To read this content please select one of the options below:

Considering the political roles of Black talk radio and the Afrosphere in response to the Jena 6: Social media and the blogosphere

Fay Cobb Payton (Department of Business Management, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA)
Lynette Kvasny (College of Information Sciences and Technology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA)

Information Technology & People

ISSN: 0959-3845

Article publication date: 24 February 2012

910

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to present the Black blogosphere's discussion of the Jena 6 case to uncover how ethnic identity is performed discursively to promote social activism.

Design/methodology/approach

Through an analysis of Black blog postings reporting on the Jena 6 case, this case study chronicles the way in which Black audiences responded to this news story. The research chronicles the ways in which Black audiences responded to the Jena 6 news story and how Black blogs expanded participation in the discussion of events related to Black interests.

Findings

The findings point to critiques of dominant cultural meanings about race relations and racial injustice. In addition, the findings suggest that social media has become an additional medium that is effectively used by African Americans' in their historical struggle for civil rights. By chronicling the ways in which Black audiences responded to this news story, the paper demonstrates that Black blogs provide a useful space for discussing perceived racial injustice from a diverse African American cultural perspective. Moreover, Black bloggers are able to raise awareness of racial injustice within both the Black community and the broader US society and mobilize collective action.

Practical implications

New divides may be emerging because of limitations on what you can do on a mobile device. This increase in mobile internet access and the accompanying differences in internet experience heightens the need for studies that examine culturally salient behavioral aspects of use and interpersonal relationships characterized by social support, communication, and resource sharing.

Originality/value

Through an analysis of Black blog postings reporting on the Jena 6 case, this study chronicles the way in which Black audiences responded to this news story. The findings point to critiques of dominant cultural meanings about race relations and racial injustice. In addition, our findings suggest that the momentum of this social movement was based in the political and economic dynamics of a community; however, social media is enabling critical global, yet vigorous conversion of activism

Keywords

Citation

Cobb Payton, F. and Kvasny, L. (2012), "Considering the political roles of Black talk radio and the Afrosphere in response to the Jena 6: Social media and the blogosphere", Information Technology & People, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 81-102. https://doi.org/10.1108/09593841211204353

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Related articles