What is it about?
Local media play a key role in ensuring that people remain informed about the issues that affect their lives in the areas where they live. In Global South countries, local audiences are often poorly served, often because media struggle to find the resources to stay alive. The article develops a taxonomy of "models" - the relationships that arise around different dominant sources of revenue: commercial, patronage, state, donor and community. The models serve as analytical tools that enable better understanding of the vulnerabilities of media for marginalised communities in the Global South, where a lack of alternatives gives them disproportionately greater importance.
Why is it important?
The article offers new tools to analyze local and community media on the basis of their funding sources. The approach assists in identifying vulnerabilities to capture and other forms of powerplay. These are often greater in marginal and poor communities, which harms the ability of local media to serve their audiences' information needs. A spiral of disadvantage may result.