“It’s Approximately 500 Times More Fun to Watch Downton Abbey in a Crowd”: Exploring the Downton Abbey Phenomenon

January 30, 2015
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“It’s Approximately 500 Times More Fun to Watch <i>Downton Abbey</i> in a Crowd”: Exploring the <i>Downton Abbey</i> Phenomenon

As season five of Downton Abbey airs in the U.S., Twin Cities Public Television’s rebranding efforts inspire an exploration of the expansive U.S. public television phenomenon.
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Roots and Routes of the Cuban Revolution: Transforming Ideology into Heritage

January 28, 2015
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Roots and Routes of the Cuban Revolution: Transforming Ideology into Heritage

In the wake of the "normalization" of U.S. relations with Cuba, the transitional communist nation is struggling with its cultural heritage policies in what Pablo Alonso González calls "the transformation of ideology into heritage."
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‘Real People, Real Radio’: KXCI community radio in the aftermath of January 8, 2011

January 26, 2015
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‘Real People, Real Radio’: KXCI community radio in the aftermath of January 8, 2011

In the aftermath of the gun violence of January 2011, Tucson’s KXCI community radio responded with music and locally-produced pubic affairs podcasts. The University of Arizona's Mary Beth Haralovich explores how KXCI’s “real people, real radio” format helped people to grieve and to heal.
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The End of “This Year’s Best in Television”

December 31, 2014
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The End of “This Year’s Best in Television”

With changes in how television is distributed and viewed, do we need to reconsider the annual "best of" TV lists?
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Santa’s Lousy Prison Guard: The Elf on the Shelf

December 23, 2014
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Santa’s Lousy Prison Guard: The Elf on the Shelf

If The Elf on the Shelf is trying to set up a panopticon, he's doing it all wrong.
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Colbert’s Public Forum: Will We Meet Again?

December 21, 2014
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Colbert’s Public Forum: Will We Meet Again?

While I’ll miss Colbert’s razor sharp satire, for me the loss of this broad and deep public forum will be harder to bear.
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Jessica Lange’s Abject Femininity

December 20, 2014
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Jessica Lange’s Abject Femininity

Understanding the full complexity of Lange's recent work requires considering it as a layer in the sedimentation of her star text and acting style.
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Downloading Serial (part 4)

December 18, 2014
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Downloading <i>Serial</i> (part 4)

As Serial concludes, what does its successes and shortcomings teach us about the possibilities of podcasting?
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Star Wars Now: Fan Creativity and That Trailer

December 17, 2014
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Star Wars Now: Fan Creativity and <i>That</i> Trailer

As a researcher, the rich and creative fandom discursively surrounding a text that does-not-quite-exist yet provides a mélange of data.
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Annedroids Appisodes and the Potential of Interactive Kids TV

December 11, 2014
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Annedroids Appisodes and the Potential of Interactive Kids TV

How the Amazon series' interactive "Appisodes" reveal the possibilities and limitations associated with an emerging platform-based viewing experience.
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Poetry by Radio: Paul Blackburn and WBAI

December 8, 2014
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Poetry by Radio: Paul Blackburn and WBAI

The New York poet Paul Blackburn’s tape collection documents his involvement with Pacifica station WBAI as a radio producer and a radio listener.
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And the Grammy Nominees are [On Twitter]…

December 5, 2014
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And the Grammy Nominees are [On Twitter]…

The Recording Academy's decision to use Twitter to announce its nominees reinforces social media's role in shaping industrial practice surrounding award shows.
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Vemödalen and The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

December 2, 2014
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Vemödalen and The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Keonig’s Dictionary uses the linguistic power of naming to successfully transform affect into emotion.
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Interstellar: It’s About Hope, Not Just Science!

November 25, 2014
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Interstellar: It’s About Hope, Not Just Science!

Interstellar’s real value is as an exploration of memory, of hope, and of the power of dreaming of a better tomorrow for our kids.
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Of Algorithms and Audiences

November 24, 2014
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Of Algorithms and Audiences

“Desperately seeking the audience” of computational tools and digital methods for media studies research.
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Researching from within kids’ culture

November 22, 2014
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Researching from within kids’ culture

Caroline Ferris Leader explores alternative methodologies for working on children's media culture.
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