Submit to Disrupt Something: Social Movements & Media

2024-07-31

From newspaper reports of uprisings in colonies in the 1800s to the impact of TV on public opinion of the Vietnam War, media and social movements have exerted deep influence on one another, often disrupting the fabric of their societies. The importance of exploring the relationship between social movements and media has only grown in the digital age. In recent years, social media have been a launching pad for large movements calling for action and awareness such as the Arab Spring, the MMIWG2S crisis, Black Lives Matter, the Quebec student protests, and mobilizations against the Palestinian Genocide. Simultaneously, governments, news media, and social media companies have adapted in various ways to address the use of these platforms by social movements.

The interaction between social movements and media in these critical times calls for intense academic research and who better to do this than undergraduates, who have had the rise of these social movements as the backdrop to their growth and are also actively engaged in various movements themselves. It is incredibly important to hear students’ perspectives on these developments in their capacity as researchers and participants in them. We at The Motley seek to avoid repeating the history of research being done ‘on’ but not ‘by’ a group, and encourage students to submit research work they have done on social movements, especially those they have experienced firsthand.

This could include (but is not limited to) research topics such as:

  • Freedom of Expression in the age of digital media
  • Media Coverage of the Palestinian Genocide and pro-Palestine protests
  • Social Movements and media throughout history in comparison to modern day
  • The impact of live-posting, and visual image sharing on Social Movements
  • Policy and legislation analysis related to social movements and media
  • Ethnography and auto-ethnography of social movement participation and organizing

This Special Issue will also have Special Submission Requirements

  • The Motley is accepting submissions from any post-secondary institution in Canada
  • Both Course-Based and Non-Course work from the previous four years is eligible for submission. Non-course work must still be accompanied by faculty endorsement
  • Graduated students are welcome to submit work as long as it was conducted during the time period of their undergraduate degree OR Masters program
  • The Deadline to Submit to “Disrupt Something: Social Movements and Media” will be announced at a later date
  • This is a Special Issue that will be published in addition to our standard publication. Students with non-social movement-related submissions are still welcome to submit for consideration in The Motley’s fourth standard issue