The tactics of pressure group campaigns Flashcards
Petitions
Collections of signatures indicating support for an agreed statement - used to show the strength of the statement.
Boycotts
Deciding not to buy certain goods or services because of a particular cause.
Leafleting
Distributing materials that support a particular point of view - often asking for support and/or financial help.
Media promotion
Staging events and protests to attract media attention and publicity.
Use of celebrity
By attracting celebrities, support groups are often able to gain media coverage and boost the number of their supporters.
Lobbying
Making your views known to those whose opinions you wish to influence.
Direct action
Can take a violent or non-violent form - it can include strikes, sit-ins, destroying property and rioting
Professional lobbying
These are full time employed people who work for commercial bodies whose job is to approach those they wish to influence and present the case for the group that employs them.
Demonstrations
Can be from small groups to mass marches and rallies.
Use of e-media
It enables the group to contact their supporters quickly, give them the latest information and correct any media stories. It also enables the group to contact the traditional media quickly (newspapers and television).
Possible Changes
Major changes are taking place due to e-media - internet, social networks, messaging services and Twitter. All these allow messages to be passed to supporters and the traditional media far more rapidly. We now live in a 24/7 news culture and this means that there is an appetite for new, events and activities. E-media also means that those in power are more accessible than before. Many politicians have blogs and Twitter accounts and respond to events as they occur. In 2011, the government introduced the idea of online e-petitions whereby if 100,000 citizens signed an online petition, the House of Commons would debate the issue.
