Cyber-activism: Non-profit Blogging scene
(picture taken from http://www.cynical-c.com/archives/bloggraphics/r3409015972.jpg )
'....resources in media relations. Seventy-four activist Websites were analyzed.About one-third (32.4%) included organized online press rooms. The most commonmedia relations materials were organizational history (70.3%), organizational missionstatement (54.1%), organizational publications (47.3%), press releases (33.8%),and policy papers (31.1%)...'
(Kim, J.K. & Reber, B.H 2006 How Activist Groups Use Websitesin Media Relations: Evaluating Online Press Rooms, JOURNAL OF PUBLIC RELATIONS RESEARCH, 18(4), 313–333)
Blogging technology is so widely available now that non-profit organisations, such as Greenpeace on the previous post, have taken up this cost-effective and interactive tool of communication into the next level, a pro-active approach.
Charities and non-profit organisations like: World Vision (http://wvus.blogspot.com/?cmp=ILC-blog), Oxfam (http://www.oxfam.org.uk/generationwhy/blog/) among many others have all got themselves 'plugged in' the world of BLOGGING.
The term 'cyberactivism' sounds scary and new to some but it's just a new term for an old, existing concept. Cyberspace and ICTs allow 'offline' activists individuals, groups and organisations to ulitise the new way of communication and technology to enhance their course of action.
New communication technology allows and provides interactivity, involvement and information accountability and transparency in reporting their achivements and budget/funding via RSS Feeds and Poscasts and other technologies. Also the 2-way communication ideology is said to be in practice here where there's a great opportunities for feedback and almost instant. Activists and their publics now can listen to each other needs and views, facilitate interaction point of engagement and thus produce necessary results.
For me, ICTs provide extra flatform where the same principles of PR ( interm of activism) applied in a different context. And usually programs on cyberspace INTEGRATED with already exisiting ones, adding the extra weight....Cyberspace elimiates the boudaries obstacles, brings people together, in this case to fight for their shared beliefs and values. The net is now the way to go esp for activists. Direct connection, communication and interaction with opponents, alliances, and supporters can be done easily, fast, and if managed properly can be cost-effective and achieve great results. Some argued that cyberactivisim balances the power of the 'marginalised' and provide spaces for democracy. Large corporations, esp multinational ones like McDonald, Starbucks, Microsoft, Apple, GE and many others are target of social movement organisations. Increasingly they are facing the pressures of being even more transparency and pressure of CSR. The rise of cyberactivism will create either threats to their existence and legitimacy or opportunities to be even more successful. The potential is there. Just another 'battlefield'.
Greenpeace has got 'Cyber Center' and involved in blogging scene, forum, My Space, and consider investing resources on this technology (See Annual Reports 2006).
And for the formal part, definition of cyberactivism is:
'Cyberactivism is a means by which advanced information and communication technologies, e.g. e-mail, list-serv, and the www of the Internet, are used by individuals and groups to communicate with large audiences, galvanizing individuals around a specific issue or set of issues in an attempt to build solidarity towards meaningful collective actions.' from
http://netpublics.annenberg.edu/taxonomy/term/19/9
(Kim, J.K. & Reber, B.H 2006 How Activist Groups Use Websitesin Media Relations: Evaluating Online Press Rooms, JOURNAL OF PUBLIC RELATIONS RESEARCH, 18(4), 313–333)
Blogging technology is so widely available now that non-profit organisations, such as Greenpeace on the previous post, have taken up this cost-effective and interactive tool of communication into the next level, a pro-active approach.
Charities and non-profit organisations like: World Vision (http://wvus.blogspot.com/?cmp=ILC-blog), Oxfam (http://www.oxfam.org.uk/generationwhy/blog/) among many others have all got themselves 'plugged in' the world of BLOGGING.
The term 'cyberactivism' sounds scary and new to some but it's just a new term for an old, existing concept. Cyberspace and ICTs allow 'offline' activists individuals, groups and organisations to ulitise the new way of communication and technology to enhance their course of action.
New communication technology allows and provides interactivity, involvement and information accountability and transparency in reporting their achivements and budget/funding via RSS Feeds and Poscasts and other technologies. Also the 2-way communication ideology is said to be in practice here where there's a great opportunities for feedback and almost instant. Activists and their publics now can listen to each other needs and views, facilitate interaction point of engagement and thus produce necessary results.
For me, ICTs provide extra flatform where the same principles of PR ( interm of activism) applied in a different context. And usually programs on cyberspace INTEGRATED with already exisiting ones, adding the extra weight....Cyberspace elimiates the boudaries obstacles, brings people together, in this case to fight for their shared beliefs and values. The net is now the way to go esp for activists. Direct connection, communication and interaction with opponents, alliances, and supporters can be done easily, fast, and if managed properly can be cost-effective and achieve great results. Some argued that cyberactivisim balances the power of the 'marginalised' and provide spaces for democracy. Large corporations, esp multinational ones like McDonald, Starbucks, Microsoft, Apple, GE and many others are target of social movement organisations. Increasingly they are facing the pressures of being even more transparency and pressure of CSR. The rise of cyberactivism will create either threats to their existence and legitimacy or opportunities to be even more successful. The potential is there. Just another 'battlefield'.
Greenpeace has got 'Cyber Center' and involved in blogging scene, forum, My Space, and consider investing resources on this technology (See Annual Reports 2006).
And for the formal part, definition of cyberactivism is:
'Cyberactivism is a means by which advanced information and communication technologies, e.g. e-mail, list-serv, and the www of the Internet, are used by individuals and groups to communicate with large audiences, galvanizing individuals around a specific issue or set of issues in an attempt to build solidarity towards meaningful collective actions.' from
http://netpublics.annenberg.edu/taxonomy/term/19/9
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