Global Media Studies: A Critical Agenda

Abstract At a time of severe political, economic, environmental, security, technological, and identitarian challenges, global media studies can make important contributions to an improved understanding of our current situation. A critical agenda for global media studies calls on the field to continue the tradition of speaking truth to power, drawing on a rich heritage of critical theories and approaches. But political, economic and other challenges to life as we know it compel us to expand our definition of “critical.” This broadened understanding includes reconsidering and reinvigorating our research traditions, and rising to the gravity and urgency characterizing our world by increasing public engagement. A critical agenda for global media studies calls on us to ask big questions, grapple with them collaboratively and pluralistically, and blow past our academic comfort zone to step into the public fray.