The business of community media: Stakeholders and sustainability

Sobers, Shawn

Abstract

I was invited to discuss the economic, ethical, pedagogic, political and other factors relating to community media activities, and their bearing on the sustainability of the businesses carrying out the work.

"This interdiscplinary Symposium brought together researchers and practitioners of community media projects in the UK. It was attended by academic staff and postgraduates at the University of Gloucestershire. It followed the type of approach to media, cultural and creative practice offered by John Caldwell in Production Culture: Industrial Reflexivity and Critical Practice in Film and TV (2008, 37), in which researchers and practitioners seek to understand ‘trade stories’ and ‘then place trade storytelling within specific labour sectors and working contexts’.

The sector and working context here is community media and the trade stories offered cover the theme of How to Manage Community Media Projects. These may be film, television, radio, theatre, arts or digital projects. The themes may concern funding, evaluation, impact, management, community engagement and sustainability. The speakers presenting have many years of experience researching/managing/practicing community media and understand the hyperlocal, local and national agendas."

Quoted from symposium publicity.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Community Media Symposium 2012
• Start Date: Mar 15, 2012
• End Date: Mar 15, 2012
• Publication Date: Mar 15, 2012
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: community media, sustainability, youth media
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/948915
• Related Public URLs: http://insight-dev.glos.ac.uk/researchmainpage/centres/mmc/Pages/CommunityMediaSymposium.aspx
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : Community Media Symposium