International Journal of Communication
Publishes a Special Section on
“East Asia in Action”

How does activist media communication change East Asia?

East Asia in Action

It is widely acknowledged that media communication and movement activism shape each other in significant ways. But less is known about how they operate in the context of East Asia, where centralized authority and Confucian ideology prevail. Guest-edited by Chiaoning Su and Tin-Yuet Ting, this Special Section on East Asia in Action brings together five empirical articles (plus an editorial introduction) to examine the latest trends and reflect critically on their impact on civic-political participation and social change in the region.

With an emphasis on the variety and co-existence of diverse media forms, these articles provide new perspectives on the equivocal conceptualizations of activist media communication, and analyzes their potentials in East Asia. This is illustrated in the articles by Tin-Yuet Ting (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) and Satoru Aonuma (International Christian University), that offer a glimpse into the role of media practices in the emergence and proliferation of popular protests in Hong Kong and Japan, where a tradition of political activism and radical protest had been lacking.

The distinctive patterns and premises of activist media communication engendered within the specific contexts of East Asian societies are shown in the articles by Chiaoning Su (Oakland University), Penchan Phoborisut (California State University-Fullerton), and Wei Lit Yew (Yale-NUS College). These scholars offer timely insights into the communication strategies and networks for engaging potential supporters and appealing to citizens in Taiwan, Thailand, and China, respectively.

While existing studies have largely drawn on experiences from western democracies and cultures, this Special Section generates fresh insights on the role and impact of activist media, particularly under authoritarian regimes. Moreover, this collection of work sheds light on some of the new avenues through which citizens and protestors have become adept at developing more innovative and resilience forms of communicative practices for advancing democracy and social justice in East Asia.

We invite you to read this new Special Section that published in the International Journal of Communication on July 22, 2019. Please Ctrl+Click on the titles below for direct hyperlinking to these articles.

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East Asia in Action: Activist Media Communication in New Perspectives – Introduction

Chiaoning Su, Tin-Yuet Ting

Everyday Networked Activism in Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement: Expanding on Contemporary Practice Theory to Understand Activist Digital Media Usages

Tin-Yuet Ting

Contesting Big Brother: Joshua Wong, Protests, and the Student Network of Resistance in Thailand

Penchan Phoborisut

Contentious Performance and/as Public Address: Notes on Social Movement Rhetorics in Post-Fukushima Japan

Satoru Aonuma

An Alternative Chronicle of Natural Disaster: Social Justice Journalism in Taiwan

Chiaoning Su

Matrix of Free Spaces in China: Mobilizing Citizens and the Law Through Digital and Organizational Spaces