• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.51
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• pp.136-155
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• 2010

Media diversity, coupled with the logic of competition in the global media market, has become a fashionable yet unfitting lingo of media policy in Korea. Media diversity has been fenced in the neoliberal economic logic of market competition and so tamed to consumers' free choice in the market. It is within this context that this article attempts to problematize narrowly-defined, market-oriented, and measurement-obssessed funtionalistic approaches to media diversity. In doing so, the article provides a critical overview of various definitions of media diversity. It also reveals how certain definitions, justifications, and measurements are legitimized and normalized in the name of science and objectivity. The core argument is that reflecting a larger neoliberal, deregulatory turn in media policy, media diversity has shifted from the pluralistic principle of democracy to the matter of free market choice or the myth thereof. It then focuses on the ongoing debate between state interventionists and free market liberals over the relationship between media ownership concentration and content diversity. Finally, it puts forth some recommendations as to how media diversity ought to be reconsidered as reformers' cultural politics, rather than marketeers' science, and discusses implications diversity has for deepening Korean democracy.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.74
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• pp.197-224
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• 2015

This paper critically investigates the cultural phenomenon surrounding the news mobile phone app in which 'curation', relying on the news editing and adaption, has become much more significant than making the news directly. This study affirms the fact that a copying culture which is basically a combinative effect of duplication (alias) and imitation(mimesis) enables us enrich the human beings' creative activities. However, we need to warn the regressive aspects of copying culture challenging the journalistic principles. This study exemplifies a case of Pikicast, which has become the most rapid growing news content mobile app in Korea. By doing a case study, this paper suggests that 'social gift' should be given to the online users as a whole. The communal and social gift would be an alternative way to the unpaid crawling of the news resources from the digital commons by the news content curating corporation such as Pikicast.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.74
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• pp.38-71
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• 2015

Based on the Foucault's governmentality, this study has described the self-government strategy that healing discourse is implemented during 2011-2013. Healing discourse's priority is the existence value of individual and full concentration about self is needed more than anything. In this process, people who need to heal and comfort are limit to de-politicized individuals. Healing discourse emphasizes that the current enhancement in order to become reflection and growth of self. Demands of reflection and growth is substitute the critics of the era and society, but also act as a specific code of conduct to individuals. While emphasizes the reflection and personal growth, healing discourse has top priority of the current value. However, in this process, criticism of the era issues and social structural factors are fundamentally excluded. People accepted healing discourse actively, decided empowering self by reflection and remorse. On the other hand, there is a crack and specificity in the dominant reception discourse likewise some subjects criticized that there is no realistic consolation, exposed the antipathy to the older generation, denied the way of problematized objectification. But this is a partial denial about healing as concrete technology, not fundamental resistance about neoliberal orders.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.84
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• pp.28-98
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• 2017

This work critically deals with the much unstable and fragmented states of young adults in contemporary Korean society. Nowadays, most of young adults in Korea have encountered much severe, uncertain, and 'hellish' socio-economic situations while their dreams of getting regular jobs are hard to achieve. This study aims to present a nuanced and detailed analysis of their sedimented feelings, variegated emotions, as well as embodied positions by utilizing in-depth interviews and critical explorations on their particular modes of survival.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.33
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• pp.193-225
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• 2006

This study attempts to reconsider the significance of political economy as a theory of knowledge and/or a method for explaining the convergence of broadcast and telecommunications. It is going to suggest what the domains of political economy should be in the future by both highlighting the characteristics and blind spots of previous studies and drawing some distinctive features of a new media environment. The principals and recent research trends in political economy are reviewed in order to make clear that the historical totality as a meta-framework of political economy needs to be reexamined in the era of convergence. Although the scope of political economy has been limited to criticize the structure of media ownerships, the study emphasizes the importance of media consumer theory. It also discusses the problems of free market theory, distortion of active media audience theory, and limitations and creative tension of audience commodity. Finally, this study stresses the significance of audience-oriented policies in order to make approach to practical sides of media politics.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.45
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• pp.296-340
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• 2009

The power of media has always been problematic in the countries of full press freedom. Originally, the media used to be an effective vehicle for communication within human beings. However, it exerts an overwhelming power toward human society. Through applying the well-known four dog models in terms of media function, this study attempts to examine how the press media in South Korea transformed themselves into another powerful independent organization or institution after regime shift in 1987. The whole editorials of four sampled newspapers were analyzed through frame analysis model. The ChosunIlbo, known as a conservative and pro-government paper, shows to take the role of supporting chaebol policies under Roh TaeWoo Administration. However, it criticizing sharply against the chaebol policies of Roh MooHyun Administration. The JoongangIlbo, known as a pro-chaebol paper, appears anti-government position through the entire four administrations in terms of chaebol policies. Particularly, it reveals hostile editorial coverage during the Roh MooHyun Administration. However, KyunghyangShinmun, currently known as a liberal paper, viewed somewhat complicated positions (see text in more detail) because of its ownership turbulence during the past twenty years. On the other hand, Hangyoreh, regarded as a progressive paper, keeps in supportive attitude consistently against the four sampled administrations as far as regulating each government policies for chaebols.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.21
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• pp.147-175
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• 2003

This study is primarily concerned with the criteria for choosing a legitimate state plaintiff in cases involving a states request to media for a right of reply. Interpretation of the right of reply itself is different from country to country because of different constitutional views and systems in each state. Unlike the United States, the constitution of the Republic of Korea does not expressly prohibit the making of laws adversely affecting freedom of the press. Accordingly, in Korea freedom of the press may be restricted through legislation within certain limits and the right of reply is not incompatible with the spirit of the constitution. An analysis of relevant law makes it clear that the particular agency aggrieved should initiate the suit rather than the Justice Minister. The idea that the Justice Minister should assume the role of plaintiff in all state cases seems to stem from flawed interpretations of provisions in the Law Governing Registration of Periodicals and the Law Governing Litigation Involving the State. Even though each state agency has the right of reply, it should be cautioned not to abuse it as the states frequent involvement in litigation may bring on unnecessary misunderstanding and have a chilling effect on the media. The right of reply does not always imply that a certain media report in question is wrong and the media should be sanctioned for it. The right of reply is basically intended to help the general public make an informed judgment on issues presented in the media and insure fairness and balance.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.438-449
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• 2019

This study explored the perception of internet media credibility and influencing factors among college students who are routine users of internet-based media. Media literacy competences are of primary interest among others in that users' media literacy such as information evaluation, critical understanding of media, and information sharing are assumed to be related to media credibility. The results of analysis revealed critical understanding ability to be statistically significant and consistently influencing factor. Users with more critical view on media ownership, represented reality, commercial intention of media seemed less likely to trust internet media. Whereas media use motive for information was found to be a strong predicting factor, motive for pleasure showed no relationship with credibility. Based on the findings, suggestions for new research and limitations of the study were discussed.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.46
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• pp.449-484
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• 2009

It has been said that Gwangjudream, nevertheless a free press, plays a role as a local press that it should be, in a situation that other local papers do not. This study aims to reveal the forces that influence the article production of Gwangjudream, and to examine the interrelations between them, through using the methods of participant observations and depth interviews. In this course, it is eventually purpose of providing more deep understandings on the present circumstances and problems of the local papers and having a chance to concern the concrete ways to enhance them. This study results in revealing the five forces that primarily influence the article production of Gwangjudream: 1) as a historical force, keeping the spirit of the first publication that look forward to playing a role as a local press that it sound be, 2) as an individual force, the habitus of its members that is critical of mainstream society and culture, 3) as an organizational force, non-hierarchical culture and the independence of the editorial rights, 4) as a habitual force, the deny of beat system, 5) as an economical force, the power of sponsors, financial poorness, and the competition for attracting subscribers. While the historical force and the individual force play a role as fundamental circumstances and the organizational force and the habitual force as practical circumstances for producing articles, they encourage to emerge the characteristics of the articles that are related to citizens' everyday life and reflect locality, and criticize and keep an eye on government and other public offices. However, the economical force provides the circumstances that weaken the characteristics of Gwangjudream. The results of this study question the perspective to overly regard it as coming from their economical weakness that the local newspaper do not play a role as a local press that it should be.