Current Issue

Cultural and Mediatized Memory of Young Generations in Serbia: Transmitted Images from the Yugoslav Past

https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.15.1.01

Nataša SIMEUNOVIĆ BAJIĆ, Ivana ERCEGOVAC, Smiljana MILINKOV

Abstract. The article is based on Assman’s theory of cultural memory. Although very complex, this theory is not sufficient to explain the phenomenon of the reconceptualization of Yugoslavia among the young generations. In this situation, it is crucial to combine the interdisciplinary fields of media studies, and generational research. After decades of effort to researching themes related to the former Yugoslavia, it was discovered that there are not many studies that examine how the younger generations interpret the produced meanings of this former state. A survey was conducted and in-depth interviews with individuals from these generations were conducted. 251 young persons responded to the questionnaire. The in-depth interview was unstructured and semistructured. There were ten young people who decided to take part in it. Their observations, images, statements and memories of the former country are very interesting. Based on their transmitted knowledge and memories, the three significant paradigms can be distinguished: the paradigm of better life; the paradigm of a safe life; the paradigm of economic stability. Young post-Yugoslav generations in Serbia still have cultural memory thanks to generational transmission and mediatization. In the 15-19 age group the recall of Yugoslavian media contents has weakened.

The use of language in the construal/reflection of gender roles in media texts

https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.15.1.02

Sandra DEGTIAR, Aistė ŠIAULYTĖ

Abstract. The perception of gender roles is a topic that has been growing over the past decade. The issue arises as society and culture, in general, and media, in particular, still impact the concepts of masculinity and femininity. The reason is that the function of a media article is not only to inform the reader but also to influence, conveying the ideology through a subjective prism. Distinct ideologies are expressed through language, consequently, the way language is used in media constructs distinct views on how women and men should behave in society. The aim of the article is to investigate linguistic features in online media texts in order to reveal how women and men are portrayed across British and American online media texts. The research is intended to explore distinct representations of gender roles found in media texts, regarding the language used, lexical and grammatical features, in particular, to reflect the images of men and women roles. Hence, the linguistic approach at the micro- and macro level resulted in the identification of 129 linguistic devices, of which modal meanings, emphatic adverbs, idioms were the most found in media texts. The use of distinct linguistic constructions enables writers to convey a wide range viewpoint, shaping or modifying the attitudes of their readers. Nevertheless, the study includes several linguistic levels (grammatical and lexical) and since there is a limited approach in the field, a deeper analysis could be conducted to gain a better understanding in this research area. Keywords: gender roles, lexical and grammatical features, media texts..

Romanian handball, basketball, and volleyball teams on Facebook. A content analysis

https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.15.1.03

Brîndușa-Maria CERGĂ

Abstract. Sports teams worldwide engage more and more in social media communication. Therefore, a systematic analysis of how Romanian handball, basketball, and volleyball teams communicate on social media is needed. This study looks at the communication strategies of Romanian teams practicing the above-mentioned sports. We analyzed N=10313 Facebook posts published on the official Facebook profiles of N= 21 Romanian sports teams and clubs during 2022. Posts were manually coded based on both formal and content categories such as postdate, type, sport, and topic. Moreover, one of the goals of the present research was to investigate the engagement generated by different sports and topics. The study analyzed the variables at the team level and compared them across sports to determine the differences in communication strategies. Results show significant differences in frequency and engagement across sports and teams. Based on our findings we recommend rethinking the social media communication strategy of Romanian handball, basketball, and volleyball teams.

A Humorous perspective to a frustrating time: Multimodal analysis of COVID-19 memes in the Lithuanian social networks

https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.15.1.04

Jurgita KEREVIČIENĖ

Abstract. The global threat of a new out-of-control pandemic, the daily growing number of coronavirus victims, stringent personal self-isolation regulations and fear of the future make people feel anxious, uncertain and miserable. In this situation social networks become highly valued communication channels through which one can obtain relevant information about the virus and exchange ideas about personal life and daily activities. Memes with their apt verbal messages and clear visual expression help people to see the humour of the situation and to maintain moderately positive outlooks. This article sets out to reveal the conceptualisation of COVID-19 in Lithuanian social networking. The analysis was employed to exhibit the dominant modes used to disclose the foremost aspects of the pathogen in the Lithuanian context. The theoretical framework provides an overview of modes and their multimodal nature. The subsequent sections are devoted to Lithuanian memes that are employed to communicate information about divergent aspects of coronavirus. Concepts, groupings and distinctive features of memes and their prevailing functions in social networking are included in the analysis as well. The empirical part of the paper puts an emphasis on the multimodal analysis of the COVID-19 virus as encoded in Lithuanian memes, drawing special attention to the multimodal expression in terms of its conceptualisation.

Religion and the importance of media framing: The Romanian national cathedral in the secular press

https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.15.1.05

Gheorghe ANGHEL

Abstract. Even though Romania is a predominantly Orthodox country, the construction of the National Cathedral – a symbolic edifice of the Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC), has sparked numerous pro and con discussions in Romanian society, with strong echoes in the mass media. Therefore, this study analyzes how the Romanian online secular media portrayed the National Cathedral, examining the news frames used in the articles about the iconic edifice of the ROC. A news frame analysis and quantitative content analysis were applied to a corpus of 311 articles published between 2008 and 2021 by media outlets with high brand trust. A deductive approach was used to analyze the corpus based on five pre-defined frames: conflict, human interest, responsibility, morality, and economic consequences (Semetko and Valkelburg, 2000). The research shows that the secular press in Romania presented the subject of the National Cathedral, focusing primarily on the financial aspects and those related to various conflicts, neglecting the religious aspects. The results highlight that the articles that do not mention the financial aspect in the title or introduction tend to follow a writing pattern where this aspect is discussed later in the text. The study’s findings offer a valuable contribution to the academic understanding of how the media covers religious constructions, with a focus on the National Cathedral. The research sheds light on the potential for biased media coverage to create negative/positive attitudes towards religious institutions.

Engaging rural communities: The uses of online communication tools in Local Action Groups’ activity

https://doi.org/10.31178/SC.15.1.06

Alexandra-Catalina SZILAGYI, Alexandru OLAR

Abstract. Local Action Groups (LAGs) play an important role in the development of rural territories, by engaging communities in the creation of local identity. The LAGs have the great advantage of being in direct contact with the population, of understanding the needs of the local communities through direct interaction and involvement. They have the freedom to collaborate with public institutions, private partners, and local actors, to identify ideas and solutions that lead to the development of the final beneficiary, the rural area. By their nature, the LAGs aim at building a tight community, by being open to efficient communication. Their strategies must consider the characteristics of the target audience and their needs. The development of various online communication tools allows efficient and fruitful interaction if the communicators have the know-how, resources, and motivation. This paper aims at analyzing how the LAGs organize their public communication, both through websites and social media. A content analysis was applied to 65 LAGs, covering the Center and North-West Romanian Development Regions, and to 27 Facebook pages, covering the 2017-2022 timeframe. The results show that LAGs need a significant enhancement in the way they communicate, in order to unite the community around them.