Jem Thomas
Jem Thomas is Director of Training and Research at Albany Associates. He has over 15 years of global experience working in complex and politically divisive communications environments, from the Western Balkans to East Africa. Originally a qualified engineer officer in the Royal Navy, academically he also has Masters degrees in political sciences from the Universities of Cambridge and St Andrews and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Social Science Research Methods from University College London.
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around the five giant evils of confusion, cynicism, fragmentation,
irresponsibility and apathy (LSE, 2018). Media system change is an
important factor that contributes to the current weakening of
democratic institutions and discourse and guardianship of evidence-based, rational policymaking, as well as a crisis of trust in political elites.
Such processes undermine the bedrock of liberal democracy and erode societal resilience in turbulent times.
While many rightly look towards media reform to solve these
problems, for communicators and policymakers to re-engage with a
cynical and confused public that now often communicates outside
traditional channels, a deeper understanding of how our political beliefs and values are formed and changed is required to accurately analyse the social and psychological underpinnings of the challenges we face.
The paper aims to explore and summarise the latest
research and literature in a number of disparate fields of potential relevance to the following crucial questions:
1. What factors characterise the weakening of democratic institutions and discourse? What role does media system change play in these?
2. What are the main causes of these factors, and how does today’s
digital media environment exacerbate them?
3. What does recent research say about potential solutions to these
problems and possible roles for communication and the media?
around the five giant evils of confusion, cynicism, fragmentation,
irresponsibility and apathy (LSE, 2018). Media system change is an
important factor that contributes to the current weakening of
democratic institutions and discourse and guardianship of evidence-based, rational policymaking, as well as a crisis of trust in political elites.
Such processes undermine the bedrock of liberal democracy and erode societal resilience in turbulent times.
While many rightly look towards media reform to solve these
problems, for communicators and policymakers to re-engage with a
cynical and confused public that now often communicates outside
traditional channels, a deeper understanding of how our political beliefs and values are formed and changed is required to accurately analyse the social and psychological underpinnings of the challenges we face.
The paper aims to explore and summarise the latest
research and literature in a number of disparate fields of potential relevance to the following crucial questions:
1. What factors characterise the weakening of democratic institutions and discourse? What role does media system change play in these?
2. What are the main causes of these factors, and how does today’s
digital media environment exacerbate them?
3. What does recent research say about potential solutions to these
problems and possible roles for communication and the media?