Summer Harlow Boeken

The rise of independent, digital-native news outlets in Latin America is examined, highlighting their impact on social change and the evolution of justice-centered journalism. The book delves into how these platforms redefine "alternative" media, showcasing their significance in the broader landscape of journalism and their contributions to a more inclusive and diverse media environment.

This ethnographic study explores how four alternative media projects in El Salvador integrated digital technologies—particularly social media—into their practices, and whether incorporating these technologies affected citizen participation not only in the media production process, but in a broader discursive sphere of civic and political life as well. Summer Harlow investigates the factors that influence the extent to which alternative media producers are able to use digital tools in liberating ways for social change by opening a space for participation in technology (as content producers) and through technology (as engaged citizens). The book advances existing literature with two main contributions: extending our understanding of the digital divide to include inequalities of social media use, and including technology use—whether liberating or not—as a fundamental component of a mestizaje approach to the study of alternative media.