Whether it’s helping to bring down a manager, marching against their club owners or pushing back against attempts to commercialize football, fans use their passion for sport and culture to make social change. This issue features cutting-edge work that takes fan activism seriously as a political movement. The articles explore the specific contexts and issues around which fan activists coalesce and mobilize, including the role of communities and content worlds, the articulation of fan identities through fan activism (such as slash fan fiction), and the glocal and relational nature of fan movements.
Moreover, we’ve conducted experiments to determine how journalists can best report on protest stories, particularly when they involve members of underrepresented groups. The results show that stories that humanize — rather than criminalize — the person who sparked a protest led to more positive attitudes toward the person and the protest itself. Additionally, when reporters include personal details about the protester – for example, their hobbies and family – they can help to build empathy and improve perceived credibility of the story.
Finally, when covering a protest, try to get quotes from the people involved. We’ve found that this can add more depth to a news short or a longer feature. A general rule of thumb is to quote one or two people in a short report and three or more in a longer piece. Also, try to capture the feel of a protest in words and photos, and if possible, with audio as well.