media — Blog — Sage Perspectives Blog

Understanding media in paths of political change: the case of the Arab Spring

The ongoing democratic backsliding in the Middle East and North Africa questions the promises brought by the Arab revolts on rights, dignity and a democratic governance in the region. They also give ground to those who argue for an incompatibility between the region and the very notion of democracy. The meagre gains in structural reforms, some of them are mere cosmetic change, empowered a return to a nationalistic discourse that frames change as a danger to the stability, national security and even the national identity. It is not a surprise to see a triumph of the nostalgia of old days, including former dictators, perceived as a safer option, despite their legacies of crimes and human rights violations. The ongoing counterrevolutions are empowered by a vicious use of new media, turned from a tool of liberation to a weapon of indoctrination, disinformation, and surveillance.

The Beautiful and the Fit Reap the Spoils: Body Image, Electronic Media Communication, and Well-being Among Early Adolescents

The effects of electronic media communication (EMC) and social media on young people’s health and well-being remain under debate, with no conclusive evidence on the connection between the two. A negative perceptual body image acts as a moderator of the relationship between the intensity of EMC and well-being, whereas the positive relationship between EMC disappears under the condition of a negative body image.

ResearchDeepa LintoNovember 25, 2021media, young people, mental health, Gender, culture, teenagers, Electronic media communication

India in the United States Press: Framing US South Asia policy

Right from its independence at midnight on 14/15 August 1947, India’s political ties with the US government did not start on a friendly note. Scholars of international relations have shown that during the early years of the Cold War period, India, led for many years by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, refused to join any superpower-led military alliance that would seek to curtail India’s independence in terms of following its foreign policy. I

“We Cannot Let Them Die”: Undocumented Immigrants and Media Framing of Health Deservingness in the United States

The findings drawn from this study call attention to a recent paradigm shift in the U.S. progressive media—from the notion of the undocumented as a criminal and deviant to humanizing perspectives that spotlight their contributions and struggles, as well as the economic benefits of providing them with health insurance.