How (Not) to Decolonize: Theorizing Media and Communication from the Global South

In recent decades, a combination of economic, geopolitical, and technological factors has disrupted the dominance of the Global North in media and communication, contributing to the amplification of Global South voices. While some institutions, practices, and texts from the South have been celebrated as counterhegemonic, others are viewed as threats to the so-called Western liberal democratic order. This lecture calls for a fresh approach to analyzing and theorizing Global South-based media and communication within the context of decolonization, recognizing both the possibilities and limitations of Global South initiatives while critiquing Global North counterparts for their capitalist and racialized practices. Additionally, it is crucial to evaluate Global South actors’ efforts to diversify, democratize, and decolonize the global order in relation to their political agendas, their ties with domestic and global capital, and whether they are re-colonizing the communities they claim to advocate for.