Digital Resistance and Representation: Media Narratives of Marginalized Groups in a Global Context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61978/communica.v3i2.656Keywords:
Media Representation, Marginalized Communities, Digital Empowerment, Inclusive Media, Social Stigma, Participatory Media, Communication EquityAbstract
Media representations of marginalized communities significantly influence public perceptions and social inclusion. This narrative review aims to analyze how traditional and digital media construct narratives about marginalized groups, oscillating between reinforcing stereotypes and fostering empowerment. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using Scopus, Google Scholar, and EBSCOhost, focusing on studies employing keywords such as "media representation," "marginalized communities," "stereotypes," and "empowerment." Inclusion criteria emphasized peer-reviewed articles examining media portrayals of socially excluded populations. Findings reveal persistent stereotypes across media, with portrayals often simplifying and stigmatizing LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities. Such portrayals contribute to psychological distress and reinforce systemic exclusion. However, emerging narratives facilitated by social media platforms offer spaces for resistance, identity articulation, and inclusive storytelling. Examples from participatory cinema, community radio, and TikTok campaigns show how marginalized voices challenge hegemonic discourses and reshape public understanding. Discussion highlights the systemic nature of media bias and the role of inclusive policies in promoting equity. Disparities between media practices in developed and developing countries are evident, pointing to the need for culturally sensitive reforms. This review calls for future research into digital media's transformative potential and recommends policy frameworks that integrate marginalized voices in content creation.
References
Allen, J., & Bruce, T. (2017). Constructing the other: News media representations of a predominantly ‘brown’ community in New Zealand. Pacific Journalism Review – Te Koakoa, 23(1), 225. https://doi.org/10.24135/pjr.v23i1.33
Ambala, A. (2021). Voicing ordinary people and everyday narratives through participatory cinema. Journal of African Cinemas, 13(2), 119–133. https://doi.org/10.1386/jac_00049_1
Austin, M. (2024). Audiovisual alterity. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190277789.001.0001
Bernard, M., Rickett, M., Amigoni, D., Munro, L., Murray, M., & Rezzano, J. (2014). Ages and stages: The place of theatre in the lives of older people. Ageing and Society, 35(6), 1119–1145. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0144686x14000038
Camargo, J., Cogo, D., & Aléncar, A. (2022). Venezuelan refugees in Brazil: Communication rights and digital inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Media and Communication, 10(2), 230–340. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v10i2.5051
Carmel, J., Chapman, S., & Wright, P. (2024). Seeing disability in children's made for television programmes: An Australian case study. Children & Society, 38(6), 2036–2051. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12866
Caswell, M., Migoni, A., Geraci, N., & Cifor, M. (2016). ‘To be able to imagine otherwise’: Community archives and the importance of representation. Archives and Records, 38(1), 5–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/23257962.2016.1260445
Garcia, M. (2023). Transgressive Mae: Transwoman representation and identity in 3 Will Be Free, 4, 179–186. https://doi.org/10.47298/cala2022.5-2
Gillespie, T. (2024). Generative AI and the politics of visibility. Big Data & Society, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517241252131
Kern, R. (2014). Imagining community: Visibility, bonding, and L Word audiences. Sexualities, 17(4), 434–450. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363460714524764
Leonard, A., Bettmann, J., & Blumenthal, E. (2024). Barriers for veterans accessing outdoor programming: An examination of website representation. Journal of Experiential Education, 47(2), 213–217. https://doi.org/10.1177/10538259231225196
Mahabir, A., Anderson, R., Kinlocke, R., Smith, R., Doughorty, K., & Madho, C. (2022). Discourse, difference, and divergence: Exploring media representations and online public sentiments toward marginalized urban communities in Jamaica during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social Sciences, 11(6), 240. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11060240
Media and marginalized voices. (2025). https://doi.org/10.3726/b22340
Michaels, E., Joneurairatana, E., & Sirivesmas, V. (2024). Mainstreaming queerness in Thai boys’ love narratives: Impact on gay identity perceptions in Bangkok’s society. Sexualities. https://doi.org/10.1177/13634607241263194
Moylan, K. (2018). Accented radio: Articulations of British Caribbean experience and identity in UK community radio. Global Media and Communication, 14(3), 283–299. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742766518780180
Moylan, K. (2021). Coming to voice: Community radio production as critical pedagogy. European Journal of Cultural Studies, 25(1), 217–237. https://doi.org/10.1177/13675494211003203
Sasidharan, D. (2025). Amplifying unheard voices. In Amplifying Unheard Voices (pp. 259–284). https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-6675-2.ch010
Sauls, L. (2019). Becoming fundable? Converting climate justice claims into climate finance in Mesoamerica’s forests. Climatic Change, 161(2), 307–325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-019-02624-1
Sayed, F., & Hotait, N. (2024). Exploring the role of TikTok for intersectionality marginalized groups: The case of Muslim female content creators in Germany. Frontiers in Political Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2024.1496833
Smith, J., Kennedy, A., & Veer, E. (2024). Queering rainbow social marketing: Ensuring equitable outcomes for rainbow communities. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 32(3), 275–285. https://doi.org/10.1177/14413582241244847
Subramanian, P. (2024). Critiquing Indian middle‐class principles of mobility: Examining transgender representation in post‐millennial OTT media in India. Sociology Compass, 18(8). https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.13265
Tremlett, A. (2014). Demotic or demonic? Race, class and gender in ‘Gypsy’ reality TV. The Sociological Review, 62(2), 316–334. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.12134
Ulum, Ö. (2025). Echoes of exclusion: A discourse analysis of media representations and the marginalization of the Cono tribe in Adana. Crime Law and Social Change, 83(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-025-10216-7
Wong, P., Singh, A., & Brumby, D. (2025). Formation of climate community for people of colour on digital platforms: The importance of anonymity, safety and representation. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 9(2), 1–42. https://doi.org/10.1145/3710986
Yan, T. (2025). An increasing acceptance of LGBT: Media representation of LGBTQ social media influencers in China. Environment and Social Psychology, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i2.3441
