NEW MEDIA MOBILIZATION Theorizing social change in a digital age

Julie B. Wiest, Ph.D., West Chester University of Pennsylvania

jwiest@wcupa.edu | @jbwiest | juliebwiest.com

Introduction • Much research focuses on increases in inequalities

because of new media technologies • “Digital divide”

• “Spiral of silence” on social media

• Can new media technologies contribute to

reducing inequalities?

Literature: Cyberactivism

• Initiate consumer boycotts & public protests

• Organize & implement social movements

• Mobilize marginalized group members (e.g., Della Porta & Mosca, 2005; Juris, 2008; Kahn & Kellner, 2005; Langman, 2005; Lievrouw, 2011; O’Lear,1999; Wasserman, 2007)

Literature: Cyberactivism

• Internet & cell phone use increasing

• Cell phone ownership increasing

Literature: Resource access

Data and Methods 1. Wiest, Julie B. and Nahed Eltantawy. 2015. “Mediatization

in the Arab World: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of New Media Use.” Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies 5(2): 120-142.

2. Wiest, Julie B. and Nahed Eltantawy. 2012. “Social Media Use among UAE College Students One Year after the Arab Spring.” Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research 5(3): 209-226.

3. Eltantawy, Nahed and Julie B. Wiest. 2011. “Social Media in the Egyptian Revolution: Reconsidering Resource Mobilization Theory.” International Journal of Communication 5:1207-1224.

Advantages of NMT 1. Unprecedented speed and interactivity

Safety tips

• protest at nighttime

•spray-paint armored vehicles with black to cover windshield

• wash face with Coca-Cola to reduce impact of tear gas

- ElBaradei Facebook page

2. Promote sense of community/collective identity April 6 Movement ElBaradei for Presidency We are all Khaled Said January 25: the day of revolution over torture, poverty, corruption & unemployment

Advantages of NMT

3. Establish connection with other movements If you can take pictures, take pictures.. if you can use Twitter, send tweets.. if you can blog, blog from the street. There are people demonstrating for our cause in Tunisia and Jordan, and I just found out that there are people demonstrating in Paris too. All of these people have faith in us.

- Egyptian activist and blogger Nawara Negm

Advantages of NMT

4. Publicize the cause to global community URGENT: REQUEST to ALL EUROPE & US tweeps on #Jan25 PLEASE ASK YOUR MEDIA TO COVER #EGYPT NOW

- Twitter user @weddady

Tahrir is chaotic now. Fire everywhere. People are gathered there and extreme noise that I can’t tell what [it] is at the moment #Jan25

- Twitter user @DannyRamadan

Advantages of NMT

@mfatta7 Tear gas @mfatta7 I’m suffocating @mfatta7 We r trapped inside a building @mfatta7 Armored vehicles outside @mfatta7 Help we r suffocating @mfatta7 I will be arrested @mfatta7 Help !!! @mfatta7 Arrested @mfatta7 Ikve [I’ve] been beaten a lot

- Egyptian video journalist Mohamed Abdelfattah

Advantages of NMT

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Online activitiesSocial networkingsitesInfo on health, dieting,or fitnessSeeking news orpolitical infoInfo on tough healthtopicSharing originalcreationUsing Twitter

Remixing onlinecontentShopping

Working on ownjournal or blogDiscussing tabootopicsVisiting virtual world

• Need framework for understanding role of new media technologies in activism

• Studies of movements in U.S. & world

Next Steps

Next Steps

Next Steps

Next Steps

Next Steps