The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School Department of Communication Arts and Sciences WEBLOGS AND ACTIVISM: A SOCIAL MOVEMENT PERSPECTIVE ON THE BLOGOSPHERE A Dissertation in Communication Arts and Sciences by Jessica Sheffield Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2010 ii The dissertation of Jessica Sheffield was reviewed and approved* by the following: J. Michael Hogan Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences Dissertation Advisor Chair of Committee Thomas W. Benson Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences and Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Rhetoric Head of the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences Rosa A. Eberly Associate Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences and English Stuart A. Selber Associate Professor of English and Science, Technology, and Society *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School iii ABSTRACT This study explores the intersections between technology and public discourse, considering the effects of new media technologies on the character of democratic deliberation through an examination of the use of weblogs for social activism. The project consists of case studies of three different perspectives on social movements and weblogs: social movement organization weblogs, individual activist weblogs, and viral weblog movements. I consider whether the blogosphere is becoming a venue for robust democratic deliberation, empowering more citizens to participate in public discussions and providing an important “check” on more traditional media—or, whether it has degraded and diminished our public talk, encouraging still more polarization and division in our already troubled deliberative democracy. At this point, as I will suggest, the evidence remains mixed and it is difficult to offer definitive answers to that and many other questions about blogging‟s implications for democratic deliberation. Nevertheless, there is cause for optimism about blogging‟s potential to be a powerful tool of democratic empowerment, especially for individuals whose voices might not otherwise be heard. The study contributes to scholarly understanding of the changing nature of social movement rhetoric in an age of new media technologies and to larger conversations about the Internet‟s impact on democracy. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................. viii Chapter One: WEBLOGS, SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, AND DEMOCRATIC DELIBERATION ............................................................................................... 1 (Re)Defining Weblogs, Blogging, and the Blogosphere .................................... 2 Weblogs and Democratic Deliberation …........................................................... 10 A Social Movement Perspective on Blogging: Activism In, On, and Through Weblogs .................................................................................................. 17 Preview of Chapters ........................................................................................... 22 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 24 Endnotes ............................................................................................................. 26 Chapter Two: SOCIAL MOVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND WEBLOGS ........... 32 Social Movements Organizations Defined and Redefined ................................ 34 NARAL Pro-Choice America: The Blog for Choice .......................................... 41 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: The PETA Files .......................... 49 Greenpeace: Campaign, Grassroots, and Community ........................................ 58 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 66 Endnotes ............................................................................................................. 69 Chapter Three: ETHOS AND EGO-FUNCTION IN ACTIVIST BLOGGING ............ 74 Weblogs: Vernacular Spaces for Activism and Identification ............................ 75 No Impact Man …............................................................................................... 84 EnviroWoman: Living Plastic Free .................................................................... 96 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 106 Endnotes ............................................................................................................. 110 Chapter Four: VIRAL MOVEMENTS ........................................................................... 117 Viral Movements and Memes ............................................................................. 119 Anonymous vs. Church of Scientology .............................................................. 124 RaceFail „09 ........................................................................................................ 134 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 152 Endnotes ............................................................................................................. 155 v Chapter Five: BLOGGING, DEMOCRACY, AND THE FUTURE OF ONLINE ACTIVISM ......................................................................................................... 162 Countermovement, Co-optation, and Critique: The Tea Party Movement ......... 164 Weblogs and Democratic Deliberation Revisited …........................................... 177 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 186 Endnotes ............................................................................................................. 190 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................... 196 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 4-1. Participants in the RaceFail movement by number of entries posted ............ 149 Table 4-2. Percentages of overall posts made by bloggers who posted multiple entries 149 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1: Weblogs Tracked, March 2003-October 2004 ............................................. 4 Figure 2-1: Screenshot of the Blog for Choice …........................................................... 43 Figure 2-2: Screenshot of The PETA Files …................................................................. 51 Figure 2-3: Screenshot of a single weblog entry on The PETA Files ............................. 53 Figure 2-4: “Veggie Love” graphic from The PETA Files …......................................... 55 Figure 2-5: Screenshot of Greenpeace‟s “Bloggers‟ Center” …..................................... 59 Figure 2-6: Screenshot of the front page of Greenpeace‟s Web site, where weblog excerpts figure prominently …............................................................................ 60 Figure 2-7: Screenshot of Greenpeace‟s Campaign weblog …....................................... 61 Figure 2-8: Screenshot of the signup page for Greenpeace‟s blogging site ................... 63 Figure 2-9: Screenshot of the Greenpeace “Action Center” …....................................... 64 Figure 3-1: Screenshot of No Impact Man ……….…..................................................... 85 Figure 3-2: Photo from Living Plastic Free showing a comparison between the blogger‟s 2006 and 2007 plastic usage …........................................................................... 97 Figure 3-3. Screenshot of Living Plastic Free ................................................................ 98 Figure 4-1: Screenshot of Tom Cruise Scientology video .............................................. 125 Figure 4-2. Screenshot of Anonymous video .................................................................. 126 Figure 4-3. Anonymous protesters wearing Guy Fawkes masks at a protest in London 127 Figure 4-4. “Racefail Bingo Card” by dysprositos ......................................................... 145 Figure 4-5. Graph showing number of posts related to or addressing RaceFail between its beginning and March 31, 2009 ........................................................................... 146 Figure 4-6. Total number of posts in RaceFail movement by date ................................. 146 Figure 5-1. “Liberty Belle” graphic displayed on Redistributing Knowledge ................ 170 viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful to the Center for Democratic Deliberation for awarding me a dissertation fellowship in 2008-9 to support this project. Center Fellows Matt Weiss, Brandy Scalise, and Kevin Browne, along with Directors Dr. J. Michael Hogan and Dr. Cheryl Glenn, provided writing feedback and encouragement in weekly meetings, which I appreciated greatly. The Communication Arts and Sciences graduate community at Penn State is one of the most supportive, collegial communities I have ever known. I am especially grateful for the social and academic support provided during my Ph.D. studies by Hillary Jones, Sara Ann Mehltretter, Mary Haman, Andy High, Alysa Lucas, Michael Tumolo, Jennifer Biedendorf, Nicholas Thomas,