-
The Third Person Effect
In 1983, Phillips Davison wrote a paper called The Third Person Effect in Communication. Here is his hypothesis: …individuals who are members of an audience that is exposed to a persuasive communication (whether or not this communication is intended to be persuasive) will expect the communication to have a greater effect on others than on…
-
Double standards in propaganda, journalism and life
Reading Propaganda by Edward Bernays. Although Bernays is popularly portrayed as an anti-democratic elitist, he was – by the standards of his time – liberal and progressive. He ends the book with a typical progressive sentiment – that more education, and better information will make public debate more reasoned and more enlightened: If the public…
-
Forensic reporting
I first became aware of Danie Krugel through a review by Anton Harber of an edition of South African current affairs show Carte Blanche. It was an investigation into the whereabouts of missing victims of a paedophile murderer. Harber said: “I am not sure what Carte Blanche was doing in this story, but it is…
-
Networked Journalism
I’m trading City University, London for City University, New York to attend Jeff Jarvis and Dave Cohn’s heroically organised Networked Journalism Summit. I’ll be talking about our modest efforts and looking forward to hanging out with people who understand the concept rather better than me. Jay Rosen has already posted some of his thoughts: Division…