Cultural Protest in Journalism, Documentary Films and the Arts
Cultural Protest in Journalism, Documentary Films and the Arts: Between Protest and Professionalisation entails a comprehensive account of the history and trajectory of contemporary journalistic, (documentary) film, and arts and cultural actors rooted (partially or wholly) in radical, alternative, community, voluntary, participatory and independent movements primarily in Britain and Germany. It focuses particularly on the examination of production and organisational contexts of selected case studies, some of which date from the countercultural era.
The book takes a transnational and interdisciplinary approach encompassing a range of theoretical perspectives drawn from the political economy of communication tradition; alternative media scholarship; journalism studies; critical sociological and cultural studies of media industries; cultural industries research; and critical and social theory in conjunction with extensive ethnographic fieldwork. It does so to reveal the obscure nature of media and cultural production and organisation at seventeen media and cultural actors based in Britain and Germany, including South Africa and Nigeria. A particular focus is placed on how such actors balance competing imperatives of a civic/socio-political, professional, artistic and commercial nature as well as various systemic pressures, and on how they navigate the resultant ambivalences, paradoxes and tensions in their day-to-day work.
In essence, the book highlights key insights into a changing nature and quality of engagement with social and political realities in protest cultures.
Daniel H. Mutibwa is an Assistant Professor in Creative Industries and Digital Culture at the Department of Cultural, Media and Visual Studies, University of Nottingham, UK.
Routledge Studies in Radical History and Politics
Series editors: Thomas Linehan
Brunel University
and
John Roberts
Brunel University
The series Routledge Studies in Radical History and Politics has two areas of interest. First, this series aims to publish books which focus on the history of movements of the radical left. Movement of the radical left is here interpreted in its broadest sense as encompassing those past movements for radical change which operated in the mainstream political arena as with political parties, and past movements for change which operated more outside the mainstream as with millenarian movements, anarchist groups, utopian socialist communities and trade unions. Secondly, this series aims to publish books which focus on more contemporary expressions of radical left-wing politics. Recent years have been witness to the emergence of a multitude of new radical movements adept at getting their voices in the public sphere. From those participating in the Arab Spring, the Occupy movement, community unionism, social media forums, independent media outlets, local voluntary organisations campaigning for progressive change, and so on, it seems to be the case that innovative networks of radicalism are being constructed in civil society that operate in different public forms.
The series very much welcomes titles with a British focus, but is not limited to any particular national context or region. The series will encourage scholars who contribute to this series to draw on perspectives and insights from other disciplines.
Contemporary Left Wing Activism Vol 2
Democracy, Participation and Dissent in a Global Context
Edited Joseph Ibrahim and John Michael Roberts
Cultural Protest in Journalism, Documentary Films and the Arts
Between Protest and Professionalisation
Daniel H. Mutibwa
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/Routledge-Studies-in-Radical-History-and-Politics/book-series/RSRHP
Cultural Protest in Journalism, Documentary Films and the Arts
Between Protest and Professionalisation
Daniel H. Mutibwa
First published 2019
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
2019 Daniel H. Mutibwa
The right of Daniel H. Mutibwa to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-1-138-55213-5 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-14797-0 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
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Contents
I would like to thank all the media and cultural producers for their trust, invaluable insights, generosity and time in the midst of very busy and tight work schedules without all of which the research presented in this book would not have been possible. I wish to express special thanks to Professor David Hesmondhalgh, Professor Helen Kennedy and Professor Chris Atton for their mentorship and support. I hugely profited from their guidance, inspiration, support, patience and constructive comments during the different phases of this research study. I also thank colleagues at Leeds and Nottingham for their support and friendship.
Similarly, I am grateful to the Series Editors Dr Thomas Linehan and Dr John Roberts for supporting the original proposal for this book and to Craig Fowlie and Rebecca McPhee at Routledge for their incredibly generous support throughout. Much of the material presented in of this book appeared in the following book chapters and journals, something for which I am indebted to the publishers for permission to reproduce and further develop this material here:
Mutibwa, Daniel H. (2014). Moving with the Times: Surviving Film Collective Cultures in British and German Contexts. Journal of Media Practice, 15(3): 190205.
Mutibwa, Daniel H. (2015a). Between Aspiration and Reality: A Study of Contemporary Third Sector Media Production, in: C. Atton (ed.) The Routledge Companion to Alternative and Community Media. London: Routledge, pp. 278288.
Mutibwa, Daniel H. (2015b). Troubled but Alive and Kicking: New Insights into Political Theatre outside the Establishment. Critical Arts: South-North Cultural and Media Studies, 29(4): 496517.
Mutibwa, Daniel H. (2015c). Advocate, Copycatting or Simply Pragmatic: Reconceptualising Contemporary Marginal Journalism(s). Journal of Media Innovations, 2(1): 4158.
Mutibwa, Daniel H. (2016). The Entwinement of Politics, Arts, Culture and Commerce in Staging Civic Reality to Enhance Democratic Communication.
