International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

Grassroots media are small-scale, developed by and accessible to members of a local community or group, and conceptualized as a key tool in the process of social change (→  Community Media ). They have developed out of concerns with problematic representations of women and other marginalized peoples in mainstream media, as well as limited →  access to the media and political participation for marginalized groups, especially women, around the world. Women's movements worldwide have thus worked to develop grassroots media that are conceptualized and based locally and that operate very differently from mainstream commercial or state-run media. The goals of feminist grassroots media are varied, but generally involve the desire to strengthen the self-confidence of women and other marginalized peoples, and to empower them to challenge, change, and take charge of the media and their representations. Another increasing concern encouraging the development of grassroots media in the era of global capital is the protection and preservation of local cultures and cultural diversity. Grassroots media have resulted from a vibrant history of struggle and research on gender and communication, focusing on representations of women and marginalized peoples in mainstream media and on women's access to media. In Beijing in 1995, the media were included for the first time in the history of UN women's ... log in or subscribe to read full text