Rethinking localism in the broadband era: A participatory community development approach

This research presents findings from a case study of how three municipal access channels were transformed into channelAustin, a digital community access center in Austin, TX. More generally, it addresses the question of how states and municipal governments can employ video franchise resources to promote sustainable adoption and use of broadband services. Drawing on participatory approaches to community development, this paper offers a model of community participation in local information ecosystems to guide planning and evaluation of these interventions. Findings indicate that digital community media projects like channelAustin can help municipalities serve information needs of ethnically diverse local publics, while also promoting advanced digital skills, economic opportunities, civic engagement, and social cohesion. However, the article recommends that more attention be placed on community outreach, partnerships with nonprofits and other local public media, local curation of citizen-produced, digital content, and the consolidation of accessible online distribution channels through which residents can connect and deliberate about local issues. I discuss the implication of these findings for efforts to connect broadband and media localism policies in the U.S.