Gamson Wolfsfeld 1993

Abstract and Introduction

Abstract:

• Offers organizing principles and hypothesis regarding the ways that social movements and new media affect outcomes for both parties

Structural analysis:

• Attention on power and dependency, consequences of asymmetries

Cultural analysis:

• More subtle or nuanced contest over meaning

Hypothesis on how social movement characteristics affect media coverage:

1. Movement standing
2. Preferred framing
3. Sympathy

Main point:

• Argue for the importance of organization, professionalism, strategic planning and for the benefit of division of power
• Theorize on media characteristics and movements focus on leadership, action strategy, and framing strategy
• Also argue for audience size

1. Emphasis on visual
2. Emphasis on entertainment values as influencing movements

Power and Dependency

definitions: - Media-

1. movement is a transactional relationship that is symbiotic and dependent on the other

- Social movement is defined as:

1. Sustained and self conscious challenge to authorities or cultural codes by various actors like organizations or networks

- Some of these actors employ extra institutional means of influence

1. The media-movement relationship is not necessarily equal
2. Movements are generally more dependent on media than the reverse
3. Asymmetry implies greater power of media system here

What is the “competitive symbiosis” between the two?

Movements need news media for three reasons: - Mobilization

1. Most movements need to reach populace in part through public discourse

Through publications or meetings

1. Media discourse is indispensable because they reach people that are often missed by movement oriented outlets

- Validation

1. Media spotlight validates the fact that the movement is an important player
2. Receiving standing in the media is often a necessary condition before targets of influence grant movements recognition

- Scope enlargement

1. Scope of the conflict frequently changes over time
2. Introduction and subtraction of players changes power relations between contestants
3. Where the scope is narrow, weaker party has much to gain and not a lot to lose by broadening it

Making a conflict public provides:

1. Opportunity of movement to increase relative power over antagonist

- Mass media coverage is a vehicle for this

1. Not just attention, but rather the content of the media coverage that affects whether and in what ways other parties get to intervene or interact
2. Movements depend on media to generate public sympathy

What do social movements provide for media:

1. Drama
2. Conflict
3. Action

Movements need media more than media needs them: - Translates into greater power for media

Power dependency theory distinguishes two components of power: 1. Value: - How much the other party needs one’s own services

2. need:

- Refers to how much one needs the other party’s services

- Relative power of actors is determined by the ratio of their value to their need

Actors and movements:

1. Social movements - Ratio generally favorable 2. Movement actors: - Do not receive automatic standing in the media - Have to struggle to establish it at a cost for the message they need to convey - Dependency forces a price that affects the transaction 3. Institutional actors: - Given standing immediately - Access to institutional channels of influence - Do not have mobilization and validation needs

Framing

Events do not speak for themselves, they have to be woven into a greater context

The movement media transaction is characterized by a struggle over framing: 1. A frame is a central organizing idea, suggesting what is at issue 2. Expressed over time as a storyline

Examples of movements contesting the dominant media framing of issues with some success: 1, The movement opposing the U.S. war against Nicaragua faced a prominent, officially supported media that depicted the war as a struggle against communist expansion

a. Local groups were able to counter this frame by making the issue of whether the United States should continue a war whose human costs were so high that it violated basic American values

2. Media plays a double role here a. Journalists play a central role in the construction of meaning b. Media output is in an arena in which symbolic tests are carried out c. Journalists are gatekeepers here, deciding what gets included d. But Journalism doesn’t control who gets access

Media norms and practices and the broader political culture in which they operate have major effects on this framing transaction

1. Certain actors are given standing over others, but certain ideas and language are given a more generous welcome
2. Not simply that ideas are unpopular, but that they are invisible

Media discourse:

1. Struggles over meaning and interpretation are central
2. Major achievement of some movements that they succeed in moving issues from the uncontested to the contested realm- even if it’s a level playing field

Movement disadvantages in the struggle over meaning reflect cultural obstacles as well as handicaps in access and resources

1. Movement media communication is like a conversation between a monolingual and bilingual speaker
2. Movements that accept the dominant cultural codes and do not challenge what is normally taken for granted will have less of a problem, but for many movements, this would involve surrendering fundamental aspects of their thesis

Estrangement between movements and media:

1. Movement activists tend to view mainstream media not as autonomous and neutral actors but as agents and handmaidens of dominant groups they are challenging
2. Media carry the cultural codes being challenged by reproducing them

This dual media role is the central issue of transaction