Two SECONOMICS papers has been accepted in the 23rd International Political Science Association (IPSA) World Congress that will be held from July 19 to July 24, 2014 in Montreal, Canada. These two papers are:

Paper 1: Security, safety and its price
Zdenka Mansfeldová, Petra Guasti

Accepted for RC35 Technology and Development. Panel: Emerging Technologies and Civil Society
Abstract: New technologies represent opportunities (to ensure safety), threats (to privacy and freedom), and emphasize key tensions - between security and freedom/privacy, and between security and its costs (economic, health, etc.). The dilemma of our times, for governments, for media and for individual citizens is how much safety do we want and at what price. The role of media is crucial in providing information, an outlet for whistle-blowers, and increasingly acting as watchdogs of freedom, privacy and civil liberties.
The proposed paper provides unique opportunity to compare media debates on three security issues (3D body scanner, Stuxnet and CCTV) in ten countries, 20 major dailies and four expert blogs in the period from January 2010 and April 2013. Qualitative media analysis is used as a tool for obtaining data for comparative analysis of security discourses and patterns of communication - identifying and comparing key actors and topics of the three debates. The main questions of our research are: How do media frame the implications of security and security technologies; what are the perceived trade-offs between security and privacy; do new technologies offer some answers to security issues, or do they represent new risks. For the purpose of this paper we will focus on the role of civil society in the three debates; identifying the key discursive interactions between the key actors, both within the national and transnational public spheres.

Paper 2: Comparative research on security frames and discourses
Petra Guasti, Zdenka Mansfeldova
Acepted in RC22 Political Communication. Panel: Challenges in framing research
Abstract: The conflict between the degrees of freedom and security is an increasingly salient issue in contemporary media. Our research focuses on the role of media in transmitting information and shaping attitudes to security issues and security measures. The proposed paper provides unique opportunity to compare media debates on three security issues (3D body scanner, Stuxnet and CCTV) in ten countries, 20 major dailies and four expert blogs in the period from January 2010 and April 2013. Combining discourse and frame analysis we develop novel methodological tool for obtaining data on security discourses and frames, as well as on patterns of interaction and communication. Main questions of our research are: 1. How do media actually frame terrorism and organized crime? 2. How are (security) threats and security measures perceived and framed by the media? 3. What are the dominant discourses? As such, the paper provides important methodological insights into the use of discourse and frame analysis, including operationalization of ‘frames’ and ‘discourses’ in comparative qualitative media research. Utilizing and further developing qualitative methods of textual analysis, we are able to shed light on discursive interactions between policy makers, stake holders and citizens; to demonstrate how the risk and security threats are framed by the media; and to demonstrate justifications of security measures in terms of security, freedom and costs (economic, health etc.).