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Activist Groups and the Media

For many years, activist groups have been utilizing the power of the media to promote their goals and spread awareness about climate change. In fact, this approach extends back to the initial founders of activist group Greenpeace, particularly Robert Hunter. Hunter believed that electronic media could be used to communicate revolutional ideas. He called this tactic “mindbombs,” which would involve “using simple images, delivered by the media, that would ‘explode in people’s minds’ and create a new understanding of the world” (Weyler 73). His theory was created with the understanding that “the global media absorb information, interpret it, and package it for the public,” prompting him to suggest, “The electronic media provide the delivery system. We provide the mindbombs” (Weyler 76). The concept of the mindbomb is present in various activist group’s websites, where striking and powerful single images are posted to cause an emotional response and a desire to get involved within their audience. As technology has advanced, activist groups can now utilize video, where footage as opposed to single pictures can also create the effect of a mindbomb. The activist groups’ use of their website layout, social media, and video content ultimately suggest that media can be a powerful and effective tool for an activist group’s approach to combatting climate change.

Website Layout and Images

The Alberta Tar Sands Network website immediately presents a slideshow of images related to current environmental events in the media. Many of these photos feature glimpses at the Earth from a bird’s eye view, depicting the damage done to the environment. By using these images, the website immediately strikes the viewer with the problem at hand. Links to their Facebook, Youtube and Twitter pages are also clearly placed on the page. In this way, their website encourages people to access all their media platforms, allowing them to reach a bigger audience through social media. On every page, a sidebar is displayed with two buttons: “Take Action” and “Sign Up.” By using these buttons and making them clearly visible on every page, this activist group is using their media platform – their website – as a means to encourage more involvement from their audience. This structure is similar on a variety of websites from different activist groups. As soon as one visists Greenpeace.org, they are shown a large graphic with text that says “TAKE ACTION” and a sidebar that says “Join The Movement” with a form to create one’s own account with Greenpeace. Video links are visible directly beneath an array of relevant news articles. Each of these components represents a different platform of media being presented within the activist group’s website, in order to inform and motivate their audience. In fact, Greenpeace has an entire page on their site named “Multimedia,” where anyone can browse through a wealth of images, videos and podcasts.

Earth photography prominently featured

Links to social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube)

"Take Action" button

The Alberta Tar Sands Network Website
(albertatarsandsnetwork.ca)
Videos

Video content created by activist groups is accessible throughout their media platforms. Many of these videos include similar features, images, and specific choices of footage that aim to spread Greenpeace’s messages in the most effective way possible. GreenpeaceVideo is Greenpeace’s official YouTube channel, featuring over a variety of promotional and educational videos created by the activist group to highlight issues surrounding the environment and promote ways to conquer climate change. Over 9 years worth of videos are accessible on this YouTube channel, providing an extensive amount of media to explore. There are also several different topics covered in the videos, presented in different video styles; the channel covers arctic glaciers, coal pollution, the Amazon, and other environmental factors that contribute to or are affected by climate change.

Greenpeace’s video Greenpeace – Inspiring Action presents images of the Earth from space, in order to portray the Earth’s beauty. These images heavily contrast the footage that follows; fossil fuels, damaged forests, disturbing visuals of water pollution, etc. This particular video ends with the text “This fragile Earth deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs action.” Text is used sparingly, as activist groups tend to focus on visuals to get their points across. Text is also used to present facts, which often explain the severity of climate change by introducing sometimes shocking – but true – numbers and statistics.

The videos generally end on an inspirational note: they depict the message that despite the damage done by climate change, there is still hope for the Earth. They use this as a method to direct their message back at the audience, giving them a sense of responsibility, as though only through their action can climate change be conquered. For instance, one of Greenpeace’s videos is titled Together We Are Stronger, where they emphasize the need for everyone to contribute to the movement against climate change in order to see positive results. 

Testimonials are also used in order to create personal connections with the audience. For example, Greenpeace has a video called What motivates you to take action? where they interview various individuals working to combat climate change. Having a face directly communicate this to their audience makes the message much more personal and believable, in order to convince skeptics to change their outlooks on climate change and accept it as a true issue that needs to be conquered.​

350.org created a video that depicted their climate change rallies; using positive images of groups of people coming together helps promote ideas of unity and teamwork. In this way, these activist groups can hope that viewers will see the many other people taking action, and will want to join in on it and become a part of the activist group’s movement.

Media Effects

With the growing dependence on the Internet and technology, the use of media for an activist group is an imperative part of growing their community of followers and fellow activists. According to Cobrin Hiar of MediaShift.com, “The Internet and digital media are playing a growing role in efforts of progressive organizations ranging from new climate activists like 350.org to longtime environmental agitators such as Greenpeace.” The reach of social media and the Internet has become key for activist groups to spread their messages and make their voices heard. For example, 350.org teamed up with other existing environmental organizations like Greenpeace, to lead their “Step It Up” campaign on April 14, 2007, where “tens of thousands of Americans held simultaneous rallies in some 1400 places across the country telling Congress to ‘step it up’ and reduce emissions 80% by 2050” (Hiar). Since then, they have used Skype, chat and text messaging to contact UN contacts, as well as activist social networks to mobilize over 5200 actions in 181 countries. Ultimately, through websites, social media, images, videos, and news publications, the media has made a significant impact on how activist groups combat climate change and encourage others to do the same.

Sources:

 

Alberta Tar Sands Network. Alberta Tar Sands Network, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2016. <http://www.albertatarsandsnetwork.ca/>.

 

Boykoff, Maxwell T., and J. Timmons Roberts. "Media Coverage of Climate Change: Current Trends, Strengths, Weaknesses." Human Development Report (2007): n. pag. United Nations Development Programme. Web. 16 Jan. 2016. <http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/boykoff_maxwell_and_roberts_j._timmons.pdf>.

 

Greenpeace. "GreenpeaceVideo." YouTube. Greenpeace, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/user/GreenpeaceVideo/videos>.

 

Hiar, Corbin. “How Climate Activists Are Warming to Social Media.” MediaShift. MediaShift LLC, 8 Oct. 2010. Web. 15 Jan. 2016. <http://mediashift.org/2010/10/how-climate-activists-are-warming-to-social-media281/>

 

Weyler, Rex. Greenpeace: How a Group of Journalists, Ecologists and Visionaries Changed the World. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2004. Print.

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