The media, an essential vehicle for social protest

Résumé du document

Malcolm X, one of the main American black advocates for the rights of the Blacks in the United States, by articulating concepts of race pride and black nationalism in the early 1960s, claimed that "the media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power because they control the minds of the masses."

In 2011, the "Arab Spring" highlighted the key role that the media played in the dissemination of new popular ideals and aspirations. Protests were tremendously echoed through the different media (newspapers, television, radios, social medias and so on) all around the world which contributed to making people aware of what was occurring with the political regimes in those countries. Hence it has to be mentioned that there is an obvious connection between national protests and technology. In this case and in many others, social media are the privileged supports of the twenty-first century. By conveying new trends and ways of thinking, they play a part in promoting political and cultural change. Hence they are considered as tools for standardizing some ideas and contrasting others.

The term "media" comes from the Latin word medium (that means middle) and points out to a tool and an intermediary that makes a connection with two distinct dimensions. This term reminds us of a Roman deity Mercury, the messenger of Gods who used to wear winged sandals.

Extraits

[...] However, they were the children of a conservative society, lasting legacy of the Church of England. The BBC only allowed music it judged appropriate and safe. Even if young people could acquire American vinyl records, the new English bands that were learning music needed an outlet for their creativity. Such a restricted climate was inconvenient for the development of rock music, and the teenagers were obliged to listen to overseas radios to satisfy their musical appetite; it was in this context that Radio Caroline was born. [...]

[...] This prospect enables the social media to be a new public sphere and even a new counter power. The emergence of a new public sphere enabled by the social media Firstly, it is worth emphasizing this point by studying the web.2 Habermas' public sphere theory. According to him, a public sphere is “where citizens can exchange views on matters of importance to the common good, with the view that something approaching public opinion can be formed with regard to issues, problems or current political matters of the day.” As well as the example of coffee houses or the 19th newspapers given by Habermas, the social media seem to embody the main character of a public sphere which is discussion and participation. [...]

[...] It was mostly offshore commercial radios which were fighting the state broadcasting monopoly. Pirate radios took place on ships anchored off the coasts of Europe, where “pirates” were acting on international waters such as North Sea, in order to escape the rigidity of the law. The popularity of the stations increased as they multiplied in number and became more competitive than the existing radio stations. Faced with the incredible rise of the pirate radios, the European governments created laws against the pirate broadcasters and started to pursue every accomplice to these vagabond stations such as the pirate DJ's, engineers and crewmen. [...]

[...] They have tended to shape and nurture the minds and spirits of people and engage a critical thinking as regards to governments. By fostering attitudes that do not tolerate outrageous discipline and authority, they have contributed to a better awareness of individual rights and helped to overcome prejudices, develop open-mindedness and create committed citizens. As we can see from watching The Boat that Rocked, pirate radios used to challenge the British government, promote social liberalization and organize the relaxation of moral standards. [...]

[...] However it was particularly clear in England which has had an established church, a British monarchy and aristocracy and an unelected upper house at Parliament made up by hereditary nobles so with little legitimacy towards which deference was shown by the vast majority of the population. Anti-establishment views that have weakened traditional institutions could be seen not only in arts and countercultural expressions but also through new forms of social trends such as fashion. In this respect, fashion played a significant role in the societal transition. Flower power trends and colored jeans replaced collar shirts and formal slacks. [...]