Media Coverage of a “Connective” Action: The Interaction Between the 15-M Movement and the Mass Media

This article uses Twitter messages sent in May 2011 to study the ability of the so-called 15-M movement, a “connective” movement, to place their demands on the media agenda and maintain control over their own discourse. The results show that the activists' discourse included many issues, although greatest attention was given to three: electoral and party systems, democracy and governance, and civil liberties. Moreover, the study reveals that the media covered all the movement's issues and that activists maintained their plural discourse throughout the protest. This article contributes to the literature on 'connective' social movements, showing that in certain circumstances these movements have the capacity to determine media coverage.