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In Daniel Hallin and Paolo Mancini's study 'Comparing Media Systems' (2004), the authors discuss the phenomenon of "savage deregulation" in the media sector as a hurdle in Southern Europe's path toward modernization. However, their analysis of the phenomenon is problematic in that it equates deregulation with a "commercial deluge" (2004: 125). This analogy masks the true causes of savage deregulation under certain conditions, as well as its potential benefits under repressive regimes. Greece and Thailand are used comparatively to analyze the distinct causes and results of savage deregulation in the European and global context. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the validity of the voter time-of-decision recall measure, and then compares the characteristics of early, campaign, and late deciders during the 2008 U.S. presidential election, in order to determine if the characteristics of these groups have changed in comparison to earlier election studies. The data come from the National Annenberg Election Survey (NAES). The findings show that the recalled time-of-decision measure severely underestimates time-of-decision, and there is strong evidence of a pre-decided majority in the American electorate. Discrepancies between recalled time-of-decision and time-of-decision as measured by the panel data suggest that recalled time-of-decision may measure a distinct concept among early deciders: openness to persuasion during the election. The concept of uncommitted early deciders is offered to describe this group, which the two methods suggest may be more open to persuasion than early or late deciders. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The debate surrounding targeted advertising has thus far failed to fully consider the implications of such techniques on our social world. This paper uses social network theory, and specifically homophily theory, to explore the potential consequences of targeted advertising, and sheds light on how behavioral targeting efforts impact social networks. This paper argues, firstly, that behavioral targeting greatly decreases the agency of the individual in consumption choices, and secondly, that this has the potential to increase homophily in society along lines of consumer and peer groups, with these lines being defined by advertisers and corporations. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]