We learned the good news today that our conference panel for NECS‘ sustainable media section has been accepted! That means we’ll be in Lisbon, Portugal in June to talk about media practices and environmental accountability. I’m very thankful to the panel organizer, Judith Keilbach, for inviting me to be a part of this. Here’s a description of the panel’s content.
This panel examines the complex entanglements between audiovisual and digital media, extractivism and fossil capitalism. It explores, on the one hand, media’s role in shaping sociocultural imaginaries of consumerism and climate futures, and on the other, their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution. The four presentations showcase different approaches to critically engage with these dynamics, highlighting the complicity of media with fossil capitalism while probing their potential to rethink contemporary sociocultural practices.
Specifically, the contributions analyze how mining companies strategically employ audiovisual media to construct narratives of environmental responsibility (María A. Vélez-Serna), examine Netflix’ sustainability accounting practices (Judith Keilbach) and explore the role of social media platforms in shaping knowledge production about the climate crisis (Donya Alinejad). Through critical engagement with diverse media sources, the presentations challenge the self-representation of mining companies and multinational media platforms as environmentally responsible and accountable. The final contribution focuses on the transformative potential of Third Cinema, exploring its capacity to disrupt hegemonic norms in cinema (Alejandro Pedregal).
By bringing these interconnected topics together, the panel invites discussion on how approaches to media can foster critical interventions with and against sustainability.
Donya Alinejad 