1 ABSTRACT The aim of this text is to provide an analysis of the phenomenon of spin doctoring in the Euro-Atlantic area. Spin doctors are educated people in the fields of semiotics, cultural studies, public relations, political communication and especially familiar with the infrastructure and the functioning of the media industry. Critical reflection of manipulative communication techniques puts spin phenomenon in historical perspective and traces its practical use in today's social communication in Western society. Using the concept of semiology and explore possibilities of interpersonal communication techniques and characteristics of the spin doctor. We present a compilation of persuasive techniques. We follow the sign systems, specific channels and media that are used by spin doctors. We evaluate how the different channels vary in relation to the effective application of spin. We focus on the significance of the rise of new media in social communication and mediation and explore the impact of proliferation of Access to the Net to individuals' participation in the democratic process. We ask for reconfiguration mode of participation in democracy, media influence and manipulation of public opinion. The study is supplemented by examples and case studies. Key words: spin, spin doctoring, spin doctor,...

The aim of this paper is to present a critical reflexive analysis of spin doctoring in the Euro-Atlantic area. We aim to determine whether a spin doctor use the knowledge of semiotics, media studies, public relations, political communication and rhetoric for the practice of crisis communications. This text puts this kind of manipulative communication into historical perspective and monitors its application in social communication of contemporary Western society. With the support of current thinking on this persuasive communication, we would like to explore various methods and techniques of spin doctoring. We try to identify and analyse various sign systems, specific channels and media that are used in the practice of spin doctoring. We attempt a comparison of these communication channels in relation to the effectiveness of the persuasion. We focus on the era of new media (last 20 years) and the consequences of these developmental processes, and effects on the agenda of media (problem of agenda setting). The subject of our interest is also the influence of increasing number of people who have access to World Wide Web. We study individuals' participation in the democratic process. We believe that the advent of new media caused a reconfiguration of participation in democracy, but we think, that new...

This paper is dealing with media reflection (manipulative activity that is trying affect form of media texts for its own profit) which is manifesting itself in representative selection of audiovisual works. This has arisen in period from second half of the ninetieth years of 20th century to present day (namely: movies Wag the Dog, Thank You for Smoking and serial House of Cards). This paper assumes that through the analysis of this reflection is possible to learn how knowledge of possible influence of spin doctoring effects interpretation activity of audience and whole media communication. In opening, there is a definition of spin doctoring, brief outline for its history and examination of its contact points with a propaganda. After that there is narrative analysis of selected audiovisual works, comparison of spin doctor strategies in movies with existing methods of public relation and examples of manipulative influences. After that there is breakdown of media reflection of spin doctoring from position of three different theories of representation and final topic of influence of a semiotic power on form of interpretation which anticipates manipulative technologies.