Journalism professor Todd Gitlin presents Defining Social Movements in the Era of Social Media

The 50th anniversary of the student demonstration at the 1968 Democratic Convention in the United States provided the backdrop for a week-long conversation in Santiago about the evolving nature of global social movements, journalism, and social media. Todd Gitlin, a prominent activist, scholar, and intellectual who was deeply involved in those historic protests as a leader of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), played a central role in the discussions. Gitlin, now Chair of the Ph.D. program in Communications at Columbia University's School of Journalism and author of 16 books on social movements and media, shared his insights across a series of events organized by the Columbia Global Centers | Santiago and Universidad Diego Portales (UDP).

Masterclass at UDP: Journalism, Social Movements, and the Reshaping of the Public Sphere

In a lecture at UDP as part of the ongoing Future of Journalism series, Gitlin highlighted the pressing threats to democracy and journalism posed by authoritarian tendencies and disinformation in the digital age. He emphasized that journalism's origins lie in the pursuit of truth and the public good, a mission increasingly under siege as facts are contested and public discourse becomes fragmented by "fake news" and partisan narratives spread through social media. "Journalism is living a crucial moment," Gitlin observed, underlining the need for journalists to provide meaningful context to facts amid rising polarization.

Gitlin also engaged with top Chilean editors and faculty during his visit to UDP, fostering dialogue on the role of journalism in defending democratic values.

Panel Discussion at CEP: Social Movements: From Molotov Cocktails to Twitter

Gitlin joined a panel at the Centro de Estudios Públicos (CEP) alongside Dr. Sofía Donoso, a sociologist specializing in Chilean social movements. Hosted by CEP Deputy Director Lucas Sierra, the conversation delved into how social media has reshaped modern activism. Drawing on examples like the Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, and the Gezi Park protests, Gitlin described social media as both a catalyst and a vulnerability for social movements.

"Social media can convene a moment but not a movement," he cautioned, explaining that while it accelerates participation, it often lacks the structural organization needed for sustained impact. He likened society’s current adaptation to social media's influence to the early stages of the telephone, with its full implications yet to be understood.

Roundtable with Local Intellectuals

In his final engagement, Gitlin joined a roundtable discussion on the political influence of social movements. Reflecting on the legacy of 1968, he identified it as a turning point that catalyzed a counterrevolution by conservative and business elites, a trajectory he sees embodied in figures like Donald Trump. Gitlin also examined the intellectual shortcomings of the U.S. left and praised women's movements as pivotal in resisting Trump’s agenda, while acknowledging the concurrent strength of movements supporting the president.

See pictures of Gitlin's visit to Chile here.