Innovation and adaptation in advocacy organizations throughout the digital eras

ABSTRACT

This special issue explores how digitally-native advocacy organizations evolve and whether they influence the organizational norms of other NGOs and advocacy groups. The volume offers three contributions to the literature on digital advocacy groups. Firstly, we argue that different periods of ‘internet time’ influence the tactics, strategies, and structural form of political organizations. Secondly, we examine different ways that organizations empower members and/or the broader public to make decisions using digital technology. Thirdly, we trace the diffusion of digital engagement practices, as well as how legacy advocacy groups have adapted these practices. Finally, we provide an agenda for future research. Specifically, research is needed on changes in digital organizing in Africa, Asia, and Latin Amerca, and center-right and far-right advocacy organizations. Further work is also necessary to identify the conditions that lead to innovation in digital advocacy.

KEYWORDS:

• Activism
• campaigning
• political advocacy
• temporailty
• digital media

Acknowledgments

The editors would like to thank all of the participants who attended “Understanding and Examining the Digital Advocacy Pioneers” workshop at the University of Portsmouth. This includes all the contributors to this special issue as well as Max Halupka, Hahrie Han, Aliaksandr Herasimenka, Amandine Hostein, Ana Ines Langer, Dan Mercea, Susana Sampaio-Dias, Lisa Villioth, and Kathrin Voss. We would also like to thank Lauren Copeland and Ariadne Vromen for the helpful feedback on this introduction, the editorial team at JITP for their work bringing together this special issue, and the Transnational Civil Society project at the University of Portsmouth for providing financial assistance for the workshop. Finally, a big thank you to all the digital activists who have spoken with us about their work, this research would not be possible without their assistance.

Notes

1. The OPEN network consists of 19 organizations in 19 different countries worldwide. Full members are: MoveOn, (United States), GetUp, (Australia), Campact (Germany), 38 Degrees (UK), Leadnow (Canada), Skiftet (Sweden), ActionStation (New Zealand), Uplift (Ireland), #aufstehn (Austria), Zazim (Israel), Akcja Demokracja (Poland). For a list of all the start-up organizations see https://the-open.net/network (last accessed 9 Dec 2019).

2. One question that often came up was whether other political advocacy organizations could apply Bond and Exley’s lessons from the US Presidential primaries to other political contexts where there was not such a clear goal or deadline (i.e.getting your candidate elected President).

3. Schmitz et al. (2020) use this term to describe groups within the OPEN network, such as Avaaz, but also include organizations that are not membership-based within this definition (e.g. Kiva). Macintyre (2020) refers to ‘digital membership organizations’, and Dennis (2019) uses ‘hybrid campaigning organizations’ when referring to organizations that are part of the OPEN network.

4. Although we have tried to include organizations from a diverse range of countries, we should note that this special issue, like many others in political communication, is skewed in its analysis toward organizations in the global north.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Notes on contributors

James Dennis

James Dennis is Senior Lecturer in Political Communication and Journalism at the University of Portsmouth. His research interests lie in political communication, with a particular focus on social media, political participation and citizenship, and digital news. Website: http://www.jameswilldennis.com.

Nina Hall

Nina Hall is an Assistant Professor of International Relations at Johns Hopkins SAIS (Europe). Her research focuses on transnational advocacy in the digital era, and she has previously written on international organizations, climate change, and refugees. Website: http://www.ninahall.net.