Hybridity, Identity and Global Music: A review of Cultural Globalization: A User’s Guide

A review by Margaretha Geertsema, Butler University, of the book Cultural Globalization: A User\u27s Guide by J. Macgregor Wise

Gender and the Digital Economy: Perspectives from the Developing World

Editors Cecilia Ng and Swasti Mitter address an important and timely topic in their new book. The book sets out to do exactly what the title says; the authors interrogate the participation of women in the Information and Communication Technologys (ICTs) industry, particularly in developing countries. As the editors point out in the introduction, there are concerns that globalization will increase inequalities and asymmetrical power relationships between the rich and the poor. Yet, they are quite optimistic about the potential enabling power of new technologies

Challenging the Lion in its Den: Dilemmas of Gender and Media Activism in South Africa

Media activism groups work to bring about change in the mainstream media, but their gains are often limited. Drawing on theories of the political function of news in a democracy, media sociology, and feminism, this article focuses on the specific experience of Gender Links, a Southern African gender and media organization founded in 2001. An analysis of institutional materials and 25 in-depth interviews shows that Gender Links is using a professional-technical approach to feminist media activism that is insufficient in bringing about deep and long-term change on an ideological level. It is suggested that Gender Links could benefit from more emphasis on political and countercultural approaches. The research also highlights some of the other dilemmas posed by issues related to funding, networking, the grassroots, press freedom, the profit motive, and the strong backlash from a patriarchal culture

Gender Mainstreaming in Journalism Education

In a time of swift technological changes in the news media, much of journalism education is focused on preparing students for careers in a new media landscape instead of focusing on gender or other diversity issues. For example, Pavlik (2013, p.213) argued in a recent article that a curriculum that ‘emphasized innovation and digital media entrepreneurship is one of the keys to a robust professional future for the field and students seeking a media career’. Even so, Pavlik (2013, p.217) recognised that most programmes in media education are holding on to an outdated professional model of journalism and mass communication, which he described as ‘a nostalgic journey to the past,’ and ‘a view aligned to the mostly white, male and gray-bearded titans of old-school media’. Pavlik (2013) did state, though, that entrepreneurial journalism education, as compared to traditional journalism education, provides the opportunity for more diversity in news content

Gender Mainstreaming in International news: A Case Study of the Inter Press Service

From 1994 to 1999, the global news agency Inter Press Service (IPS) implemented a gender mainstreaming policy in its newsrooms. This study examined organizational changes and news coverage that IPS advocated, as well as methods employed to bring about these changes. It shows that IPS has not been able to mainstream gender into all aspects of the organization and news coverage, and it considers reasons for the lacking implementation of the policy, while documenting IPS\u27s efforts to improve women\u27s access and representation in international news

South Africa: Newsrooms in Transition

South African is a beautiful country with a a diverse citizenry at the Southernmost tip of the African continent. But the nation also has a long history of racial struggle, which includes an era of racial segregation, called apartheid that ended formally in 1994 after nearly 50 years of policital oppression and protest. The country today is a land of contrasts. It has a vibrant media scene and one of the most progressive constitutions in the world, guaranteeing equality for all and freedom of the press. Women are breaking through newsroom boundaries, making up about half of the journalism workforce, the majority of those in senior-management positions, and moving up to positions at the top. Still, some vestiges of the past remain and also enter into the gender dynamics of today\u27s newsrooms and the society they serve. In this chapter, I will provide a brief description and history of South Africa, including its multiple languages and the status of women. This will be followed by a discussion of the features of the media system and the government\u27s relationship to the media. Finally, this chapter will consider the results of the Global Report of the Status of Women in the News Media (Global Report) (Byerly 2011) within the broader context of history, politics, and women\u27s status

The Regionalization of Global News: A Case Study of CNN Interactive

The Cable News Network is often used as the prime example of a global news service. With bureaus and correspondents all around the world, CNN crosses traditional national boundaries. However, in essence, CNN remains an American company through its ownership and its Atlanta location. It also follows a news style that is typically Wester. Yet, CNN has had much success with both its international broadcasting services and its online service, offered by CNN interactive. The aim of thhis paper is to take a closer look at CNN\u27s presence on the Internet. This project is theoretically informed by discourses of globalization, cultural imperialism, regionalization and asymmetrical interdependence. In addition, the issue of the global digital divide and the potential of new media technologies is discussed. A main question is whether CNN contributes to homogenized news or to a greater diversity of ideas. The question deals with how CNN Interactive is regionalizing hte content of its stories on various regional Web sites offered through CNN.com. Does CNN circulate the same stories to all regions, or does it succeed in targeting audiences across the world

Media Globalization

Margaretha Geertsema-Sligh\u27s contribution to Encyclopedia of Gender in Media , pp. 212 - 216. Sage: Thousand Oaks, Calif

Defying Borders: Transforming Learning Through Collaborative Feminist Organizing and Interdisciplinary, Transnational Pedagogy

The authors provide a case study of how a group of faculty members was able to initiate a transformation in student learning and institutional structures at a small university in the Midwestern U.S. through the introduction of collaborative feminist organizing and pedagogy. It details faculty-led initiatives that set the stage for innovative teaching and learning, and it describes the authors\u27 experience in the face of resistance when introducing a global women\u27s human rights course into the university\u27s new core curriculum. Because of its divers, interdisciplinary and transnational content, this course challenged deeply ingrained disciplinary and pedagogical borders of both traditional area studies and the field of history. The authors argue that progress toward diverse curricula can be made when colleagues work collaboratively and apply innovative pedagogical models to the classroom. Although specific to one university, these challenges to and strategies for transformation have broader application to all faculty seeking to diversify curricula and institutions