ◽  
Tamami Komatsu

Purpose The third sector is a producer of trust and positive social interactions, while the mafias destroy trust and social norms. Confiscation of assets and reusing confiscated assets are important tools from an economic and symbolic point of view for contrasting the mafias and promoting a sustainable and fair economy. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of the third sector for reusing confiscated assets. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a theoretical analysis of why a third sector role is utilized for reusing confiscated assets, thus focusing on the economic, social and cultural dimensions. Italian legislation and data are presented for showing the relevant and innovative role of the third sector for reusing confiscated assets. A case study of the city of Forlì, based in Northern Italy, is presented and is of particular interest because it is a part of Italy that does not have a historical presence of the mafias. The University of Bologna is now a partner of the project through the Observatory of Legality. Five hectares of confiscated, urban land have been given to two social cooperatives for organic agriculture and social gardening, which are managed by disadvantaged people working in the cooperatives. Findings The case study offers useful implications for other national and international situations. The results support that the third sector can be an effective partner in managing and restoring the goods to their community. Research limitations/implications A suggested focus on a European framework toward a more integrated approach for reusing confiscated assets. Practical implications An opportunity for policy decisions to be made toward a stronger approach for reusing confiscated assets via the third sector and civil society actors, starting from positive cases, such as the Forlì case study. Social implications Possibility of a stronger civic engagement for reusing confiscated assets previously owned by mafias. Originality/value Scaling up from a pioneering activity to a large-scale network of social enterprises and partnerships could make the difference.


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