Introduction: Human Rights and Media

• Date: 14 October 2011
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S0275-7982(2011)0000006002
• Published date: 14 October 2011
• Pages: vii-xiv
• Author: Diana Papademas

INTRODUCTION: HUMAN RIGHTS

AND MEDIA

The Studies in Communications book series presents contemporary scholar-

ship on the central dynamic of society – communications. Theoretically

grounded empirical studies drawn from the social sciences focus on the

institutional patterns, media, and the dynamic process of meaning

construction. Incorporating communications, mass media and communica-

tions, sociological and critical theories, comparative and historical analysis,

with combinations of qualitative and quantitative research provide

compelling themes for each volume of the series. Volume 6 develops the

‘‘Human Rights and Media’’ theme. The collective rights associated with

age, class, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, and disability are framed by

the media. The studies in this volume explore the connections and discourse

of media and human rights, through media production, social policies and

responsibilities, human rights violation and the social, institutional, and

global contexts of social movements for human rights protections and about

human rights violations.

Volume 6 situates the topic in the social and historic context of human

rights study. Also, the selection of studies include media analysis of

mainstream media, corporate media, newspapers, television, photojournal-

ism, the internet, and official documents on human rights that have

universal claims and global reach. The newer social media, altering media

landscape, and changing public sphere today are indicated and will be

studied in the future to compare communications media dynamics. The

studies in this volume dwell on social conditions predominantly over

the past decade, and the past century, and the research builds on and adds to

the substantial scholarship on human rights, whereas emphasizing the

communications media in relationship to human rights. The interface of

communications media with human rights provides a dynamic for further

exploration of human rights ideas, ideals, and ideologies. Complex relations

of social movements, media representations of diverse populations in a

globalizing culture, and the construction of meaning human rights meaning

through media frames add to the social science of communications.

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