“It is a challenge to engage with digital communication technologies in ways that relate meaningfully to local community realities, and yet without undermining inherent values and traditional knowledge,” writes Media Development editor Philip Lee.

A response can be found in a closer study of digital media literacy and cultural integrity.  “Other technological worlds are possible,” the second issue of WACC’s journal in 2026, explores how digital technologies interact with local cultures and communities, the concerns this raises, and practical solutions communities are developing.

Gustaff H. Iskandar from our partner organization Common Room explains how an Indigenous community in the remote highlands of West Java, Indonesia, brought together partners and knowledge to create an income-generating communication network rooted in their traditional values.

Aniruddha Jena from the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi presents India as a case study of great cultural and linguistic diversity. The struggle for communication justice cannot stop with access, he argues, but must encompass language, validation of knowledge, and support for different forms of communication such as radio.

In their joint article in Spanish, Olga Paz Martinez, Marcya Hernández, and Mónica Rodríguez Chaparro from Asociación Colnodo look at ways to overcome barriers to accessing various digital services in Colombia.  

Alternative community media and local agents of change can act to challenge harmful narratives branding women as witches in the Indian state of Odisha, write Sriyanka Sahoo and Hemanta Kumar Dash of Utkal University.

The issue closes with contributions by Pinar Okur from Upinion and Pamela Saab from Ground Truth Solutions exploring technology and communication justice in humanitarian aid contexts.

“Other technological worlds are possible, and they are being created by the indigenous peoples of Latin America and the world: through community radio stations, community connectivity networks, community digital archives, and social and community-based mobile virtual network operators,” writes Adrián López Angulo from WACC partner REDES A.C. in a contribution in Spanish.

Media Development 2/2026 is available to subscribers and WACC members. Articles in the issue include: