Faking, optimising and conceding to power: Social movement understandings of social media power

Abstract

This article examines how social movement actors understand the role of social media in their activism. Concerns about commercialisation, individualisation and surveillance have replaced much optimism about the potential of social media for progressive activism. Therefore, we examine social movement actors’ theories and assumptions about social media, focusing on climate activism and criticism of unsustainable corporate practices. Theoretically, we draw on social imaginaries to develop the concept of media practices to consist of three dimensions: doing, knowing and assuming. Empirically, we draw on interviews with media and communication managers from the climate movement, including Greenpeace, Extinction Rebellion and the World Wildlife Foundation. We show that social movement actors’ media practices are characterised by theories of faking power, optimising power and conceding to power, which are underpinned by a social media imaginary of commercial logics.