For my culminating paper, I wrote this paper entitled Cable Access to Community Media: Examining the Changing State of Public Access Media.

This research paper studies how public access television has been impacted by the rise of internet technology, and how it’s place in society is contested. While I heard numerous anecdotal examples through my internship about how these changes have impacted Thurston Community Media, I decided to focus this paper on Public Access as a whole, searching for nationwide trends.

I began by analyzing the foundations of public access in the early ’70s. I looked at who advocated for it and for what reasons. Then I examined what functions and services are offered by public access centers. By comparing the foundational reasoning and services with the possibilities offered online I try to answer the philosophical question of how access’s role in society has changed or been contested.

Next, I studied the material impact of changing technology, looking for station closures, budget cuts, and changes in participation and viewership. I explored the various justifications provided by municiple and state government for sacrificing this public service.

Finally, I turned back to local level and examined how particular access stations are adapting to changing technology. I approached this change through the shift from a “public access cable television station” to a “community media center.” I examined how exactly stations are being “community media centers,” what obstacles are holding others back, and what risks come with the refusal or inability to adapt.

I hope you learn a thing a two, I know I sure did. There’s very little scholarship on community media, and this is the beginning of my contribution to that limited body of work.

Check out the paper here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fBqEt-hx1XMj34YzYo8KV9dbQqDbAGAdHZn8vFXXdzY/edit?usp=sharing