Ecology of Communication: the toxicity factors in media

The paper raises the problem of media ecology. The concept of media ecology is considered from the standpoint of post-nonclassical rationality: the object of research is viewed as a system that unifies communicants, their communities and the information environment within the framework of ongoing interactions, which, in turn, affect all elements of the ecosystem. The authors analyze socio-cultural changes caused by media influence and give the interpretation of the manifestations of media toxicity through five components of communication (toxicity factors): (1) subject; (2) sign code; (3) content; (4) method and (5) discourse background. The experimental base of the research is represented by a lexical-semantic analysis of materials from print and electronic media and students' essays (n>300), an associative experiment conducted with students of the direction of training “Advertising and public relations” (Moscow and St. Petersburg, n> 200). At the end the authors share the experience of holding a scientific conference dedicated to the discussed problem as an optimal format for involving students in the problems of the ecology of media communication.

A web e o Twitter como difusores do populismo nas trincheiras on-line do Brasil e dos Estados Unidos

Neste século, um ecossistema de mídia permeado de polarizações remete a um possível cenário de guerra informacional, em que conceitos de jornalismo, notícia e opinião estão (con)fundidos nas possibilidades da existência on- line, o que é bastante favorável aos animadores do populismo e aos interesses da Big Tech. Nesse contexto, a violência emerge do discurso de líderes como Bolsonaro e Trump, os quais se utilizam das redes sociais, como o Twitter, para difundir opiniões de impacto e amplo alcance. Esta rede, por vez, em muitas situações, se mostra conivente, em alguns casos, e extremamente rígida, em outros. Para demonstrar isso e buscar comprovar nossa hipótese, tomaremos para análise notícias de web mídia, tweets das contas dos presidentes mencionados e as políticas de remoção/censura de conteúdo do Twitter, considerando os cenários Brasil e EUA, relativos, respectivamente, às crises do agravamento da pandemia no país, especificamente no estado do Amazonas; e à ocupação do Capitólio, em Washington DC, ambas ocorridas no início de 2021, para as quais olharemos sob o conceito de media ecology (STRATE et. al., 2019).

Maskinkroppens gräns

Boundaries of the Machine Body: Violence, Immunity and Media Assemblages in The Last of Us This article examines the portrayal of bodily boundaries in the videogame series The Last of Us. Drawing on theories of media ecology and posthumanism (most notably Deer’s notion of radical animism, Haraway’s theories of the cyborg, and Fuller’s account of media assemblages), three aspects of this portrayal are described: first, the game’s narrativization of bodily violence through an amalgamation of the player’s sensory systems with media technologies; second, the game’s depiction of monstrous corporeality; and third, its representation of immune systems through the mirrored relationship between external tools and endogenous bodily functions. Connecting these three aspects, it is argued that The Last of Us portrays bodily boundaries as precarious, and that it presents violence, technology and infectious disease as callingcards for moving beyond anthropocentric views of corporeality; of conceptualizing the human body as machine-like and inevitably more-than-human.

McLuhan | Havelock | metaphysics

The McLuhan ⇔ Havelock correspondence turns on a question about the meaning(s) of events that transpired in Greece during the Archaic and High-Classical period – perhaps the only time and circumstance in which the metaphysical and independent human being had been able to manifest themself amidst the vast amorphous resonance of tribal culture. Here, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary issue of Explorations in Media Ecology, this article uses the correspondence between two leading figures in the Media Ecology (anti-)canon as a leaping off point to talk about metaphysics and media. The focus is McLuhan. This article offers a portrait that shows the significance, if not centrality, of (Christian) metaphysics to McLuhan’s project, and how his metaphysical commitments inform and shape his ethics, politics and pedagogy. This article also makes the claims that: (1) McLuhan, in his theory and practice, asserted the primacy of mediation with respect to thinking about being and knowing, and (2) McLuhan’s insertion of media into metaphysics stands as an invitation to revisit and revise the history of metaphysics, especially when, under digital conditions, the merging of all pasts and presents is well advanced.

An Explorations in Media Ecology appreciative inquiry: Onward and upward

This article combines appreciative inquiry (AI) as well as digital object interviewing and other constructs from the field to examine Explorations in Media Ecology (EME) in its online format. It provides an in-depth review of the journal and its issues produced over the past twenty years. The article surveys EME’s editorial advances and transitions, its coverage of the media environment, its interdisciplinary range, along with its demographics and reach. Throughout this article, EME’s digital publication speaks for itself describing its own strengths and opportunities as manifested since its origination. Along the way, this article utilizes anecdotes and quotes from EME’s contributors that illuminate and support the survey results. Finally, this article through these quotes, gives EME a voice; it offers suggestions to build on its strengths and make use of opportunities for an onward and upward future.

Jacques Ellul’s influence on Neil Postman

This article discusses the intellectual relationship between Jacques Ellul and Neil Postman and addresses the question: How did the French philosopher influence the writings and ideas of the leading media ecologist Neil Postman? The author traces the historical development of Postman's books and examines his writings for reference to Jacques Ellul. Through this analysis it becomes apparent that Ellul had a major influence on Postman's ideas, his books, and the direction of his scholarship. Thus, one can more fully understand the contribution that Ellul has had to media ecology.

New Media, Urban Marginals and Gerontocracy in India: A Study of Older Adults in Kolkata

My paper seeks to explore the linkage between new media and the Urban Marginals with special emphasis on the ageing population in Kolkata. Conventional use of media for ageing has made the aged population a passive victim to be duped by the media messages. Given the structural locations and positions, mass media is of no use where the considerations are for younger populations. Although the ageing population may be a marginal category keeping in view the larger media ecology, new media provides the potential to the aged population to be inclusive of urban governance provided they have access and availability. With the help of substantive details, my paper would seek to address the idea of ‘precarity’ associated with the aged population and their way of coping with such precarity with the help of new media in Kolkata. This paper would provide a select reading of samples (qualitative data) from different regions of Kolkata. Through substantive details my paper would provide insights about a vulnerable population, otherwise, neglected in the making of urban governance.