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This article examines how teenage refugees in Europe develop digital skills in and through conditions of vulnerability. We argue that recognising vulnerability as a productive force, rather than merely as context, is crucial if we are to fully understand the emergence, limits and lack of skills among young people experiencing perpetual marginality. Drawing on 96 interviews and five creative workshops with teenage refugees in the cities of Athens, Brussels and London, we discuss three ways in which vulnerability and digital skills become entangled: (i) (dis-)connection, especially in conditions of scarce, interrupted and unsafe digital connectivity; (ii) learning, especially in contexts where digital and transnational literacies co-exist, compete or compensate for educational inequalities; and (iii) digital bordering, especially as this relates to restrictive regimes of mobility control that prolong risks for young refugees' wellbeing and even life itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predominant frames in news media representations of migration issues shape attitudes towards refugees. Being mostly confronted with negative news frames, people may be less inclined to believe stories that stress positive aspects of immigration. However, the frames' positive implementation hinges on their presumed credibility. The aim of this study is to better understand both how young and adult Flemings perceive dominant news frames concerning refugees and how they are affected by them. We distinguish between young people and adults since they differ in their news media use, news attitudes, and opinion towards refugees. Accordingly, a randomized, post-test, only between-subjects survey experiment was conducted (N = 2424). Our results show that young people are more receptive than adults to media messages, regardless of a positive or negative connotation. Furthermore, our study confirms that the perceived credibility of a news frame is associated with the audience's attitudes to migration, since an audience demonstrates a clear tendency to only accept the relevant frames as true, if they align with their own views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article considers political scientist Jay G. Blumler's assertion that public broadcasters should explicitly and elaborately define the forms of services they intend to offer. He calls for the development of a monitoring system with a view to correcting the potential erosion of the values upheld by political broadcasters. Other topics discussed include political influence, independence of public service media, and the rise of misinformation.

A weeklong diary study (N = 460) into the exposure to news of Belgian (Flemish) adult media users (aged 25–45) shows that their information consumption is currently relatively diverse. An explanation for the observed diversity is that news consumers in Dutch-speaking Belgium have a wide array of internally balanced news titles and channels at their disposal, which they also actively consult. In addition, the study demonstrates that news consumption patterns span across all media platforms. This study thus illustrates that there is a weak influence of ideological attitudes and psychosocial dispositions on news consumption, measured in time of consumption per media title or channel. These findings call for a revision of theories of selective exposure that disregard the influence that the diversity of information supply can have on the selection procedures of recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main functions of news media in democracies is informing the citizenry on day-to-day affairs. However, the way in which citizens gather news has changed as nowadays people have more opportunities than ever before to adapt their media consumption based on their preferences. One of the major game changers was the introduction of social media. This raises the question to what extent traditional media still contribute to people's knowledge of current affairs. Using a time-diary study in the Flemish media context, we investigate the influence of different forms of news consumption on current news knowledge. We conclude that traditional (print and audiovisual) media, including popular outlets, continue to be the major contributors to people's knowledge about current affairs and that social media hardly contribute at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public and commercial news follow distinct logics. We evaluate this duality in television news coverage on immigration. First, by means of a large-scale content analysis of Flemish television news (N = 1630), we investigate whether immigration coverage diverges between both broadcasters. Results show that, despite an overall negativity bias and relative homogeneity between the broadcasters, commercial news contains slightly more sensational and tabloid characteristics than public news. The latter promotes a more balanced view of immigration. These differences are stable over time. Second, using cross-sectional and panel data, we assess whether a preference for public versus commercial news is associated with an attitudinal gap in anti-immigrant attitudes. Findings demonstrate that individuals who prefer commercial news are more negative towards immigrants. We suggest that differences in news content may explain this attitudinal gap. In light of the debate around ‘public value’ offered by public service media across Europe, we tentatively conclude that public broadcasters have the potential to foster tolerance and provide balanced information by prioritizing a normative view over a market logic. The linkage between news coverage and the gap in attitudes between commercial and public news viewers warrants closer investigation in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the frames used in reporting on the euro crisis. As far as the debt crisis is concerned, the media are the main source of information for European citizens. It is therefore interesting to carry out an in-depth content analysis of news coverage. The study looks into five dominant frames in Flemish (i.e. Dutch-speaking Belgium) and Dutch newspapers. War proved to be the most frequently used frame, followed by disease, natural disaster, construction and game. The prevalence of these frames was stable in both countries and from one type of newspaper to another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural changes in the media world, including an increase in competition and commercialization, mean that the topicality and urgency of the notion of social responsibility in the media are increasing. Analogously, the discussion of the social responsibility of companies and organizations becomes a central concern in the business world and within government, as the relatively new concept of `good governance' shows. In recent years we have seen that the absolute belief in the free market is once again under debate. Rather than a return to a controlling government as the main provider of a context in the complex `ecology' of communication policy, possible solutions are now sought in greater responsibility for the media actors themselves (media companies and organizations, citizens, supervisory boards and commissions) and in self-regulation in the media profession. This article assesses accountability mechanisms currently in existence in the Netherlands and provides a comparative overview of interesting practices in other geographical contexts. This contribution also examines the academic reflection upon and conceptualization of such notions as social `responsibility' and media `accountability' in the division of labour throughout the market, the government and civil society. We are thinking of mechanisms for accountability such as a contract between the government and the broadcasters, an ombudsperson, forms of self- regulation, supervisory bodies, forms of public consultation, and the profession seeking contact with the citizens (e.g. civic journalism). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When on 1 May 1995 TMF (The Music Factory) started off as the first local popular music television station on Dutch cable, it tried right away to compete with MTV. This article, based upon a telephone survey among a national sample of 400 people, shows ample evidence that people not only watch TMF more frequently than MTV, but that on average they like TMF a lot more. Moreover, TMF seems to be better able to fulfil the music needs of Dutch teenage viewers. TMF programming fits the youth subcultures of the ‘gabbers’ and the hiphoppers. The subcultures that are best served by MTV are those whose members like rock music: punk, alto, metal and skater. Hence the subcultures which TMF serves are much larger in number than MTV's. Therefore it seems that TMF has been able to adjust better to local conditions and that its programming is better suited to the local target groups than MTV's. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the identification of the general trends and how the young people deal with the media offers. Integration of computer-based media and services; Description of differences in a cross-cultural studies; Occupation on the dominant position for television in the lives of children and teenagers.

Examines the changing patterns of media and the impact of media on the family lifestyle. Privatization of access through media equipment; Orientation of media with game consoles and computers for male children; Interest in the domestic context of media uses.

In this study, three arts programmes were analysed, each with an individual format and specific function: (1) the arts diary which announces the cultural events in Belgium during the coming week; (2) the arts magazine which focuses on two or three works of art with topical connections; (3) the arts documentary which sheds light on an artistic movement or an artist, while under no pressure to be topical. A deliberate sample of 50 art-loving television viewers were surveyed. This sample, although not representative of the Flemish population, undoubtedly provides the greatest opportunity to analyse both the cognitive and emotional reactions of a potential viewing audience. This study is an example of an integrated programme and viewer survey, where both quantitative and qualitative methods are employed. The relevant characteristics of a programme, in terms of form and content, are presented to a selected group of viewers and, where necessary, alternative formats and contents are formulated. This survey was also intended to play a supportive role within the overall programme strategy of the public broadcaster. The questions asked of the viewing audience were in every case determined in consultation with the programme-makers: mostly questions of the viewer's appreciation (evaluation) of programme formats, but also regarding the transfer of knowledge and information achieved by the content of the programme. In addition to a series of questions on their prior knowledge and their knowledge (before and after the viewing session, respectively), those questioned also had to answer a set of evaluation questions. The participants were questioned both individually (by means of in-depth interviews) and in groups (in panel discussions). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]