National Integration, Media and Democracy in Post-Milosevic Serbia: Socialist Legacies, Neoliberal Strategies

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National Integration, Media and Democracy in Post-Milosevic Serbia: Socialist Legacies, Neoliberal Strategies NATIONAL INTEGRATION, MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY IN POST-MILOSEVIC SERBIA: SOCIALIST LEGACIES, NEOLIBERAL STRATEGIES by Vladan Pantie B.A. University of Belgrade, 1982 M.A. University of Oklahoma, 2001 DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the School ofCommunication © Vladan Pantie 2008 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Summer 2008 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission ofthe author. Library and Archives Bibliothèque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l’édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-58503-0 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-58503-0 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non- L’auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l’Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, électronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L’auteur conserve la propriété du droit d’auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protège cette thèse. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author’s permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformément à la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privée, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont été enlevés de thesis. cette thèse. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n’y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. APPROVAL Name: Vladan Pantie Degree: PhD Title of Thesis: National Integration, Media and Democracy in Post­ Milosevic Serbia: Socialist Legacies, Neoliberal Strategies Examining Committee: Chair: Dr. Robert Hackett, Professor Dr. Yuezhi Zhao Senior Supervisor Associate Professor, School of Communication Dr. Catherine Murray Supervisor Professor, School of Communication Dr. Richard Gruneau Supervisor Professor, School of Communication Dr. Dal Yong Jin Internal Examiner Assistant Professor, School of Communication Dr. Olessia Koltsova External Examiner Dean and Associate Professor, Sociology Higher School of Economics Petersburg, Russia Date Defended/Approved: ii SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Declaration of Partial Copyright Licence The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. The author has further granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital copy for use in its circulating collection (currently available to the public at the "Institutional Repository" link of the SFU Library website <www.lib.sfu.ca> at: <http://ir.lib.sfu.ca/handle/1892/112>) and, without changing the content, to translate the thesis/project or extended essays, if technically possible, to any medium or format for the purpose of preservation of the digital work. The author has further agreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author's written permission. Permission for public performance, or limited permission for private scholarly use, of any multimedia materials forming part of this work, may have been granted by the author. This information may be found on the separately catalogued multimedia material and in the signed Partial Copyright Licence. While licensing SFU to permit the above uses, the author retains copyright in the thesis, project or extended essays, including the right to change the work for subsequent purposes, including editing and publishing the work in whole or in part, and licensing other parties, as the author may desire. The original Partial Copyright Licence attesting to these terms, and signed by this author, may be found in the original bound copy of this work, retained in the Simon Fraser University Archive. Simon Fraser University Library Burnaby, BC,Canada Revised: Summer 2007 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY TH1NKING Of THE WORLD STATEMENT OF ETHICS APPROVAL The author, whose name appears on the title page of this work, has obtained, for the research described in this work, either: (a) Human research ethics approval from the Simon Fraser University Office of Research Ethics, or (b) Advance approval of the animal care protocol from the University Animal Care Committee of Simon Fraser University; or has conducted the research (c) as a co-investigator, in a research project approved in advance, or (d) as a member of a course approved in advance for minimal.risk human research, by the Office of Research Ethics. A copy of the approval letter has been filed at the Theses Office of the University Library at the time of submission of this thesis or project. The original application for approval and letter of approval are filed with the relevant offices. Inquiries may be directed to those authorities. Bennett Library Simon Fraser University Burnaby,BC,Canada LIst revision: Summer 2007 ABSTRACT This dissertation offers a socio-historical analysis of media and democratization in post-Milosevic Serbia. The transformation ofSerbian media structures and practices is framed around competing notions of democracy and a clash between two opposing conceptions of national integration: the universalism of an egalitarian legal republic and the particularism of a community united by historical destiny, common language and culture. The ousting by the democratic opposition in 2000 of the authoritarian and nationalist Milosevic regime set in motion, in conjunction with the capitalist transformation of Serbia's economy and society, the development of democratic processes and institutions. In the process, domestic political elites and media reformers discounted participatory democracy as a form of media organizing, embracing instead the liberal and elitist notion of democracy advocated by Western governments and aid organizations. The complicated issues of national integration, state formation, and media in two consecutive historical periods, are critically reviewed highlighting ideological, structural and cultural legacies influencing Serbia's ongoing transformation. The media transformation process has centered on privatization and the construction of a legalistic regulatory framework, changes which have resulted in the alienation of Serbian media institutions from both from journalists and a society deeply ambivalent about the choice between universalism and particularism. The dissertation assesses both the elitist nature iii of the transformation and the controversial micro-dynamics ofpower as it operates among the agents of change. This dissertation argues that Serbia's unresolved questions of external and internal sovereignty have the integrative capacity of the democratization process less effective. Moreover, a form of integration through ethnic bonding still prevails and presents a powerful challenge to the still-embryonic social bonding achieved through democratic citizenship. The tension between the nationalistic and republican conceptions of democracy has contributed to the contradictory and volatile development of a Serbian constitutional democracy, public sphere and democratic media. The dissertation concludes that the polarized pluralist system of media and politics found in southern Europe also provides important insights guiding our consideration about the possible direction of the Serbian transformation. iv To Sue v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many special people have been involved in the process of conceptualising, researching, writing and revising this project. It is not always easy to express one's feelings and this section might be short and simple; however, its brevity does not in any way diminish my deep appreciation and love for the beautiful souls that I had the chance to meet during this process. There really are no words to express my gratitude. lowe a special debt to the beautiful spirits at the Simon Fraser's School of Communication. Neena Shahani and Lucie Menkveld: What wonderful people! Denise Vanderwolf, Monique Cloutier and Amy Soo: you were always there for me when I stumbled. A special thanks to my friends and colleagues Dr. Kathleen Cross, Ian Chunn and Susan Reaney. I am most grateful for our conversations,
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