Communicating feminist politics? The double-edged sword of using social media in a feminist organisation

Item Type Journal Article Author Lee Edwards Author Fiona Philip Author Ysabel Gerrard URL https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2019.1599036 Volume 20 Issue 5 Pages 605-622 Publication Feminist Media Studies ISSN 1468-0777 Date 2020-07-03 Extra Publisher: Routledge _eprint: https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2019.1599036 DOI 10.1080/14680777.2019.1599036 Accessed 2024-12-09 17:26:42 Library Catalog Taylor and Francis+NEJM Abstract Media coverage of violence against women and girls (VAWG) has increased in recent years, due to high-profile investigations such as the 2012 Jimmy Savile case in the UK, and in response to the #MeToo movement in the USA. Feminist organisations are likely to be asked for comment by the media as a result, but journalistic interest in case details rather than systemic causes of VAWG means that political messages focused on ending VAWG remain difficult to communicate. In contrast, social media is frequently celebrated as a channel through which the politics of feminist organisations can be promoted more directly, bypassing mainstream media agendas. In this article, we present the results of participatory research that explored the tensions inherent in social media use by one UK feminist organisation, Rape Crisis England & Wales (RCEW). The findings challenge the utopian view of social media as a panacea for news media shortcomings. Rather than being unequivocally positive, integrating social media into a feminist organisation’s communication work is a double-edged sword, bringing significant challenges that users must negotiate on a daily basis. Short Title Communicating feminist politics?