Last modified: 8th September 2011; abstract added: Realms of Men’s Pleasures...

Abstracts

Porn as a popular discourse of sexuality, after adopting of significant status in Western culture, has acquired the power to re-/define practices and identities of sex, gender, and desire to a considerable extent. In each video, there exist a variety of discursive elements and strategies, through which the meanings of represented sexual practices, performing subjects and their identities are being framed. Mainstream straight and gay porn, despite numerous shared discursive characteristics, are perceived as specific discourses in this study. Straight porn makes the male body symbolically invisible, while gay porn glorifies it. However, both types of pornography operate as noticeable articulations of masculinity, although with varying degree of explicitness. The analytic part of the study discusses selected analogies and differences in the construction of masculinities and male sexualities. As an example of analogies between the analysed pornographic discourses, the gangbang genre is examined thoroughly. In these videos, socially interlinked group of men shares a common sexual object and the collective celebration of masculinity and male homosocial bonds appears to be more important than the object itself (regardless of its sex/gender). As an example of differences, the representation of male anality is being interpreted. While in the gay porn the male anality is presented as a possible means of achieving pleasure, in the straight porn its potential is significantly repressed (e.g. visual tabooisation of male anus), or the anality is ostentatiously employed for representing a perverse pleasure and/or masculine dominance.

Keywords: gay porn – straight porn – masculinity – male desire – gangbang – homosociality – anality – pleasure – power

You can read chapters on gangbang porn and textual interpretation of porn (both in Slovak).
This study presents a detailed analysis of the television news formats (i.e. routine ways of dealing with certain themes) based on the discursive perspective and ritual model of communication and as originally introduced by Altheide and Snow. In its theoretical scope, this article deals with several aspects of the format, which, as discussed here, is conceptualised as a more pragmatic entity than genre, and thus--in particular contexts--more appropriate for contemporary television news production and its analysis. In the study, conducted on the week-long sample of all three Slovak televisions (private broadcasters TV Markíza, TV JOJ and public-service broadcaster Slovak Television) from December 12–18, 2005, I identified 24 abstract news themes, which I subjected to analysis emphasising their narrative, verbal and visual characteristics. Several news formats (e.g. conflict, advice, social progress) are characterised in detail.

Keywords: television news – news format – genre – news story – theme – structure – production routines – discourse
This study interprets and confronts both the social science and linguistic conceptualisation of discourse. In a significant part of linguistics, discourse is still seen simply as an unit crossing the borders of a sentence, while even in its direction to higher units, linguistics generally keeps the perspective of structuralist grammars. In social sciences, on the contrary, the discourse is seen especially under the influence of Michel Foucault as a reality-constituting articulation of particular knowledge going beyond both the subject and the particular communication situation. While linguistics focuses on a natural language, contemporary transdisciplinary discourse studies understand language only as one of the codes. Therefore, in the text presented the representation is construed as a complex entity related to reality. From a semiotic point of view, both of the approaches analysed are characterised by its unilaterality: linguistics tends to interpret the discourse as signifier (i.e. a formal vehicle of the meaning), while Foucaultian scholars concentrate themselves primarily on signified (i.e. meanings itself). However, transcending the differences in the paradigms of discourse analysis is an analyst’s expression of his/her understanding of the cornerstones of discourse studies as a political practice struggling for the deconstruction of power. After overcoming the limits of natural language, it is desirable to head the discourse studies—drawing on the dispositive analysis—towards the interconnection of discursive practices, non-discursive practices and materialisations, which jointly reflect the complex knowledge in a particular area.

Keywords: discourse – linguistics – social sciences – dialogue – code – mode – Foucault – power – sign – representation – reality – narrative – subject – dispositive – Jäger
In this study I interpret the interaction of gay/queer culture and straight masculinities, especially the hegemonic masculinity. I concentrate on gay porn, observing the ways it handles the category of heterosexuality: on the one hand, gay porn fetishises it as an ultimate masculinity (in so-called straight gay porn), on the other hand, it endeavour to dominate it, at least symbolically (e.g. in genre “broke straight boys”). I also analyse the “gay-for-pay” phenomenon and so-called “bisexual porn”. Furthermore, I analyse the possible onset of a post-identity, indicated by several authors, according to which “fix” identities yield to the current positioning of subjects on the basis of performed sexual practices (e.g. gay identity is being replaced by the “men who have sex with men” label). A new visual discourses of consumer culture, connected to masculinity, are metrosexuality and sporno. Metrosexuality represents a new type of masculinity of urban origin fetishising the male body, sporno a new iconography inspired by gay porn, putting up (straight) men into admiration of men of any sexuality. On the basis of these examples I conclude that despite the seeming democratization of identities, evoking the success of the queer theory or a postmodern „pomosexuality“ concept, all identities still remain controlled by the hegemonic masculinity, moreover, at present they are being noticeably subjected to the consumerist logic.

Keywords: gay – queer – masculinity – hegemonic masculinity – heterosexuality – gay culture – gay identity – gay porn – “straight gay porn” – “gay-for-pay” – bisexual porn – “straight gay” – “straight-acting gay” – post-identity – metrosexuality – sporno – gaze – consumerism
In this study I try to clarify the usage of three of the terms of contemporary media studies in Slovakia—(media) format, model of communication and verb ”zdieľať“ (to share)—and I present several more general remarks on the state of the terminology in the field. Format is conceptualised as a 1. targeted broadcast media programming and 2. commodified manual for programme production. Further, the key distinction between the format in its second sense and genre is being elaborated. The term model has a dual meaning of both the figure of the communication process and the perspective (view) of communication (e.g. transmissive, ritual). In the study I propose to use the term model in Slovak language in both meanings, with exception of the need to precisely distinguish the two. The verb ”zdieľať“ is not considered to be a part of standard Slovak lexis, being labelled as a Bohemism, although it is heavily effective in expressing its meaning, equivalent to the English word ”to share“, so important in the definition of communication according to ritual view of communication coined by Carey.

Keywords: format – genre – model of communication – communication as sharing – media studies – terminology
Modes of a discursive construction of a subject in television news are explicated, in this study. Introduction presents the subject, which is defined in correspondence with post-structuralist conceptions of subjectivity as a point of intersection of discourses, framed by a requirement of cultural intelligibility. Since the substance of the subject’s constitution is its recognition by an ideology, the subject is understood as a political per se. Furthermore, based on an author’s research on television news formats, author analyses the role of the verbal and visual means in the construction of subjectivities in news. In a mediatized society, in which the politics (in compliance with trends of commodification and consumerism) is being transformed into a spectacle, television companies urge its viewers to participation in the production of news, but in doing so they restrict the viewers’ possibilities to tragedies and curiosities from the private sphere, thus strengthening the impression that the real politics is “out there”, outside the reach of citizens. In consequence the interactive television cannot be considered to be a more democratic institution.

Keywords: television news – subject – construction – discursive means – political participation – political exclusion – citizenship
Abstract

This dissertation thesis presents a detailed analysis of the television news based on the discursive perspective and ritual model of communication. Apart from definitions of discourse, media discourse and news discourse this thesis characterises the most important contemporary trends in television news. Based on modes, the thesis distinguishes verbal, musical and visual elements of the television news discourse. Furthermore, the thesis deals with the structure of the news bulletin and its position in the contemporary programming of the Slovak televisions. News is presented from the perspective of narratology and genre theory with use of the concept of news formats (routine ways of dealing with certain themes). The thesis presents the analysis of 24 abstract news themes with emphasis on narrative, verbal and visual characteristics.

Keywords: television news – discourse – discursive expressions – news bulletin – narrative – genre – format

Resumé

The main aim of this dissertation thesis is to provide a complex and multilateral characteristics of the television news discourse, moreover, it is the attempt to formulate the answer to a question – “how – and why exactly in that way – is television news functioning”. Furthermore, its aim is to explain the complex means (named formats further in the thesis) of presenting certain events in certain routinely performed ways.
   Out of the two basic paradigms of the news research, informational and discursive, I chose the second and more contemporary one, which is based on the understanding of the social construction of reality (Berger – Luckmann, 1999), and the ritual model of communication coined by James Carey (1989).
   After the broader discussion on the complex notion of discourse, the term which is common to both humanities and social sciences, I concentrate on the basic characteristics of television news discourse and several trends observable in its contemporary development: 1. commercialisation and commodification, 2. entertainisation (infotainmentisation) and 3. changes in the reality – media representation relationship. When dealing with the discursive expressions I characterise verbal as well as musical and visual elements of the news discourse.
   In the news bulletin analysis, I concentrate on various means of news promotion. Furthermore, the thesis encompasses approaches to news as a narrative (i.e. the central way of explaining the reality) and thus providing it with a certain meaning. The explication of the narrative structure is followed by a further characterisation of a genre and providing readers with genre classification of television news. Lastly, the concept of the news format (label used for a routine way of presenting of certain themes) is explained according to Altheide and Snow (1979) – this being the core of the actual original analysis. News formats are analysed according to the qualitative methodology. The research sample consists of a week-long records of news bulletins of three Slovak full format televisions (week of December 12 – December 18, 2005).
   Television news is divided into several thematic categories and it is analysed according to ways of dealing with its topics. Key characteristics of 24 topics identified in the research sample are presented in the following part of the thesis. These topics are integrated into a further theoretical context presented in previous chapters.
   The concept of format is usually used to redirect the attention of the media research to media text producers. Its pragmatics can be used as a foundation of genre education in the television news: on the theoretical level it establishes questions of dealing with ideology (e.g. what are we, by presenting certain issues in certain way?) or questions of the overall status of the globalised culture (e.g. what are the means of the news entertainisation?).
   The rejection of genre as a theoretical concept and its replacement by format is pointless because it still is (not only theoretically but practically) a central point by which our culture codes and decodes its texts. This reflects Giddens’ (1998) understanding of the reflexivity of modernity principle.
This study deals with positioning – a concept from discoursive psychology – which is characterised as a discoursive situating of subject. The term and methodology is applied in the analysis of construction of subject in television news discourse, which, contrary to conversation analysis, requires the focus on all audial, visual and audiovisual signifying. Furthermore, both individual and institutional subjects are taken into consideration.

Keywords: positioning – situating of subject – construction of subject – discourse – narrative – TV news
This study is based on author’s observation that the word format is becoming more and more frequent in the media practice and theory. However, the terminology of the (domestic) media studies is still omitting it. There are three definitions of format presented: 1. targetted broadcast media programming, 2. commodified manual for programme production, and 3. routinised processing of specific themes. The presented meanings of the word are interpreted in broader theoretical and practical context. The second part deals with the attempt to differentiate between two frequently confused terms format and genre: format as a commodity is a pattern created by a certain organisation in a specific time, whereas genre is a pattern created by a discourse community over a period of time, thus it does not belong to a certain organisation or person. The structure of format is relatively strict and absolutely obligatory, preserving of format’s norms is carefully monitored.

Keywords: format – genre – programme – programming – commodification – broadcast media
Note: paper co-authored by Juraj Rusnák

This paper deals with the basic problems of production, function and reception of programme in broadcast media. Authors focus themselves especially on the creation and functioning of programme formats, in both relevant senses of the term (1. targetted broadcast media programming and 2. commodified manual for programme production). The number of programming strategies in broadcast media are discussed and illustrated by examples from Slovak broadcast media and the concepts are applied in a comprehensive analysis of Slovak televisions’ access-prime and prime-time programming.

Keywords: broadcast media – programming – scheduling – programming strategies – programme format – television – prime-time
Abstract currently not available.
The study deals with character of representation, which is a reduction of reality and always contains an axiological aspect. The binary oppositions are considerd to be the key elements in the dicsourse structure. Inspired by Hartley’s (2002) interpretation, the dicoursive space between them is being monitored. Reality is a continuum, so preferring of unambiguous meaning oppositions at the expense of transitive forms is a fundamental mean of social tabooisation. Moreover, the binarisation of reality offers the possibility of effective distribution of power by defining the dominant “we” and the subordinated “them”. After the brief summary of sex, gender and sexuality in contemporary gender studies, the concept of binary oppositions and social tabooisation is applied on functioning of sex, gender and sexuality identities in discourse.

Keywords: discourse – representation – binary oppositions – discusive taboo – sex – gender – sexuality – identity – distribution of power
The aim of this paper is to survey disciplines studying the communication and media by their characterization and description of their evolving relations. Although the communication theory emerged under this label by the late 1940s in mathematics, it was developed earlier as a social (and mass) communication theory in sociology, from which it later separated. By adding the perspective of humanities by the early 1970s, there were constituted communication and media studies, which in that period did not digress from universal paradigmatic shifts in sciences and they are shifting from their multidisciplinary bases to present interdisciplinary nature. In the text, there is presented a brief description of communicology and mediology, as well as the critical analysis of communication and media.

Keywords: communication studies – media studies – communication theory – mass communication theory – communicology – mediology – characteristics – development – relations
Abstract currently not available.
The paper points out the importance of the notion of the media (a complex mental representation of the media) in the process of media communication (especially in media persuasion), in which it can be seen as both a factor and an object. The view of media as a factor is due to the fact that the notion of the media plays a role in every phase of media communication, mainly as several kinds of “receptive filters” (e.g. users’ tendency not to use the media or content to which they do not have a positive attitude). According to the second view, that of the media as an object, the media produce utterances which stimulate audiences to strengthen their positive view of the media. They claim that media communication is at least as worthwhile as non-mediated forms of communication (e.g. interpersonal communication). For example, the media define the mediation of the user’s self as something offering prestige and pleasure; by dialogising and personalising themselves they are trying to conceal the monologic and technical nature of media communication. Additionally, each type of media emphasises the advantages of the communication channel it uses. News production endeavours to strengthen our perception of media production as a continuum and defines itself as the only medium necessary for the cognition of the world.

Keywords: audiences’ notion of mass media – role in persuasion – promotion of media features – dialogisation – continuity of media production – masking the technological nature of media
Abstract currently not available.