Preaching to the Choir: Internet-Mediated Advocacy, Issue Public Mobilization, and Climate Change

Hestres, Luis E. "Preaching to the choir: Internet-mediated advocacy, issue public mobilization, and climate change." New Media & Society (2013).

30 Pages Posted: 6 Mar 2013 Last revised: 27 Apr 2013

See all articles by Luis Hestres

Luis Hestres

University of Texas at San Antonio

Date Written: December 20, 2012

Abstract

Despite the impact that Internet-mediated advocacy organizations have had on American politics over the last decade, we are still learning about how they work. This is even truer for Internet-mediated issue specialists that focus on a single issue such as climate change. Based on interviews with key staff members of two climate change advocacy campaigns, this article examines how these organizations communicate and mobilize citizens around their issue and the underlying assumptions behind their strategies. Interviews revealed a focus on like-minded issue public mobilization and online-to-offline social movement building strategies. The paper also examines how these organizations can influence policy debates by mobilizing issue publics, shifting debates to more favorable public arenas, and reframing them in ways more favorable to their causes. Implications for the future of climate policy and Internet-mediated advocacy research are discussed.

Keywords: Internet-mediated advocacy, climate change, mobilization, social movements, issue publics, online-to-offline, public arenas, framing, 350.org, Keystone XL

Suggested Citation

Hestres, Luis, Preaching to the Choir: Internet-Mediated Advocacy, Issue Public Mobilization, and Climate Change (December 20, 2012). Hestres, Luis E. "Preaching to the choir: Internet-mediated advocacy, issue public mobilization, and climate change." New Media & Society (2013)., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2229420 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2229420

Luis Hestres (Contact Author)

University of Texas at San Antonio ( email )

One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, TX 78249
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.luishestres.com

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