Vern Swart's Page

Some see the internet as a means of exposure to divergent perspectives, while others believe that it is likely to foster echo chambers. We agree that it is important to attend to these possibilities, but we find that this discussion is often framed inappropriately. Drawing on a unique panel survey of the online practices and civic and political engagement of youth (aged 16–21), we find that most youth do not report exposure to echo chambers or divergent perspectives. Rather, most report either…See More

The April 2012 issue of Media, War & Conflict is a special issue on 'Terrorism in ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Media'. All articles are available to access for free until 31 May. Terrorism in ‘Old’ and ‘New’ MediaSee More

This article, published in the January 2012 issue of Media, Culture & Society, explores the institutionalization of YouTube: its transformation from user-generated content (UGC) – oriented as a virtual village – into a professionally generated content (PGC) video site, especially after being purchased by Google. YouTube has influenced the traditional media environment, but at the same time this new medium imitates the rules of the old media, including legally managed distribution of…See More

Fitna is a 2008 short film made by a Dutch member of parliament to support his fight against Islam. It shows shocking footage of terrorism, violence and women’s oppression and claims that these are inherent to Islam. The film caused immense controversy and mobilized people across the world to produce and upload their own views to YouTube. In this article the researchers analyze these videos using different theoretical models of democratic interaction, and distinguishing between antagonism,…See More

Public sphere 2.0? The democratic qualities of citizen debates in online NewspapersFrom The International Journal of Press/PoliticsIf bourgeois cafés were the scenario of democratic discussions in the nineteenth century, and newspapers played a crucial role in mediating public opinion in the twentieth century, it is time to assess whether online newspapers provide a new incarnation of the public sphere, becoming the digital cafés of a Public…See More

The November 2011 Special Issue of animation: an interdisciplinary journal originated in discussions over the past few years with filmmaker and scholar Jeffrey Skoller. A specialist in documentary, avant-garde and experimental film, Skoller is an internationally regarded voice and practitioner in the history, politics and aesthetics of film, and we are…See More

Because of the growing amount of information on the internet and people’s increasing dependence on information, internet skills should be considered as a vital resource in contemporary society. This article, published in the most recent issue of New Media & Society, focuses on the differential possession of internet skills among the Dutch population. In two studies, an in-depth range of internet skills are measured by charging subjects assignments to be accomplished on the internet.…See More

This article, published in the September 2011 issue of New Media & Society, uses the case of Twitter activity under the #WikiLeaks hashtag to address issues of social movements online. The aim is to analyze the potential of elusive web spaces as sites of mobilization. Looking at linguistic and social aspects, the main questions were: What are the characteristics of the communication in terms of common discursive codes versus fragmentation? In what respects can social order be distinguished,…See More

This article, published in the November 2011 issue of Journalism, examines how online journalism fosters new models of journalism that challenge journalistic values associated with modern era journalism. It focuses on the shift from ‘objective’ journalism to an ethical journalistic practice that aims to publicize a reality of suffering that is marginalized or even denied. The authors argue that the digital platforms facilitate the emergence of a new journalistic model – the model of the ‘moral…See More

Despite the easily identifiable concept of a “nerd,” only a few significant articles on nerds and popular culture, and specifically television, exist. This article contributes to television studies by addressing this overlooked, yet popularly significant, representation and lived reality in terms of race, gender, and sexuality. This article, published in…See More

It is a common perception that as long as people have the resources to access the internet, they are in a position to make their voice heard. In reality, however, it is obvious that the vast majority of internet users are not really able to make themselves ‘visible’ and that their concerns receive little attention. Thus, it is more accurate to suggest that the internet offers ordinary people the potential of this power. Under what conditions can this potential be realized and what are the…See More