Overview

This book explores how crises transform the relationship between individuals, media, and institutions in shaping historical events. Focusing on the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, it examines how media—both traditional and digital—construct narratives that influence public perception and collective memory. Through the lens of Foucault’s concept of dispositif, the authors analyse the diversity of media platforms as instruments for designing discourse, representation, and knowledge. Drawing on extensive research into European media coverage during critical moments—including the 2015 migrant crisis, Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and major commemorations such as the centenary of the 1918 Armistice and the fall of the Berlin Wall—this volume situates the Ukraine conflict within a broader historical and communicative context. It offers unique insights into how European media use platforms like Twitter to shape identity and political discourse at the onset of war. Combining theoretical frameworks with real case studies, this book is an essential resource for scholars and students of media studies, communication, history, and European affairs. It provides a critical guide to understanding the interplay between crisis, media, and the construction of meaning in contemporary society.

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9783032174819

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Elisabeth Le is Professor Emerita at the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta, Canada. Her research interest has mostly been on media discourse, political discourse, and intercultural discourse.  Luciana Radut-Gaghi is Professor of Communication Studies at CY Cergy Paris Université, France. Her research deals with the circulation of discourse in the transnational public sphere between various discursive instances: politicians, scientists, institutions, the media, and citizens.  Alida Maria Silletti is Associate Professor of French language, translation and linguistics at the Department of Political Science at Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Italy. Her main research interest lies in French discourse analysis applied to media discourse, to political discourse and to discourse about the EU. Hedwig Wagner is Professor of European Media Studies at the Interdisciplinary Centre for European Studies, Europa-Universität Flensburg, Germany. Her research interests are dedicated to the intersection of Europe and media, European memory studies, border studies and geo-media studies. 

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