Introduction
Who is Bernie Sanders?
Bernie Sanders is a Democratic candidate for the Presidency of the United States in 2016. He is a senator from Vermont and believes that America is ready to start a political revolution-a revolution with a goal to get people interested into politics and fight back to make the United States democratic again, which he has in fact done.
#BernieSanders2016
A social movement is defined as: a group of organized people striving toward a common goal relating to human society or social change. I consider the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders a social movement, because it is organized by everyday people to encourage people to vote for a candidate that has the everyday American's issues on his mind, instead of favoring the 1%.
Sanders and Social Media
Social media has played a crucial role in the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders. Sanders has experienced a media blackout- censorship on behalf of mass media, especially the news. I and many other people believe that Sanders is being blackballed because of his ideas and beliefs, which contradict the values of corporations and such that own these media stations. Sanders isn't the only one to be shunned from these major forms of communication, in fact, the 43 missing students, the revolutions in the Middle East, and other countries where issues are not considered newsworthy. As a result of his blackout, Sanders' campaign has remained strong through new media. On social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, Sanders and his team are able to reach people and send his message without being censored. Another way social media is used to their advantage, is by using it to organize people to come together. Organizers/ activists are able to communicate with others easily to set up meetings, events, and canvassing by sending each other messages and even by reaching out to supporters.
Sanders is a candidate that is greatly endorsed by millennials and he is also greatly endorsed by people of color. The reason minorities and youth are embracing Sanders with open arms is because he is fighting for their issues and is going against the government that is oppressing so many in the United States of America. However, the media believes that Bernie Sanders is only endorsed by white males. People, to prove this association is wrong, have thus relied on social media to share their voice and show how Sanders is endorsed by a diverse group.
