Communicating Power and Resistance in Democratic Decline: The 2015 Smear Campaign against Serbia’s Ombudsman

Nebojša Vladisavljević; Aleksandra Krstić; Jovica Pavlović

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-16748-6_9

Communicating Power and Resistance in Democratic Decline: The 2015 Smear Campaign against Serbia’s Ombudsman

Nebojša Vladisavljević^*
, Aleksandra Krstić
, Jovica Pavlović

^*Corresponding author for this work

Academy of Geography, Sociology and International Studies

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The chapter explores diverging implications of global democratic decline for public communication in new and old democracies. It draws on empirical evidence from a government-sponsored smear campaign against Serbia’s ombudsman between January and May 2015, including data from quantitative and qualitative analyses of print and electronic media and of Twitter content and from semi-structured interviews with key political, civil society and media actors. The analyses of the main arenas of conflict showed the prevalence of emotions and personal beliefs, as opposed to evidence, in public debates, just like in old democracies. It also revealed, however, a much broader repertoire of strategic deception and authoritarian manipulation, which resulted in sharp polarization in public discourse, systematic violations of press freedom and political competition, and a sharply declining quality of journalism.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Media, Communication and the Struggle for Democratic Change
Subtitle of host publication	Case Studies on Contested Transitions
Editors	Katrin Voltmer, Christian Christensen, Nicole Stremlau, Irene Neverla, Barbara Thomass, Nebojša Vladisavljević, Herman Wasserman
Place of Publication	Cham
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan
Pages	205-228
Number of pages	24
Edition	1st
ISBN (Electronic)	9783030167509, 9783030167486
ISBN (Print)	9783030167479
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16748-6_9
Publication status	Published - 28 Aug 2019

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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10.1007/978-3-030-16748-6_9

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Vladisavljević, N., Krstić, A., & Pavlović, J. (2019). Communicating Power and Resistance in Democratic Decline: The 2015 Smear Campaign against Serbia’s Ombudsman. In K. Voltmer, C. Christensen, N. Stremlau, I. Neverla, B. Thomass, N. Vladisavljević, & H. Wasserman (Eds.), Media, Communication and the Struggle for Democratic Change: Case Studies on Contested Transitions (1st ed., pp. 205-228). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16748-6_9

Vladisavljević, Nebojša ; Krstić, Aleksandra ; Pavlović, Jovica. / Communicating Power and Resistance in Democratic Decline: The 2015 Smear Campaign against Serbia’s Ombudsman. Media, Communication and the Struggle for Democratic Change: Case Studies on Contested Transitions. editor / Katrin Voltmer ; Christian Christensen ; Nicole Stremlau ; Irene Neverla ; Barbara Thomass ; Nebojša Vladisavljević ; Herman Wasserman. 1st. ed. Cham : Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. pp. 205-228

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Vladisavljević, N, Krstić, A & Pavlović, J 2019, Communicating Power and Resistance in Democratic Decline: The 2015 Smear Campaign against Serbia’s Ombudsman. in K Voltmer, C Christensen, N Stremlau, I Neverla, B Thomass, N Vladisavljević & H Wasserman (eds), Media, Communication and the Struggle for Democratic Change: Case Studies on Contested Transitions. 1st edn, Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, pp. 205-228. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16748-6_9

Communicating Power and Resistance in Democratic Decline: The 2015 Smear Campaign against Serbia’s Ombudsman. / Vladisavljević, Nebojša; Krstić, Aleksandra; Pavlović, Jovica.
Media, Communication and the Struggle for Democratic Change: Case Studies on Contested Transitions. ed. / Katrin Voltmer; Christian Christensen; Nicole Stremlau; Irene Neverla; Barbara Thomass; Nebojša Vladisavljević; Herman Wasserman. 1st. ed. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. p. 205-228.

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

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AB - The chapter explores diverging implications of global democratic decline for public communication in new and old democracies. It draws on empirical evidence from a government-sponsored smear campaign against Serbia’s ombudsman between January and May 2015, including data from quantitative and qualitative analyses of print and electronic media and of Twitter content and from semi-structured interviews with key political, civil society and media actors. The analyses of the main arenas of conflict showed the prevalence of emotions and personal beliefs, as opposed to evidence, in public debates, just like in old democracies. It also revealed, however, a much broader repertoire of strategic deception and authoritarian manipulation, which resulted in sharp polarization in public discourse, systematic violations of press freedom and political competition, and a sharply declining quality of journalism.

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PB - Palgrave Macmillan

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Vladisavljević N, Krstić A, Pavlović J. Communicating Power and Resistance in Democratic Decline: The 2015 Smear Campaign against Serbia’s Ombudsman. In Voltmer K, Christensen C, Stremlau N, Neverla I, Thomass B, Vladisavljević N, Wasserman H, editors, Media, Communication and the Struggle for Democratic Change: Case Studies on Contested Transitions. 1st ed. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. 2019. p. 205-228 doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-16748-6_9

Communicating Power and Resistance in Democratic Decline: The 2015 Smear Campaign against Serbia’s Ombudsman

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