The Slow Media Activism of the Spanish Pensioners’ Movement: Imaginaries, Ecologies, and Practices

Authors

  • Alejandro Barranquero Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M)
  • Ángel Barbas Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)

Keywords:

social movements, pensioners, digital media, media activism, age, slow

Abstract

Elderly activism has received marginal attention in communication and social movement studies. However, the pensioners have been at the forefront of one of the most stable social uprisings in Spain since its outburst in January 2018. From the perspective of media imaginaries, practices, and ecologies, this article analyzes the communicational dimension of the so-called Marea Pensionista movement, addressing different aspects of its hybrid mediated and nonmediated communication forms. Methodology relies on in-depth interviews to the communication leaders of its most representative organizational platforms and on an analysis of contents posted on its social networks. The pensioners’ communication imaginaries show a low degree of systematization, while their media practices fluctuate from the ordinary to the strategic. They combine both classical repertoires and learning from recent techno-political movements. Within a sort of slow media activism, their pragmatic and demystified approach to ICT leads them to conceive communication in the long term, aiming to attract new supporters and reinforce internal emotional ties.

Author Biographies

Alejandro Barranquero, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M)

Assistant professor in the Communication & Media Studies Department at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). His research focuses on the intersection between communication and social change, including inquiries into community and citizen media, journalism and human rights, media literacy, and media, technopolitics and social movements. He currently chairs the boards of IAMCR “Community Communication and Alternative Media Section” and Spanish AE-IC “Communication and Citizenship” Group, and he is the president of the Community, Alternative and Participatory Communication Research Network-RICCAP (www.riccap.org)

Ángel Barbas, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)

Assistant professor in the Education and Social Pedagogy Theory Department at Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED). His research focuses on media literacy, critical pedagogies and social movements' media. He is a member of the Community, Alternative and Participatory Communication Research Network-RICCAP (www.riccap.org)

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Published

2022-03-28

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Section

Articles