Beyond Message Frameworks

Does communication over the Internet improve an environmental campaign or “merely change how it frames its message?” This is a question discussed by Jenny Pickerill in the book Cyberprotest: Environmental Activism Online (2003). The Internet allows communication at faster rates and is passed over a large worldwide audience, with less governmental control. This instant communication without limits of physical distance can created a dialogue between people on the Internet. A case can be made that the Internet is space for people to answer and react to others involved in an issue, creating discussion and involvement. Does the creation of dialogue constitute go beyond changing how an environmental movement frames its message? Many researchers argue this creation of dialogue aids the democratic process. However, the Internet is still limited and not available to everyone, resulting in larger inequalities.

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