CRIS and Global Media Governance: Communication Rights and Social Change

This paper explores the contribution of a contemporary expression of the communication rights movement – the Communication Rights in the Information Society (CRIS Campaign) to social change. While CRIS is a recognised global leader in communication rights advocacy, the paper argues that it falls short of its objectives because of its extensive commitments, largely academia-inspired praxis and its lack of connectivity to subaltern, grassroots expressions of communication rights. The paper contrasts this tradition with the grassroots-based right to information movement in India that has connected access to information with the right to food security and employment – issues that have made a difference in people’s lives. The paper concludes with the following observations - that the success of the communication rights movement and in particular CRIS, will be based on the extent to which it 1) narrows its focus and 2) intentionally connects to the solving of everyday communication deficits. PDF.