Organizing in the Hybrid Media System: Local and International Organizing in the MeToo Movement

Movements today are operating in a hybrid media system, in which activists negotiate the use of traditional and social media. Although most of what we know of the MeToo movement comes from studies of the #MeToo campaign and online organizing, the movement has its foundations in local organizing and in the wake of the viral campaign additional local organizing efforts took place. Using semi-structured interviews with leaders of a local MeToo organizing group and Facebook posts from this local group and a large, international MeToo Facebook group, this study explores the role of local organizing coming out of an international, online movement, including how movement organizers use social media. Findings demonstrate that the local and international groups use social media in distinctive ways that reflect the differences in their goals in relation to the MeToo movement. Local organizers use social media as a communication tool, curating content that is action oriented. Social media also extends community building for local organizations. Although the predominantly, White-led group intended to be intersectional, there was tension between intentions and practice.