Blog Post #4- What’s the role of the media in current social movements?

Hi everyone! 

For this second round of research, I looked into anti-racist movements and the media to answer inquiry my question: What’s the role of the media in current social movements?

Media and the amplification of anti-racist activism: Similarly to feminism, platforms on the internet have allowed many anti-racist activists to share their knowledge. For example, videos on Youtube are “an accessible and effective method” to educate a diverse audience on the topic (4). Moreover, it has been demonstrated that the media contributes to “mobilising new activists.” That is, it helps to spread information and therefore, inspire others to become activists as well. In addition, social media specifically, provides “safe spaces” for these people to get together, such as group chats. Marcia Mundt describes this as “a type of public commons for free speech [that is]” not available elsewhere (2).” 

Challenges in online activism: One of the negative aspects of anti-racism activism in social media is how easy it is to spread misinformation and preformative activism (supporting a cause or issue to get support or “monetisation… rather than actually caring about making a difference in the cause)(3).” One example of this was when a huge amount of people began to post “black screens” on Instagram, using the hashtag #blackouttuesday, to support BLM. The “never-ending sea of black squares” with no actual information end up overtaking posts with useful information. A lot of celebrities and companies posted this “during the peak of the BLM movement.” However, this trend did not end up not supporting any material impact (4). 

BLM: Black Lives Matter is a movement that seeks to “highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people (1).” Here’s a video explaining it and how social media impacted its potential:

Sources: 

About. (n.d.). BlackLivesMatter. Retrieved May 25, 2023, from https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/

Baig, Z. (2020, December 1). How Social Media Is Changing The Face Of Human Rights Activism  — Human Rights Pulse. Human Rights Pulse.                       Retrieved May 25, 2023, from https://www.humanrightspulse.com/mastercontentblog/how-social-media-is-changing-the-face-of-                               human-rights-activism

Candelario, C. (2021, September 28). What Is Performative Activism (and Why Does It Do More Harm Than Good)? PureWow. Retrieved May 25,                       2023, from https://www.purewow.com/wellness/what-is-performative-activism

Mundt, M. D., Ross, K., & Burnett, C. M. (2018). Scaling Social Movements Through Social Media: The Case of Black Lives Matter. Social Media                         and Society, 4(4), Sage Journals. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305118807911

Sofia B.