Wait Until Web Activists Apply Street-level Organizing PR Techniques

Wait Until Web Activists Apply Street-level Organizing PR Techniques

For a long time, sociologists have looked at how social activist groups stage and frame their messages to rally the troops. So, it would make sense that PR scholars and practitioners would look at the Web sites of social activist groups to see if time-tested organizing techniques are being applied in the Web. Zoch, Collins and Sisco (Public Relations Journal, Vol. 2, No. 4, 2008) combed the Web sites of 304 "activist groups" to see at what stage of PR development the Web activists are. What they found was that the core framing tasks that are the bread and butter of street-level social activists are being missed by the lion's share of the Web activists. Street-level activists are trained to: (1) state the problem being addressed by the group, (2) identify the responsible (polluting, for example) party, (3) indicate what corrective actions need be taken, and (4) calling the individual to action - - what YOU can do about it. They found that only 18% of the Web activist groups were making the best use of their Web campaigns despite the unique communication and relationship-building opportunities created by the Web. Groups and organizations formed to advance a cause should take a more careful look at how they are structuring their public relations message - - particularly if a key purpose of their Web sites is to recruit and motivate new supporters to their cause.

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