"Media democracy is a democratic approach to media studies that advocates for the reform of mass media to strengthen public service broadcasting and develop participation in alternative media and citizen journalism in order to create a mass media system that informs and empowers all members of society and enhances democratic values."
This subfield studies the role of media in social and political mobilization, including the role of social media in facilitating collective action.
Introduction to Media and Social Movements: This provides an overview of how media can impact the success of social movements, the different types of media, and the role of social media in contemporary social movements.
Historical Overview of Social Movements: This topic explores how social movements have evolved over time and how media has influenced their growth and success. It often covers historical movements like the American civil rights movement, feminist movement, anti-war movement, and LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Theories of Social Movements: This involves understanding the various theories that have been developed to explain the emergence and functioning of social movements, including the resource mobilization, political process, and new social movements theory.
Media Technologies and Platforms: This topic explores the different media technologies and platforms available to social movements, including print media, television, radio, and digital media. It also covers the benefits and limitations of each media platform.
Media Ownership and Control: This involves understanding the role of media ownership and control in shaping the narrative around social movements. It discusses how media corporations shape public opinion on social issues and influence the success of social movements.
Image, Representation, and Symbolism: This topic explores how visual and symbolic representation in media can impact how social movements are perceived by the public. It also discusses the role of images and symbols in shaping the identity and message of social movements.
Transnational Movements and Globalization: This covers the emergence of transnational social movements and their impact on globalization. It explores the role of media in facilitating transnational communication and the challenges social movements face in coordinating across borders.
Media Technologies and Activism: This topic explores the use of media technologies in facilitating activism and mobilizing support for social movements. It covers topics such as hacktivism, digital activism, and the role of social media in activism.
Media Ethics and Social Movements: This involves understanding the ethical considerations and responsibilities involved in media coverage of social movements. It covers topics such as the media's responsibility to report accurately and without bias, and the role of media in amplifying marginalized voices.
Legal and Regulatory Issues: This topic explores the legal and regulatory issues surrounding media coverage of social movements. It covers topics like libel, slander, and defamation, as well as the impact of government regulation and censorship on media coverage of social movements.
Challenges and Opportunities: This discusses the challenges and opportunities facing social movements in a media-saturated world. It explores issues like media fragmentation, the prevalence of fake news, and the importance of strategic messaging and media literacy for successful social movements.
Print media: Newspapers, magazines, newsletters, books, and other printed forms of media.
Broadcast media: Television and radio, where information is transmitted over the airwaves.
Online media: Websites, blogs, podcasts, social media, and all other forms of digital media.
Film: Movies and other visual media created for the big or small screens.
Advertising media: Mass-market promotional messages communicated through various media channels.
Interactive media: Video games, simulations, virtual and augmented reality, and other media that allows users to actively engage with.
Environmentalism: Focusing on environmental conservation, sustainability, and climate change.
Feminism: A global movement for gender equality and women's rights.
Black Lives Matter: A movement focused on racial justice and ending systemic racism against black people.
LGBTQ+ rights: Advocating for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals.
Anti-war: Opposing war and violence, and promoting peace.
Occupy Wall Street: A movement focused on economic inequality and corporate greed.
Youth empowerment: Encouraging youth involvement in social and political activism.
Disability Rights: Advocating for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities.
Immigration Rights: Advocating for the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers.
Human Rights: Focusing on advocating for the protection of human rights and raising awareness about human rights abuses globally.
Indigenous Rights: Protecting and promoting the rights of indigenous peoples and raising awareness about indigenous issues.
Animal Rights: Advocating for the ethical treatment and protection of animals.
"It advocates for the reform of mass media to strengthen public service broadcasting and develop participation in alternative media and citizen journalism."
"Media democracy focuses on the empowerment of individual citizens and on the promotion of democratic ideals through the spread of information."
"For example, it views media ownership concentration as undemocratic and as being unable to promote democracy, and thus, as a facet of media that must be examined critically."
"Both the concept and the social movements promoting it have grown in response to the increased corporate domination in mass media and perceived shrinking of the marketplace of ideas."
"In the book Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, authors Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky outline the propaganda model of media, which states that the private interests in control of media outlets shape news and information before it is disseminated to the public through the use of five information filters."
"It extends the media's relationship to the public sphere, where the information gathered can be viewed and shared by the people."
"The relationship of media democracy and the public sphere extends to various types of media, such as social media and mainstream media."
"It attempts to make mainstream media more accountable to the publics they serve and to create more democratic alternatives to current forms of mass media."
"The approach argues that the media system itself should be democratic in its own construction, shying away from private ownership or intense regulations."
"It understands media as a tool with the power to reach a large audience with a central role in shaping culture."
"It advocates for the reform of mass media to strengthen public service broadcasting."
"It advocates for the reform of mass media to develop participation in alternative media and citizen journalism."
"It is against concentration in the ownership of media, and it champions diversity of voices and perspectives within the news system."
"Both the concept and the social movements promoting it have grown in response to the increased corporate domination in mass media and perceived shrinking of the marketplace of ideas."
"It focuses on the empowerment of individual citizens and on the promotion of democratic ideals through the spread of information."
"It views media ownership concentration as undemocratic and as being unable to promote democracy."
"The relationship of media democracy and the public sphere extends to various types of media, such as social media and mainstream media, in order for people to communicate with one another through digital media and share the information they want to publish to the public."
"The approach argues that the media system itself should be democratic in its own construction, shying away from private ownership or intense regulations."
"It advocates for the reform of mass media to strengthen public service broadcasting and develop participation in alternative media and citizen journalism in order to create a mass media system that informs and empowers all members of society and enhances democratic values."