Title: Online social media for radical politics: climate change activism on YouTube

Authors: Tina Askanius, Julie Uldam

Addresses: Department of Communication and Media, Lund University, Box 201, 221 00 Lund, Sweden. ' Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Richmond the American International University in London, Asa Briggs Hall, Ansdell Street,London W8 5BN, UK

Abstract: In December 2009, political attention was turned towards the 15th UN Climate Conference, COP15. For the Global Justice Movement (GJM) this provided an opportunity to promote their agenda. The use of online media conjured up memories of the success of alternative media in mobilising large-scale protests around previous WTO and G8 counter-summits. However, the COP15 saw a turn to the use of what can be termed mainstream – online sites among activists. Drawing on a case study of the activist network NTAC, we explore how YouTube served both the purpose of reaching broader publics and of mobilising for confrontational direct action within activist circles.

Keywords: YouTube; radical democracy; social media; radical politics; climate change activism; political violence; online media; confrontational direct action.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEG.2011.041708

International Journal of Electronic Governance, 2011 Vol.4 No.1/2, pp.69 - 84

Published online: 30 Jul 2011 *

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