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

Research

Dr. Etem’s scholarship interrogates the intersections of film culture, technology, and infrastructure, exploring how these elements shape governance practices, mediate international relations, and either facilitate or hinder institutional responsiveness. Adopting a holistic and interdisciplinary framework, she integrates analyses of media—ranging from films and photography to advertisements, letters, reports, journalism, and digital platforms—to uncover the contexts of media production, dissemination, and reception.

Central to her research philosophy is an examination of the complex institutional networks responsible for influencing, sponsoring, creating, distributing, and showcasing media. Through this critical lens, Dr. Etem elucidates how media, particularly film, serve as strategic instruments that institutions leverage to mold public perceptions, shape cultural discourses, and catalyze social change. Her scholarship provides insights into the ways institutional entities negotiate asymmetrical power dynamics, illuminating how media become vehicles to advocate specific policies and cultural narratives.

Integrating methodologies and theoretical perspectives drawn from Media Studies, History, Sociology, Anthropology, and Political Science, Dr. Etem’s interdisciplinary approach bridges historical inquiry with contemporary analysis. She foregrounds media produced by organizations dedicated to social development and transformative agendas, offering new insights into both past and present strategies of institutional media engagement.