| This exploratory study utilizes a qualitative approach to explicate the uses of communicative media by political and social advocates on death penalty, universal health care coverage, and environmental protection issues. I first outline types of media advocates use, including face-to-face communication, telephone communication, group communication, event communication, paper communication forms, mass media outlets, and computer communication. Second, I identify the functions of these uses, including increasing attendance at events, arranging logistical detail, building community, lobbying, educating, recruiting new members, legitimizing advocate issues and activities, facilitating mass media coverage, and raising funds. Finally, I explicate factors that influence the use of media forms by social and political movement advocates. The characteristics of media, internal group factors, and external factors influence advocate media use. The resulting theory of advocate media uses increases our knowledge about media uses of social advocates and provides an opportunity to extend application of previous communication theory in a new context. Political and social advocates use media communication to perform a variety of functions advocates feel contribute to quality communicative experiences. |
