Community media are any form of media that function in service of or by a community. It is the rise of all kinds of alternative, oppositional, participatory and collaborative media practices that have developed in the journalistic context of ‘community media,’ ‘we media,’ ‘citizens media,’ ‘grassroot journalism’ or any radical alternative to on and offline mainstream journalistic practices. In other words, it is having access to or creating local alternatives to mainstream broadcasting, like local community newspapers, radio stations, or magazines. Community Media aids in the process of building citizenship and raising social awareness. "Participation" and "access" are a large aspect in the rise of community media. Those who create media are being encouraged to involve themselves in providing a platform for others to express views. Community media is often given parameters when being defined by groups, but often challenges these boundaries with its broad yet narrow structure.
Definition
Community media are generally defined as a distinct sector of the media for their independence, base in civil society and provision of a social service as opposed to seeking profits. They serve as a third sector of the media apart from private and public media and are important in giving communities a platform to express their concerns for local issues, engaging in democratic debate and deliver a reliable access to information. However, there is no consensus on a definition as each region displays unique forms of community media. However community media is also mass media but it aims to a much smaller population unlike mainstream media.
Modes of community media
Community media can take all the forms of other conventional media, such as print, radio, television, Web-based and mixed media.
Community radio is particularly widespread around the world with radio stations being founded to inform their listeners on issues important to the community.
Grassroots media
Grassroots media is focused more specifically on media making by and for the local community that it serves making the discussion more narrow and precise. It is essentially a subset focusing on small scale media projects which aim to bring different visions and perspectives to the "codes", that are so easily embedded in the social psyche.
Challenges
Despite the social service they provide through their focus on local issues, community media often face a number of challenges, including unfavourable regulation, censorship, unfair licensing processes, inequitable access to the frequency spectrum, lack of formal recognition, low funding, lack of skilled journalists and media professionals, and competition from private and state broadcasters.
By region
United States
The first Public-access television station in the United States considered to be community media was set up in 1968 in Dale City, Virginia. It was managed by the city's Junior Chamber of Commerce and ran programming for two years without advertising. It closed due to lack of financing, equipment, and infrastructure. Another early example of community media is found in the counter-culture video collectives of the 1960s and 1970s.
Videofreex, Video Free America, and Global Village used new technologies to the benefit of community interests. In addition, the Raindance Corporation founded by Michael Shamberg, Paul Ryan, and others became known as "guerrilla television." The premise of guerrilla television was to non-violently blaze a new trail for the creation of media as an alternative to broadcast television. This initial activity was made possible by Sony's introduction of the video Porta-Pak.