This document outlines a presentation on new media activism. It will discuss what new media activism is, how it provides new opportunities for gender and online activism, and the differences between online and public activism. It will also cover perspectives on intellectual property, surveillance, and hacktivism in the context of new media activism. The purpose is to continuously research and discuss the increasing influence of the internet on activism.
2. Outline of the presentation
Purpose with our presentaion
What is New Media Activism?
Gender and Online Activism – new
opportunities for women?
Online vs. Public Activism
Intellectual property perspectives
Surveillance – there are two sides
Hacktivism
Summary of our literature review
3. What is the purpose of this?
The
increasing
influence and
impact that
the tool –
internet – has
have to
continously
be
scrutinized,
researched
and
discussed.
Otherwise we
won’t be able
to keep up.
4. New Media Activism - Definition
New media
activism
differs from
traditional
activism
since being
more reliant
on
technological
competence
and mobile
devices and
being more
geographicall
y dispersed.
Media is:
- Medium to communicate
- Interact and execute
- Create meaning
Activism is:
- The intent to change or make
history.
6. Gender and New Media Activism
The percentage of women included as
news subjects only increased from 17
percent to 24 percent between the
years of 1995 and 2010.
Only 4 percent of the news stories
published online challenges gender
stereotypes while 42 percent reinforce
them
7. Online vs. Public Sphere Activism
Can this type of activism lead
to social/political change? Or
is it only public sphere activism
that can create an impact?
8. What really makes a difference?
New opportunities
Risk of ’Slacktivism’
Extract the strengths from both sides
Steps forward
9. Perspectives of Intellectual
Property in Media Activism
Three key issues being examined here;
firstly, the commodification of that
process;
secondly, the issues of propriety and
finally, the diffusion of the private vs.
public delineation raising issues of
privacy.
10. Perspectives of Intellectual
Property in Media Activism
in particular copyright, increasing creeping
commodification of knowledge and the
corporatization of its structure (Scholz, 2008:362).
Assertion of ownership over uploads on blogs and
social networks, often in the form of an implied
license.
E.g., on Facebook, the copyright ownership of that
picture is then transferred onto Facebook until it is
deleted or the account is closed
(http://www.facebook.com/terms.php).
11. Perspectives of Intellectual
Property in Media Activism
2 opposite directions:
- <-emergence of the ‘copyleft’ and the creative commons
on the one hand
- ->Increase copyright assertions –e.g., Digital Rights
Managements; expansion of TRIPS plus regimes (from
WTO to Bilateral agreements)
12. Perspectives of Intellectual
Property in Media Activism
Diffusion of the dichotomy of private vs. public
delineation that raises not only the issues of
increasing commodification but also its
privacy and the controls of personal
autonomy .
Not easy to migrate or leave- entrenched
communities and as captive audience –e.g.,
Facebook
Centralized – means easier to control and
manipulate e.g., from targeted commercials to
state surveillance.
13. Perspectives of Intellectual
Property in Media Activism
Dichotomy of online and offline lives are also
diffused!
Notion of knowledge, its meaning and space
is contextualized and contested in
cyberspace (Lovink, 2007)
Most coherent global legislation is TRIPS but
application is fragmented while regionalism or
bi-lateralism add further layer of obligations
14. Perspectives of Intellectual
Property in Media Activism
Regulatory lacuna and global agreement and/or
understanding of normative practices
Opportunities for Media Activism But also
Challenges
Media Activism –premised on fundamental
rights of expression
15. Surveillance
New tools and technology have opened
the door of opportunity for sharing,
creating, and distributing content.
BUT also - to STEAL content.
Today all the information about the person
is in provider’s hands.
People start to worry about their private life. People’s awareness
causes deviance and social activity. As a result different social
movements appear.
Many organizations and foundations reacted to problems of
communication privacy online. They develop toolsets and
software that help to protect information.
16. Hacktivism – What is that?
Form of
Digital
Activism
Hacking +
activism
Hacking for
a cause
Raise
awareness
• Hacktivism – new term used to describe a type of
computer hacking for political or social change.
• Question: Is hacktivism a truly civil disobedience of the
computer age or just a group of bored computer geniuses
with too much time on their hands?
• Hackers join forces with activists – hacking for a cause.
• Hacktivism could be understood as the writing of code to
promote political ideology:
promoting expressive politics,
free speech, human rights, and
information ethics through
software development.
17. Summary of our presentation
Public sphere activism has a real
competitor
Are those still my pictures? Rights
after uploading property
How to protest online but staying
inside the law – Hacktivism
How to engage people in both
spheres – the future challenge!
Notes de l'éditeur
Media can be defined both as a medium to communication, interact and promulgate as well as to create meaning. Activism on the other hand is the ability to change or make history. It represents the practice of striving for change from reactionary as well as progressive aims and ambitions. Different forms of media activism are e.g. electronic promotion, culture jamming, and hacktivism. New media activism differs from the traditional activism since being more reliant on technological competence and mobile devices and being more geographically dispersed.
Men get more space in the media, and are less often stereotyped in the same way as women are. It is said that instead of giving attention to issues of representation it is argued that more attention should be given to strategies for change. Some approaches normally used are the political approach which highlights conflict and power relations and the countercultural approach which challenges values and norms in a patriarchic society.
The women’s alternative media have been existing since the 1970s and in recent year’s internet has allowed this to develop even further. Unfortunately this media is often read or noticed by an already committed audience but nevertheless, many of these media have given voices to women who would never been heard in the mainstream media.
In short, internet has had a positive effect on the women’s debate and has increased the information spread. However, as pointed out, a lot of the information circulating internet is only read by those already engaged in the matter.
