Narrative Agency in Hashtag Activism: The Case of #BlackLivesMatter

Guobin Yang
2016 Media and Communication  
Hashtag activism happens when large numbers of postings appear on social media under a common hashtagged word, phrase or sentence with a social or political claim. The temporal unfolding of these mutually connected postings in networked spaces gives them a narrative form and agency. Applying Karlyn Campbell's propositions about rhetorical agency to the case of #BlackLivesMatter, this essay shows that narrative agency in hashtag activism derives from its narrative form as well as from its
more » ... s and social context. Narrative agency is communal, invented, skillful, and protean.
doi:10.17645/mac.v4i4.692 fatcat:47ue444wfzgxnbsvcwxp76q6me