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Xenophiles Combat Imaginary Cosmopolitanism

By Ethan Zuckerman

TED, Global Voices Online, July 19, 2010

Global Voices co-founder Ethan Zuckerman says that when we focus not on the infrastructure of globalization but on its actual use, we see that much of the world remains disconnected, even segregated. This trend is mirrored in digital media: As the world has become more global, average media consumption has become less so.

Zuckerman characterizes this phenomenon as "imaginary cosmopolitanism," in contrast to the high hopes of digital utopians and their original visions of how the Internet would unite peoples. His antidote is the online media service Global Voices, a network of bloggers and editors who aggregate and curate the best stories from corners of the globe that don't always penetrate Western news. By acting as cultural bridges and translators, these xenophiles are helping to rewire the global media system for greater serendipity and communication.

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Read More: Communication, Culture, Globalization, Technology, Brazil, United States, Americas, Global

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