Whether they helped bring down Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, rallied against their club’s owner at Chelsea or pushed back against plans to commercialize soccer, fan protest stories remind us that social action by fans is not a fad. In fact, it’s an important part of the fan culture we know and love.
Henry Jenkins defines fan activism as “forms of civic engagement and political participation that emerge from within fan cultures and utilize their infrastructures.” Fan activist organizations like IC and the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) often build on preexisting communities of fandom and use story worlds as catalysts for social action. They also create new kinds of community that go beyond traditional fandom structures to include individuals from outside previous fan communities.
While some fans may not see themselves as activists, others find that fan activism can provide a sense of belonging and purpose in their lives. For example, when CBS canceled Star Trek in 1967, fans organized an extensive letter-writing campaign that kept the show on the air. Fans have a long history of protesting cancellations seen as unjust. When author Arthur Conan Doyle killed off his wildly popular Sherlock Holmes character in 1893, fans rioted in the streets.
Newsrooms can help support fan protests by focusing on the purpose of the demonstration, as well as sharing details that humanize those at the center of the protest. For example, newsrooms can share personal information about a teenager whose death led to a protest such as their hobbies and family life to give readers a more complete picture of the person who is the focus of the protest.