Elite Continuity and Media Transformations: An Asymmetrical Comparison of Elite Continuity in Albania and Myanmar

Melanie Radue; Jonila Godole

Authors

Melanie Radue Journalism, University of Passau
Jonila Godole Department of Journalism and Communication, University of Tirana

Keywords:

Elite Continuity, Transition, Media Transformation, Commercialization, Albania, Myanmar

Abstract

This study investigates the intricate dynamics of post-authoritarian media systems in Albania and Myanmar, utilizing Sparks’ (2008) concept of “elite continuity.” Our research employs an asymmetrical comparative approach to explore critical junctures – pivotal moments that significantly shape the evolution of media landscapes. We have two primary objectives: first, to unravel the historical pathways leading to the liberalization of media markets in both nations, and second, to demonstrate using Sparks’ framework how elite continuity evolves in these specific contexts.

Our study incorporates historical contextualization and qualitative analysis to examine the complex interplay between political transitions, economic interests, and evolving media systems. We explore how elite continuity manifests during these critical junctures, shedding light on the enduring influence of entrenched power structures.

Our findings reveal persistent patterns of elite continuity, emphasizing the shift from political to economic power. Despite differing historical and cultural contexts, both countries exhibit parallels in media transformations. This study enhances our understanding of the enduring impact of established elites and path dependencies within media context transformations.

Author Biographies

Melanie Radue, Journalism, University of Passau

Dr., is Assistant Professor to the Chair of Journalism at the University of Passau and works on topics of international communication with a specification in de-westernization. She completed her doctorate at the Friedrich-Alexander University on the topic of “Media Systems in Non-Western Contexts. Freedom of the Media in Southeast Asia”. Accordingly, her research interest is in media freedom, comparative media systems and social movements. Melanie is part of the research network “cosmopolitical communication science” and devotes herself to the question of how to decolonize our minds and actions. Beyond Melanie´s academic work she is engaged in the design, implementation, and management of media assistance projects.

Jonila Godole, Department of Journalism and Communication, University of Tirana

Assoc. Prof., has been teaching at the University of Tirana, Department of Journalism and Communication, since 2005. Her academic research focuses on political communication, media systems and the role of the media in collective memory. After the collapse of the communist regime in the early 1990s, she was among the first female journalists in the free press, gaining recognition for her interviews with key political figures of the time. She initially studied literature in Tirana, followed by political sciences and sociology at J. W. Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main. She later completed her doctorate on journalism cultures in post-communist countries, which was published as the monograph “Albanian Journalism in Transition” (2014). Since 2014, she has been the executive director of the Institute for Media, Democracy and Culture (IDMC), an organization that is active in dealing with the communist past and transitional justice in Albania.

Elite Continuity and Media Transformations

An Asymmetrical Comparison of Elite Continuity in Albania and Myanmar

Authors

Keywords:

Abstract

Author Biographies

Melanie Radue, Journalism, University of Passau

Jonila Godole, Department of Journalism and Communication, University of Tirana

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