This reprint brings together fourteen original studies that explore the challenges facing strategic communication, journalism, and citizenship in the EU amid an evolving communicative landscape. In a context marked by geopolitical tensions, populist discourse, disinformation, and digital fragmentation, the EU must balance institutional coherence, media independence, and civic engagement. The articles examine how narratives are constructed, disseminated, and contested in the European public sphere. They focus on three key actors: the EU as a strategic communicator, journalism as a democratic mediator, and citizens as both recipients and participants in the narrative process. Topics include institutional responses to the war in Ukraine, the portrayal of the EU in national media, communication in cross-border regions, and regulations such as the Digital Services Act. Other studies address emotional framing, platformisation of public service media, and perceptions of truthfulness among digital audiences. Special attention is paid to the rise of far-right actors and their use of platforms like TikTok and X to mobilise emotions and reinforce polarisation. Other contributions analyse fact-checking, citizen journalism, and media literacy in countering disinformation during crises. This volume offers a timely and comprehensive analysis of communication dynamics in Europe, with relevance for scholars, journalists, policymakers, and civic actors working to strengthen democratic resilience in the digital age.

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Så länge det har funnits litteratur har det även funnits försök att kontrollera och styra den. Konst och litteratur är ofta gränsöverskridande, och en betydande del av de texter som vi numera räknar till de litterära klassikerna har från början uppfattats som provocerande, blasfemiska eller anstötliga. Provokationen är ett kännetecken för den moderna litteraturen och har alltsedan 1800-talets mitt kommit att normaliseras. Därför är det lätt att glömma bort att bokcensur och andra mekanismer för att motverka spridningen av oönskade litterära uttryck är företeelser som inte enbart hör hemma i religiöst eller politiskt totalitära stater.

I Forbidden Literature undersöker författarna den komplexa relation mellan litteratur och samhälle som styrningen av litterära och andra texter åskådliggör. Censur och olika former av restriktioner synliggör till exempel de maktrelationer som föreligger mellan stat, marknad, lag, institutioner, medborgare, författare och läsare. Den förbjudna litteraturen visar, paradoxalt nog, också på en tilltro till litteraturens verkanskraft. Ett förbud mot en text säger alltid något om dess förväntade inverkan på läsaren.

Det primära syftet med denna antologi är att ge både historiska och samtida exempel på litteraturens ofta komplexa samspel med yttrandefriheten. Genom elva fallstudier, som behandlar material från olika platser och olika tider, ger antologin perspektiv på dagens debatter om litteratur och yttrandefrihet. Fallstudierna rör sig mellan flera olika språk- och kulturområden, och avhandlar allt från 1600-talets manualer i svartkonst till modern litteratur och avantgardistisk seriekonst.

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Freedom of the printed word is a defining feature of the modern world. Yet censorship and the suppression of literature never cease, and remain topical issues even in the most liberal of democracies. Today just as in the past, advances in media technology are followed by new regulatory mechanisms. Similarly, any attempt to control cultural expression inevitably spurs fresh discussions about freedom of speech.

In Forbidden Literature scholars from a variety of disciplines address censorship’s past and present, whether in liberal democracies or totalitarian regimes. Through in-depth case studies they trace a historical continuum in which literature reveals its two-sided nature: it demands both regulation and protection. The contributors investigate the logic of literary repression, particularly in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and analyse why it is thought essential to control literature. Moreover, the authors determine how literary practices are shaped and transformed by regulation and censorship.

 

Academic co-ordinator is Ole Marius Hylland, Senior Researcher, Telemark Research Institute Norway

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This book discusses how Russia’s legal system restricts freedom of expression. As the author analyses legal amendments restricting the free flow of information since 2012, she draws upon Akerlof’s framework of “Asymmetrical information” and Luhmann’s “System Theory” to show how these amendments have deprived citizens of the opportunity to voice criticisms, influence public affairs, or take collective action against decision-makers. Among the innovations are the establishment of a “President Emeritus” institution and the introduction of laws through legislative processes already on hold – something we call “legislation through winter preservatives.” The author provides a nuanced understanding of these and other processes that limit the free flow of information while simultaneously exploring the reasons why Russia’s regime still endures. The volume will be of interest to scholars and students of law, political science, international law, area studies, development studies, peace research, comparative politics/comparative area studies, citizenship studies, communication studies, social movements, and international organisations. Experts working with Russia in international organisations and the media will also find this systematic analysis of the transformation of Russian legislation and its consequences invaluable. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial (CC-BY-NC) 4.0 license. Open Access has been funded by Åbo Akademi University.

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The main focus of the book is institutional change in the Scandinavian model, with special emphasis on Norway. There are many reasons to pay closer attention to the Norwegian case when it comes to analyses of changes in the public sphere. In the country’s political history, the arts and the media played a particular role in the processes towards sovereignty at the beginning of the 20th century. On a par with the other Scandinavian countries, Norway is in the forefront in the world in the distribution and uses of Internet technology. As an extreme case, the most corporatist society within the family of the “Nordic Model”, it offers an opportunity both for intriguing case studies and for challenging and refining existing theory on processes of institutional change in media policy and cultural policy. It supplements two recent, important books on political economy in Scandinavia: Varieties of Liberalization and the New Politics of Social Solidarity (Kathleen Thelen, 2014), and The Political Construction of Business Interests (Cathie Jo Martin and Duane Swank, 2013).There are further reasons to pay particular attention to the Scandinavian, and more specifically the Norwegian cases: (i) They are to varying degrees neo-corporatist societies, characterized by ongoing bargaining over social and political reform processes. From a theoretical perspective this invites reflections which, to some extent, are at odds with the dominant conceptions of institutional change. Neither models of path dependency nor models of aggregate, incremental change focus on the continuous social bargaining over institutional change. (ii) Despite recent processes of liberalization, common to the Western world as a whole, corporatism implies a close connection between state, public sphere, cultural life, and religion. This also means that institutions are closely bundled, in an even stronger way than assumed for example in the Varieties of Capitalism literature. Furthermore, we only have scarce insight in the way the different spheres of corporatism are connected and interact.In the proposed edited volume we have collected historical-institutional case studies from a broad set of social fields (a detailed outline of contents and contributors is attached):• Critical assessments of Jürgen Habermas’ theory of the public sphere• Can the public sphere be considered an institution?• The central position of the public sphere in social and political change in Norway• Digital transformations and effects of the growing PR industry on the public sphere• Institutionalization of social media in local politics and voluntary organizations• Legitimation work in the public sphere• freedom of expression and warning in the workplace• “Return of religion” to the public sphere, and its effects

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Depuis la Déclaration de Vienne, adoptée en 1993, le principe de l’égalité hiérarchique entre les différents droits et libertés fondamentaux n’a jamais été remis en cause de manière significative au sein de la communauté internationale : tous les droits auraient la même valeur juridique et aucun de ceux-là ne pourrait primer sur les autres en cas de conflit. Le présent livre s’attaque à l’effectivité du postulat de non-domination des droits et des valeurs en étudiant les portées, très différentes, qui furent conférées, au Canada, à deux ensembles de droits et libertés fondamentaux. Car l’étude de la jurisprudence canadienne confirme en effet l’existence d’une hiérarchie juridique matérielle favorisant les dispositions protégeant les convictions religieuses individuelles au sein de l’ensemble des droits fondamentaux. La thèse à l’origine de cet ouvrage a obtenu la Mention spéciale de l’Institut international des droits de l’Homme, à Strasbourg, dans le cadre du prix de thèse René Cassin 2011 visant à récompenser la meilleure thèse francophone dont le sujet est lié aux droits de l’Homme.

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In September 2013, the Goodreads book reviewing site, which had previously operated a strict policy of free speech, began censoring reviews. The reviewers fought back, and the conflict was soon being reported in the mainstream media.

This is the story of what happened, told in the protesters' own words.

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This powerful new book looks at how private institutions governing and organising sport restrict political expression. Uniquely, it makes a case for the freedom of expression for athletes, spectators and audiences built upon philosophical foundations. In the era of Colin Kaepernick and taking a knee, politics and protest in sport have never been more visible and immediate. Drawing on a wide range of international cases, including protest actions from athletes such as Tommie Smith and John Carlos, Naomi Osaka and Feyisa Lilesa, as well as the reactions from sport organisations including the IOC, FIFA, UEFA and the NFL, the book argues that the organisation of sport at the hands of associations and leagues and their transnational power to regulate, adjudicate and enforce matters according to their interests lead to the restriction of freedom of expression. Focusing on the individual, the book presents a framework for the defence of freedom of expression in sport on moral grounds and also explores the limits to freedom of expression, especially those arising from hate speech, that might better serve both the individual and sport as an institution. This book is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in the ethics, philosophy or politics of sport, sport governance, the relationship between sport and wider society, or moral or political philosophy.

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How the essential democratic values of diversity and free expression can coexist on campus. Safe spaces, trigger warnings, microaggressions, the disinvitation of speakers, demands to rename campus landmarks—debate over these issues began in lecture halls and on college quads but ended up on op-ed pages in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, on cable news, and on social media. Some of these critiques had merit, but others took a series of cheap shots at “crybullies” who needed to be coddled and protected from the real world. Few questioned the assumption that colleges must choose between free expression and diversity. In Safe Spaces, Brave Spaces, John Palfrey argues that the essential democratic values of diversity and free expression can, and should, coexist on campus. Palfrey, currently Head of School at Phillips Academy, Andover, and formerly Professor and Vice Dean at Harvard Law School, writes that free expression and diversity are more compatible than opposed. Free expression can serve everyone—even if it has at times been dominated by white, male, Christian, heterosexual, able-bodied citizens. Diversity is about self-expression, learning from one another, and working together across differences; it can encompass academic freedom without condoning hate speech. Palfrey proposes an innovative way to support both diversity and free expression on campus: creating safe spaces and brave spaces. In safe spaces, students can explore ideas and express themselves with without feeling marginalized. In brave spaces—classrooms, lecture halls, public forums—the search for knowledge is paramount, even if some discussions may make certain students uncomfortable. The strength of our democracy, says Palfrey, depends on a commitment to upholding both diversity and free expression, especially when it is hardest to do so.

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Based on a series of themes and case studies, this book aims to illustrate the impact of sports policies and practices on individuals and their identities, and to analyze the potential solutions offered by International human rights law (IHRL) for these infringements. It bridges the gap between IHRL and sports studies, and will be useful to scholars in both fields, especially those unfamiliar with each other’s work. Furthermore, by investigating the context of sport and its governance, this collection offers a series of valuable insights, enabling the development of an interpretation of ‘law in context’ for legal scholars in the field of human rights. As the governance and regulation of sport are seen as illustrations of other forms of normativity, this book also contributes to the conversation about the transnational dimension of law and legal orders. In this respect, it illustrates that normative autonomy in the field of sport, associated with the idea of lex sportiva, tends to be relative regarding IHRL. The sporting environment is not disconnected from major contemporary social issues: it constitutes a public space in which injustices can be denounced, but also the theater in which prejudices are perpetuated against various parties, such as athletes or workers. IHRL commonly addresses attacks on individual dignity and social justice issues by guaranteeing rights to individuals and offering them protection mechanisms. In this context, can IHRL solve the problems encountered in the sporting environment? This is the question that animates this volume. This is an open access book.

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Based on ongoing fieldwork in the Akihabara neighborhood of Tokyo, specifically a targeted subproject from 2014 to 2015, this book explores how and to what effect lines are drawn by producers, players and critics of bishōjo games. Focusing on interactions with manga/anime-style characters, these adult computer games often feature explicit sex acts. Noting that the bishōjo, or “cute girl characters,” in these games can appear quite young, legal actions have been taken in a number of countries to categorize and prohibit the content as child abuse material. In response to the risk of manga/anime images encouraging underage sexualization, lawmakers are moved to regulate them in the same way as photographs or film; triggered by images, the line between fiction and reality is erased, or redrawn to collapse forms together. While Japanese politicians continue to debate a similar course, sustained engagement with bishōjo game producers, players and critics sheds light on alternative movement. Manga/anime-style characters trigger an affective response in interactions with their creators and users, who draw and negotiate lines between fiction and reality. Interacting with characters and one another, bishōjo gamers draw lines between what is fictional and what is “real,” even as the characters are real in their own right and relations with them are extended beyond games; some even see the characters as significant others and refer to them using intimate terms of commitment such as “my wife.” This book argues for understanding the everyday practice of insisting on lines, or drawing a line between humans and nonhumans and orienting oneself toward the drawn lines of the latter, as demonstrating an emergent form of ethics. Occurring individually and socially in both private and public spaces, the response to fictional characters not only discourages harming human beings, but also supports life in more-than-human worlds. For many in contemporary Japan and beyond, interactions and relations with fictional and real others are nothing short of lifelines.

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Based on ongoing fieldwork in the Akihabara neighborhood of Tokyo, specifically a targeted subproject from 2014 to 2015, this book explores how and to what effect lines are drawn by producers, players and critics of bishōjo games. Focusing on interactions with manga/anime-style characters, these adult computer games often feature explicit sex acts. Noting that the bishōjo, or “cute girl characters,” in these games can appear quite young, legal actions have been taken in a number of countries to categorize and prohibit the content as child abuse material. In response to the risk of manga/anime images encouraging underage sexualization, lawmakers are moved to regulate them in the same way as photographs or film; triggered by images, the line between fiction and reality is erased, or redrawn to collapse forms together. While Japanese politicians continue to debate a similar course, sustained engagement with bishōjo game producers, players and critics sheds light on alternative movement. Manga/anime-style characters trigger an affective response in interactions with their creators and users, who draw and negotiate lines between fiction and reality. Interacting with characters and one another, bishōjo gamers draw lines between what is fictional and what is “real,” even as the characters are real in their own right and relations with them are extended beyond games; some even see the characters as significant others and refer to them using intimate terms of commitment such as “my wife.” This book argues for understanding the everyday practice of insisting on lines, or drawing a line between humans and nonhumans and orienting oneself toward the drawn lines of the latter, as demonstrating an emergent form of ethics. Occurring individually and socially in both private and public spaces, the response to fictional characters not only discourages harming human beings, but also supports life in more-than-human worlds. For many in contemporary Japan and beyond, interactions and relations with fictional and real others are nothing short of lifelines.

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"This volume centers around two trends that currently influence freedom of expression. The first trend confirms the fact that many Western countries have become, over a long period of time, less strict about sacrilegious expression. In the process, many repealed their blasphemy laws or became less harsh in their punishment of blasphemy, hence “the fall of blasphemy law”. The second trend manifests an opposite movement, hence “the rise of blasphemy law”. Over the last decades, namely, Western societies have witnessed multiple attempts to suppress speech that defames religion. To be sure, one particularly vicious way of re-energizing these interdicts against blasphemy has come from radical believers intent upon removing blasphemy from the public domain by violent means. "

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During the last decades, non-traditional marks have found their way into trademark registers worldwide. Against this background, the time has come to take stock. Which law and practice has evolved with regard to these marks? How do trademark offices and courts address the wide variety of issues—ranging from legal-doctrinal to competition-based and cultural concerns—that are raised by the inclusion of non-traditional marks in the trademark system? Which positions have evolved in the debate on the continuous expansion of the domain of trademark protection? Which repercussions does this expansion have on other branches of intellectual property protection and the intellectual property system as a whole? Offering a fresh, critical, and interdisciplinary analysis of the questions raised by the acceptance of non-traditional marks, this book provides an insightful academic—and at the same time practical—legal and economic review of the topic. Office and court decisions from different countries and regions serve as a starting point for a comparison of existing approaches to non-traditional marks. Providing a comprehensive overview of the status quo in different jurisdictions, the essays in this book offer a cutting-edge discussion of legal problems and solutions in the field of non-traditional marks. The analysis, however, goes far beyond specific questions of trademark law and practice. It places the issue in the broader context of fundamental rights, in particular freedom of competition and freedom of expression, and explores the impact on other fields of intellectual property, such as patent, copyright, and industrial designs law.

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The book investigates the world's first full legal press freedom. In 1770, king Christian 7's physician, the German enlightener J.F. Struensee, effectively became ruler of Denmark. His first decree, complete abandonment of censorship, led to 3 years of press freedom and an avalanche of pamphlets and debates. In early 1772, a coup led to his execution, giving rise to European outcry and fascination with the radical political experiment of Denmark.

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