Democratic media activism through the lens of social movement theory

Abstract

This article considers how we are to understand democratic media activism, which has recently burgeoned in Canada, the UK and the USA. What is its political significance and potential? Is it a new social movement, a new style of politics cutting across movements, or are new concepts needed? Drawing illustratively upon interviews with media activists, notably in Vancouver, we explore insights offered by social movement theory - including resource mobilization formulations and the new social movement theories of Melucci, Habermas, Cohen and Arato, and Fraser. While all these traditions offer valuable insights, media activism reveals limitations in existing conceptualizations. It has some of the characteristics of a movement, but lacks a distinct collective identity or niche within movement ecology. It may be destined to be a boundary-transgressing nodal point for other movements, articulating a coherent project for radical democracy, rather than a movement-for-itself.

What is citizen journalism? A critical analysis from the perspective of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

“…This finding echoes the research on alternative media and media activism, where shortage of financial sources is seen as a persistent problem for alternative media (Hackett and Carroll, 2006).…”

“…Atton, 2004;Kim and Hamilton, 2008;Lievrouw, 2011), media activism (e.g. Hackett and Carroll, 2006;Joyce, 2007;Kern and Nam, 2008), user-generated content (e.g. Paulussen and Ugile, 2008;Thurman, 2008;Wardle and Williams, 2010), and participatory and citizen journalism (e.g.…”

Public Political Ecology: a community of praxis for earth stewardship

“…It can also provide an alternative to mainstream media and has been used by social movements for organizing and mobilization (Juris 2012), while challenging academics to think differently about how we pose research questions, articulate ideas, and disseminate our writing (Kitchin et al 2013). However, social media raises a thornier set of questions, particularly related to issues of unequal access and representation inherent in a highly commercialized system of media, and the contribution of social media to effective rather than tokenistic activism (Carroll and Hackett 2006;Valenzuela 2013). While these concerns should give public scholars pause, as with participatory mapping, social media comprises tools that are too laden with power to ignore.…”

Diplomacia de movilización. Referenda de Cataluña y Escocia en la diplomacia en red

“…Los movimientos sociales emplean la comunicación política para el establecimiento de una agenda política y mediática contrahegemónica (Carroll y Hackett, 2006). Las actividades digitales han incrementado las capacidades de acción colectiva en la medida que "han afectado a la agenda http://www.revistalatinacs.org/071/paper/1129/49es.html Página 963 pública, al activismo y a la participación política en la arena internacional" (Manfredi, 2014: 343).…”