Couverture de Decentered Media Podcast – Foundational Media and the Problem of Polarisation

Decentered Media Podcast – Foundational Media and the Problem of Polarisation

Decentered Media Podcast – Foundational Media and the Problem of Polarisation

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 In this episode of the Decentered Media Podcast, I am joined by Shumaila Jaffery, a journalist and doctoral researcher whose work spans reporting in Pakistan and the UK. We use that lived, professional experience to explore a simple but difficult question. If media is part of the social infrastructure that holds everyday life together, what has to change for it to support social cohesion rather than fragmentation? We begin with the distinction between media as an arm of the state, media as a commercial instrument, and media as a civic resource. Shumaila reflects on the practical realities of working within systems where editorial independence is constrained, where commercial ownership brings its own pressures, and where public-facing legitimacy can be undermined by political capture. That comparison helps clarify why “public service” cannot be reduced to a funding mechanism or a brand identity. It is a continuous governance problem, shaped by power, incentives, and accountability. From there, the conversation turns to what both of us see as a defining risk of the present moment. Polarisation is not only an online phenomenon. It is experienced in workplaces, neighbourhoods, and family life. It is reinforced by media environments that reward outrage, simplify complex issues into identity conflict, and create feedback loops in which people rarely encounter credible accounts of each other’s everyday realities. We discuss misinformation in this context, not as a side issue, but as a structural vulnerability that hostile actors, irresponsible influencers, and opportunistic organisations can exploit at scale. We also examine diaspora and community-specific media. Shumaila’s research interest highlights an important tension. Community-facing media can give people voice, recognition, and a sense of belonging. At the same time, it can intensify separations from wider civic life, especially when it becomes a closed circuit of grievance, status competition, or political mobilisation. The question is not whether diaspora media is “good” or “bad”. The question is what design principles, ethical norms, and governance models help it act as a bridge rather than a wall. Another thread running through the episode is professional authority. The historic idea that media requires special institutions and gatekeepers is weakening. Ordinary people now have the tools to document, publish, and coordinate. That shift is full of possibility, but it also raises the stakes for media literacy, verification norms, and public standards. If the means of production are widely distributed, then responsibility has to be widely distributed too. Otherwise, the void is filled by monetised sensationalism and low-trust narratives that travel faster than careful reporting. Across these themes, we return repeatedly to a practical framing. Foundational media is not a single organisation, nor a single policy lever. It is an orientation. It treats communication as part of the everyday conditions for a decent society. It asks what kinds of local, place-based and interest-based media practices can support deliberation, participation, and shared understanding, without being reduced to state messaging or market competition. It also asks what forms of support are required, including resources, governance, and public legitimacy. How to get involved in the ongoing dialogue This podcast is part of a wider effort to build a clearer, grounded sense of what Foundational Media could mean in practice, across different sectors and contexts. If you would like to participate, there are three straightforward routes. 1. Book a recorded conversation slot for the Decentered Media Podcast. These sessions are structured conversations rather than debates, and are designed to surface practical insight from experience. 2. Send a short note explaining what you do and what you think the Foundational Media question looks like from where you stand. If a recorded session is not right for you, a written contribution can still help shape the agenda for future discussions. 3. Propose a case study. This could be a local media practice, a civic information problem, a governance model that has worked, or a failure that taught useful lessons. The aim is to build a shared evidence base, not a set of slogans. You can contact me via the Decentered Media contact page or by email. You can also use the Foundational Media page as a starting point for the wider framing and the invitation to participate. Source
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