Social networking (SN) and Web 2.0 applications, commonly known as “social media”, are an inherent part of most activist campaigns today due to the fact they are, as Clay Shirky (2009) states: “global, social, ubiquitous and cheap”. Social media platforms allow activists to not only create, but also tap into networks of people to promote an issue or cause, and are an excellent way to create action and send issues global. The premise of this paper is that much more effective campaigns are organized now that activists and organizers are more adept at employing the characteristics inherent in these social media platforms, such as tags and their ability to spread a message virally and more importantly, send the message global. To illustrate this, this paper will concentrate on social media platforms that have come to the fore in the last five years: Facebook, Twitter and Weblogs (blogs) and will also outline events from inside authoritarian regimes, where these tools have been used successfully to either highlight issues or instigate real change. The concept of ‘citizen journalist’ is discussed in depth in the paper and emphasizes the link between traditional mass media, and online social media and the changes brought about by local people being able to report on local events using social media. As a counterpoint to the positive aspects of online activism, this paper will also highlight and respond to some of the negative perceptions.
