"New" vs "old" media a case study of political protest groups' media use in a Norwegian municipality

Abstract

This paper applies genre theory to examine political protesters’ communication practices in a Norwegian municipality. The genres used in traditional, paper-based media are compared with the genres used in social media, in order to examine how these different media are being used to further the activist cause. The findings show that, while the same genres are being used in both media, their use and outcomes differ. These findings are discussed against the notion of the protest-based public sphere. Finally, suggestions for local voluntary organisations’ media strategies are presented in the conclusion.