Are the “media reform,” “media democracy,” and “media justice” movements
complementary or in conflict? A bit of both, asserts the author, building on her earlier
ethnographic study in the field. While each is a form of social activism with progressive
political goals, they have different theoretical foundations and different frames for
their respective agendas as “scholars,” “activists,” and “advocates.” The article offers
a critical consideration of their distinctive interventions, and concludes that while
framing media as a “problem to be solved” enabled a wide base to form, at the same
time this outlook was so diffuse that it generated tensions among the actors.