Liberal democracies across the world are facing a range of challenges, from the growing influence of illiberal leaders and parties to deepening polarization and declining trust in political elites and mainstream media. Although these developments attracted significant scholarly attention, the factors that contribute to the spreading of illiberalism remain poorly understood, and the communication perspective […]
Since the creation of the franchise in 2000, Disney Princesses have become a ‘phenomenon’ receiving international attention, admiration as well as criticism from both consumers and scholars. Although audience research has seen growing recognition recently, the investigation of audiences in Central and Eastern Europe and those of Disney animated features is greatly neglected by academics. […]
Jilly Kay – a CRCC member and Senior Lecturer in Communication and Media at Loughborough University – appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour to discuss her research on ‘femcels’ – women who identify as involuntary celibate. The discussion with presenter Emma Barnett can be heard at 48 minutes into the programme. She also recently […]
The 2016 “Brexit” referendum heralded an age in which disinformation and divisive messaging spread on social media play a significant role in politics. The world is still grappling with how to deal with the impact of this on the health of democracy and society. While the majority of research in this area has focused on […]
Authenticity has become a buzzword for our times. A new collection, edited by scholars in the Centre for Research in Communication and Culture at Loughborough University, provides the first interdisciplinary examination of authenticity. The book titled ‘Cultures of Authenticity’ analyses the concept of authenticity in relation to travel and tourism, branding and marketing, popular culture, […]
Authenticity has become a buzzword for our times. Much of the travel industry is built around the provision of ‘authentic’ experiences, global brands fight to be seen as ‘authentic’ and social media platforms are awash with arguments about the authenticity of this post or that vlogger. But what we do mean by authenticity? And why […]
Note: due to the restrictions caused by COVID-19, this workshop has been postponed. We will announce a new date for the next academic year as soon as the circumstances allow it. Once at the theoretical margins of political science, the ‘Essex School’ of discourse analysis inspired by the pioneering work of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal […]
Loughborough University’s Centre for Research in Communication and Culture partnered with The New York Times and the Open Society Foundations to organize a Central and Eastern European Symposium, a special side event to the 5th Athens Democracy Forum which took place on 13-17 September 2017.
Around this time of year, many people seek to reduce, reform or moderate their drinking habits. However, the idea of what is considered “safe”, “sensible” or “responsible” drinking varies significantly at different points in time and across different countries. Public health advice once recommended that male alcohol consumption should be limited to less than 21 […]
It was a turning point in the story of a new kind of democracy – and how the state tried to snuff it out. In a coordinated show of force, state and federal authorities evicted Occupy Wall Street (OWS) and a number of similar camps across the US. It was November 15, 2011 – and […]
