Extra-parliamentarian political power and (social) media visibility

ABSTRACT

This article proposes a typology of extra-parliamentarian politics and access to parliament. On the basis of this, it discusses implications for reliance on (social) media visibility and its implications for (dis)empowerment. Theoretically, the article draws on media studies, social movement studies, political science and social theory, particularly conceptions of the public sphere, political participation and visibility. Empirically, it draws on examples of extra-parliamentarian political actors with little or no access to parliament and policy makers and illustrates the ways in which reliance on social media visibility is influenced by an interplay between access to parliament and degree of anti-systemicism.

KEYWORDS:

• Activism
• extra-parliamentarian politics
• media
• social media
• visibility

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. http://www.campaigncc.org/missionstatement.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Julie Uldam

Julie Uldam is Associate Professor at Copenhagen Business School. Her research explores the relationship between digital media and activism, with a focus on power relations. She was founder of the Network on Social Innovation and Civic Engagement and Chair of ECREA’s Communication and Democracy section from 2012-2018.