Abstract
Gaining
public
and
political
support
for
the
Keystone
XL
pipeline
project
was
impeded
by
the
use
of
social
media
as
a
mass
mobilization
tool.
Online
discussions
about
the
Keystone
XL
pipeline
were
dominated
by
negative
sentiments
that
resonated
with
public
audiences.
Groups
that
opposed
the
Keystone
XL
pipeline
had
a
consistent
and
regular
social
media
presence
that
used
both
proactive
and
reactive
messaging.
This
research
project
analyzes
the
success
of
the
environmental
movement
on
Twitter
in
terms
of
using
techniques
to
mobilize
supporters
and
exert
mass
message
control.
The
results
show
that
the
success
of
the
environmental
movement
can
be
attributed
to
the
strategic
use
of
coalition
building
and
emotional
messaging
on
Twitter.
Anti-‐pipeline
activists
recruited
like-‐
minded
organizations
to
disseminate
consistent
and
coordinated
messaging.
Such
groups
used
emotional
messaging
that
evoked
fear.
Pro-‐pipeline
activists
attempted
to
use
a
job
creation
messaging
to
relay
the
benefits
of
the
pipeline
to
public
audiences.
However,
the
results
of
this
research
project
show
that
messages
that
appeal
to
logic
are
disseminated
at
a
negligible
rate
compared
to
emotional
messaging.
The
pro-‐pipeline
messaging
did
not
resonate
with
public
audiences
as
it
lacked
an
emotional
appeal
and
an
effectively
managed
dissemination
strategy.
Refereed
Yes
