First presentation of my PhD project at the Graduate School Media and Communication (April 16, 2013; Hamburg)

1. “Radio Activity”
The Role of Technical Objects and Agency for
Participatory Practices of Radio Communication
Nele Heise, M. A.
Doctoral Colloquium
Graduate School Media and Communication
April 16, 2013 | Hamburg

2. Outline
1. My background
2. The emergence of my dissertation project
3. Research Object(s) of my project
4. Principles and Case Studies of my project
5. Next steps & added value
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3. • Home discipline: Communication Science (qualitative research)
• Junior researcher at the Hans Bredow Institute for 2.5 years within a
DFG-funded research project (2011-2014), i.e. great work conditions
but few time for my dissertation project
• Main focus: relationship of journalism and audience
My background
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4. My initial starting point
Emergence of my dissertation project
The idea of an
“Active Audience”
Has for long been an important reference within
scholarly discourses  “participatory turn” due to
advent of Web 2.0 and social media?
Facets of “Audience Activity”
(Cognitive) processes of selection and interpretation of
media content (e.g. uses & grats, encoding/decoding)
Practice orientation: Usage of interactive / feedback
features and produsage / prosumption (Bruns 2007)
A conceptual gap? the role of
technology for “audience
activity”
Role of Technology for reception and production on
the levels of Access [presence], Interaction [socio-
communicative relationships] and Participation [co-
deciding]  AIP model (Carpentier 2011)
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5. Heise | Radio Activity 5
(Techn.)
Artifact
Agency
Medium Practice
Active Role of ICT Users
Appropriation of (media) technology (e.g.
Domestication approach)
Social Construction/Shaping of Technology
Active Interpretation and familiarization
(Sarrica 2010)
(Active) use of participatory features
and its preconditions
Motivation, self-esteem, attitudes,
technology acceptance as well as skills and
competence (e.g. Hujanen/Pietikäinen
2004; King/He 2006; Correa 2010)
Media characteristics
Media affordances (e.g. Zillien 2008,
Hepp 2012) as well as design,
functionality, purpose
Interactivity and interactive features
(e.g. Chung 2007/2008; Himelboim/
McCreery 2012)
Media arrangements
Media repertoires (Hasebrink/
Domeyer 2012)
Media Histories
Emergence, continuities & variations
as well as diffusion of media artifacts,
genres, formats (e.g. “personal
media”, Lüders 2008)
(Dis-) Advantage: Intersection of diverse theoretical concepts and disciplines
Texto-material perspective: intersection of practices of content creation and
interpretation as well as appropriation and shaping of artifacts (Siles/Boczkowski 2012)
Emergence of my dissertation project

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Important Step
“Narrowing” the Research Object

7. III
III Practice dimension
IV
IV Medium dimension
I
I Artifactual dimension
II
II Agency dimension
What role do
(arrangements of) technical objects and their affordances
as well as
technical skills and competence
play for
participatory practices
of
radio communication?
Overarching RQ of my project
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8. Why “radio communication”?
Research Object(s) of my project
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the “flexible” medium
many definitions, formats, genres, theories;
“universal usability”
the “participatory” medium
long history of listener involvement (e.g. talk radio)
and participation models (e.g. community radio)
due to low access barriers; mental involvement
the “ubiquitous” medium
extensive and stable usage; multiple reception
devices (offline, online, mobile)
the “forgotten” medium “seamlessness” of usage, “invisibility”;
lack of empirical research (in Germany)

9. A (preliminary) definition of “radio communication”
Radio communication includes the (frequent) practices of production
and reception of audio material or content which is distributed through
various channels (terrestrial and/or online, simulcast) and devices.
Radio communication includes a broad variety of traditional and
emerging formats (e.g. Hörfunk, web radio, Social Radio).
Radio communication is characterized by “multiple layers of radio
contexts” (Vagle 2011: 96): natural order (human biology, technologies
as well as physical time and place), structural agents of social nature
(e.g. political/economic system, social groups and institutions) as well
as cultural (inventory of genres) and situational contexts.
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Research Object(s) of my project

10. General approach of my dissertation project
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Overall assumption Different types of “radio communication” enable or facilitate
different participatory practices of “doing radio” which require
different (arrangements of) technologies and technical agency
Research Principles Based on case studies (Yin 2009)
 Pro’s: flexibility (methods, data material), “thick”
descriptions, context sensitivity
 Con’s: scope and generalization of results; justification
Variation of perspectives, search for similarities & structural
relations (Kleining 1995, Hagemann 2003, Krotz 2005)
Research Goal Conceptual mapping and description of different cases of
contemporary “radio communication”
Systematization and extension of existing theories
(dimensions: artifactual, medium, agency, practice)

11. Case studies of my dissertation project
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Amateur /
Ham Radio
Community
Radio
“Classical”
Radio Stations
Web Radio
Stations
Podcasts /
Podcasting
Actors [media organizations, communities, individuals]
Professionalization [amateurs, Pro-Ams, journalists]
Other: features of audience involvement, economic structure,
reach/publicity, frequency, “sense of mission”
Technical infrastructure [terrestrial and/or online distribution]
Institutionalization *independence vs. “embeddedness”+
Content [program structure, topicality, target group etc.]

12. Regional context: Hamburg
Case studies of my dissertation project
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Amateur
Darc e.V.
Community
Tide / FSK
“Classical”
N-Joy
Web Radio
ByteFM
Podcasting
H.P.C.
Group discussion / focus group
Participatory observation (meetings, workshops etc.)
In-depth-Interviews
Standardized surveys
Feature Analyses and “home” visits (technical objects & arrangement)
* Concrete methodology also relies on field access (+ study group) & previous research/knowledge
*

13. Current status of my dissertation project
Literature review Main areas: concepts of participation, technological
change, appropriation and shaping of technology
“Defining” my field Step 1: role of technological objects in the relation
between journalism and audience (ICA 2013)
Step 2: selecting relevant case studies with regard to
previous knowledge and assumptions
“Entering” the field Empirical field research on five case studies
Starting point (05/13): Podcasting Workshop in Berlin
Next steps
First steps
“Entering” the PhD Decision 1: cumulative vs. conventional dissertation?
Decision 2: status of empirical work and theory?
Decision 3: ECREA Summer School in Bremen?
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14. Added value
Descriptive
 examination of emerging and differentiating media formats
 deeper understanding of motivations of active audience
members and dimensions of media related technical agency
Normative
 democratic value of participatory practices (e.g. for opinion
formation and diversity)
 emancipatory potential of participatory practices (e.g.
empowerment of minorities)
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Supportive  technology-related barriers of participation (e.g. in journalism)
and inequalities (due to gender, education, access etc.)
 recommendations for media education

15. Thanks for your attention!
Nele Heise, M. A.
Hans Bredow Institute
Warburgstraße 8-10
20354 Hamburg/Germany
n.heise@hans-bredow-institut.de
@neleheise
http://de.slideshare.net/garneleh
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16. References
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17. References
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