Departmental Papers (ASC)
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
2016
Publication Source
Media and Communication
Volume
4
Issue
4
Start Page
13
Last Page
17
DOI
10.17645/mac.v4i4.692
Abstract
Hashtag activism happens when large numbers of postings appear on social media under a common hashtagged word, phrase or sentence with a social or political claim. The temporal unfolding of these mutually connected postings in networked spaces gives them a narrative form and agency. Applying Karlyn Campbell’s propositions about rhetorical agency to the case of #BlackLivesMatter, this essay shows that narrative agency in hashtag activism derives from its narrative form as well as from its contents and social context. Narrative agency is communal, invented, skillful, and protean.
Copyright/Permission Statement
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY).
Keywords
#BlackLivesMatter, agency, hashtag activism, narrative
Recommended Citation
Yang, G. (2016). Narrative Agency in Hashtag Activism: The Case of #BlackLivesMatter. Media and Communication, 4 (4), 13-17. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v4i4.692
Included in
Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons, Social Media Commons
Date Posted: 24 February 2017
This document has been peer reviewed.