Challenging the dialogic promise: how Ben & Jerry’s support for Black Lives Matter fosters dissensus on social media

ABSTRACT

Within digital landscapes, public relations research suggests organizations and publics do not always operate in ways that scholars originally predict. Fitting with the theme of this special issue, this article challenges consensus-driven orientations of dialogue, embracing the postmodern concept of dissensus and critically contesting the dialogic promise of digital communication through a case of corporate political advocacy. By applying critical discourse analysis (CDA), this article analyzes Ben & Jerry’s support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the subsequent public response. This article advances dialogic theory by presenting an agonistic orientation toward dialogue.

在数字景观中，公共关系研究表明，组织和公众并不总是以学者最初预测的方式运作。本文以这一特别问题主题为基础，挑战以共识为导向的对话方向，支持了后现代的分歧概念，并通过企业政治倡议案例批判性地质疑数字传播的对话承诺。通过运用关键论述分析（CDA），本文分析了本杰里对黑生命物质运动的支持和随后的公开回应。本文通过对对话提出激进的方向来推进对话理论。

Dentro de los paisajes digitales, la investigación de relaciones públicas señala que las organizaciones y el público no siempre operan de la manera en que los académicos originalmente predicen. Adaptado al tema de este número especial, este artículo desafía las orientaciones del diálogo basadas en el consenso, adoptando el concepto postmoderno de disenso y cuestionando críticamente la promesa dialógica de la comunicación digital a través de la defensa política corporativa. Mediante la aplicación del análisis crítico del discurso (CDA, por sus siglas en inglés), este artículo analiza el apoyo de Ben & Jerry al movimiento de Las Vidas Negras Importan y la posterior respuesta pública. Este artículo avanza la teoría dialógica presentando una orientación agonística hacia el diálogo.

KEYWORDS:

• Agonism
• dialogic theory
• dialogue
• dissensus
• postmodernism

Notes

¹ This article draws on dominant conceptualizations of dialogue that guide public relations research. Much extant literature in public relations relies on a definition of dialogue as collaboration, “a specialized form of communication involving consensus, collaboration, equality, and mutual trust” (Ganesh & Zoller, 2012, p. 70). An understanding of dialogue in regards to “interpersonal, consensual relationship building with an emphasis on mutual care and vulnerability” (Ganesh & Zoller, 2012, p. 70) affects understandings of organizational engagement in social change efforts.

² Black Lives Matter is a movement that was formed in 2012 in response to the deaths of several unarmed Black individuals including Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, the Charleston 9, Sandra Bland, and others (Anderson & Hitlin, 2016a) at the hands of law enforcement or vigilantes (the majority of whom were White). In an interview with PR Week, Black Lives Matter explains that the movement “is a call to action and a response to […] the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates our society” (Bhambhani, 2016, para. 2).

³ #AllLivesMatter is a slogan used to argue Black Lives Matter is exclusionary. Critics argue this universal formulation and “race-blind approach” misses the fact that Black people have been historically excluded (see Yancy & Butler, 2015, para. 20).

⁴ #BlueLivesMatter is a counter-movement initiated by police departments, unions, and advocates in support of law enforcement.