Climate change memes as an effective activist communication tool As highlighted in previous blog posts, climate activists use a wide variety of communication styles, methods, narratives, and rhetoric for convincing, engaging, mobilizing and for putting pressure on policy makers. In my first blog post, so called shaming how-dare-you rhetoric from …
Hi there, In this final blog post, I would again like to address the act of blogging for (il)legit activism and/or development, and put toe to toe with journalism, as I briefly touched upon in my first blog post. I will address social media as well, which here should be seen as ways of micro-blogging.
In this collaborative interactive blog post, we would like to explore how activists work with interactive communication in digital ways to create dialogue and participation around development questions. We take a closer look at activists using communication methods that seem to recognize this phenomenon, and instead of attracting passive slacktivism, invite their audiences to real engagement and contribution. Could activist communication that taps into digital/viral trends achieve more than just attention? And could this type of communication lead to enhanced engagement, dialogue, mobilization, and change? Or is Online Activism Slacktivism?
As I mentioned in my previous blog, contextualizing digital information matters. We live in a world where books get banned from public schools because individuals claim it is about “divisive and controversial subjects” and “taught Critical Race Theory.” The contribution I want to make with my second blog is to turn our attention to differences and similarities and how we communicate with each other in multicultural digital spaces, since I socially engage in various global citizen activities daily, including work.
In this first intro-post, I would like to briefly introduce you to a subject I intend to dive deeper into in following posts. The subject I will address is the act of blogging and using social media for (il)legit activism, and put this toe to toe with journalism. The first question we need to ask is this one: Is journalism activism? I would argue, and I think most journalists would agree, that it is not. Mainly because it’s sole purpose is to provide information, and doing so in an impartial manner. Being an activist is, one could argue, quite the opposite – you have a very clear agenda.
In our rapidly evolving and hyper-connected world, information knows no bounds, transcending geographical and cultural boundaries. While the digital age has granted us unprecedented access to knowledge, it has also eroded the importance of cultivating a healthy dose of skepticism. As I perused my social media feed, I couldn’t help but reflect upon the frequent encounters with information that required a more discerning eye. The phrase “I don’t care” reverberated in my thoughts, reminding me of the necessity for skepticism, especially when dealing with essential and problematic social issues.
In this first blog post from my side, I’m interested in taking a closer look at the language, communication, and rhetoric used by climate activists. I am interested in climate change communication – how the climate crisis is communicated by different actors in society and how it is received. I am especially fascinated by feelings and emotions connected to climate change communication. What kind of emotions does the sender intend to trigger at the receiver end and with hope for what action? Equally interesting is of course to understand how climate change communication is perceived by the receiver and what behavior changes it potentially leads to.
