Soundbitten: The Perils of Media-Centered Political Activism

by Sarah Sobieraj

There is an elaborate and often invisible carnival that emerges alongside presidential campaigns as innumerable activist groups attempt to press their issues into mainstream political discourse. Sarah Sobieraj’s fascinating ethnographic portrait of fifty diverse organizations over the course of two campaign cycles reveals that while most activist groups equate political success with media success and channel their energies accordingly, their efforts fail to generate news coverage and come with deleterious consequences. Sobieraj shows that activists’ impact on public political debates is minimal, and carefully unravels the ways in which their all-consuming media work and unrelenting public relations approach undermine their ability to communicate with pedestrians, comes at the expense of other political activities, and perhaps most perniciously, damages the groups themselves.
Weaving together fieldwork, news analysis, and in-depth interviews with activists and journalists, Soundbitten illuminates the relationship between news and activist organizations. This captivating portrait of activism in the United States lays bare the challenges faced by outsiders struggling to be heard in a mass media dominated public sphere that proves exclusionary and shows that media-centrism is not only ineffective, but also damaging to group life. Soundbitten reveals why media-centered activism so often fails, what activist groups lose in the process, and why we should all be concerned.

234 pages, Paperback

First published June 13, 2011

Reviews

[Caio Major · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this was all about how the media and activism will never ever ever get together, because the mainstream media is terrible and is never going to actually give activists a fair voice as legitimate actors, and activists are shooting themselves in the foot and hurting their own organizations by focusing all their efforts on tactics aimed towards getting media attention. So it's a really depressing book, basically. Like, one of her observations is that despite the fact that elaborate mobilizations and demonstrations pretty much never get the kind of media attention that activists want, and thus essentially fail since media attention is what these events are all about, activists generally walk away from such events feeling exhilarated and proud, like they've accomplished something and made a difference despite the evidence that their efforts were in vain. "There were many cases of what we might call efficacy without evidence, participants feeling that their organization could be effective even in cases where the lack of impact was apparent. The peace groups [against the Iraq War] provide a good illustration, with activists reporting a sense of efficacy despite the resilience of the war effort." This hits home in the most painful way, making me think of all of the emotional exhilaration I've felt at every protest I've attended since I was 14. Chalking those feelings up to "efficacy without evidence" is horrible, but pretty damn accurate.

All of the books I've read for my Social Movements class have been depressing, but in a way that's been sort of comforting to me, as it has confirmed my suspicion that all of the burnt-out and miserable feelings activism gave me over the years were more due to problems in the overall system, rather than personal failings on my part. I doubt that my professor would appreciate hearing "Your class has convinced me once-and-for-all that pursuing a selfish, materialist, non-political life is a more reliable path to happiness than involvement in a social movement, so thank you!", but it has been kind of cathartic.

[Kaso09182 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comparative study of different activism groups reveals which methods are effective and which are not.

My takeaway is that media-focused activism may demonstrate support but rarely gets media attention unless it is radical (involves violence, police, or is big). When it does get attention, statements to reporters that are "publicly minded political content in an emotionally rich account of group/community experience" (164) will be most gripping. They don't want the newsroom-fed statements that are usually delivered to them; they are on the "street" and expect something more "authentic."

Another important consideration are the ways in which groups engage passerby. Often, scripted soundbites aren't welcoming or descriptive to curious, uninformed bystanders.

Internal workshops and group bonding are also important. These communal activities are important and are often overlooked because they are not visible or plainly because the group is not giving energy to create them.