Media Arts as Political Advocacy in Hong Kong’s Social Movements
chapter
posted on 2024-05-22, 14:11authored byLee Cheng
The Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill (Anti-ELAB) movement in Hong Kong has involved the use of media arts as propaganda by both the pro-establishment and pro-democracy parties. The role of media arts, together with that of social media and instant messaging platforms, has expanded to include political advocacy within an international society and the co-creation of symbolic artifacts by netizens who are activists in the online community. In addition, media arts have played a role in disinformation campaigns and the dissemination of “fake news.” Taking this landmark social movement as an example, this chapter explores the use of media arts as a tool for both political advocacy and propaganda, discusses their dialogue with fundamental human rights and universal values, and suggests formal and informal education pathways for media arts as political advocacy.