Preconference: Media Justice: Race, Borders, Disability, and Data

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

This pre-conference considers the ways in which recent attention to political voice, listening, disability and data might offer productive resources for research and practice aimed at media justice. The program brings together established activists and advocates in media justice campaigns with scholars interested in developing theories and analyses. Media justice is understood very broadly, and includes questions of justice in regards to media and communications practices, infrastructures and representation – as well as the many ways in which media are vital to wider processes of social justice and transformation.

There is a very active Media Justice movement in the San Diego and San Francisco Bay area, yet the concept is rarely used in academic, activist or advocacy work internationally. Media Justice activism is based in the assumption that the realization of social and economic justice requires changes in the distribution and control over media and communications technology (Gregg 2011). The Centre for Media Justice explains: ‘we organize under-represented constituencies for media rights, access and representation to win social and economic justice’. Campaigns focus on media representation, open internet, phone and broadband access, policing and technology, community media, and fair franchising. Media justice advocates emphasise the struggle against broader forms of domination and links with social justice movements outside the media field. Hackett describes media activism as ‘the movement of movements’, as all social justice movements have an interest in transformation the ways in which media representations and production are woven in to systematic injustices. Media are addressed as a site of intervention, rather than merely providing publicity for social justice movements. In contrast to liberal reform movements, media justice campaigners stress significant structural and institutional changes, and the redistribution of resources and values (Hackett 2011). Media justice advocates further stress the importance of redistribution and addressing past injustices.

The preconference focuses on media justice and the interrelated themes of race, borders, disability and data.

Sub Unit

• Sponsored Sessions

Chairs

• Gerard Michael Goggin, The University of Sydney

• Tanja Dreher

Participants

• Sasha Costanza-Chock, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Ricardo Dominguez, U of California, Santa Diego

• Maegan la Mamita Mala Ortiz, Institute of Popular Education of Southern California

• Sarah Janel Jackson, Northeastern University

• Deen Goodwin Freelon, American U

• Brooke Foucault Welles, Northeastern University

• Charlton McIlwain, New York U

• Sandra Gonzalez-Bailon, U of Pennsylvania

• Meryl Alper, Northeastern U

• Gracen Brilmyer, UCLA

• Dorothy Kidd, U of San Francisco

• Christina Dunbar-Hester, University of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication

• Paromita Pain, The U of Texas at Austin

• Marika Cifor, UCLA

• Britt Paris, UCLA

• Stacy Wood, UCLA

• Filippo Trevisan, American U

• Kristin Shamas, Oklahoma City U

• Gabi Schaffzin, UC San Diego

• Lana G McDonnell, Texas A&M University-Kingsville

• Amparo Cadavid, UNIMINUTO

• Katie Ellis, Curtin U