Photographed at the National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD, United States 

Research

Dr. Etem’s scholarship examines how media culture, technology, and infrastructure i) permeate practices and policies for governance, ii) mediate international relations, and iii) promote or obstruct institutional responsiveness. Her research philosophy is grounded in a holistic approach to media history that integrates an analysis of films, with letters, advertisements, reviews, photography, print, blogs, and digital media to elucidate the context surrounding media production and reception. Through this approach, her scholarship examines the circumstances under which networks of institutions influence, sponsor, produce, distribute, and exhibit media to shape public opinion and culture, and promote social transformation. This research program provides a lens through which to view how institutions negotiate their asymmetrical power relations, and offers a framework for understanding how institutions use media to promote policies and cultures. In order to accomplish this, Dr. Etem contextualizes media with its conditions of production, culture, ideology, and intentions. Then she challenges the preconceived notions around represented communities to develop media practices that can disrupt stereotypes and contribute to social justice initiatives.

Her research adapts an interdisciplinary approach – combining methods and theories from Media Studies, History, Sociology, Anthropology and Political Science. She focuses on both historical and contemporary media produced by institutions that aim to promote social development and transformation.