Editorial: Bringing the Future to Geomedia Studies: Geomedia as Sociotechnical Regime and Imaginary

Abstract

This special issue explores the critical and transformative potential of geomedia within contemporary society. Geomedia, representing an epochal shift in spatial mediations and spatialized media, significantly influences daily life through processes of geomediatization. We advocate for a comprehensive understanding of geomedia that transcends technological determinism, incorporating historical, contextual, and relational perspectives. Engaging with concepts from critical future studies and sociotechnical imaginaries allows for challenging the dominant narratives of geomediatization realism and for promoting the exploration of diverse, equitable, and sustainable futures. Through various methodological approaches, including critical discourse analysis, participatory action research, and Actor-Network Theory, the articles in this special issue examine the role of geomedia in urban planning, tourism, surveillance governance, and socio-political imaginaries. The special issue emphasizes the importance of envisioning alternative futures that resist technological rationalization and commodification, advocating for more inclusive and human-centered mediatized places. This work contributes to the ongoing discourse on geomedia studies, highlighting the need for critical and interdisciplinary approaches to understand and shape the future of mediatized spaces and place-based technologies.</p>