social media
New media and the Egyptian revolution: The ironies of mediated communication, the fetishisation of information and the shrinking of political action
Introduction*
Grindr culture: Intersectional and socio-sexual
Introduction
The concept of intersectionality – as it arose from black feminist critique – emphasizes that discrimination on multiple axes (e.g. race and sex) can be synergistic: an individual does not merely experience the additive aspects of discriminations (e.g. racism plus sexism) but can feel a larger weight as these systems of power operate in various contexts (Crenshaw, 1989). Intersectionality arose from critiques of patriarchy in African-American movements and of white supremacy in feminist movements.
The exposure of Kataryna: How Polish journalists and bloggers debate online anonymity
Kataryna
The events which led to the most heated debate about online anonymity in Poland begun in 2002, when a blogger using the nickname Kataryna started commenting on sport events on one of the online forums, which belonged to Gazeta Wyborcza, a leading daily quality Polish newspaper. Soon she became active on political forums, especially those related to one of the biggest corruption scandals in post-communist Poland, the so-called ‘Rywin Affair’[1].
The work of humour in affective capitalism: A case study of celebrity gossip blogs
Introduction[1]
In 2004 Mario Lavandeira started blogging ‘because it seemed easy’ (Stevens, 2013). Free blogging software and an abundance of online paparazzi photos inspired a blog that offered a different approach to celebrity: rather than promoting these public figures through flattering texts and images, the blog ridiculed and mocked them through snarky comments and image manipulations.
Ethical commodities as exodus and refusal
Introduction
As we witness a rise in ‘ethical branding’, we should interrogate which practices could have any effect on ethical concerns. Capitalism generates the need for ethical consumption and benefits from its sale. Ethical practices must move beyond the sphere of consumption; likewise, analyses of ethical branding should address communication and networking. What we need is a concrete understanding of how brands communicate information about themselves. This can reveal that alternative ethical practices are not only possible, but are already occurring.
