ABSTRACT
Research by media studies scholars that has examined the various means by which social movements, pressure groups, and other non-official sources have engaged with the media, has often been based on the assumption that because those sources are in a subordinate position to the media they are therefore more dependent on the media than vice versa. Gamson and Wolfsfeld (1993: 116) for instance, write that, ‘movements are generally much more dependent on media than the reverse’. In part, this is simply because the imbalance in power between the two forces means that the media have the power to either confer or to deny legitimacy and support upon social movements, their causes, and their activities. But the dependency of social movements on the media goes beyond the matter of the imbalance of power. Dependency hinges on the potential utility of media coverage for social movements. It is this dependency that has often been said to result in pressure groups and social movements becoming fixated with the pursuit of media coverage to the point where it may influence their priorities and activities (as Blumler 1989 argues), and perhaps even their social composition and sense of identity (as Gitlin 1980 argues). Yet I would argue that even though the locally based anti-war groups were clearly in a subordinate position to the local press, this did not mean that they were completely dependent on that section of the media. There were several reasons for this. First of all, many of those in the movement were at least a little bit wary of the mainstream media, with the result that they were mindful of not getting too close to the press and broadcast stations. Second, the anti-war movement also utilised a combination of ‘new’ media, ‘alternative’ media, and non-mediated channels to meet their communicative needs. Third, the anti-war movement had a number of priorities beyond communication. The final part of this chapter explores the meaning and significance of these insights for the interactions between social movements and the media at the dawn of the twentyfirst century. I shall begin though, by saying a few words about how previous academic writing has focused on this topic.
