Transnational NGO Initiative: Dave Karpf on Analytic Activism - Digital Listening and the New Political Strategy

Dave Karpf, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, School of Media & Public Affairs, George Washington University

Some of the most remarkable impacts of digital media on political activism lie in the new forms of listening that it fosters among pressure groups. Organized advocacy groups are increasingly turning to digital analytics to gauge supporter interest, monitor public sentiment, experiment with new tactics, and craft strategies that resonate in the new media environment. In his new book, Analytic Activism, Dave Karpf discusses the role of analytics in organized political engagement. He explores how this new mode of activism works, how it is produced, what it is useful for, and what its limitations are.

Dave Karpf’s primary research focus is on how the internet is changing civil society organizations and large-scale movements for political change. He is the author of The MoveOn Effect: The Unexpected Transformation of American Political Advocacy (Oxford University Press, 2012) and Analytic Activism: Digital Listening and the New Political Strategy (Oxford University Press, 2016).