De-Globalizing Global Communication Research: A 'Glocal-Comparative' Take on Transnational Research

Abstract

This conceptual paper proposes a mode of inquiry that engages with an increasingly glocal reorganization of contemporary globalized spheres. Drawing upon the field of global communication, I discuss existing literature pointing to an emergence of glocalist research. The article engages with notions of 'glocalization' to reconceptualise a notion of glocality that resonates with new forms of locality-bound globalized spaces and cultures. Combining this idea of glocality with the power of comparative analysis to draw out hidden intricacies within transnational spaces, I propose a 'glocal-comparative' research approach that engages with global and local (glocal) contexts simultaneously. This methodology is illustrated by an analysis of the 'glocal-comparative' elements of a study that examined the news practices of local and international journalists operating out of Malaysia.