Communications Research in Action
Scholar-Activist Collaborations for a Democratic Public Sphere
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A synergy between academia and activism has long been a goal of both scholars and advocacy organizations in communications research. The essays in Communications Research in Action demonstrate, for the first time in one volume, how an effective partnership between the two can contribute to a more democratic public sphere by helping to break down the digital divide to allow greater access to critical technologies, democratizing the corporate ownership of the media industry, and offering myriad opportunities for varied articulation of individuals’ ideas.
Essays spanning topics such as the effect of ownership concentration on children’s television programming, the media’s impact on community building, and the global consequences of communications research will not only be valuable to scholars, activists, and media policy makers but will also be instrumental in serving as a template for further exploration in collaboration.
One of the most glaring shortcomings of the field of Communication is our limited study of communication and information policy, and the limited impact of the scholarship we do produce on crucial policy debates in this area. Communications Research in Action is a major step towards remedying this deficit, in part by providing a wealth of methodologically diverse research that is both rigorous and relevant, and in part by providing a blueprint for how such research can be conducted in the future.
This volume is an important contribution to academic and activist knowledge. It is ambitious in the range of issues areas it covers, challenging in the depth and breadth of analysis of the individual chapters. All in all, this is a treasure trove of new insights, experiences, and innovative approaches to politically committed and scholarly work that aim to make a difference.
. . . A fascinating exploration of the intersection of scholarship, activism
---—Canadian Journal of Communication
and politics. . .