Supporting the democratic voice through community media centres in South Asia

This paper considers the potential of community based information and communication technology (ICT) centres to support and promote the democratic voice. It does so through presenting comparative research findings from eight ICT centres in South Asia. The research uses a methodology that combines ethnographic approaches with action research. Here I look at the notion of 'democratic voice' in a loosely defined sense, referring to the ability of 'ordinary' people to access media and other information and communication technologies, and to create their own local content. As such it describes to some extent the processes of 'metamorphosis' involved in 'citizen's media' participants becoming, through these activities, 'active citizens' (Rodriguez 2004). At a point in time when alternative media studies are recognising a new relevance and development communication research facing a crisis in direction, this paper considers research findings emerging from and utilised in community based ICT initiatives across South Asia. Looking at the research in a comparative framework, lessons can be learned about the relevance of community media for supporting democratic voice, and the processes that are most likely to achieve this.