ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that applied media studies strive to provoke changes broader than those typical of any academic field of study. Applied media studies draws attention to the varied and complex relations ordinary and not so ordinary media practices establish and sustain, but also revise. The best examples of applied media studies emerge out of dedicated cross-disciplinary exchange that evolves over time. Applied media studies is about leaving the objective researcher role behind, instead taking a stand in important societal questions, as well as assuming responsibility for one's actions. Applied media studies addresses the horizon of possibility where the insights of media study are used to build media experiences that are designed, to be transformative of current cultural arrangements; to be more respectful of histories and publics who are lost, voiceless, and subjugated. Applied media studies projects have a service mission, and that mission requires continued public engagement long after any initial moment of publication or online launch.
