“Social movement media” vs. “Media for development” vs. “Knowledge-sharing”?

Open Lecture by Professor John Downing, Southern Illinois University, at K3, Medea, Kranen, Östra Varvsgatan 11 A, Malmö University: Friday 10 December 2010, 13.30 – 15.00

John Downing will explore the relation between media, communication and social change. In his presentation Professor Downing will explore the subject from three perspectives: firstly, that social movement media typically place political clashes front and center. Secondly, the frame ‘development media’ which very often presumes a fundamentally benign political order disfigured by crushing economic and health care needs. What we mean by ‘political’ also factors into this arena, not least in gender terms. (What is in view here is not politics in the sense of partisan party politics, except where that is one of the obstacles to constructive social change.) Finally, the ‘knowledge-sharing’ frame often seems totally obsessed with ‘facts’ and ‘information’. Are these three frames incompatible? In framing community media projects, local, national and transnational, should their respective adherents try to learn from each other?

The lecture is co-arranged by Glocal NOMAD, Ørecomm, Malmö University and Roskilde University. More information here (pdf).

Added: The streaming video recording of Downing’s lecture is available here.