Books & ideas

A hard right turn ?

Gwendal Châton — 2026-01-15T09:00:00Z

Is France heading to the right, as everyone seems to think? According to Vincent Tiberj, it all depends on how this rightward turn is defined. For now, the French prefer the left's values.

Where can Democracies Deliberate?

Pierre-Étienne Vandamme — 2024-01-25T08:51:00Z

How can the ideal of deliberative democracy be put into practice? A collective work analyses the “deliberative turn” in theories of democracy and outlines pathways for how deliberation could be implemented in mass democracies where public opinion continues to be shaped by the media and political parties.

Good Copy and Big Money

Camille Moisan — 2023-07-18T08:00:00Z

Who owns the big audiovisual media and the press in France? How does this affect the pluralism and independence of information? An economist and a lawyer give a grim diagnosis of the situation and set out the principles that might allow information, a public good, to be better protected.

Thinking in Common

Justine Lacroix — 2021-07-05T07:00:00Z

Is the project of deliberative democracy unrealistic? Against the cynical assimilation of democracy to a set of voting procedures aimed at satisfying the interests of the greatest number, Charles Girard argues that deliberation is a relevant ideal for a society of equals.

The Birth of Stars

Alain Chenu — 2020-01-16T08:00:00Z

Our interest in celebrities is a major structuring element of contemporary societies. According to Sharon Marcus “stars” appeared in the 19^th century in theatre, and the case of Sarah Bernhardt allows us to characterise the type of interaction that arises between the media, publics and celebrities.

Media Ownership in the Digital Era

Ross Tapsell — 2019-10-03T07:00:00Z

The study of Asian practices can teach us a lot on media and their role in the global decline of democracy. Indonesia and the Philippines show that digitalisation has not only failed to fight against the capture of mainstream media by oligarchs but also to boost the fourth estate.

The Print Media Reform in Post-Junta Myanmar

Chloé Baills — 2019-09-26T07:00:00Z

Myanmar's internationally acclaimed regime reform has subtly impacted the media environment. Civil society was involved in the process of developing a new legal framework for the press but its liberalizing effects have been mitigated by the shift from ex ante to ex post censorship and the consequences of privatization.

Journalism and Media Politics in Asia

Émilie Frenkiel — 2019-09-23T08:02:06Z

As populism is rising on a global level, Books & Ideas offers a series on media politics in East Asian countries, to be published over the next two weeks. Though situations are extremely diverse, they can teach us a lot on the relationship between the state and journalists in authoritarian contexts. What role is left for the media to play in non-democracies?

Critical Journalism in China

Émilie Frenkiel — 2019-09-23T07:00:00Z

Despite strict censorship and control, the Chinese party-state and journalists also sometimes interact in a collaborative manner. Constructive investigative reports serve as governance tools to better control local officials and project the image of a responsive government.

The color of France's “yellow vests”

Aurélien Delpirou — 2018-12-17T07:00:00Z

Jacquerie, revolt of the peripheries, or revenge of the working class? The initial analysis of the “yellow vest” (gilets jaunes) movement has unleashed sociological prejudices. Yet this movement reflects not so much a France split in two as a multiplicity of territorial interdependencies.