Political Communication Cultures in Western Europe : Attitudes of Political Actors and Journalists in Nine Countries

Can We Make Sense Of Anarchism Or Is That An Oxymoron? Guided By The Principle That Someone Else's Rationality Is Not An Empirical Finding But A Methodological Presumption, This Book Addresses That Question As It Investigates The Ideas And Action Of One Of The Most Prominent And Underrated Anarchists Of All Times: The Italian, Errico Malatesta.-- Introduction: Anarchism, A Simple And Odd Business? -- The First International: A Lasting Heritage -- An 'anarchist Rarity' Reappears, 1889 -- A Short-lived, Momentous Periodical, 1889-90 -- Opaque Insurrectionary Trials, 1890-92 -- Open-ended Popular Movements, 1892-94 -- Patient Work In The Light Of Day, 1894-98 -- From The Other Side Of The Atlantic Ocean, 1899-1900 -- Malatesta's Anarchism: A Charitable Interpretation -- Conclusion: A Complex, Rational Business. Davide Turcato. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 252-266) And Index. Can we make sense of anarchism or is that an oxymoron? Guided by the principle that someone else's rationality is not an empirical finding but a methodological presumption, this book addresses that question as it investigates the ideas and action of one of the most prominent and underrated anarchists of all times: the Italian, Errico Malatesta. Many historians consider naIvety, absurdity and stupidity as anarchism's obvious attributes. They emphasize the abysmal gap between the anarchists' aims and means, their ideal and reality. Yet could the gap be between reality and the observer's understanding, instead? Or is 'making sense of anarchism' a hopeless oxymoron? Davide Turcato addresses these questions as he investigates the ideas and action of one of the most prominent and underrated anarchists, the Italian, Errico Malatesta, during the central years of his life. The methodological presumption of rationality is the book's driving principle in attempting a coherent interpretation of Malatesta's intentions, beliefs and actions. Between the two paths of liberal democracy and state socialism, anarchism has been unanimously regarded as a dead end; Malatesta regarded it as an open road. Reassessed in the light of a 'principle of rational accommodation' his revolutionary attempts surprisingly appear as sound and rational experiments in the pursuit of the collective good Front Matter....Pages i-xv Blind Spots in the Analysis of the Media-Politics Relationship in Europe....Pages 1-10 Front Matter....Pages 11-11 The Idea of Political Communication Cultures and its Empirical Correlates....Pages 13-30 Contexts of the Media-Politics Relationship: Country Selection and Grouping....Pages 31-56 Methods and Challenges of Comparative Surveys of Political Communication Elites....Pages 57-75 National or Professional? Types of Political Communication Culture across Europe....Pages 76-102 Front Matter....Pages 103-103 Public Opinion Polls as an Input Factor of Political Communication....Pages 105-125 Democratic Demands on the Media....Pages 126-147 Politicized Media? Partisanship and Collusion in the European Context....Pages 148-170 Media Power in Politics....Pages 171-195 Media Logics and Changes in News Reporting....Pages 196-218 Public Agenda-Setting between Media Logic and Political Logic....Pages 219-245 Political Communication Roles Inside Out....Pages 246-270 Distant North-Conflictive South: Patterns of Interaction and Conflict....Pages 271-286 European Political Communication Cultures and Democracy....Pages 287-301 Back Matter....Pages 302-338 "This book offers new and compelling insight into the emergent shared culture of the relationship between political actors and journalists in nine European democracies. It is a truly comparative account of the attitudes of 2,500 political communication elites between Helsinki and Madrid on various aspects of the media's role in politics and on the mutual relationship of politicians, political spokespersons and journalists. The study identifies national political communication cultures across Europe over the importance of journalists in advocacy and commentary, pressures on the media and perceived political influence. It also highlights that professional roles determine the perception of news-making, the interpretation of daily political life and the ethos of professional conduct and interaction."-- Provided by publisher This book offers new and compelling insight into the orientations that shape the cultures of political communication in nine Western democracies. It is a truly comparative account of the views of 2500 political elites and media elites between Helsinki and Madrid on their relationship and their exchanges.