Publicaties

Reflective Practices for Future Journalism: The Need, the Resistance and the Way Forward

In newsrooms journalists encounter numerous constraints accelerated by increasing technological and economic pressures. The complexity of the job and the need for (constant) innovation coupled with the rising call for transparency and accountability ask for journalists who “reflect-in-action”. Newsroom ethnographies consistently suggest that journalists experience a gap between the wish for increased self-reflection and its actual practice. Additionally, both newsroom research and journalists’ expressions in the trade press show significant resistance against reflection as being a largely academic exercise, or simply too time-consuming. We propose that considering reflection primarily from a learning perspective can overcome this resistance. Secondly, the article acknowledges that in order to enable professionals to fit reflection into their precarious practice, critical reflection should develop out of the practice itself. Reflection only makes sense if it starts from the sense of immediacy and autonomy within journalistic practice, recognises the constraints that journalists face and acknowledges the aversion among journalists against standardised protocols in their craft. Outlining the basic tenets of reflective practice, journalism's current precarity and the learning perspective, we propose further research in how informal reflective practices can enhance professional autonomy.

Journalistiek & Communicatie | 01-12-2017

In search of religious elements in the dutch nature policy

The way people or organizations describe or depict nature conveys their view of nature. In the Dutch discourse, views of nature are mostly conceived as socio-cultural constructs regarding the character, value, and appreciation of nature. Views of nature tell us how we perceive nature and how we want to relate to it. Likewise, they shape our preferences for certain types of nature. Views of nature function as frames and provide an interpretive and reflective context for our experiences with nature. Views of nature are also digestions of meaningful experiences. It is through communication that we become aware of such experiences. We argue that meaningful experiences have religious depth. On the basis of this argument any discourse on nature contains, in a sense, religious subtexts. We examine the Dutch discourse on nature.

Journalistiek & Communicatie | 01-12-2017

Wistful wilderness: communication about ‘new’ nature in the Netherlands

Based on in-depth interviews, this article presents findings of a study centred on public communication regarding Tiengemeten, a Dutch island previously occupied by farmers. An answer is sought to the question of how visitors to Tiengemeten evaluate, according to their own experiences, the discourse of people involved in Tiengemeten from a policy and communication perspective. This study showed that visitors’ experiences do not always match the emotions appealed to in public communication materials. It is also suggested that people involved from a policy and communication perspective should refrain from using ‘heavily value-laden’ phraseology. For reasons of trust, this article suggests aligning public communication with genuine experiences of visitors. This is also necessary for avoiding scepticism of visitors as policy makers and communication professionals run a risk that public communication regarding nature becomes counterproductive.

Journalistiek & Communicatie | 29-11-2017

Deugt het verhaal?

Journalisten en communicatieprofessionals zijn er om zorg te dragen voor hygiëne in het publieke debat. Klopt het verhaal dat organisaties naar buiten brengen? Is het verhaal geloofwaardig? Vaak staan de taak van de journalist en de taak van de communicatieprofessional in spanning met elkaar. Voor een gezond publiek debat heb je echter beide professies nodig.

Journalistiek & Communicatie | 24-11-2017

Framing Nature

The way people and organisations describe or depict nature betrays their fundamental attitude towards nature. In this PhD thesis views of nature are seen as digestions of meaningful experiences of nature in which a religious depth can be identified. This PhD thesis contains both theoretical and empirical evidence to answer the question whether (implicit) religious elements play a role in the communication regarding nature in the Netherlands. The conclusion shows that the communication regarding nature is religionised to some extent, but there is no mentioning of a personal God or other reference to a supernatural reality.This PhD thesis also shows that the religious depth dimension does not explicitly come to the fore in what visitors are saying. The result is that this thesis, in addition to the question regarding the appropriateness of religious subtexts in the communication regarding nature, also questions whether these subtexts are convincing from the perspective of the visitors.

Journalistiek & Communicatie | 14-06-2017

Ethnic school composition, school performance and classroom behaviour in Western societies

This thesis focuses on the relationship between ethnic composition and both schooling outcomes and classroom behaviour, making the crucial distinction between the share of migrant-origin students and ethnic diversity. Ethnic school composition is seen as one of the explanations for the inequality of school performance between native- and migrant-origin students in Western societies. Although the use of the concept migrant origin is contested concept, the relationship between ethnic school composition and school performance is of interest to policymakers and social scientists in both the United States and Europe.

Journalistiek & Communicatie | 01-06-2017

Fun and games

Een bespreking van het boek 'Lord of the flies' van William Golding gerelateerd aan de actualiteit.

Journalistiek & Communicatie | 01-04-2017

Leven bij de bron

Christenen en christelijke organisaties maken zich meer dan in het verleden zorgen over de reputatie die ze in de samenleving hebben. Het bezig zijn met de eigen reputatie mag geen doel op zich worden, maar kan wel helpen om opnieuw de vraag naar het ‘waarom’ van christelijke organisaties te stellen. Om mensen aan je te binden, is het belangrijk om op deze vraag een antwoord te kunnen geven. Dat betekent dat je niet van binnen naar buiten, maar van buiten naar binnen moet denken. Je moet goed luisteren naar je omgeving om de relevantie van het Evangelie te ontdekken en op een verrassende manier present te zijn in onze samenleving.

Journalistiek & Communicatie | 02-03-2017