Too Large to Ignore: How to Make the Largest Protest in U.S. History

Credit to Jahsie Rebecca 

The contrast couldn’t be bigger: the poor attendance at Trump’s inauguration, followed the next day by the largest protest in U.S. history. Around half a million people participated in the Women’s March in Washington D.C. on January 21^st 2017, and millions more elsewhere in the country and abroad. In a time-span of only two months, a small idea on Facebook swelled into a worldwide protest. This event shows us both the power of social media to mobilise citizens, and teaches us important lessons about using strategic communication tools for social movements.

Historically women’s movements have been marginalised by the media. But much has changed since the movements in the sixties. The 21^st century’s communication tools allowed the Women’s March to make the media work for them, rather than against them. The Women’s March teaches us the power of frames, visuals and the average human being.

The power of frames

With certain frames the organisation of the Women’s March successfully influenced journalists’ coverage of the event. Research by Nicolini & Hansen shows that it matters which frame targets which media outlets. It is easier to spread your message through news outlets that share the ideology of the protest, but to succeed in a polarised landscape it’s also necessary to positively influence oppositional media. In the case of the Women’s March, two of their frames proved effective. 

Negative attention was minimalised by using the activation frame; specifically the message of creating change from grassroots up. Progressive media outlets supported the frame, activating citizens to join. For the conservative media outlet FOX News it was difficult to challenge this powerful frame, and therefore they decided not to cover it. Therefore, the activation frame does its job to activate, without creating negative coverage.

To generate media attention, the solidarity frame proved most effective. This frame, specifically the message that the number of protesters was “too large to count” was covered heavily by the media; even by FOX News. Headlines such as ‘Donald Trump protests attract millions across US and world’ and ‘Hundredsof thousands of women protest against Trump’ were omnipresent. Magnitude is one of the news values journalists are looking for, and therefore emphasising it is crucial in gaining coverage for your protest.

Credit to Johanna Siegmann 

The power of visuals

Besides the creation of frames, the Women’s March strategically harnessed the power of visuals. The visuals were cleverly used to establish the frame that the numbers were too large to ignore, and thereby thwarting counter-frames. Also, images allowed supporters to identify with the diverse group of protesters. Any gender, any ethnicity, any sexual orientation, all could be encouraged to the streets.

The power of the average human being

In the Women’s March the combined voices of average human beings proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Celebrity endorsements are often utilised in movements, however the Women’s March teaches us that they also attract oppositional media that portray them as inauthentic attention-seekers. On the contrary, the honest voice of the average human being is difficult, if not impossible, to challenge. The power of average citizens in solidarity reaching for a common goal is what protests should be about. And what strategic communication should strive for.   

About the author: 

Nikki Gommers is a political communication student at the University of Amsterdam. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Political Science at Leiden University and has worked for several campaigns of the PvdA (Dutch Labour Party), as well as this she is a keen advocate for a less-divided society.