Dissent and Political Participation: The Many Faces of Communication Policy Advocacy and Activism

Abstract

This article deals with dissent among political civil society organizations in communication policy. The research question is why these organizations ended up being on different sides of the debate on rules regarding net neutrality in the United States. Rationales, goals, routines, and resources are examined based on Anthony Giddens's theory of structuration. This study focuses on the Federal Communications Commission's Open Internet proceeding, and draws on interviews with 13 organizations and document analyses. A group portrait, a typology, and influencing factors provide information as to why different priorities were attributed to net neutrality and why this concept did not become a unifying theme among civil advocacy and activist organizations.