Understanding Video Activism on Social Media

How social media videos shape today’s political engagement and activism.

What political power do social media videos have? In what ways do they exert influence, shape public discourse, and change political life? How can participants in this field assert themselves against commercial interests, anti-democratic agitation, and authoritarian propaganda? These questions are being debated intensely as social media increasingly dominates global information flows, and videos increasingly dominate social media.

The forms, practices, and opportunities of activism depend on a media environment that is changing rapidly and profoundly in terms of its technological basis, ownership, legal regulations, and governmental control. This makes the act of understanding video activism even more relevant at a time when the internet is undergoing fundamental disruptions.

Jens Eder teaches media studies, aesthetics, and narrative theory at the Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF, Potsdam, Germany. Britta Hartmann teaches film studies and audiovisual media cultures at the University of Bonn, Germany. Chris Tedjasukmana is professor of everyday media and digital cultures at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany.