Vaudeville, a variety entertainment that arose during mediaeval times, reflected and questioned the social and political changes of the day. These included how government officials dealt with crises. It’s unclear how regular Parisians reacted to news such as the Cholera outbreak, but those with money and time to spare sought solace and comedic relief in popular entertainment. Vaudeville playwrights were only able to escape the political arena though most of the nineteenth century due to the contemporary crises, and thus seldom came close to displaying actual political consciousness. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
