Social/Participation/Listening: keywords for the social impact of community media

In this paper, I argue that the concepts of the ‘social’, ‘participation’, and political ‘listening’ should be central to projects to capture the value and impact of community media. Each of these keywords is up for debate as the proliferation of digital technologies and social media produce optimistic claims for increased participation and voice. In contrast, a focus on community media demands a more rigorous account of what constitutes ‘maximalist’ participation and effective listening. The challenge is to rearticulate core concepts which underpin community media traditions while engaging the potential and transformations of the digital media environment.​​