Technodiversity and local accents: a discussion about online journalism in alternative media in Brazil

Abstract

This article analyzes how alternative media outlets reflect and utilize technology, generally seen as universalizing, within the agenda and language of local journalism, which is by definition territorialized. Based on a literature review focusing on Yuk Hui’s concepts of technodiversity and Bruno Latour’s sociotechnical network, the methodology involves a discourse analysis of the local outlets Amazônia Real, Mídia Indígena, and Rádio Yandê, as well as the podcasts As Cunhãs and Budejo. These outlets integrate technology as a way to create identity and knowledge, incorporate “local accents” into their language, reporting, and agenda, and demonstrate new ways of doing journalism, valuing local stories often left out of traditional media. Moreover, they build not only local but also social networks, operating with a ‘glocal’ logic (global + local). The conclusion indicates that the analyzed outlets understand the need to adapt narratives to cultural specificities, balancing journalistic practice with local experiences based on technodiversity.