Two-step flow and protesters: understanding what influenced participation in a George Floyd protests

Abstract

This study examines the individual motivation of fourteen people who participated in a George Floyd protest during summer 2020. Using the two-step flow of communications model – which posits that individuals are not directly influenced by the media but instead by opinion leaders who interpret messaging and re-disseminated it – select participants of color were interviewed about why they protested and the mediating factors that influenced that decision. Most participants were strongly influenced by opinion leaders in their personal networks – including friends, family, activists and organizations that they trusted. Social media and traditional news sources were used as an addendum to these networks, with participants having the most skepticism about the information on traditional media platforms. The implications of this study exemplify how interpersonal communication and relationships are still the driving force behind modern social movements, despite many of them originating on the internet.

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