Capabilities and Social Justice in Media Systems
Summary
Media systems are increasingly recognised not merely as conduits for information but as frameworks that shape individuals’ real freedoms and opportunities. Drawing on the capability approach, media scholars evaluate how access to diverse content, participatory platforms and representative narratives enables people to pursue lives they value. Social justice in this context demands attention to power asymmetries in production, distribution and consumption: who controls editorial agendas, whose voices are heard, and which cultures are preserved or marginalized. Technological innovation has created novel spaces for civic engagement, yet it has also given rise to new forms of exclusion and algorithmic bias. Equitable media systems seek to redress these imbalances by ensuring that minority communities, marginalised groups and those with limited digital skills can contribute to and benefit from the information ecosystem. Globally, advances in public service media, heritage digitisation and psychosocial support via mass communication illustrate practical pathways for expanding capabilities. Policymakers and practitioners are developing standards for inclusive content, safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and promoting media literacy, thereby linking theoretical regimes of justice to concrete institutional reforms. This interdisciplinarity underscores the capacity of media systems to foster democratic participation, individual well-being and collective identity in a rapidly evolving digital age.
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Capabilities and Social Justice in Media Systems publication trend
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Technical terms
Capability approach: A normative framework focusing on individuals’ genuine freedoms to achieve well-being, emphasising both resources and real opportunities.
Public service media: Media institutions funded or regulated to serve the public interest by providing inclusive, non-commercial content that promotes social cohesion and democratic engagement.
Media literacy: The set of skills enabling individuals to access, critically evaluate, create and interact with media content in ways that enhance autonomy and informed participation.
References
- Beyond representation: Public service media, minority audiences and the promotion of capabilities through entertainment. Poetics (2022).
- New Media and Intangible Cultural Heritage. Communications in Humanities Research (2023).
- THE ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN SOCIALISATION AND WELL-BEING: THEORETICAL ANALYSIS AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS. Bulletin of Alfred Nobel University Series "Pedagogy and Psychology" (2024).
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