Social media and social justice in Israel: Sounding the voice of the marginalized

The emergence of new means of social media in recent years has made way for both utopian and dystopian discourses regarding their impact on the common good in general and on democratization and social participation in public life in particular. This conversation, however, rarely discusses the least advantaged elements of society that have traditionally been sidelined in political discourse.

Rooted in a redistributive justice frame that challenges the accepted utilitarian capitalist normative choices that guide Western societies, this talk ties a theory of new media to the social justice theories of John Rawls and Amartya Sen and proposes a different prescription for the role of media in contemporary society and for the priorities media policymakers should make in light of new media developments. Using distinct case studies in which the use of media by marginalized groups in Israeli society is highlighted - Bedouins, Palestinians, refugees and migrants - the talk demonstrates the role of new media in the life of marginalized communities and their potential.

Speaker: Amit Schejter, Ben-Gurion Universityof the Negev