Communications Research in Action

Phil Napoli, former Director of Fordham's McGannon Center for Communications Research, is James R. Shepley Professor of Public Policy at Duke University. He is the author of three books, most recently Audience Evolution: New Technologies and the Transformation of Media Audiences (Columbia University Press, 2011).

"... A fascinating exploration of the intersection of scholarship, activism and politics..." -Canadian Journal of Communication "One of the most glaring shortcomings of the field of Communication is our limited study of communication and information policy, and the limited impact of the scholarship we do produce on crucial policy debates in this area. Communications Research in Action is a major step towards remedying this deficit, in part by providing a wealth of methodologically diverse research that is both rigorous and relevant, and in part by providing a blueprint for how such research can be conducted in the future. " -- -Michael X. Delli Carpini University of Pennsylvania "This volume is an important contribution to academic and activist knowledge. It is ambitious in the range of issues areas it covers, challenging in the depth and breadth of analysis of the individual chapters. All in all, this is a treasure trove of new insights, experiences, and innovative approaches to politically committed and scholarly work that aim to make a difference." -- -Marianne Franklin Goldsmiths, University of London

• Foreword Becky Lentz ix Acknowledgments xv Introduction Minna Aslama and Philip M. Napoli 1 PART I: explorations of movement actors: strategies, impacts, and needs 1. Digital Inclusion: Working Both Sides of the Equation Dorothy Kidd with Eloise Lee 11 2. Engaging in Scholar-Activist Communications in Canada Leslie Regan Shade 28 3. Toward a Taxonomy for Public Interest Communications Infrastructure Dharma Dailey and Alison Powell 45 PART II: media ownership: bridging research and regulation 4. Big Media, Little Kids: The Impact of Ownership Concentration on the Availability of Television Programming for Children Katharine E. Heintz and Christina Romano Glaubke 71 5. Minority Commercial Radio Ownership: Assessing FCC Licensing and Consolidation Policies Catherine J.K. Sandoval 88 6. Cross-Ownership, Markets, and Content on Local TV News Danilo Yanich 114 PART III: alternative and community media: discovering needs and opportunities 7. Measuring Community Radio's Impact: Lessons on Collaboration Graciela Leo'n Orozco 139 8. Youth Channel All-City: Mapping the Media Needs and Interests of Urban Youth Isabel Castellanos, Amy Bach, and Rachel Kulick 157 9. Mobile Voices: Projecting the Voices of Immigrant Workers by Appropriating Mobile Phones for Popular Communication The VozMob Project 177 10. Community Connect: A Network of Civic Spaces for Public Communication in North Dakota Lana F. Rakow and Diana Iulia Nastasia 197 PART IV: communications infrastructure: rethinking rights 11. Telecommunications Convergence and Consumer Rights in Brazil Estela Waksberg Guerrini, Diogo Moyses, and Daniela Batalha Trettel 221 12. Citizen Political Enfranchisement and Information Access: Telecommunications Services in Rural and Remote Areas Richard S. Wolff 240 13. Open Access in Africa: The Case of Mauritius Russell Southwood, Abiodun Jagun, and Willie Currie 257 14. Public FM Project: Supporting the Licensing of New Noncommercial FM Radio Stations for Student and Community Usage Todd Urick 271 PART V: assessment: creating support for scholar-activist collaboration 15. Cultures of Collaboration in Media Research Joe Karaganis 287 16. Engendering Scholar-Activist Collaborations: An Evaluator's Perspective Catherine Borgman-Arboleda 313 Conclusion: Bridging Gaps, Crossing Boundaries Minna Aslama and Philip M. Napoli 333 List of Contributors 337 Index 347