From Statistics to Stories
Indices and Indicators as Communication Tools for Social Change
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12977620 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lauren Kogen (0000-0002-9657-6957, Temple University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1090-1108 |
| Publication date | 2022-04-14 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The International Journal of Press/Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1940-1612 • E-ISSN: 1040-1620 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/19401612221094246 |
| OpenAlex | W4224052338 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 34 |
The terms ‘indices’ and ‘indicators’ may immediately cause eyelids to droop. How, then, might they serve to impassion publics and, ultimately, promote social change? This paper examines the extent to which indices and indicators can be considered communication tools for social movements and social change. The analysis is based on a 2018 evaluation of one index based in the United States – the Ranking Digital Rights Index, which assesses privacy and freedom of expression in the ICT space – and incorporates interviews with civil society stakeholders. Bringing theory from the fields of journalism and social movements together with the data from the evaluation, the findings suggest indices can serve as useful communication resources for social movements under certain circumstances. In particular, the analysis suggests three communication resources – legitimate information, newsworthy information, and flexible information – that human rights indices are most likely to provide
Freedom of information · Index (typography · Information and Communications Technology · Journalism · Political science · Public relations · Ranking (information retrieval · Social change · Sociology · The Internet · Computer Science · Hate Speech and Cyberbullying Detection · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics
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| Highly cited | No |
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