Contents – Autumn 2019

Martin, József Péter:

Sliding Hand-in-Hand

Corruption and Press Freedom in Light of the Hungarian Trends

The first part of this paper discusses the challenges that researchers face when defining and measuring press freedom and corruption. The second part looks into the interplay of media freedom and corruption in general and in Hungary in particular. While both the slide of media freedom and the institutionalisation of corruption are in line with global trends, the Hungarian case evinces some peculiarities. Unfolding these helps us understand why systemic corruption has not been broken in Hungary despite investigative media covering corruption scandals.

Schleicher, Nóra:

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

Gender and visual self-representation on Facebook

The paper examines the identity construction of Hungarian secondary school students from the perspective of gender. It focuses on their visual self-representation performed through their Facebook profile photos. In line with previous international research, the detailed analysis of 362 Facebook profile photos originating from a representative survey shows that visual self-representations are typically conform and meet social expectations and stereotypical meanings attached to gender. Experimentation, norm breaking and boundary crossing, often thought to be characteristic of this age group, were not at all typical of the profile photos, especially with girls. Visual representations were rooted in traditional representations of femininity and masculinity, and reconstructed stereotypical meanings attached to gender.

Veszelszki, Ágnes – Falyuna, Nóra:

Using linguistic-argumentative tools to disclose pseudo-scientific contents

Pseudo-scientific contents can spread quickly and widely in the ever-changing information and media environment, which makes scientific analysis on identifying these contents particularly valuable. This paper presents the linguisticargumentative characteristics of pseudo-scientific contents spreading on the internet via three case studies (flat earth theory, anti-vaccination movement and parasitic infections), and offers some analytical tools to identify pseudoscientific and unreliable information. It concludes with a list of critical questions based on the relevant literature and the authors’ own teaching practices.The aim of this paper is to show that the analysis of the linguistic-argumentative characteristics of pseudo-scientific contents as a means of evaluating information credibility can contribute to the development of critical interpretative skills and communicational-pedagogical methodologies.

Szemes, Botond:

DIY Cassette Culture in State-Socialist Hungary

This paper discusses how certain features of a DIY media environment had facilitated the making of Hungarian new wave, punk, alternative and skin subcultures (mainly based on music) in the 1980s. How could be the music recorded, transformed and spread through the whole country and abroad, and how ‘alter’ music scenes could be organised without any television, radio, press or magazine coverage due to the neglect and prohibition of cultural and political governance? How does the tape cassette function as an actor in this network? What are the specialties of this environment? These issues are studied as part of a research trying to unfold the political, social and aesthetic aspects of the subculture based on the tape cassette on the basis of interviews with former band members and fans.