| 1. |
- Bergman, Sandra, 1985-
(författare)
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The Dynamics of Developing Leadership Communication in Organisations
- 2020
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Leadership development is an area which is a top priority for organisations. While communication has historically been viewed as one of many leadership activities, it has recently been suggested to be more central to, even constitutive of, leadership. It has also been put forth that communication researchers may provide a means to develop new theoretical frameworks from which to develop leadership.The purpose of this thesis is to further the theoretical understanding of communicative leadership development, specifically in the form of training efforts. Furthermore, the goal is to provide a new understanding to practitioners who are working with the development of communicative leadership.This is a compilation thesis that consists of three papers. An initial literature review shows that the development of leadership communication receives interest from fields related to health, for instance, from nursing teams, businesses, the military and construction. On the other hand, the subject doesn’t receive as much attention from the field of communication studies. The results of the thesis are based on interviews with managers and communication professionals in two organisations. The findings show several benefits from having communication professionals take on a role as communication trainers, such as increased visibility of the communication department within the organisation and the opportunity to continue to support the leaders after the trainings. Additionally, a framework of adult learning is used to analyse the interviews, which highlights several points of adult learning that are relevant to the development of leadership communication.Based on the empirical data and the literature review, a model of communicative leadership development is suggested. This model is an amalgamation of what was learned from the three papers and summarises the understanding that was gained. Moreover, the model should provide practitioners with a basis for developing communicative leadership trainings as well as for developing the theory of communicative leadership.
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| 2. |
- Cepaite Nilson, Asta, 1975-, et al.
(författare)
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Survival of the fittest : The do’s and don’ts of hyperlocals
- 2018
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- On the Swedish local media market, hyperlocal new media face challenges for survival. Still little is known about whether different hyperlocal media ventures have potential for sustainability and how this potential might be expressed. The demanding working conditions require special strategies that need to be explored. Therefore, it’s an important for hyperlocal media entrepreneurs to identify which problems they face in purpose to find sustainable solutions.The object of this study is to explore what problems do the hyperlocal news entrepreneurs experience and what strategies do they use for sustaining their activity. Sweden is used as a case since many of the Swedish hyperlocal media entrepreneurs are professional in their media production and therefore interesting as an example in a global context. This study includes a selection of in-depth interviews with Swedish hyperlocals.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Cepaite Nilsson, Asta, et al.
(författare)
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Filling a gap of information : Case of Convergence in municipalities when local media entrepreneurs communicate local news
- 2017
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Professional roles are converging as it becomes usual for journalists to be recruited as communicators, and ”change side” from reviewing information to carry information. Communication departments use journalistic methods and speak of themself as an editorial rather than a communication department (x).Second, research of interconnections between mass media and work of organizations’ communication departments (or PR) mainly focuses on traditional media companies. As a consequence of massive shut down of mainstream media companies, local media entrepreneurs start their own media news agencies in purpose to fill the gap of information (x). Like the mainstream media, local media entrepreneurs also interact with municipalities in purpose of spreading information in communities. In this study, media entrepreneurship is widely defined as an independent media initiative not owned or operated by public service or media conglomerates. Collaboration between municipalities and new established local media entrepreneurs can on several levels be interpreted as different kind of convergence. Working together with producing and publishing information and news the boarders between info-PR and news journalism tends to converge, both as profession and content (Hallahan, 2014).The traditional role of local journalists is changing due to this development, similar when it comes to PR communicators at municipalities. The local media entrepreneurs in their role as local news reporters are perusing inexperienced ways of working, which has developed into a sort of hyper local journalism - a new kind of journalism. They are also acting in a changed local media environment being entrepreneurs of news journalism and at the same time filling a gap of information in the society they are acting and operating in (x).1.1 Object of the study and research questions The object of this study is to investigate the role of media entrepreneurs and their interaction with municipalities and organisations in order to supply their communities with hyperlocal news in places of media void. In this study cases from the Swedish local media market are used as samples.
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| 5. |
- Cepaite Nilsson, Asta, et al.
(författare)
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Future role of local news : Strategies & conditions for local news
- 2014
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The local media organisations in Sweden have the last years been involved in initiating new model of business (Melesko 2013). They have mainly been based on economical actions, as cut-downs of editorial staff, integration of different pressrooms and expanded co-operation between papers within same media organisations (Nygren 2013). For instance, editorials and cover of culture news has on several local papers been centralized. Other phenomena is instead of hiring journalists media companies have started job-pools where journalists are supposed to service many papers with same news. It’s notable that in the transformation of the Swedish local press the future role of news journalism has up-till now not been a big issue when it comes to the strategies of the media organisations (Picard & Ots, 2011). Future models of local press survival accentuate the need of rethinking newspaper content and connection with their readers (Rouger 2008). Local newspapers and local news journalism has an important role to play in the society. More studies that concern how media organisations strategically work on development of local news and journalism in context of media concentration and organizational restructurings are therefore needed.Conclusions: Strategies taken by local papers in purpose of surviving the on-going development has mainly been from a economical standpoint which has primarily implied tighten up the organisation as cutting down on staff, implementing multi-task journalism, co-operation within the paper also with other papers in the same organisation, circulation of same editorial material on several web platforms and so on. Focus has also been moved from being a print paper to an on-line one, which the two cases in this study are examples of. But the content and what affects the changes will have on the quality of news journalism have up-till now not been paid much attention to when the media companies have drawn up their strategies for the future news papers. Newspaper organizations deal with several challenges, such as how to produce an interesting local content with shrinking band of journalists and increasingly centralized production; a need to find new readers and produce quality news for new groups of readers focused on what they want and are willing to pay for. And, there is a most important issue to manage: how to maintain the local newspapers role as servant of society.Traditionally, newspapers have placed greater emphasis on their role as promoters of public interests and on becoming trusted institution of society as John Street (2011) and Mikael Schudson (2003) among several scholars have displayed. Thus, the strength of emphasis placed on economic self-interests by some newspapers in recent years is disconcerting to many people inside and outside the industry. Economic pressures are becoming the primary forces shaping the behaviour of newspaper companies. That pressure may affect journalistic quality that diminish the value of newspaper content and that divert attention of newspaper staff from journalism to activities primarily related to business interests. The role of newspapers as servants of citizens is no longer clear as both Castells (2009) and Street (2011) have indicated. It is possible that readers’ interest of the press is decreasing because of the growing image of the press as just another business that is primarily interested in own survival and not serving democracy.
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| 6. |
- Cepaite Nilsson, Asta, et al.
(författare)
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Participatory action research in hyperlocal media studies: reflection on methodology
- 2019
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The use of participatory action research in media studies is under development and has the last years become notable as a new way of exploring changes that has taken place on the media market the last decades. Media corporations in Sweden continue shutting down local editorial offices and centralize local news reporting to the head editorials. An absence of local reporting in several rural areas is obvious; some communities at the countryside lack local news coverage and become media deserts. As a counter-reaction, hyperlocal media ventures have been established in communities, a trend that continues both in Sweden and other European countries. Transformation of the local media landscape as well as local journalism requires development of research methodology that focus on hyperlocal media entrepreneurs’ participation and dialogue with community members and researchers. Participatory action research is usually used as a tool to engage people in complex settings involving multiple stakeholders. This methodology is expected to provide researchers and facilitators with a new approach to organizational and community engagement (c f Chevalier, J. M. & Buckles, D. J., 2013). Several researchers witness contributions of PAR in social science research and new media research in particular (Hearn & Foth, 2005), emphasizing “opportunities for practitioners and participants to construct knowledge and integrate theory and practice in ways that are unique and practical to a particular group (McIntyre, 2014: 66). Hyperlocal news ventures characterizes by high diversity in organisational forms, business intentions, and act in different societal conditions. Hyperlocal journalism is a young field of practice that is changeable due to economical, political and cultural factors in different countries and in specific local communities – this raises constantly new questions and multiple research approaches can be suitable to use. Participatory action research can be regarded as democratic approach that considers the participants and researchers as equally valuable; theoretical findings are combined with solutions to the problems experienced by participants (Hearn & Foth, 2005). This paper aims to discuss and reflect implementation of participatory action research in a study of hyperlocal media ventures. The main objective of this study is to evaluate methodological possibilities and challenges using participatory action research in cases of hyperlocal news production, using three hyperlocal media ventures as examples. Participatory action research is designed for building capacity of media entrepreneurs to test, reflect and consequently alter practices as part of their on-going hyperlocal news site development. Action research may use any methodology, but usually applies qualitative methods. In this study, focus groups have been used to stimulate and evaluate development of hyperlocal news sites. Focus groups consisted of target audiences of each hyperlocal venture. Three selected hyperlocal news ventures have been studied during one year. Research has been aimed to generate ideas for news sites’ content and design development, targeting new groups of potential readers and identifying problems for the news sites’ viability and sustainability.
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| 7. |
- Cepaite Nilsson, Asta, et al.
(författare)
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Sustainable local journalism: role of engagement and interaction in building trust in local journalism
- 2021
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Exploring new ways of studying communication and interactions in media and journalism is of high interest considering that we live in a constantly transforming media landscape. To build sustainable journalism and media organizations requires a holistic approach of the development involving audience, news producers and other stakeholders.This panel originates from studies applying action research on different aspects of media development and journalism. Journalism is a field of practice that is changing due to economical, political and cultural factors in different countries and in specific local contexts, which raises new questions of how journalism and media organizations can become more sustainable. There is an expressed need for testing innovative, multiple research approaches that could potentially be used in studying the media landscape. As a methodology, action research is infrequently used in media studies. The panel participants intend to discuss and illustrate its potential with examples of studies how action research in media and journalism have been or could be applied. Studies presented in the panel include interaction between the audience and news providers – both traditional media organizations and entrepreneurial media ventures. We also intend to highlight various strategies in working processes and practices of the news providers and interactions with the media users. Understanding and application of action research is diverse and complex. Action research can be regarded as a set of methodologies, a philosophical orientation, and a research culture. (Schuler, 2009:vii). It is commonly described as democratic approach that considers the participants and researchers as equally valuable; theoretical findings are combined with solutions to the problems experienced by participants (Hearn & Foth, 2005). Action research can be used for several purposes; for example for generating action: “improving the situation of the people involved in the research project, for example by supporting re-education, equal participation and free choice” (Argylis et al. 1985: 8-9). Such actions can be, for example, designing or evaluating new media technology, giving ideas, presenting plans, suggesting and actually developing services and products. One more purpose can be a facilitating of democratic, inclusive research processes, thus bringing several perspectives into account. Action research´s orientation toward participation and joint knowledge production makes it potentially suitable for providing researchers and other stakeholders with a new approach to community engagement, relationship building and organizational sustainability. The panel is guided by the principles of methodological pluralism. Common keys issues are: •The employment of action research in studies of local media where interaction with its audience is maintained in purpose to build sustainable news operations for the future. •Application of action research in media and journalism studies and its significance •Investigation of trust building between audience and media using digital media and methods. •Ethical issues of AR-driven projects that are used for purposes of impact makingThe goal of the panel is to highlight the potential of action research as methodology in media and journalism studies for interaction stimulation, trust building and potentially for sustainability of media and journalism practices and processes.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- de Jong, Yde, et al.
(författare)
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PESI - a taxonomic backbone for Europe
- 2015
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Ingår i: Biodiversity Data Journal. - 1314-2836 .- 1314-2828. ; 3, s. 1-51
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reliable taxonomy underpins communication in all of biology, not least nature conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem resources. The flexibility of taxonomic interpretations, however, presents a serious challenge for end-users of taxonomic concepts. Users need standardised and continuously harmonised taxonomic reference systems, as well as high-quality and complete taxonomic data sets, but these are generally lacking for non-specialists. The solution is in dynamic, expertly curated web-based taxonomic tools.The Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure (PESI) worked to solve this key issue by providing a taxonomic e-infrastructure for Europe. It strengthened the relevant social (expertise) and information (standards, data and technical) capacities of five major community networks on taxonomic indexing in Europe, which is essential for proper biodiversity assessment and monitoring activities. The key objectives of PESI were: 1) standardisation in taxonomic reference systems, 2) enhancement of the quality and completeness of taxonomic data sets and 3) creation of integrated access to taxonomic information.This paper describes the results of PESI and its future prospects, including the involvement in major European biodiversity informatics initiatives and programs.
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| 10. |
- Grant, Danielle M., et al.
(författare)
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The future of dna barcoding : Reflections from early career researchers
- 2021
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Ingår i: Diversity. - : MDPI AG. - 1424-2818. ; 13:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over the last two decades, the use of DNA barcodes has transformed our ability to identify and assess life on our planet. Both strengths and weaknesses of the method have been exemplified through thousands of peer-reviewed scientific articles. Given the novel sequencing approaches, currently capable of generating millions of reads at low cost, we reflect on the questions: What will the future bring for DNA barcoding? Will identification of species using short, standardized fragments of DNA stand the test of time? We present reflected opinions of early career biodiversity researchers in the form of a SWOT analysis and discuss answers to these questions.
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