The Invisibility of Latin American Scholarship in European Media and Communication Studies: Challenges and Opportunities of De-Westernization and Academic Cosmopolitanism

Authors

  • Sarah Anne Ganter Simon Fraser University
  • Félix Ortega Universidad de Salamanca

Keywords:

de-Westernization, academic cosmopolitanism, postcolonialism, European media and communication studies, Latin American media and communication studies

Abstract

In this article, we critically revisit previous attempts to de-Westernize media and communication studies in Europe. Based on a review of the most reputational Europe-based journals and European academic conferences on our subject from 2010 to 2016, we show how European media and communication studies nurture a scholarly practice of talking about Latin American contexts rather than including voices from within the continent. We establish a historical perspective on the current situation by showcasing emblematic cases of past links between European and Latin American scholarship and discuss the invisibility of Latin American scholarship in the context of the de-Westernizing media and communication studies approach. Our analysis shows that a critical implementation of de-Westernization requires more geographically diverse editorial boards, greater international cooperation, and comparative accounts to capture diversity in regional contexts.

Author Biographies

Sarah Anne Ganter, Simon Fraser University

Sarah Anne Ganter has studied in Germany, the UK, Argentina and Austria and holds a PhD in journalism and communication studies from the University of Vienna, Austria. She is Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at the Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. Her research interests include communication and cultural policy, media governance, journalism studies, qualitative methods and comparative research.

Félix Ortega, Universidad de Salamanca

Félix Ortega is Associate Professor at the University of Salamanca, Spain. Director of the Master in Communication: Research and Innovation and member of the Excellence Research Group, CAO, Content Audiovisual Observatory, www.ocausal.es . His research interests include audience research, big data, methods and research strategies in communication studies, media economics, child education and media studies, among others. 

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Published

2019-01-03

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Section

Articles