The fabrication of the leader. What media coverage does to an egalitarian organisation?

Abstract

ABSTRACT The influence of the media on the repertoire of protest action has long been studied. In contrast, the sociology of contentious politics and the sociology of the media have paid little attention to the fact that media coverage also changes relations within activist organisations themselves. Based on an ethnography carried out within a French anti-globalization collective, this article shows how media coverage of the organisation contributed to the emergence of a charismatic leader who shared the social properties of journalists. Despite the egalitarian values of the members of the collective, the omnipresence of journalists also promoted the domination of employees over volunteers.