Online Engagement Matrix

Discussion

By Asaf Bar-Tura:

"Ethan Zuckerman, director of the Civic Media Lab at MIT, has suggested thinking about online engagement along two axes. (I’ve tweaked his proposal here): The first axis points to “thin” and “thick” forms of participation. Thin participation requires less time and effort, while thick participation requires more. The second axis points to “impact-oriented” and “symbolic” action. While impact-oriented action aims to influence specific levers of power (an elected official, for example), symbolic action aims to influence a broader shift in culture.

This creates for us four categories of potential impact:

Thin and symbolic: Let’s say you ask people to share a video on Facebook, write a blog post on a certain issue, or retweet a campaign message. Critics may call this “slacktivism,” but the reality is that this can and may be an effective component of your campaign strategy. A great example of this is the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable’s recent Hineni video, which has gotten more than 40,000 views.

Thin and impact-oriented: Not all forms of thin engagement are merely symbolic. When an organization asks members to email their senators about a specific piece of legislation, supporters are engaging in a thin and impact-oriented way. It doesn’t require much, but it does make a concrete difference. Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice for example, repeatedly asked supporters to contact their representatives in their advocacy for the rights of domestic workers.

Thick and symbolic: There is an important place for action that does not aim at a specific lever of power, yet asks people for thick engagement. Zuckerman suggests the Occupy movement as an example. There was no specific demand on the table, no clear target at which activists aimed. Rather, the goal was to shift the public conversation about economic justice. As Sherry Turkle might have put it: Occupiers weren’t trying to play the game well; they were trying to change its rules.

Thick and impact-oriented: These kinds of actions ask for the time and effort of members, while directing these actions at specific targets. Such actions might include being part of a campaign steering committee, producing a thoughtful and captivating video about an issue, and so on. The thicker the participation, the more you are asking people for their creativity, ideas, and opinions. This is often a successful avenue for local organizations that can tap into the energy of a committed constituency and help build a community around shared values. Jews United for Justice in DC, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice in New York and Jewish Council on Urban Affairs in Chicago, for example, invite members to serve on specific campaign steering committees." (http://zeek.forward.com/articles/117893/)