"[The author] underscores how important an analytical category the rural is: rather than a dismissed backwater of a normative urban, the rural emerges here as a vibrant space, a pregnant category, a pressing concern. The elements of a critical theory of the rural presented here underscore how comple ... x such a space is, shaped by market forces, policy initiatives, technological development, demographic shifts, and community identities. Media regulation and media content are central to a rich understanding of the rural. Nonetheless, as Chris importantly points out, a critical theory of rural communication must avoid romanticizing the rural—as many have done with the local—and eschew media centrism." (Introduction by Marwan M. Kraidy, page 2) more

"What does it mean to support local media? How should we define local media in the first place? Christopher Ali delves into our ideas about localism and their far-reaching repercussions for the discourse of federal media policy and regulation. His critique focuses on the new interest in localism amo ... ng regulators in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. As he shows, the many different and often contradictory meanings of localism complicate efforts to study local voices. At the same time, market factors and regulators' unwillingness to critically examine local media blunt challenges to the status quo. Ali argues that reconciling the places where we live with the spaces we inhabit will point regulators toward effective policies that strengthens local media." (Publisher description) more

"Recent years have seen numerous attempts by community broadcasters around the world to reinvent their practices in an effort to remain relevant and financially sustainable in the digital age. One proposed initiative is to have community programming distributed via satellite, either in the form of a ... single channel or as a subscription service for local stations to find programming. Combining two case studies and multiple research methods, this article investigates the potential impact of satellite distribution on community broadcasting in Canada and East Africa. We observe that it is often not the community media organizations themselves that are pushing for satellite delivery, but, rather, outside actors such as media corporations and non-governmental organizations. As a result, we argue that a more spirited discussion within the community media sector is warranted to better understand the implications of this technological shift in delivery mechanisms." (Abstract) more