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Climate change deniers and believers on the TikTok media platform: similarity and difference in the distribution of their knowledge claims
Kasenov, Ayken ; Balon, Jan (advisor) ; Coufal, Linda (referee)
In the era of the dominance of social networks, not only communication but also conflicts have undergone significant changes. Polarization and radicalization that occur due to the isolation of groups in their informational echo chambers cause radicalization of ideas. The ideas of existence of the climate change have split the users of TikTok into two opposing categories. This study aims to understand what are the similarities and differences in how users of the social network TikTok perceived the differences inside and outside an algorithm-based social network. To answer this question, a comparison of the interview data of 5 climate change believers and 5 deniers was made. The results of the research suggest that echo chambers do not prevent the creation of an opinion-challenging environment for both groups. However, the groups have perceived their informational environment differently, with climate change believers noticing more frequent exposure to opposing information.
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Avengers and their Fandom Perception
ŠURANSKÁ, Barbora
The Bachelor thesis on the topic Fandom Perception of Avengers have been focused especially at the final product of a specific fandom, in the form of shared fan art on social media. The first part is focused on the theoretical side of fan. I pay attention to its history and gradual progression. I'm trying to introduce the fan studies that have a tradition at universities of the United States of America and slowly making their way here in the field of media, television and cultural studies. In the next two chapters, I define the categories of fandom and types of fans and non-fans, about expend level of the activity. Then, based on typical fan activities by marked academics, I wrote down several practices. At the end of the theoretical part I discuss the three most important works wrote by Henry Jenkins, Matt Hills and Paul Booth, on which are build fan studies and are often quoted. In the second part, I will take a closer look at two works focused on the hypersexuality of female comic books characters from The Hawkeye Inititative website and a "race" man, Black Panther by Reginald Hudlin, Afroamerican author. I will analyze a video about physics milestones Marvel Universe filmed by the University of Minnesota physicist Jim Kakalios, who uses some scenes to explain various facts in his lectures. After that I will look at the main headline scenes that led to the end of the four phases of the Infinity Saga, popular conspiracy theories of forums such as Reddit, and at the finish add a few examples from Czech fan work on YouTube and shared art on Facebook, etc.
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A republic that outlived itself. The Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and their inner politics
CISARIK, Stanislav
The subject of the thesis are the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The author is dealing with steps that Emperors of the first dynasty took to change the current republican establishment in the so called principate. The main point is the relationship between the Emperors and the social elite, primarily the senate. On the relationship between the emperor and the senate is viewed in two levels, namely the emperor and the senate as whole and the emperor and the senators as individuals. The thesis also analyses the dividing of the roman Provinces between the power of the senate and the power of the emperor as well as the intervention in this dividing. The attitude of the Emperors towards their ancestors is also part of the work.
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Disinformation and the covid-19 pandemic as a public policy issue
Fialová, Eliška ; Pekáček, Ondřej (advisor) ; Ochrana, František (referee)
This bachelor thesis deals with the current political problem posed by disinformation occurring during the pandemic of the new covid-19 disease. The thesis is theoretical, describes the current state of knowledge, and proposes possible directions of public policies based on the observed information. This recent and alarming phenomenon is associated with potential danger to public health and thus makes the subject of the thesis relevant. An unusual event such as a pandemic provides a fertile ground for the spread of disinformation and conspiracy. The public space is overwhelmed by information and, at the same time, with emotions such as fear and uncertainty caused by the pandemic. The main finding is the continuation of pro-Kremlin and Chinese interventions in the form of anti-Western disinformation narratives. Those undermine citizens' trust in public institutions and the government, where trust is related to susceptibility to disinformation. Fact-checking positively impacts disinformation, but it has no chance of keeping up with the vast amount of information that emerges during a pandemic of a new disease. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the prebunking method of the theory of psychological inoculation, which is further described in the thesis. Based on the findings, specific...
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The approach of Czech and Slovaks advertisers to advertising on conspiracy and propagandistic websites
Hrivňák, Adam ; Máchová, Eva (advisor) ; Vranka, Marek (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to provide insight into problematics of buying programmatic advertising on conspiracy and propagandistic websites. Besides it presents the approach of Czech and Slovak advertisers to advertising on mentioned websites. In theoretical point of view thesis discusses the cause from 3 different perspectives. First the thesis provides technical approach as it shows how programmatic advertising works. Second aspect examines if presence of these websites is in contrary to mass media and journalism ethics. Third perspective then discusses brand safety on the Internet. At the end the thesis offers the results of our research which focuses on approach of Czech and Slovaks advertisers to advertising on conspiracy and propagandistic websites. Then we put the results of our research in contrast to theoretical perspectives.
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"The Grand Conspiracy: A Lacanian Reading of Contemporary Conspiracy Theories"
Bohal, Vít ; Armand, Louis (advisor) ; Vichnar, David (referee)
The numerous and varied conspiracy theories which circulate in the contemporary discourse are subject to hyperstition, insofar as they are grouped into wider, more elaborate structures. Some of them become hierarchic to such a degree, that they may, in Michael Barkun's typology, be labeled as "superconspiracy" constructs. No author is more prolific and systematic in the crafting of these constructs than the guru of anglophone conspiracy theory belief, David Icke. The work attempts to keep as its object of study the work of David Icke and his "reptoid hypothesis," as it is effectively one of the most elaborate and baroque conspiracy theories which populate contemporary political discourse. It is Icke's oeuvre which this thesis attempts to recontextualize within the confines of critical social theory and Žižekian psychoanalysis. The existence of a "paranoid style" as professed by Richard J. Hofstadter can be noted throughout the history of western culture, from the Homeric gods, scheming behind the scenes, to its modern incarnations culminating in the superconspiracy constructs of David Icke, Alex Jones, and others. The work focuses not on specific conspiracy theories and their claim to facticity, but rather attempts to trace the structural features of Icke's construct and establish their underlying...
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Information on Charter 77 (1978-1990)
Suk, Marek ; Pullmann, Michal (advisor) ; Vilímek, Tomáš (referee)
This Thesis is focused on the samizdat periodical called Information on Charter 77, which belonged to the important sources of spreading the informations within the dissent and publicizing the key thougts and concepts of Charter 77. The periodical was publishing the Charter documents, communiques of the Comittee for the Defence of the Unjustly Persecuted, brief messages about represion of the normalisation regime, dissident's letters adressed to the state organs, critical reviews and annotations of other samizdat periodicals and books and rarely the reflections on the economy. Topic of the research are personality profiles of the protagonists, functioning of the "independent" editing, preparing and distribution of texts, forming of the distributional net, conspirative milieu (using codes, pseudonyms, conspirative apartments, konfidence etc.), financing and sending abroad.
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Possible World of Rumour
Soukalová, Kateřina ; Šalanda, Bohuslav (advisor) ; Šubrt, Jiří (referee)
This thesis describes and explains rumours as sociological phenomenon. It deals with circumstances under which rumour arises, how it spreads and how it persists in society. It also deals with the prerequisites for understanding the transmission and any believing in rumour. Emphasis is placed on understanding the rumours without negative connotations which is mostly attributed to it. The theory of fictional worlds brings idea that rumour should not be always fictional, fictitious and a priori negative, but rather should be considered as possibly true, especially in terms of the phenomenon, which it refers. It does not matter how many different variations of the rumour story exist, since all create a frame of reference through which is better spread the rumour; adoption of the rumours is not a sign of fiction, but rather a prerequisite to embed among people. The thesis promotes the view that a rumour is spread mainly due to its content and message, which is mainly a warning. The aim is not to pass the exact story, but to warn about a phenomenon that occurs in society. It is not important wheather the rumour is true in each detail, because the only important aspect is truth of phenomenon which the rumour refers to. Keywords Rumour, theory of possible worlds, conspiracy theories, contemporary legend,...
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