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Project title

Changing the shape of the environmental movement: Biodiversity Advocacy on Twitter in Ireland

Primary Funding Agency

Irish Research Council

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Dublin City University (DCU)

Lead Applicant

n/a

Project Abstract

New media is broadening the public sphere as it changes the relationship between individuals and democracy and their role in the formation of public policy. Twitter is the most significant social media platform for public political discourse in Ireland. To date, in the international literature the impact of Twitter has been mainly studied as a tool of contentious politics, protest and citizen journalism. In the Irish literature, the focus has been on elections and the use of Twitter by politicians and candidates for political office. Twitter is also used as a communication and networking tool by the most prominent organisations involved in Irish environmental activism and lobbying, and is used by public figures to influence discourse surrounding specific issues. Notwithstanding the extensive use of Twitter in public life, its mainstream use is less than a decade old and drawing conclusions based on limited empirical work is problematic. This study, through an examination of Twitter as a tool of activism in a specialised field of biodiversity in Ireland, will both narrow the focus and bring greater empirical depth to the study of social media use and impacts and will add a new dimension to the understanding of the wider impact of digital media on advocacy. Description of the research to include (a) aims, objectives and The aim of this research is to investigate how Twitter is changing the communication of biodiversity in Ireland and engagement of the public. My research question is: how is Twitter used in Ireland for biodiversity advocacy and is it or can it be effective in achieving policy objectives? The research considers whether Twitter use differs from other communications strategies and how Twitter use may contribute to influencing policy decisions regarding biodiversity. The project seeks to quantify the use of Twitter for these campaigns, to place them into the context of Irish political discourse and lobbying, and to provide a framework to measure their impact on policymaking. This framework will account for the reach of advocacy campaigns and provide a basis for comparison with pre-digital campaigning.

Grant Approved

�48,001.00

Research Hub

n/a

Research Theme

Climate Solutions, Transition Management and Opportunities

Start Date

01/09/2019

Initial Projected Completion Date

01/09/2021