Journalism, solidarity and the civil sphere: The case of Charlie Hebdo

an article by María Luengo (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain) and Karoline Andrea Ihlebæk (University of Oslo, Norway) published in European Journal of Communication Volume 34 Issue 2 (June 2019)

Abstract

On 7 January 2015, Said and Chérif Kouachi assaulted the offices of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, leaving 12 people dead.

The terrorist attack soon became a highly symbolic event, reflecting the core struggle between free speech and religious values that escalated after the ‘cartoon crisis’ in 2005. In this article, we wish to explore media discourses in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attack in three European countries – Spain, Norway and the United Kingdom. In particular, we investigate if and how journalism performed their role as ‘vital centre’ in the ‘civil sphere’.

We find that the patterns of in-group and out-group were carefully constructed to avoid polarization between ‘ordinary’ Muslims and the West in most newspapers. By doing so, most of the newspapers managed to work for the construction of an idealized civil sphere that exists beyond race, nationality or religion.

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Creating public value through caring for place

an article by Patsy Healey published in Policy & Politics Volume 46 Number 1 (January 2018)

Abstract

This essay argues for a relational approach to place qualities and their governance. The argument is developed through a discussion of

• first, the meaning and significance of place,
• second, the formation of collective attention, publics and the civil sphere; and
• third, the challenge of developing moral frames among such publics within which complex judgements about conflicting perceptions and values about place qualities can be situated. 

Promoting public value through caring for place in this way could act as a significant learning arena for renewing practices of democratic engagement.

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