Media, Mobilization and the Umbrella Movement

Comprising a series of high-quality contributions which examine various aspects of the media-movement nexus, this book analyses media communications during the 2014 Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong. Covering subjects including the mobilizing and informing power of mass and digital media, young activists’ digital media strategies, and local and international media coverage of the movement, the contributors offer fresh insights into the roles of media and communication in one of the most internationally prominent large-scale occupation campaigns in recent years. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Chinese Journal of Communication.

The Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong caught the world’s attention and imagination at the end of 2014. The 79-day occupation campaign took on some of the characteristics of the recent wave of large-scale protest movements around the world, including the prominent roles played by the media – both conventional and digital – in the mobilization and communication processes of the movement.

This edited volume, Media, Mobilization and the Umbrella Movement, brings together nine contributions which examine various aspects of the media-movement nexus, including the power of televised images to mobilize people, the role of social media in the insurgent public sphere, young activists’ social media strategies, media influence on citizens’ understanding of civil disobedience, the government’s response to digital media tactics, public discourses about the rule of law, and local and foreign media coverage of the movement. We believe that this high-quality collection can not only enhance our understanding of the Umbrella Movement, but also facilitate and trigger more research and dialogue comparing the Umbrella Movement with other similar protest movements around the world. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Chinese Journal of Communication.