The sphere of political activism continues to evolve as emerging media systems take their place in the field. Today, online activists are looking to establish the balance between “disciplined and professional” and “relaxed and experimental”, as explains David Babbs founder of 38 degrees. As the field of political activism has been revolutionized by ever-changing media, political activists are doing more than just adapting to these changes. Today’s activists are working to “increasingly hybridize older and newer media logics in their attempts to shape news and policy agendas” (Chadwick, 2017).
38 degrees is a British not-for-profit-political-activism organization that aims to incorporate newer and older media practices in this revolutionary stage of political activism. Johnny Chatterton, one of the founding campaigners of the organization, explains that while his experience of being a “young, technologically literate online activist” played an important role in shaping his attitudes in the field, it was not just the “power of Facebook for quickly raising awareness of international human rights abuses that fascinated him”, but also how the internet and broadcast media could work together (Chadwick, 2017). Chatterton came into contact with 38 degrees when “established NGOs joined forces with Facebook group activists” (Chadwick, 2017). Here, we can begin to see where the lines between newer and older media practices are blurring. “Internet-enabled experimentalism combined with efficient and strategic organizational leadership” is what propels 38 degrees (Chadwick, 2017). The messages sent out by 38 degrees are intended to “migrate across media settings”, from their website to their emails to Twitter and Facebook to newspapers and billboards (Chadwick, 2017). The ultimate goal of these messages, while it is to reach wide audiences, is also to reach government legislators. This process is based on the “hybrid integration of online and offline media practices”, and it is through this process that 38 degrees and many other similar organizations hope to incite change.
The hybridization of older and newer media logics can have immense impacts on the political climates of nations. The adoption of this process, whether by organizations such as 38 degrees or by politicians themselves, has led both groups and individuals to success. Political scientist Andrew Chadwick argues that Donald Trump’s political success is largely due to the hybrid media campaign he ran in 2016 (Chadwick, 2017). More specifically, Trump was “driving news coverage through conventional (public relations) tactics and through newer/less conventional methods (Twitter)” (Lawrence and Boydstun, 2017). This strategy does not differ greatly from that of 38 degrees. We can see here how two separate groups, based in different parts of the world, but with the same goal to influence their nation’s political climate are employing incredibly similar methods.
There is another aspect in which 38 degrees tactics overlap with Trump’s and that is the “absence of organizational mechanisms” (Chadwick, 2017). While 38 degrees has made this decision deliberately and in a manner that wouldn’t hinder the efficiency of the organization, Trump has adopted this practice in a slightly different way. Many researchers believe that “Trump’s messages were widely disseminated despite his campaign’s lack of expertise and organizational strength”, but others believe that Trump “played the media expertly, with a combination of staged and unscheduled appearances and a vigorous social media presence” (Lawrence and Boydstun, 2017). The absence of clear organizational and leadership strategies would normally result in the operation “falling to bits” as David Babbs would say. But in Trump’s case, it seemed to have the opposite result. While the campaign appeared to be more chaotic than any campaign preceding it, it was ultimately successful. However, Trump’s target audience was not identical to the target audience of 38 degrees and it is perhaps for this reason that Trump’s campaign’s lack of structure and organization was not detrimental. While Trump was attempting to appeal to the American public, 38 degrees is looking for the approval of more than just their nations’ public, they are seeking to appeal to their government’s legislators. Trump, as president of a nation, is now in a different position from organizations such as 38 degrees because while they remain on the boundaries of government, he is positioned at the center of it. 38 degrees has also clearly defined the reasoning behind each of their strategies in comparison to Trump’s campaign where the strategy has not been directly explained. The lax nature of the organizational structure 38 degrees has instituted is intended to leave room for members and anyone involved in the organization to contribute. It is a deliberate attempt to “encourage a sense of shared identity” (Chadwick, 2017). It is this tension between ‘disciplined’ and ‘relaxed’ to which Babbs speaks that contributes to the success of 38 degrees. This tension is then mirrored in the organization’s hybridization of older and newer media practices.
Chadwick, Andrew. The Hybrid Media System: Politics and Power. Oxford University Press., 2017.
Lawrence, Regina G., and Amber E. Boydstun. “What We Should Really Be Asking About Media Attention to Trump.” Political Communication, vol. 34, no. 1, 2016.