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The mo al mechanism o coun e accoun s: he case o indus ial animal p oduc ion
Eija Vinna ia,*, Ma ias Lainea
aUni e si y o Tampe e, Facul y o Managemen , FI-33014 Uni e si y o Tampe e, Finland.
Email: i s name.las name[a ]u a. i.
*Co esponding au ho : Tel.: +358503187602
“Accep ed au ho manusc ip ” e sion (pos p in )
O iginal publica ion:
Vinna i, E. & Laine, M. (2017), The mo al mechanism o coun e accoun s: he case
o indus ial animal p oduc ion. Accoun ing, O ganiza ions and Socie y, 57, 1-17.
h p://doi.o g/10.1016/j.aos.2017.01.002
Acknowledgmen s:
This pape has g ea ly bene i ed om he commen s p o ided by Ka ja Aal o, Oana Apos ol, Daniel Ma inez,
Johanna Rämö, Helen T egidga as well as he wo anonymous e iewe s. P e ious e sions o he pape ha e
been p esen ed a he esea ch semina s o Tu ku School o Economics a he Uni e si y o Tu ku and he
School o Managemen a he Uni e si y o Tampe e; he 28 h In e na ional CSEAR Con e ence on Social and
En i onmen al Accoun ing Resea ch, S . And ews, UK (2016); and he In e disciplina y Pe spec i es on
Accoun ing Con e ence, S ockholm, Sweden (2015). The audience commen s om hose e en s a e also
acknowledged wi h g a i ude.
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The mo al mechanism o coun e accoun s: he case o indus ial animal p oduc ion
Abs ac
Coun e accoun s a e hoped o p esen a coun e o ce o hegemonic discou ses and b ing abou
emancipa o y change in socie ies. While he poli ical po en ial o coun e accoun s has, o an ex en , been
examined in p io accoun ing li e a u e, he e is a need o analyse he associa ed mo al dimension. Ou
pu pose in his pape is o ad ance heo e ical unde s anding o he ans o ma i e po en ial o coun e
accoun s by examining how hey media e he su e ing o opp essed g oups and how ha media ion could
lead o public ac ion. Th ough a concep ual lens combining media s udies and c i ical discou se analysis, we
analyse coun e accoun s o animal p oduc ion c ea ed by social mo emen ac i is s in Finland. We ind ha ,
in gene al e ms, he ans o ma i e po en ial o coun e accoun s is associa ed wi h hei abili y o ac as a
o m o mo al and poli ical educa ion, by epea edly sugges ing o hei audiences how o eel abou , and ac
publicly on, he su e ing o an opp essed g oup. The mo al engagemen o he coun e accoun s’ audiences
akes place h ough a combina ion o semio ic cues ha simul aneously p esen he su e ing as an objec i e
ac , e oke sympa hy owa ds he opp essed g oup and p esen p ac ical op ions on how o ac on he
su e ing. We also no e ha coun e accoun s can gi e ise o di e en e hical discou ses and p ac ical
engagemen op ions depending on he media and semio ic cues employed in hei cons uc ion. This lea es
oom o discou ses ha acknowledge some o he conce ns p esen ed in he coun e accoun s bu poin
owa ds ac ions ha do no h ea en he s a us quo.
Key wo ds: animals; coun e accoun s; c i ical discou se analysis; mo ali y; social mo emen s; isual media.
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The mo al mechanism o coun e accoun s: he case o indus ial animal p oduc ion
1. In oduc ion
While humani y is accele a ing i s collision cou se wi h plane a y bounda ies (Rocks öm e al., 2009; S e en
e al., 2015), he hegemonic neolibe alis discou se con inues o p o ide a allacy o co po a e bene olence
and o he sus ainabili y o he p esen s uc u al a angemen s (G ay, 2010; T egidga, Milne & Kea ins,
2014). As co po a e social and en i onmen al accoun s ha e o en been ound sel -se ing and biased (Boi al,
2013; Cho & Pa en, 2007; Spence, 2009; T egidga, e al., 2014), al e na i e accoun s o o ganiza ional and
ins i u ional ac i i ies ha e been called o , bo h o coun e hegemonic discou ses and o c ea e new ways
o seeing, as his is pe cei ed as a po en ial a enue o b inging abou emancipa o y change in socie ies (G ay,
B ennan & Malpas, 2014; Thomson, Russell & Dey, 2015). A po en ially in e es ing ange o such accoun s
a e coun e accoun s, which can be de ined as al e na i e ep esen a ions o o ganiza ions, indus ies o
go e nance egimes, p oduced by ci ic socie y g oups in o de o ec i y a s a e o a ai s ha is conside ed
ha m ul o o he wise undesi able (Thomson e al., 2015). This is belie ed o acili a e s eps owa ds a mo e
socially and en i onmen ally jus socie y (B own & Dilla d, 2013; Dey, Russell & Thomson, 2011; G ay,
B ennan & Malpas, 2014) as well as o ma ch co po a ions’ o alizing powe wi h esponsibili y (Lehman,
1999; Spence, 2009; G ay, 2010).
This s udy is conce ned wi h coun e accoun s p oduced by social mo emen ac i is s, and he mo i a ion
o i can be de i ed om se e al pe spec i es. Fi s , in e ms o heo e ical mo i a ion, we a gue ha despi e
he g owing schola ly in e es owa ds coun e accoun s, he e is a lack o heo e ical unde s anding
ega ding hei ope a ional mechanism. In he accoun ing li e a u e, he e has ecen ly been some discussion
on he poli ical po en ial o coun e accoun s - and coun e -hegemonic p ojec s mo e b oadly; in he sense
o mobilizing collec i e ac ion on behal o hose opp essed by hegemonic egimes (e.g. Coope e al., 2005;
A chel, Husillos & Spence, 2011; B own & Dilla d, 2013; T egidga e al., in p ess). Howe e , o gain a mo e
comp ehensi e app ecia ion o he ans o ma i e po en ial o coun e accoun s we also need o analyse he
closely associa ed mo al aspec s. This is because a necessa y condi ion o he eme gence o poli ical ac ion
is he depic ion o he opp essed indi iduals’ ha dship o su e ing in such a way ha membe s o he public
come o iew he su e e s as a mo al cause (Smi h, 1759/2010; Bol anski, 1999). Fu he mo e, di e en
e hical posi ions esul in di e en iews conce ning he impo ance o he su e ing, wha should be done
abou i and by whom. Analogously o displays o su e ing media ed h ough ele ision and he in e ne
(Choulia aki, 2006a, b; 2008; 2013), coun e accoun s could be en isaged o play an ins umen al ole in
os e ing such mo al e lexi i y. Howe e , as his mechanism has hus a no been in es iga ed in he
accoun ing li e a u e, he e is a need o u he heo e ical elabo a ion ega ding how coun e accoun s
cons uc a ela ionship be ween hei audience and he su e ing ‘o he ’ and he eby s imula e he audience
o commi o public ac ion.
Second, he p esen s udy is suppo ed by he obse a ion ha coun e accoun s ha e been he opic o
ela i ely ew empi ical analyses (Apos ol, 2015; Coope e al., 2005; Gallho e e al., 2006; Ha e & Owen,
1987; Sikka, 2006; Thomson e al., 2015). Conduc ed om a a ie y o pe spec i es and in di e en se ings,
hese s udies ha e yielded mixed esul s ega ding he e ec i eness o coun e accoun s. The e is hus a
u he need o in es iga e how coun e accoun s could succeed in ul illing he high hopes se o hem in
no ma i e and concep ual s udies. In pa icula , schola s ha e called o mo e esea ch on how he con en ,
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o m and media o coun e accoun s ela es o hei po en ial o e ec social change (Gallho e , Haslam &
Yoneku a, 2015; T egidga e al., in p ess), hus p o iding an empi ical mo i a ion o ou s udy.
Thi d, as a ph one ic mo i a ion (Fly bje g, 2001), we d aw on wo k highligh ing he impo ance o explo ing
he connec ions be ween accoun ing and sus ainabili y (Bebbing on & La inaga, 2014; Une man &
Chapman, 2014). I has been a gued ha despi e he bu geoning social and en i onmen al accoun ing
li e a u e, mos schola ly wo k in he ield ails o connec o he b oade deba es on sys emic challenges,
plane a y bounda ies and sus ainabili y wi h a pa icula in es iga ion o accoun ing as an emblem o
ins i u ionalized calcula i e p ac ices in e ac ing wi h hose b oade p ocesses (Bebbing on & La inaga,
2014; Bebbing on & Thomson, 2013; G ay, 2010). Acco dingly, ou empi ical in es iga ion ocuses on mea
and dai y p oduc ion, which is an indus y bene i ing om a aken- o -g an ed posi ion in socie ies despi e
i s majo di ec ele ance in he de e io a ion o he s a e o he global na u al en i onmen (see e.g.
Vi ousek e al., 1997; Lang, Ba ling & Ca ahe , 2009; S eh es e al., 2009; McMichael, Powles & Bu le , 2007).
In keeping wi h a discu si e app oach, we main ain he e ha he way co po a ions and o he social ac o s
depic and ep esen indus ial mea and dai y p oduc ion ( e)cons uc s no only ou unde s anding o
animal p oduc ion bu also human-animal ela ionships mo e b oadly. Gi en he signi ican en i onmen al
consequences and, some would a gue, e hically un enable1 na u e o mea and dai y p oduc ion, we asse
ha i is o signi icance which kind o discou ses ha e dominance o e he ep esen a ion o animal a ming,
since hese discou ses e en ually in luence ac ion in socie ies and a e hus eal in consequences.
Thus, he pu pose o his s udy is o inc ease unde s anding o coun e accoun s bo h heo e ically and
empi ically. In pa icula , we seek o answe he ollowing ques ion: How do coun e accoun s media e he
su e ing o dis an o he s and how, in u n, could ha media ion lead o public ac ion? To his end, we
analyse empi ical da a collec ed in Finland, whe e animal igh s ac i is s ha e in ecen yea s ac i ely
campaigned agains he modus ope andi o indus ial mea and dai y p oduc ion. A key ole in his campaign
has been played by ideos om pig a ms, ilmed in sec e by ac i is s who ha e aken ad an age o unlocked
doo s a hese low secu i y acili ies. The ideos, which we concep ualize as mul i-modal coun e accoun s,
ha e been eleased egula ly h ough dedica ed websi es since 2007 and o da e ac i is s ha e p oduced
such ma e ial om hund eds o a ms. In addi ion o hese ilms, we will also analyse how he coun e
accoun s we e ea u ed on ele ision on a p ime- ime magazine p og amme, in which clips o he ideos
we e ai ed o la ge na ional audiences.
In explo ing hese issues, we d aw p ima ily on Choulia aki’s (2006a, b; 2008; 2013) analy ics o media ion,
which is a ph one ically d i en, c i ical discou se analy ical app oach in o med by Bol anski’s (1999)
sociological wo k on media, mo ali y and poli ics. In gene al e ms, we ind he analy ics o media ion use ul
o he in es iga ion o coun e accoun s o a leas h ee pu poses. Fi s , i allows us o ocus on he
ela ionship be ween he audiences and ‘ he o he ’, a he han placing an o ganiza ion o ins i u ion a he
cen e o he analysis (B own, Dilla d & Hoppe , 2015; T egidga e al., in p ess). Second, he amewo k
enables us o shed ligh on he discu si e mechanisms h ough which coun e accoun s ep esen he pligh
o dis an ‘o he s’ as a mo al cause, cons i u ing he audiences o he accoun s as po en ial ac i is s and
p esen ing hem wi h op ions o p ac ical engagemen . Thi d, he amewo k p o ides analy ical ools o
in es iga ing w i en media ex s, pho os and ideos as semio ic a he han linguis ic elemen s (Jø gensen
& Phillips, 2002), hus acili a ing a p o ound analysis o he isual aspec s o coun e accoun s (B own, 2010;
1 D awing on a ange o e hical heo ies, se e al au ho s ha e posi ed ha animal p oduc ion is also a mo ally
ques ionable p ac ice (see e.g. Aal ola, 2012; F ancione & Cha l on, 2013; Regan, 1984).
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see also Meye e al., 2013). Especially mo ing image is becoming an inc easingly ubiqui ous way o con eying
in o ma ion bu has no , o ou knowledge, been examined in p io accoun ing li e a u e. In mo e pa icula
e ms, he analy ics o media ion allows us o analyse he social mo emen ac i is s’ coun e accoun s as
mul i-modal media ex s which, h ough he use o a ious semio ic elemen s, seek o mo ally engage hei
spec a o s and make hem commi ed o ac publicly on behal o he su e ing p oduc ion animals. I also
enables us o dis inguish be ween he di e en meanings ha he su e ing acqui es depending on he
medium o dissemina ion (ac i is websi e e sus p ime ime ele ision p og amme).
Like T egidga e al. (2014; in p ess), we belie e ha in seeking o ad ance sus ainabili y, schola s should
c i ically engage wi h and esis hegemonic o ms o especially neolibe al discou se (also Ga ikin, 2009).
Mo eo e , we main ain, alongside G ay (2010), T egidga e al. (2014), and Thomson e al. (2015), ha
socie ies need a a ie y o al e na i e accoun s o coun e he sel -se ing discou se o o ganiza ions,
indus ies o go e nance egimes. Thus, and in seeking o ul il he mo al esponsibili y o public in ellec uals
o use ou p i ileged posi ions o in o m and suppo social p og ess (Golso khi e al., 2009), we will also
engage in wha Fai clough calls posi i e c i ique, in ol ing no only an “analysis o how people seek o emedy
o mi iga e [social w ongs]”, bu also “iden i ica ion o u he possibili ies o igh ing o mi iga ing hem”
(Fai clough, 2010, p. 7). This implies ha in addi ion o de eloping u he heo e ical and empi ical
knowledge o coun e accoun s, wi h his pape we also wish o enhance collec i e unde s anding o how
such coun e accoun s could be mo e e ec i ely used o bo h esis unsus ainable, and subsequen ly
ad ance mo e sus ainable, o ganiza ional and ins i u ional p ac ices.
We belie e ou esea ch o make wo main con ibu ions o p io accoun ing li e a u e. Fi s , we complemen
ex an knowledge on he ans o ma i e po en ial o coun e -hegemonic p ojec s (Coope e al., 2005; A chel
e al., 2011; B own & Dilla d, 2013; Spence, 2009; T egidga e al., in p ess) wi h an analysis o he hus a
neglec ed mo al dimension. In so doing, we also add o he g owing empi ical li e a u e on he media and
me hods o coun e accoun s as an al e na i e o m o con eying in o ma ion o he pu pose o in luencing
socie al decision making (G ay, Malpas and B ennan, 2014; Gallho e e al., 2015; Thomson e al., 2015).
Second, we illus a e he alue o Choulia aki’s (2006a, 2008) and Bol anski’s (1999) concep ualiza ions o
he s udy o mul i-modal accoun s, hus expanding he me hodological oolbox o discou se analyses wi h a
a e semio ic amewo k (Jø gensen & Phillips, 2002).
The pape p oceeds as ollows. In he second sec ion, we e iew p io li e a u e on coun e accoun s as well
as ou line he analy ical amewo k o ou s udy. Subsequen ly, we elabo a e on he empi ical con ex o ou
s udy and p esen ou me hods o da a collec ion and analysis. In he ou h sec ion, we analyse ou empi ical
ma e ial h ough he concep ual lens o e ed by Choulia aki’s (2006a, 2008, 2013) and Bol anski’s (1999)
wo k on media, mo ali y and dis an su e ing. In he inal sec ion, we discuss hese indings and p esen ou
conclusions.
2. Li e a u e e iew
2.1 The ans o ma i e po en ial o coun e accoun s
The publica ion o co po a e social esponsibili y epo s has become ins i u ionalized as a s anda d p ac ice
in many socie ies (Bebbing on, Une man & O’Dwye , 2014). These olun a y disclosu es con inue o be hailed
as a medium ha will help socie ies ackle social and en i onmen al challenges (see G ay, Adams & Owen,
2014). I is pe cei ed ha as u he in o ma ion abou he social and en i onmen al aspec s o economic

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ac i i ies becomes a ailable, o ganiza ional s akeholde s and o he social agen s will ake ac ion and he eby
he choices made will s ee segmen s o economic ac i i y o new di ec ions.
I seems, howe e , a he e iden ha co po a e social accoun s a e no ul illing he hopes ha ha e a
imes been placed on hem. The e is, o ins ance, a s eady coho o wo k which a gues ha such
de elopmen will emain an aspi a ion, since co po a ions and o he p i a e o ganiza ions engage in social
and en i onmen al epo ing me ely o secu e hei own p i a e in e es s (e.g. Ae s & Co mie , 2009; Boi al,
2013). Looking a he ques ion om a b oade pe spec i e, Cho e al. (2015) ha e a gued ha such a
phenomenon is likely he e o s ay: he p e ailing socio-economic en i onmen se s con adic o y
ins i u ional p essu es on o ganiza ions and o ces hem o engage in o ganized hypoc isy and o de elop
o ganiza ional açades, he eby limi ing he e ol emen o sus ainabili y epo s in o subs an i e disclosu es.
Likewise, G ay, B ennan and Malpas (2014) claim ha i is somewha naï e o expec co po a e olun a y
sel - epo ing o ques ion he e y p emises he business wo ld and capi alis ma ke economy is buil on
(see Spence, 2009).
Fu he mo e, om a discou se analy ical pe spec i e, i can be a gued ha co po a e sus ainabili y p ac ices
and he language used he ein u he ein o ce and econs uc he p esen s uc u al a angemen s and
socio-economic o de (see A chel e al., 2011; A nold and Hammond, 1994; also Bi kin, Edwa ds &
Woodwa d, 2005). T egidga e al. (2014) o ins ance a gue ha h ough a ious discu si e means,
co po a ions ha e managed o p ojec an image o hemsel es as s a egically ´good` o ganiza ions ha a e
no only en i onmen ally esponsible and complian bu also leade s in sus ainabili y. D awing on Laclau and
Mou e’s (1985) discussion o discou se heo y and he concep o hegemony, T egidga e al. (2014) a gue
ha co po a ions ha e succeeded in cons uc ing an iden i y as ans o med, simul aneously esis ing
demands o changing business-as-usual and obscu ing no ions o accoun abili y and anspa ency (see also
Hopwood, 2009; Messne , 2009). The au ho s iden i y al e na i e shadow and silen epo s, which ha e
been used o challenge he hegemonic posi ion o he co po a e discou se, and call o u he c i ical
esea ch on o ganiza ional sus ainabili y discou se and i s hegemonic o ms.
Gi en he con es ed ole o co po a e disclosu es, i appea s wo hwhile o explo e mo e closely he
emancipa o y po en ial o o he accoun s o o ganiza ional and ins i u ional ac i i ies (G ay, B ennan &
Malpas, 2014; T egidga e al., 2014). A po en ially in e es ing ange o accoun s, and he ocus o his pape ,
a e he a ious coun e accoun s “p oduced by, o on behal o , indi iduals who a e beyond, o ´ou side`, he
con ol o he en i y ha is he subjec o he accoun ” (Thomson e al., 2015, p. 2; see also Dey e al., 2011).
Appea ing in a ious o ms, coun e accoun s se e o c ea e al e na i e ep esen a ions o pa icula
o ganiza ions, p ac ices, o go e nance egimes by con eying in o ma ion abou hei social, economic and
en i onmen al impac s. By hus making isible and p oblema izing some hing ha is conside ed o ha e
ha m ul o undesi able consequences, coun e accoun s ul ima ely aim o in luence socie al decision-making
and ac ion (Coope e al., 2005, p. 7; Gallho e e al., 2015). A mo e p o ound explo a ion o wha
dis inguishes coun e accoun s om me e ‘ ep esen a ions’ on he one hand and om mo e con en ional
no ions o accoun ing on he o he hand is p o ided in he concluding discussion.
Whe he and how he ans o ma i e po en ial o coun e accoun s could be ealized has been subjec o
bo h no ma i e and empi ical accoun ing s udies. Coope e al. (2005) o ins ance epo on how hey
p oduced an al e na i e accoun o s uden ha dship in Sco land wi h he aim o coun e ing go e nmen
plans o in oduce ui ion ees in o highe educa ion. Thei ul ima ely success ul demand o omi ing he
ees was amed in Ma xis e ms as a wide issue o social jus ice and equali y o oppo uni y in highe
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educa ion, suppo ed by empi ical da a ga he ed om a s uden su ey. Re lec ing on hei expe iences,
Coope e al. (2005, p. 973) posi ha in o de o be success ul coun e accoun s should combine a pa icula
poli ical demand o a heo e ically in o med unde s anding o social o ali y and i s con adic ions ha will
enable he ac i is s in ques ion o link hei cause o o he con empo a y social mo emen s’ s uggles.
Likewise, Spence (2009) a gues ha in o de o ealize hei ans o ma i e po en ial, coun e accoun s
p oduced by ci il socie y g oups would need o expose la en in e es s and pa adoxes in he ways in which
socie y is o ganized, mani es o ins ance as social and en i onmen al p oblems, as well as a icula e and
dissemina e new ideologies and isions a ound which socie y could be eo ganized.
Fu he suppo o coun e accoun s has been p o ided in concep ual s udies in o med by agonis ic
plu alism (B own and Dilla d, 2013; B own e al., 2015; Gallho e e al., 2015; Vinna i & Dilla d, 2016). Taken
oge he , hese s udies main ain ha achie ing a la ge-scale social change owa ds sus ainabili y equi es
aking plu alism se iously, in o he wo ds os e ing poly ocal democ a ic deba e and discussion ha p o ides
a e ile b eeding g ound o new solu ions o he pe cei ed p oblems o he p esen hegemonic o de
(B own & Dilla d, 2013). In his con ex , coun e accoun s a e pe cei ed as a way o making isible and audible
he needs o ma ginalized cons i uencies such as animals (Dilla d & Vinna i, 2016), hus enhancing he
plu alis quali y o he deba es. Howe e , as he e is s ill limi ed knowledge o he a ious in e ac ing ac o s
po en ially a ec ing he social impac o coun e accoun s (Gallho e e al., 2015), he e is a need o mo e
esea ch on hei ole in con incing and enabling indi iduals o commi o social ac ion (B own e al., 2015).
A ew excep ions no wi hs anding (e.g. Ha e & Owen, 1987; Coope e al., 2005; Sikka, 2006), empi ical
esea ch ocused on explo ing he emancipa o y po en ial o coun e accoun s has only ecen ly picked up
and become an inc easingly impo an elemen o he social accoun ing li e a u e. One o hese mo e ecen
s udies is Apos ol’s (2015) case s udy analysis o how ci il socie y used coun e accoun s in con es ing a majo
mining p ojec in Romania. Whe eas he mining company in i s disclosu es amed he planned mine as a
a he unp oblema ic p ojec ha would b ing bene i s o he whole socie y, he coun e accoun s p oduced
by ci il socie y highligh ed social and en i onmen al impac s ha we e absen o downplayed in he
co po a e na a i e. Apos ol (2015) main ains ha he coun e accoun s no only succeeded in
p oblema izing he co po a e accoun , bu also e ealed he Romanian s a e’s ideological bias owa ds
economic in e es s ins ead o social, en i onmen al and cul u al aspec s. The au ho concludes ha coun e
accoun s ha e po en ial o mobilize public ac ion and enable social deba e o e con es ed issues, bu does
no del e deepe in o he mo al mechanism p eceding such mobiliza ion.
Whe eas Apos ol (2015) d aws on discou se analysis o discuss he ole o coun e accoun s in a b oad
socie al se ing, B ennan and Me kl-Da ies (2014) p o ide a mic o-le el accoun wi h an in-dep h explo a ion
o he communica i e in e ac ions be ween G eenpeace and in e na ional spo swea / ashion i ms in a
con lic o e en i onmen al pe o mance. D awing on s akeholde heo y and p io heo e ical wo k on
he o ic and a gumen a ion, B ennan and Me kl-Da ies (2014) de elop an analy ical amewo k h ough
which hey in es iga e how he pa ies in ol ed in he con lic used me apho s and o he he o ical means
in hei p ess eleases in seeking o pe suade a ious audiences o pu p essu e on he i ms. As hei esul ,
he au ho s sugges ha he ou comes o such con lic si ua ions depend no only on he a ibu es o he
s akeholde s in ol ed and hei abili y o d aw suppo om o he key s akeholde s, bu also on he
he o ical skills he s akeholde s possess. Among o he hings, hey no e how G eenpeace used me apho s
ha esona ed wi h he p edominan ly Wes e n audiences’ alues and belie s, o cons ue he i ms’
p ac ices as mo ally ques ionable and o unde sco e he u gency o he si ua ion. Mo eo e , al hough
B ennan and Me kl-Da ies (2014) limi hei in es iga ion o w i en p ess eleases, hey highligh ha also
8
isual he o ic played an impo an ole in G eenpeace’s e o s. The au ho s go on o no e ha he e is
limi ed esea ch on how s akeholde s use images, ideos and o he non- e bal communica ion o con es
o ganiza ional na a i es, and hence call o u he esea ch ha would explo e how s akeholde s make use
o hese powe ul means o pe suasion in hei a emp s o in luence o ganiza ional beha iou .
In addi ion o con es ing he ac i i ies and plans o indi idual co po a ions, ci il socie y g oups can use
coun e accoun s in challenging exis ing and ins i u ionalized go e nance egimes (Dey e al., 2011).
Thomson e al. (2015) ha e conduc ed a longi udinal case s udy o explo e how a UK-based an i- obacco
ac i is o ganiza ion used coun e 2 accoun s and o he ac i is p ac ices o con on he obacco indus y and
in luence obacco go e nance in socie y. Making use o a dynamic con lic a ena amewo k, Thomson e al.
(2015) discuss how he ac i is o ganiza ion used a ious ypes o coun e accoun s as he con lic e ol ed,
and how hese accoun s se ed in c ea ing a mo e holis ic accoun o he consequences o obacco
p oduc ion, consump ion and go e nance. O e all, Thomson and colleagues (2015) a gue ha such coun e
accoun s can p oblema ize go e nance p ac ices and con ibu e o agendas o social and en i onmen al
change in socie ies. Howe e , hey also no e ha he ans o ma ional po en ial o a coun e accoun is
con ingen upon he cha ac e is ics o he con lic a ena as well as he ac ics and in e ac ions associa ed
wi h he use o coun e accoun s. The au ho s conside u he esea ch necessa y o , in e alia, explo ing
he app op ia eness o he coun e accoun s’ con en , he media and me hods used in he coun e accoun ,
and he na u e o he opp essed g oups on behal o whom he accoun is p epa ed.
Taken oge he , his eme ging body o p esc ip i e and desc ip i e wo k has enhanced ou unde s anding o
bo h he expec a ions and he p ac ices ela ed o coun e accoun s. I is e iden ha coun e accoun s can
be used in a a ie y o se ings, and ha di e en o ms and media o coun e accoun ing may be d awn
upon in seeking o engende social change. Mo eo e , as a whole he empi ical wo k has also p o ided
suppo o he a gumen o Dey e al. (2011) ha coun e accoun s can make hinkable and go e nable such
issues ha a e ega ded as un hinkable o ungo e nable by hose in powe in a pa icula se ing. Ye , as he
wo k e iewed abo e has la gely ocused on he poli ical po en ial o coun e accoun s, he e is a need o
u he sc u iny o he mechanism in ol ed in cons i u ing audiences as bo h mo al and poli ical ac o s. This
in ol es eplacing he p edominan ly co po a ion-cen ic iew o ex an s udies wi h a ocus on he
ela ionship be ween he audiences and hose su e ing unde p esen s uc u al a angemen s.
In his pape , we in es iga e how social mo emen ac i is s used coun e accoun s in an a emp o c ea e a
mo al ela ionship be ween he audience and he su e ing ‘o he s’, and he eby sough o c ea e change in
he hegemonic discou ses and aken o g an ed ins i u ional s uc u es delinea ing how he keeping,
p oduc ion and consump ion o a m animals is amed wi hin socie y. Ou in es iga ion o hese issues is
in o med by he analy ical amewo k elabo a ed in he nex sec ion.
2.2 Mo ali y and he media ion o dis an su e ing
Ou analysis d aws om wo k on dis an su e ing as de eloped by Bol anski (1999) and conside ably
expanded by Choulia aki (2006a, 2008, 2013) in o a c i ical discou se analy ical app oach, he analy ics o
media ion. Bo h Bol anski and Choulia aki a e conce ned wi h he e hical disposi ion o Wes e n publics
owa ds he mis o une o dis an ‘o he s’, be hese ic ims o a na u al disas e , disease o wa a e. A he
co e o Bol anski’s (1999) sociologically o ien ed wo k a e h ee pa adigma ic ‘ opics’ o publicly s aging
2 Thomson e al. (2015) employ he e m ‘ex e nal accoun s’, which we ha e eplaced wi h coun e accoun s o
main ain consis ency o exp ession h oughou his pape .
9
su e ing - pamphle ee ing, philan h opy and sublima ion; each o which is associa ed wi h a speci ic mo al
alue and emo ional egis e .
Choulia aki in u n is in e es ed in he ole o mul i-modal media, such as ele ision and he In e ne , as a
o m o mo al educa ion ha can awaken Wes e n spec a o s’ sense o esponsibili y owa ds su e ing
indi iduals in a away loca ions. She has de eloped he analy ics o media ion (Choulia aki, 2006a e seq) o
he pu pose o c i ically s udying he semio ic mechanisms by which mul i-modal media cons uc a mo al
ela ionship be ween he spec a o and he dis an ‘o he ’, sugges ing ways in which he spec a o should
eel and ac on he o he ’s su e ing. Bol anski’s (1999) h ee opics o m one pa o his analy ical g id.
In hei analyses o mo al alues and mo ally accep able beha iou in he con ex o dis an su e ing
Bol anski (1999) and Choulia aki (2006a e seq) d aw on he s and o philosophical hough known as i ue
e hics3, which places emphasis on i ues, o he mo al cha ac e o an ac o (Annas, 2006). Bo h au ho s
app op ia e ce ain ideas om Adam Smi h’s i ue e hical p esen a ion, he heo y o mo al sen imen s
(Smi h, 1759/2010). In his p esen a ion, Smi h ocuses on desc ibing - as opposed o p esc ibing, how public
alues eme ge and a e subsequen ly applied when making mo al judgmen s. As an Enligh enmen
philosophe , Smi h awa ds a p ominen ole o sympa hy and imagina ion as he ounding elemen s o
mo ali y4. He main ains ha human beings ha e a na u al capaci y o ‘ ellow- eeling’ owa ds a su e ing
indi idual, de i ing om ou abili y o imagine how we would eel in a simila si ua ion (Smi h, 1759/2010,
Pa I, Chap e 1, p. 5). Likewise, sympa hy o ms he basis o ou e alua ion o o he indi iduals’ ac ions
owa ds he su e e . I we sympa hize wi h he su e e ’s g a i ude owa ds a bene ac o o he esen men
owa ds a pe secu o , we conside he associa ed ac ions o be espec i ely mo ally jus i ied o unjus i ied
(ibid.). Smi h also in oduces he idea o he in e nal spec a o , e e ing o an indi idual’s abili y o see
he sel in he eyes o o he s and judge he own ac ions based on ha in ospec ion. Bol anski (1999) applies
hese ideas o media ep esen a ions o dis an su e ing, a guing ha such ep esen a ions usually ake he
o m o one o h ee discu si e ‘ opics’, each o which makes a dis inc mo al p oposal o he spec a o s
depending on he ac o s shown in he icini y o he su e e s. The h ee opics, which a e embedded in
Choulia aki’s (2006a e seq) analy ical g id, will be elabo a ed u he below.
Choulia aki’s (2006a e seq) wo k is also d i en by A is o le’s i ue o ph onesis (p udence), which en ails
s udying social li e om he pe spec i e o wha is ‘good o bad o man’. Howe e , he ake on i ue e hics
is dis inc in he sense ha she combines he ph one ic pe spec i e wi h a pos s uc u alis (Foucauldian)
in e es in he powe e ec s o discu si e o ma ions (Choulia aki, 2013, p. 205). Such a combina ion, she
a gues, enables he examina ion o he condi ions unde which a speci ic p ac ice may u n ou o be ‘good
o bad’ o a ce ain g oup o indi iduals a a ce ain poin in ime (on simila i ies be ween ph onesis and
pos s uc u alis inqui y, see Fly bje g, 2001, pp. 110-128). The epis emological implica ion o his posi ion
is ha Choulia aki ejec s ‘g and heo ies’ o e hical inqui y ha she sees as being based on ei he a
ounda ionalis iew o uni e sal mo al p inciples, o a ela i is epis emology o pu ely pa icula ,
3 The o he wo majo s ands o e hics a e consequen ialism and deon ology. Consequen ialism holds ha he
mo ali y o an ac should be judged based on he consequences o ha ac o o some hing associa ed wi h ha ac
(Sinno -A ms ong, 2015). A well-known consequen ialis heo y is u ili a ianism, acco ding o which he mo ally igh
ac ion is he ac ion ha p oduces he mos good (see e.g. Ben ham, 1789/1961; Mill, 1861/1998). Deon ological
heo ies in con as emphasize mo al du ies and ules, judging he mo ali y o choices by c i e ia ha a e di e en
om he s a es o a ai s ollowing om hose choices (B ink, 2006).
4 The idea o he emo i e body, a he han eason, as he basis o mo al conside a ion was discussed al eady by de
Mon aigne in his essay “O C uel y” da ing om 1480, bu became mo e p onounced only la e in he wo ks o
Enligh enmen philosophe s (see e.g. Aal ola, 2012).
16
om he le el o he animals’ gaze. Mo emen is isualized in wo main ways, h ough he came a zooms
and he animals’ ac i i ies. The came a occasionally zooms in on an indi idual pig o p o ide ‘ aw’ images o
p ominen wounds and abscesses. I also mo es along he pigge y s uc u es o depic hick laye s o di and
dus on he loo s and walls. The pigs’ ac i i y in u n is seemingly andom mo emen in a ious di ec ions -
in and ou o he came a ame, gnawing a he me al ba s, chasing and bi ing each o he o poking a a
ca cass. These o en an ic mo emen s a e con as ed wi h he immobili y o inju ed animals lying on he
loo . The au al backd op o his isual composi ion is he cons an humming o he en ila ion equipmen
and he pigs’ g un ing and squealing. Taken oge he , hese audio- isual elemen s es he coun e accoun s
wi h he quali y o a i s -hand es imony ha al eady places he spec a o in he mo al ole o a wi ness
(Choulia aki, 2006a, p. 161).
On he e bal plane, he onsc een e en s a e amed by wha we he e concep ualize as a ‘laye ed’ na a i e,
which a ies acco ding o he physical dis ance be ween he e bal and isual elemen s. The i s laye
consis s o concise w i en ex s si ua ed in he immedia e icini y o each ideo, so ha hey a e isible o
he spec a o e en as she is wa ching he ideos. The ollowing is an illus a i e example o a i s -laye ex :
“This la ge pig a m looked eally bad. I was e y di y. Many animals had he nias. One pig was o ing in
he pen, and ano he one was s uck be ween pens and was h ashing he e wi hou ge ing loose. Some o
he pigs we e bi ing each o he ’s ea s in o sh eds.”
In e ms o na a i e ype (Choulia aki, 2006a), hese ex s can mainly be cha ac e ized as desc ip ions ha
use language o es ablish a ela ionship o ac ual co espondence whe e he linguis ic elemen s e e o a
p e-exis ing ex e nal eali y, ha is, he mo ing image. The ex s also guide he spec a o in ad ance, elling
he wha she should be looking o in he image (see Da ison, 2010). The dominan desc ip i e na a i e is
supplemen ed by occasional elemen s o exposi ion ha can be aken o appeal o he spec a o s’ mo al
sensibili ies, such as he abo e e alua ion o he a m in ques ion looking “ eally bad”. In e es ingly, he
amoun o exposi ion inc eases as we mo e u he away om he ideos o look a o he sec ions o he
websi e ha can be accessed h ough he menu a he op o he page. These sec ions con ain ‘second-laye ’
w i en ex s ha no only e e o he isual elemen s bu also expand on hem by connec ing he animals’
condi ions o he ins i u ionalized p ac ice o animal p oduc ion:
“These ideos show ha animal su e ing is an inex icable pa o animal p oduc ion whe e animals a e
seen as p oduc s and commodi ies.”
Some o he second-laye ex s a e pu ely exposi o y as hey con ain no ma i e p oposals and mo al
judgemen s ha explici ly a icula e he alue o jus ice:
“The g ea es injus ice in animal p oduc ion is ha he e is no jus i ica ion o he use o animals.”
Taken oge he , he isual and i s -laye e bal elemen s desc ibed abo e a e indica i e o a s ong eliance
on he powe o he image, e oking he ‘ his-is-i ’ ype o pe cep i e ealism (Choulia aki, 2006a) whe eby
he spec a o is in i ed o conside wha she sees wi h he own eyes o be ue and o d aw he own
conclusions. The co e elemen s o he coun e accoun s hus make a claim o ac ici y, o p o iding a ‘ ue
and ai ’ iew o animal p oduc ion in Finland. Wi h e e ence o Bol anski’s (1999) opics o he public
s aging o su e ing, he emphasis on accu acy and ac ici y e e s o he opic o sublima ion whe eby he
audiences a e in i ed o a ionally con empla e he su e ing wi hou indulging in g and emo ions. Al hough
sublima ion as a communica ion s a egy may appeal o hose who abho sen imen ali y owa ds animals, i

17
uns he isk ha , due o wan o emo ional a ousal, he audiences do no come o iew he animals as a
mo al cause. This is especially so as in he absence o an o ganizing e bal oiceo e he spec a o can only
see he pigs’ physical condi ion, while hei men al s a e emains la gely unknown o he . The su e ing she
sees he eby acqui es a p edominan ly bodily meaning. On he o he hand, he g aphic images and he
exposi o y elemen s o especially he second-laye ex s gi e ise o ideological ealism (Choulia aki, 2006a),
which a emp s o appeal o he spec a o ’s sense o sympa hy and subsequen ly mo ali y by p oposing ha
he pigs’ su e ing is no only an objec i e eali y bu also an unjus i ied s a e o a ai s. This is ep esen a i e
o pamphle ee ing (Bol anski, 1999), a opic mean o e oke he spec a o ’s p i a e emo ion o ange .
O e all, he ex en o which he ac i is s’ online coun e accoun s can be conside ed o ep esen he
su e ing animals as a mo ally wo hy cause depends on which pa s o he media ex s a e examined. In
addi ion, whe he a mo ally indignan spec a o ’s p i a e eelings o guil and ange lead o a ejec ion o he
mo al plea o a e channeled in o public ac ion depends on how he coun e accoun s depic space imes and
agency, elemen s ha we will examine nex .
Mul i- unc ionali y
As conce ns space, he p esence o he ac i is s’ came a wi hin he p oduc ion halls, i s in ol ed poin o
iew and he in ense isualiza ion o he pigs’ di e se inju ies se e o educe he physical dis ance be ween
he audiences and he animals. On he o he hand, a he same ime he echnology o media ion makes i sel
e iden as he clips consis o se e al sho e sho s aken om a ious loca ions wi hin he p oduc ion halls,
so he spec a o ul ima ely emains a a ce ain sa e dis ance om he e en s aking place. F om he
pe spec i e o ime, he isual and e bal elemen s p o ide a di e en sense o when he su e ing has aken
place. The sense o empo al p oximi y con eyed by he in ol ed came a is unde mined by he pas ense o
he i s -laye ex s (“ his la ge pigge y was di y”). Ye , he second-laye ex s in o he sec ions o he websi e
a e p edominan ly in he p esen ense:
“In ha sh condi ions hese in elligen animals become quickly us a ed and s a o ake i ou on hei
ellow c ea u es. Lying on ha d conc e e loo s causes o ins ance hoo inju ies and a h i is.”
Thus, he coun e accoun s mainly ep esen he su e ing in a ca ego ical ashion (Choulia aki, 2008), as
aking place in ai ly uni o m and eplaceable spaces in he p esen . This esul s in a spa io- empo ally simple
ep esen a ion ha unde lines he u gency o alle ia ing he su e ing ha is aking place igh now. Such
simplici y does li le o mi iga e he mo al dis ance be ween he pigs who su e and he human beings who
wa ch as he la e a e no in i ed o con empla e on he his o ical o s uc u al con ex o he si ua ion. This
e-enac men main ains he animals in he ca ego y o ‘o he s’, an e ec ein o ced by he ep esen a ion o
hei mo al agency.
Conce ning he agency o he su e e , in he absence o an o ganizing oiceo e , i is mainly he mo ing
image ha could c ea e a mo al ela ionship be ween he spec a o and he su e e by ep esen ing he
la e as a membe o a kind ed species. The ideos li e ally gi e a ace and oice o he animals bu mainly
as a g un ing, squealing mass. As he spec a o canno ell he di e ence be ween indi idual pigs, unde s and
hei communica ion, o ge a sense o he dep h o hei consciousness, he gap be ween ‘us’ and ‘ he o he ’
emains la gely unb idged. The pigs’ iden i y does no eme ge om he ideos as ha o so e eign indi iduals
cons ained by unjus social s uc u es (Choulia aki, 2010), bu as a aceless mass physically su e ing because
o hei immedia e su oundings. The collec i e e ms used in he i s -laye na a i e (“pigs”, “ he animals”)
do li le o ade his imp ession.
18
Howe e , ye again he second-laye e bal ex s elsewhe e on he websi e a e mo e explici and mo ally
loaded, making an a emp a kind ediza ion by poin ing owa ds a undamen al simila i y be ween human
beings and animals:
”I is ue ha animals canno speak, w i e o demand espec o hemsel es, bu nei he a e all human
beings capable o doing hose hings. The only meaning ul hing om he pe spec i e o animal use is
sen ience (…) We do no ha e he igh o ea o he sen ien beings, be hey chicken, pigs, dogs o people.”
In ega ds o o he o ms o agency p esen on he scene o he su e ing, he p e iously iden i ied opics o
sublima ion and pamphle ee ing sugges ha o he agen s a e ei he comple ely absen om he scene o
embodied in he symbolic igu e o he pe secu o . Indeed, no o he agen s, conc e e o abs ac , can be
iden i ied on he isual plane o om he i s -laye ex s. In he second-laye ex s, e e ences o pe secu o s
a e somewha mo e ubiqui ous bu poin owa ds di e en en i ies a a ious le els o abs ac ion, as
illus a ed by he ollowing h ee examples:
“The p oduce s’ he o ic educes animals o p oduc ion uni s.”
“Pigs bu che ed o he Ch is mas able li e a s ess ul li e imbued wi h su e ing, locked away in c amped
pens wi h no s imuli.”
“Respec he alue o animals and become a egan al eady oday.”
In he abo e exp essions, he pe secu o s iden i ied include, espec i ely, hose in ol ed in he mea
p oduc ion supply chain (“p oduce s”); na ional cul u e and cus oms ha main ain he ins i u ion o mea
consump ion (se ing ham a Ch is mas dinne ); and he consume s hemsel es (indica ed by he impe a i e
clause di ec ed a he eade ). Since ins i u ions a e abs ac and in ospec ion o one’s own die a y habi s
could lead o pe sonal discom o , i is likely ha “p oduce s” will be iden i ied as he culp i and he a ge
o an indignan spec a o ’s ange .
In e ms o how o ac on he su e ing, he images and he i s -laye ex s o he ac i is websi e emain
ai h ul o he opic o sublima ion, us ing he spec a o s o d aw hei own conclusions and decide on he
mos app op ia e cou se o ac ion. Simila ly ue o he opic o pamphle ee ing, he second-laye ex s o e
h ee conc e e op ions o co ec ing he pe cei ed injus ice: ying ege a ianism (wi h hype links o
ege a ian ecipes and he Vegan Socie y’s websi e); ac ing on behal o animals by speaking o iends,
w i ing op-eds, o joining he animal igh s mo emen (wi h a hype link o a lis o he mo emen ’s local
chap e s); and suppo ing animal igh s wo k (wi h a hype link labelled “Click he e o make a dona ion”).
While he op ions o speaking and dona ing co espond di ec ly o he o ms o public ac ion discussed by
Bol anski (1999) and Choulia aki (2006a, 2008) in he humani a ian aid con ex , becoming a ege a ian is
unique o he animal igh s se ing in ha i makes explici he spec a o ’s complici y in he animals’ su e ing
and asks he , be o e any hing else, o d as ically change he consump ion habi s. Analogous appeals o
pe sonal change can be pe cei ed o ins ance in he human igh s o labou igh s se ing, whe e indi iduals
a e asked o change hei consump ion habi s by boyco ing p oduc s ha in ol e child labou .
To summa ize, ou applica ion o he analy ics o media ion o he animal ac i is s’ online coun e accoun s
sugges s a e y s ong eliance on he powe o he mo ing image o c ea e a mo al ela ionship be ween
he spec a o and he su e e s and o sugges ha he spec a o should somehow ac on he su e ing. The
dominan opic o he coun e accoun s is sublima ion, which, due o he lack o e bal oiceo e , spa io-
empo al simplici y and he p oblems o kind ediza ion, es s he su e ing wi h an ambiguous, la gely
19
physical meaning and may ail o mo ally engage he spec a o s. The seconda y opic o he coun e accoun s
is pamphle ee ing, which po ays animal p oduc ion as an injus ice caused by se e al di e en culp i s,
including he spec a o , and sugges s ha he mo ally mos co ec op ion is pe sonal change, ollowed by
public ac ion and philan h opy. Ope a ing h ough he logic o complici y, such mo al appeals may esul in
compassion a igue and he ejec ion o he ac i is s’ mo al plea.
4.2 Coun e accoun s ep oduced in ele ision: seeking jus ice wi hin he s a us quo
Mul i-modali y
Compa ed o he a he simple e bal, isual and echnical means wi h which animal su e ing is p esen ed
on he ac i is s’ online coun e accoun s, he co esponding elemen s o he A-S udio episodes can be
cha ac e ized as being subs an ially mo e complex and di e se. The isual ame o he p og ammes is he
s udio in e io , which is in e up ed o mo e o an edi ed inse ha con ains exce p s om he ac i is ideos
wi h added oiceo e . The dominan ypes o na a i e ealism e oked by he p og amme episodes a e
pe cep i e ealism and ideological ealism, wi h occasional ins ances o ca ego ical ealism. The h ee ypes
a e some imes in e wined, as illus a ed o ins ance by he s udio hos ’s aming o he inse :
“Be o e we oll he ape, I jus wan o say one mo e hing. Ou aim is no o claim ha his would be he
ypical pic u e o Finnish ag icul u e. Ins ead we wan o ask why such hings ake place also in Finland.
The inse con ains a lo o shocking oo age.” (A-S udio 2007)
This s a emen simul aneously con inces he spec a o ha wha she is abou o see is he u h (pe cep i e
ealism), sugges s ha his u h iola es commonly held ce ain ies abou wha Finnish animal p oduc ion
looks like (ideological ealism), and g an s legi imacy o s ong emo ional eac ions p o oked by he
excep ional na u e o he isual ma e ial (ca ego ical ealism). The s a emen al eady equips he spec a o
wi h a ce ain disposi ion - ha he e en s o be shown a e a he same ime au hen ic, mo ally ques ionable,
and emo ionally dis u bing.
Ideological ealism is mos appa en ly e oked in he p elude o he i s episode’s inse . When i begins, on
he isual plane we see mo ing image o cows g azing se enely on a lush g een meadow. On he au al plane,
we hea a popula une om he 1960s, e e ing o he bliss o li ing in he coun yside. On he e bal plane,
he hos ’s oice begins by saying: “This is wha i should be like. And his is how many people hink i is: In
Finland, also p oduc ion animals lead a happy li e”. Then he came a cu s in o a iew o a coun y oad and
as he sc een begins o u n da ke he same oice con inues: “Bu onigh we d i e in o he da kness o see
wha else, besides idyll, can be ound on Finnish a ms.” Toge he , he isual and e bal elemen s o his
sequence p esen he spec a o wi h a clea no ma i e p oposal: ha animal p oduc ion as such is mo ally
accep able as long as he animals a e “happy” and ha his is, in ac , he no m on Finnish a ms. The sinis e
e en s ha a e abou o be shown ep esen iola ions o ha no m, and mus be u he in es iga ed by
he jou nalis .
Pe cep i e ealism is e oked especially in he e bal expe commen a ies ha accompany compila ions o
he ac i is ideos:
“Wha you can see he e is ail-bi ing. I esul s om exposu e o a a ie y o en i onmen al s ess ac o s,
such as lack o s imuli and low le els o hygiene.” (Animal wel a e p o esso , A-S udio 2007)
20
Th ough his and simila s a emen s, he on-sc een su e ing acqui es an ex a-pic o ial meaning as he
in e p e ing oiceo e no only desc ibes wha can be seen, ha is he pigs’ physical s a e, bu also expands
on i by linking he physical wounds o he non- isible men al p oblems behind hem. When such ac ual
desc ip ions blend in o no ma i e p oposals in he expe commen a ies, i is e y o en wi h e e ence o
legisla ion in o ce:
“The Animal P o ec ion Ac says ha he acili ies mus be kep clean and hygienic. Tha is clea ly no he
case he e [ ideo image shows pigs caked in exc emen ]. The pig is an ex emely clean animal ha ies o
a oid con ac wi h i s own aeces.” (Animal wel a e p o esso , A-S udio 2007)
He e, he spec a o is p esen ed wi h a alue judgmen condemning he pigs’ physical su oundings as a
iola ion o hei ins inc i e beha iou , bu only o an ex en . The b oade implica ion o he s a emen is
ha he mo al code agains which he on-sc een e en s should be judged is insc ibed in legisla ion. In he
2015 episode o A-S udio, legisla ion is placed in an e en mo e p ominen posi ion h ough he echnical
means o a spli sc een: on he igh -hand side o he sc een we see ac i is oo age, while he le -hand side
displays w i en exce p s om he Animal P o ec ion Ac . This signals o he audiences ha he animals’
su e ing will be alle ia ed once hose who iola e ac s and dec ees a e app op ia ely punished.
Conce ning aes he ic quali y, he accoun o su e ing in he ele ision p og amme combines elemen s om
wo o Bol anski’s (1999) opics. The dominan na a i e unc ion o desc ip ion combined wi h he images
decla ed au hen ic co esponds o sublima ion, which in i es he spec a o o a ionally con empla e he
issue and d aw he own conclusions abou how o eel and ac on i . Almos in equal measu e, he media
ex s also e e o he opic o pamphle ee ing by sugges ing ha he si ua ion in he pigge ies is mo ally
unjus i iable o he ex en ha i iola es legisla i e no ms. In line wi h he combina ion o sublima ion and
pamphle ee ing, e e ences o he symbolic igu e o he pe secu o a e some imes di used by he use o
he passi e oice:
“This animal is in such a bad condi ion ha i should ha e been pu o sleep.” (Rep esen a i e o pig
a me s’ associa ion, A-S udio 2015)
while a o he imes he e ildoe is explici ly e balized as being he pig a me s, as in he ollowing dialogue
om he 2015 episode:
S udio hos : “Wha do hese ideos ell us?”
Doc o o e e ina y medicine: “These ideos show ha we ha e se e al a ms whe e he ea men o
animals could be emendously imp o ed.”
As he spec a o is no pinpoin ed as a pe secu o , he ele ision p og amme holds a be e chance in
p o oking he ange and di ec ing i owa ds he public denouncemen o he a me s and, by ex ension, o
he ele an au ho i ies who a e supposed o moni o he a ms bu ha e no no iced o ac ed on he a me s’
iola ions. The abo e quo e is also in e es ing as i indica es how he ele ision p og amme cons uc s an
iden i y o he spec a o s no as a collec i e o po en ial ac i is s bu as a public ep esen ed by he hos ,
joined oge he by hei collec i e ac o wi nessing (“wha do hese ideos ell us”).
21
Mul i- unc ionali y
In he ele ision p og ammes, he coun e accoun s o animal su e ing acqui e spa io- empo ally mo e
complex cha ac e is ics han on he ac i is websi e. Space imes a e mul iple, including o ins ance he
s udio in e io in he immedia e p esen , he imeless coun yside idyll depic ed a he beginning o he 2007
inse , and he da k pigge ies si ua ed bo h in he immedia e pas ( oiceo e : “se e al pigs had wounds”)
and he p esen (expe commen a y: “This abscess has p og essed oo a ”). The p oduc ion halls whe e he
pigs a e kep gain addi ional ea u es om he expe commen a y, which helps he spec a o pu hem in
con ex :
“The na owness o hese pens [shown on sc een] is p obably in acco dance wi h he law (…) Howe e ,
many p oduce s ha e ealized ha hings un mo e smoo hly i you gi e hem [ he pigs] a bi mo e oom”.
(Animal wel a e p o esso , A-S udio 2007)
Thus, he space is no only a homogeneous backg ound bu becomes ep esen ed as some hing ha can be
in e nally di e en ia ed and is linked o he ex en o su e ing, he implica ion being ha he alle ia ion o
su e ing equi es he space o be enla ged.
As conce ns he mo al dis ance be ween he spec a o s and he su e ing animals, he echnology o
media ion makes i sel isible h ough isual edi ing and composi ion, especially in scenes whe e he
spec a o wa ches as he hos and expe s wa ch he ideos. We concep ualize he la e as an ac o double
media ion whe e he space ime o he ideos coincides wi h he space ime o he s udio b oadcas , ading
he i s -hand es imonial quali y o he media ex s and eplacing i wi h he space ime o omnip esence
(Choulia aki, 2004). This imp ession o he spec a o being p esen e e ywhe e he came a akes he educes
he u gency o he si ua ion and di ides he esponsibili y o aking ac ion be ween he spec a o and he
indi iduals in he s udio ha she sees as co-wi nesses.
Rega ding he agency o he su e e , in he ele ision p og amme he pigs a e no po ayed as ac o s o he
same ex en as in he o iginal ac i is ideos. In he A-S udio episodes, he sounds made by he pigs ha e
been mu ed and he selec ed clips do no show pigs acing he came a, so he e is no di ec eye con ac
be ween hem and he spec a o . Th ough he expe commen a y, he pigs a e p o ided wi h an in e io i y
in he o m o pa icula cha ac e is ics such as cleanliness, cu iosi y and he abili y o expe ience s ess.
Howe e , hey a e s ill ca ego ized as a di e en species (“ he pig is…”) subse ien o human beings (“we
mus ake ca e o ou animals”), so he p ocess o kind ediza ion is no aken o comple ion. The e e ence
o aking ca e o “ou animals” sugges s ha human beings as he animals’ s ewa ds a e en i led o keep
hem bu also mo ally obliged o ea hem humanely.
In ega ds o o he o ms o agency, a no s age o he ele ision p og ammes is he spec a o pinpoin ed as
being pe sonally esponsible o he pigs’ condi ions; i is he negligen a me s who ha e “p oblems coping
wi h e e yday li e” ha a e e balized as he pe secu o s. Nei he is he spec a o p esen ed wi h op ions
o p ac ical ac ion; he equen e e ences o he Animal P o ec ion Ac sugges ha he mo al du y o ac
lies wi h he app op ia e au ho i ies now ha he in es iga i e jou nalis s ha e b ough hese e en s o ligh
in a pu po edly objec i e ashion.
To summa ize, ou applica ion o he analy ics o media ion o he ele ision p og amme showing exce p s
o he coun e accoun s highligh s how, h ough a echnically di e se ep esen a ion in ol ing
in e connec ed e bal and isual elemen s as well as complex space imes, he ‘o he ing’ o he animals is o

22
some ex en educed and hey come o be p esen ed as wo hy o ou mo al a en ion. The dominan opics
a e sublima ion and pamphle ee ing, making claims o ac ici y and jus ice. The spec a o ’s emo ional
po en ial is mainly o ganized a ound he igu e o he a me -pe secu o s, bu she is no explici ly p esen ed
wi h op ions o p ac ical ac ion; a he mos he e a e implici e e ences o he need o alle ia e he animals’
immedia e condi ions by conduc ing wel a e imp o emen s and mo e equen inspec ions by he
app op ia e au ho i ies.
5. Discussion and conclusions
Ou pu pose in his pape was o ad ance heo e ical and empi ical unde s anding o he mo al and poli ical
dimensions associa ed wi h he ans o ma i e po en ial o coun e accoun s. In his espec , we ocused on
he unde examined ela ionship be ween coun e accoun s’ audiences and hose su e ing om he
o ganiza ional o ins i u ional ac i i y conside ed ha m ul. In pa icula , we sough o ind ou how coun e
accoun s media e he su e ing o dis an ‘o he s’ and how ha media ion in u n could s imula e public
ac ion. In empi ical e ms, we in es iga ed animal igh s ac i is s’ coun e accoun s o animal p oduc ion in
Finland, bo h as ‘s and-alone epo s’ on animal igh s o ganiza ion’s websi e and as ea u ed in wo episodes
o a p ime- ime ele ision p og amme. D awing on Choulia aki’s analy ics o media ion, we examined he
coun e accoun s as media ex s, ocusing on he wo dimensions o mul i-modali y and mul i- unc ionali y.
Rega ding mul i-modali y, we analysed he echnical and semio ic means by which su e ing ‘o he s’ can
come o be ep esen ed as a mo al cause o he spec a o s. Rega ding mul i- unc ionali y, we examined how
he ep esen a ions o space imes and agency can make a no ma i e p oposal o he spec a o s in e ms o
how o ac on he su e ing. We also illus a ed how he su e ing comes o acqui e di e en meanings
depending on he echnical and semio ic choices employed in i s media ion.
We belie e ou esea ch o make wo main con ibu ions o ex an knowledge. Fi s , we complemen he
li e a u e on he ans o ma i e po en ial o coun e accoun s (Coope e al. 2005, B own & Dilla d 2013,
B own e al. 2015, Gallho e e al. 2015, Spence 2009, T egidga e al., in p ess) by ocusing on he hus a
neglec ed mo al dimension, in pa icula he mechanism o mo al engagemen ha is associa ed wi h he
eme gence o collec i e ac ion. Second, we illus a e he alue o Choulia aki’s (2006a e seq) and Bol anski’s
(1999) concep ualiza ions o he s udy o mul i-modal accoun s, hus expanding he me hodological oolbox
o discou se analyses o include also isual aspec s. In doing so, we also espond o ecen calls o mo e
heo e ically di e se and obus analyses o accoun ing in he con ex o sus ainabili y (G ay, 2010;
Bebbing on & La inaga, 2014; Une man & Chapman, 2014). Be o e we elabo a e on hese con ibu ions,
howe e , we would like o ake he oppo uni y o e lec on he ela ionship be ween coun e accoun s and
mo e con en ional no ions o accoun ing.
Coun e accoun s as a o m o accoun ing
A c i ical commen a o migh well ask which ea u es o coun e accoun s dis inguish hem om me e
‘al e na i e ep esen a ions’ and hus wa an hei inclusion wi hin he ambi o accoun ing ins ead o , o
ins ance, cul u al s udies10. In ou iew, coun e accoun s a e an illus a ion o he low epis emological
h eshold o accoun ing (Mille , 1998). As no ed by Mille (1998), he ma gins o accoun ing a e pushed when
he p oblema iza ion o ex an p ac ices leads o he inco po a ion o elemen s om o he social p ac ices.
10 Re lec ing on hese issues is impo an o p e en he uncon olled expansion o he domain o he ex en whe e
e e y ac o communica ion would be conside ed an ins ance o accoun ing (Gallho e e al., 2015; c . G ay e al.,
1996). We hank one o he anonymous e iewe s o poin ing his ou and encou aging us o discuss he ma e .
23
In a gene al sense, coun e accoun s can be said o p oblema ize he con en ional no ions o accoun ing,
which e ol e a ound p o iding in es o s and c edi o s wi h quan i a i e, p edominan ly inancial,
in o ma ion abou economic en i ies o he pu poses o decision-making and assessing managemen ’s
accoun abili y (Accoun ing P inciples Boa d, 1970; In e na ional Accoun ing S anda ds Boa d, 2010). Ou
s udy indica es ha coun e accoun s can indeed be included in he domain o accoun ing since i is possible
o cha ac e ize hem using all h ee key elemen s o he con en ional de ini ions - in o ma ion, use s, and
decisions; each o hese jus needs o be unde s ood in a b oad sense. Fi s , coun e accoun s may well
comp ise inancial and o he quan i a i e in o ma ion abou dis inc economic en i ies, bu also quali a i e
and non- inancial in o ma ion conce ning en i e indus ies o go e nance egimes. Second, in line wi h
s akeholde heo y (F eeman, 1984), coun e accoun s’ unde s anding o he use s o such in o ma ion
encompasses no only in es o s and c edi o s bu also o he in e es ed cons i uencies, such as supplie s,
cus ome s, employees, go e nmen s and he public a la ge. Thi d, hese g oups a e hoped o u ilize he
in o ma ion p o ided in coun e accoun s o making no only economic decisions bu also mo al and poli ical
ones.
Pa icula ly he second and hi d poin s abo e a e, in ou iew, linked o Choulia aki’s and Bol anski’s wo ks
ha conside he mo al and poli ical dimensions o be in e wined and open o public con es a ion. Bo h
au ho s seem o acknowledge he possibili y o mul iple publics wi h he e ogeneous e hical iews,
s andpoin s ega ding he ype o collec i e ac ion necessa y and isions o social change sough . These issues
become mos appa en in Choulia aki’s (2013) ecen sugges ions ega ding how o esu ec humani a ian
communica ion, which she a gues is plagued by compassion a igue on he one hand and he de-poli icizing
endencies o neolibe alism on he o he . She a gues o ‘agonis ic solida i y’, a o m o communica ion ha
comp ises he elemen s o bo h empa hy and judgemen . While empa he ic iden i ica ion wi h he ‘o he ’
gi es ise o a mo al impe a i e o ac on he su e ing, he elemen o judgemen in i es con empla ion o
e hico-poli ical ques ions conce ning “why his su e ing is impo an and wha he e is o do abou i bu
also why su e ing, as a symp om o injus ice, is pe pe ua ed and wha can be done o change i s condi ions
o exis ence” (ibid., p. 194, emphasis in he o iginal). Wha such a posi ion implies o coun e accoun s, hen,
is ha hey need no aspi e owa ds he pu po ed neu ali y o con en ional inancial disclosu es bu can
be open abou he social alues ha ha e p omp ed hei cons uc ion and e e explici ly o a ocabula y o
jus ice (see Coope e al., 2005).
The ans o ma i e po en ial o coun e accoun s
The media ion o an opp essed g oup’s su e ing can gi e ise o poli ical ac ion i , i s , indi idual spec a o s
conside he su e ing o be wo hy o hei mo al a en ion; and second, hose indi iduals sympa hize wi h
he su e ing ‘o he s’ o he ex en o being willing o engage in public ac ion (Choulia aki, 2006a, 2008).
Rega ding he i s equi emen , ou analysis sugges s ha coun e accoun s can mo ally engage spec a o s
wi h a combina ion o echnical, isual and e bal cues ha simul aneously p esen he su e ing as an
objec i e ac and make an emo ional appeal o he spec a o . The online coun e accoun s gi e he
imp ession o an au hen ic i s -hand es imony h ough he use o an in ol ed came a and gaze-le el ideo
image accompanied by ac ual i s -laye ex s, while he ele ision p og amme elies on he au hen ici y
p o ided by an omnip esen came a wi h p ominen isual edi ing and expe commen a y ha expands on
he ideo images. In e ms o emo ional iden i ica ion, bo h he ele ision p og amme and he second-laye
ex s o he online coun e accoun s seek o mo ally engage he spec a o s by ep esen ing he su e ing as
an injus ice. Howe e , he wo ypes o media ion di e in e ms o he na u e o he injus ice and he
symbolic igu e o he e il-doe . As animal igh s ac i is s seek jus ice o all o ms o li e, hei online coun e
24
accoun s e balize he p oblem as he ins i u ionalized p ac ice o mea p oduc ion and consump ion,
e e ing o mul iple pe secu o s including he mea -ea ing spec a o , na ional cus oms and he mea
p oduce s. He e, he coun e accoun s exhibi elemen s o a heo e ically in o med unde s anding o social
o ali y and i s con adic ions as ecommended by Coope e al. (2005) bu do no explici ly link he animal
igh s issue o con empo a y s uggles agains he p e ailing s uc u al a angemen s. The ele ision
p og amme in u n u ilizes a ious semio ic means o con ine he injus ice o he animals’ conc e e
su oundings, d awing on p e ailing socie al no ms as e lec ed in legisla ion, and na owing he cas o
pe secu o s o a me s.
As conce ns he second p econdi ion o he eme gence o collec i e ac ion, namely he ac i a ion o he
spec a o ’s emo ional po en ial, coun e accoun s need o e oke he spec a o ’s sympa hy owa ds he
opp essed g oup and p esen he wi h p ac ical op ions on how o ac on he su e ing. In discu si e e ms,
coun e accoun s need o cons uc an iden i y o he su e e s as so e eign ellow indi iduals cons ained
by unjus ci cums ances and an iden i y o he spec a o s as a public, a collec i e o po en ial ac i is s. In
ou analysis, he i s -laye media ex s o he online coun e accoun s a guably do no succeed in lessening
he ‘o he ing’ o he opp essed g oup. The simple, ca ego ical ep esen a ion o space ime does no expand
he spec a o ’s ho izon o he con empla ion o he his o ical and s uc u al con ex o he su e ing bu
ancho s he phenomenon in he physical ci cums ances o he p esen , while he ac ual depic ion o he pigs
only in he ac o su e ing, wi hou in e p e ing oiceo e , o e shadows hei capabili ies and dep i es hem
o in e nal dep h and agency. The second-laye ex s o he online coun e accoun s a e much mo e explici
in hei a emp a kind ediza ion as hey poin ou simila i ies be ween pigs and human beings. These ex s
also cons uc an iden i y o he spec a o as a po en ial ac i is , sugges ing ha she s a by changing he
pe sonal habi s and hen con inue o ac ion on behal o animals as well as mone a y sponso ing. By
embedding a hype link o he local chap e s o he animal igh s o ganiza ion OE in o he ex , hese coun e
accoun s also e oke a sense o he indi idual spec a o as pa o a public wi h a join cause.
The A-S udio episodes in con as make use o mul iple space imes and expe commen a y o es he pigs
wi h a deg ee o agency and men al capabili ies ha jus i y hei igh o be ea ed p ope ly by hei human
s ewa ds. Ye , he p ocess o kind ediza ion is no aken o comple ion, as ha would signi y challenging he
s a us quo. E en hough he ele ision p og amme classi ies he opp essed g oup as wo hy o he spec a o ’s
mo al a en ion, i does no explici ly p opose ha she ake public ac ion. The indi idual spec a o s a e
add essed as a collec i e ep esen ed by he s udio hos , as indica ed by his use o he collec i e e m “we”
when asking ques ions om he expe s (e.g. “Wha do hese ideos ell us?”). Ye , he equen e e ences
o legisla ion in o ce, as well as he momen a y ac s o double media ion whe e he spec a o , s udio hos
and expe s co-wi ness he on-sc een e en s, se e o di use he esponsibili y o ac ion, ul ima ely placing
i wi h he ele an au ho i ies. The iden i y o he spec a o s is no cons uc ed as ha o po en ial ac i is s
joined by a mo al cause bu as ha o a public joined by hei collec i e ac o wi nessing.
In e ms o Bol anski’s (1999) h ee opics o he public s aging o su e ing, he combina ion o objec i i y
and e lexi e judgmen p e alen in bo h o ms o coun e accoun s analysed in his pape a e cha ac e is ic
o pamphle ee ing, which can s imula e public ac ion o lead o compassion a igue depending on which
emo ions a e ac i a ed. The ou igh mo aliza ion o he spec a o in he online coun e accoun s ope a es
h ough he logic o complici y, demanding ha he spec a o acknowledge he own esponsibili y in
upholding he ins i u ionalized p ac ices po ayed as unjus , and change he consump ion habi s
acco dingly. This migh p o oke a con a y eac ion agains ‘guil - ipping’ whe eby he spec a o ejec s he
mo al plea and di ec s he ange a he o he culp i s, namely he a me s. The e o e, i migh be ha despi e
25
hei di e ging mo al philosophical ounda ions, bo h o ms o coun e accoun s end up cons uc ing he
su e ing as an issue o animal wel a e ins ead o animal igh s. This ou come is somewha i onic conside ing
ha ele ision as a medium mos likely made mo e people awa e o he issue han would ha e been possible
h ough he animal igh s o ganiza ion’s websi e only. In mo e gene al e ms, his inding sugges s ha mul i-
modal accoun s elying s ongly on isual elemen s and pe cep i e ealism may easily mo ph in o a di e en
kind o accoun han o iginally concei ed. This is no o claim ha he animal ac i is s’ coun e accoun s
became subjec o ins i u ional cap u e bu o poin ou ha unedi ed oo age wi hou oiceo e can easily
be combined wi h o he semio ic elemen s o a i e a an accoun ha di e ges om ha in ended.
In gene al e ms, he ans o ma i e po en ial o coun e accoun s is ela ed o hei abili y o ac as a o m
o mo al educa ion, no unlike ancien G eek hea e, by epea edly sugges ing o he audiences how o eel
abou , and ac publicly on, he su e ing o an opp essed g oup. A key aspec in his p ocess o educa ion is
coun e accoun s’ abili y o os e he audiences’ imagina ion in e ms o helping hem empa hize wi h a
dis an ‘o he ’. Imagina ion is c ucial no only o he mo al engagemen o an indi idual spec a o bu also
o engende ing collec i e ac ion, as i acili a es he de elopmen o inno a i e isions and social imagina ies
(B own & Dilla d, 2013; B own e al., 2015; T egidga e al., in p ess). In he concep ualiza ion o Choulia aki
and O gad (2011), media ion as mo al educa ion would in an ideal case lead o he eme gence o a
cosmopolis, a space whe e we ca e abou o he s pa icula ly because hey a e di e en om us. This
esona es wi h calls made in he plu alis accoun ing li e a u e o espec ine adicable di e ences be ween
iewpoin s, and o pe cei e he ensions a ising om such di e ences as e ile b eeding g ound o new
unde s andings (e.g. B own & Dilla d, 2013; Gallho e e al., 2015; Vinna i & Dilla d, 2016). Coun e accoun s
could play a ma ked ole in ecu en ly exposing indi iduals o al e na i e iewpoin s and he needs o
ma ginalized o opp essed g oups.
As conce ns u u e imagina ies, he ac i is s’ online coun e accoun s do no make much use o
p esen a ional, semio ic o spa io- empo al complexi y, and ail o a icula e a clea al e na i e ision o he
u u e. In his sense, ou esul s di e ge om hose o Apos ol (2015) and Spence (2009), who discuss how
coun e accoun s p oduced by ci il socie y can a imes be e ec i e in debunking a hegemonic discou se o
ins i u ionalized p ac ices. Following Spence (2009), coun e accoun s should ac i ely engage in cons uc ing
an al e na i e discou se o he p e ailing hegemony. In he empi ical con ex discussed in his pape , he
coun e accoun s’ ambigui y ega ding he conc e e e ms o hei al e na i e ision o he u u e lea es
oom o he discou se o animal wel a e which acknowledges he su e ing bu poin s owa ds solu ions ha
do no h ea en he s a us quo, lea ing many aken- o -g an ed social p ac ices beyond discussion. The
ele ision p og amme ea u ing pa s o he coun e accoun s exempli ies he success ul use o a ious
modes o p esen a ion as well as e bal and isual cues ha clea ly a icula e he mo al alue i p omo es,
he a oidance o su e ing, and, by playing on nos algic ideas o ou u al pas , po ays he e u n o small-
scale, humane a ming as he ision o be pu sued.
Analy ics o media ion and he s udy o mul i-modal accoun s
Choulia aki’s (2006a, 2008) analy ics o media ion is use ul o he s udy o mul i-modal accoun s o se e al
easons. Fi s , by ocusing on he mo al ela ionship be ween he audiences and he su e ing ‘o he ’, he
amewo k allows us o s udy he ole o coun e accoun s in he ex a-ins i u ional space (B own e al.,
2015), hus mo ing away om he co po a ion-cen ic iew ha has la gely domina ed no only p io s udies
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APPENDIX 1 A compila ion o Choulia aki’s (2006a, 2008) analy ics o media ion
Dimension I: Mul i-modali y
1) Mode o ep esen a ion
-Is he news in oduced in he s udio? Is i suppo ed by isual ma e ial? Is i epo ed on loca ion?
-Wha sense o news ealism is being e oked in he news?
-I he su e ing is shown a all, is i shown in a manne ha seeks o e oke a ‘ his-is-how-i -is’
ype o eali y? O does he emphasis all mo e on a ‘ his-is how-we- eel-abou -i ’ o ‘ his-is-how-
sad–ho i ic – w ong’ he su e ing is? Does he emphasis o he na a i e make an appeal o he
spec a o ’s sense o compassion, sense o igh eousness o sense o jus ice? Al e na i ely, does
i e ain om engaging he spec a o in a sus ained emo ional ela ionship wi h he piece o
news?
2) Visual- e bal co espondence
- Visual
-Wha kind o isual ep esen a ion does he su e ing ake in he news epo ? Is i g aphic
(map, diag am), pho og aphic, a chi e ilm o li e ansmission?
-I g aphic, is he ep esen a ion s a ic and minimal o dynamic and mul iple (compu e ized,
as o example, in I aq wa maps)?
-I he e is w i en ex , how does i in e ac wi h he image? Does he ex add o he image
(explica e, illus a e) o is i deco a i e, unning simply in pa allel o i ?
-I ideo:
-Wha poin o iew (abo e and a a o in ol ed)?
-Wha angle (di ec /gaze le el o oblique/p o ile o back ilming)?
-Wha aming (ac o s’ posi ion; dis ance om came a; ela ionship o he
o e all isual composi ion)?
-Wha ec o s o mo emen (be ween ac o s; owa ds he spec a o ; ou side
came a ame)?
- Ve bal
-Is he news e bal ex cas as a desc ip ion o ac s? O does he ex also en ail elemen s o
exposi ion, wi h alue judgemen s and no ma i e p oposals abou he su e ing? Could he
news epo be a na a ion o e en s wi h emphasis on d ama and suspense and wi h li le
conside a ion o he ac s?
-I he epo combines mo e han one na a i e ype, how do hese ela e o one ano he ?
Which one ames he es ? Wha ole do he subse ing na a i es play in he de elopmen
o he s o y?
- Ve bal and isual
-Wha ole does each mode, language and image, play in he news na a i e? Do he e bal
and he isual mode un old in pa allel wo lds wi h a minimal ela ionship be ween hem? O
is he e a subs an ial e e en ial ela ionship be ween he wo?
-I he e is di ec e e ence be ween isual and e bal, does he e bal ‘accompany’ he isual
in a s ic ly ac ual na a i e o depic ed e en s o does he e bal expand on he isuals?
-I he e bal expands upon he isual, wha is he ‘ ans e e ec ’ o language o e he
isual? Wha ex a-pic o ial meanings does he news na a i e e oke, by means o an ‘o e -
in e p e ing’ oiceo e ? Al e na i ely, does he oiceo e s op o allow o he powe o he
isual o o sound e ec s o come h ough?
35
-How does his ype o e bal– isual combina ion impac upon he p ocesses o news
meaning making?
3) Aes he ic quali y
No ques ions
Dimension II: Mul i- unc ionali y
1) Space ime
-Space
- Is space ac i ely shaping ac ion o is i only a backg ound o ac ion?
- Is space eplaceable o unique?
- Is space in e nally di e en ia ed o is i p esen ed as a homogeneous en i y?
- A e he spaces o dange and sa e y in any o m o in e ac ion wi h one ano he o a e hey
s ic ly sepa a ed?
-Time
- Is he e en aking place in he p esen o in he pas ?
- Is ime open, wi h mul iple possibili ies o is i sc ip ed in ad ance?
- How does he pas impinge on he p esen ?
- How does i impinge on possible u u es?
- Wha has he g ea es alue: he pas , p esen o u u e?
- Which u u e – dis an o immedia e?
2) Agency
-Su e e ’s oice and humaneness
- Is he su e e gi en a oice, in language o in image?
- Wha kind o in e io i y is a ailable o he su e e ? Is he e a public–p i a e bounda y ha
gi es he a ce ain ‘dep h’ o consciousness?
- Does he su e e co-exis o communica e wi h ano he o wi h o he agen s o
su e ing? Wha kind o e hical esponsibili y obliges hese o he agen s in ac ion?
- How does he su e e connec wi h o communica e wi h he spec a o ? Wha
kind o esponsibili y obliges he spec a o in wha ype o ac ion?
-P esence o agen s in su e ing
- Is he scene o su e ing popula ed by agen s?
- I yes, who pa icipa es in he su e ing and in wha capaci y?
- Does he ex e oke o explici ly ep esen a bene ac o – indi idual o collec i e – ac ing o
alle ia e su e ing? Does i e oke a pe secu o – indi idual o collec i e – in lic ing he
su e ing?
- Wha is he o e all d ama u gical composi ion o hese igu es? Wha po en ial o emo ion
and/o p ac ical ac ion does his composi ion induce?
36
Appendix 2 Empi ical ma e ial
Da e Ac i is ideos Associa ed websi e ( ansla ed
in o English) Associa ed ele ision
p og amme
No embe 2007 60 pigge ies
21 b oile a ms
20 henne ies
www. eho uo an o.ne A-S udio 28.11.2007
Decembe 2009 30 pigge ies www.sika eh aa . i A-S udio 13.4.2010
No embe 2011 15 pigge ies as abo e A-S udio 21.11.2011
No embe 2013
onwa ds 23 pigge ies
11 ca le a ms
5 henne ies
2 b oile a ms
4 slaugh e houses
www.elain eh aa . i A-S udio 28.10.2015