Next week I’ll be presenting new research, conducted with colleagues from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Molly Simis-Wilkinson and Patty Loew, at the 2017 Conference on Communication and the Environment (COCE) at the University of Leicester in the UK. The full conference schedule is available here.
Research to be presented at the 2017 Conference on Communication and Environment (COCE), July 1, 2017, University of Leicester.
In fall 2016, violent images of the Dakota Access Pipeline protest near the Standing Rock Reservation stunned the world. Facebook users saw security guards sic attack dogs on Native women and children and police fire water cannons at praying protesters in subfreezing temperatures. However, the issue had not gained widespread mainstream media and public attention until the 1,172-mile pipeline was nearly complete, after more than two years of opposition from the tribe. It wasn’t until activists shared violent images on social media that public outrage forced policymakers to act. We argue that activities which heighten public attention to an issue through social media amplification constitute what we call disruptive public participation, which may empower activists and help “outsiders” become “insiders” in decision-making.