Henrik Rahm

Entry points and reading paths on the newspaper spread: Comparing semiotic analysis with eye-tracking measurements.

The aim of this article is to compare general assumptions about newspaper reading with eye-tracking data from readers’ actual interaction with a newspaper. First, we extract assumptions about the way people read newspapers from socio-semiotic research. Second, we apply these assumptions by analysing a newspaper spread; this is done without any previous knowledge of actual reading behaviour. Finally, we use eye-tracking to empirically examine so-called entry points and reading paths. Eye movement data on reading newspaper spreads are analysed in three different ways: the time sequence in which different areas attract attention is calculated in order to determine reading priorities; the amount of time spent on different areas is calculated in order to determine which areas have been read most; the depth of attention is calculated in order to determine how carefully those areas have been read. General assumptions extracted from the socio-semiotic framework are compared to the results of the actual behaviour of subjects reading the newspaper spread. The results show that the empirical data confirm some of the extracted assumptions. The reading paths of the five subjects participating in the eye-tracking tests suggest that there are three main categories of readers: editorial readers, overview readers and focused readers.

Conflicting forms of citizenship? Referrals and the principle of transparency in Sweden

This chapter addresses the following questions: how should democratic processes on important issues be constructed; and how can optimal citizen influence be achieved. It focuses on the Swedish GMO discourse from a discourse-analytical perspective, specifically the more limited discourse anchored around an application for restricted and controlled field trials with GMO canola in Sweden. The chapter uncovers and analyses the relations between the authorities and referrals and their view on citizen participation in the discussions concerning GMO crops. The chapter consists of a description of the investigated data, followed by theoretical and methodological points of departure. It provides a description of the discursive practice on applying for field trials with GMO plants in Sweden. The principle of transparency is employed in application procedures with the Swedish Board of Agriculture (SBA) for deliberate release of GMO plants. Keywords: citizen participation; democratic processes; referrals; Swedish GMO; transparency