In this article, the author illustrates the blurring lines of youth cultural production and participatory politics from the perspective of new media literacies. Drawing on design-based action research, the author discusses pedagogical considerations in the conceptualization of new media literacies in a semester-long course that culminated in inquiry-based social action projects created by university students in the urban Midwest. Noteworthy in the course was an emerging ethos developed through "collaboration," "participation," and "distributed expertise" leading to the production of video documentaries and interactive websites. New media literacies served as core cultural competencies and social skills in a new media landscape, but more importantly emerged as key practices toward youth cultural production and participatory politics. The latter offers insights into the centrality of pedagogy in the politics of knowledge production.