Acitivism and Public Writing: The Audience and Motivation

While most writings have an intended audience in mind, they can be written for ourselves as the only audience, when public writing requires more participation and reaction from its audience.  When we bring activism into the picture we are able to see the purpose of public writing bring put into full effect as it brings people together, making a change to a societal issue. Public writing is an outlet that has helped activists express their message in ways other than physical.

The reason why public writing is linked to activism and organizations alike is because in public writing, society is a key focus, so it is speaking to the public, and also because it uses beliefs and current issues as inspiration. As an activist or the audience to public writing, people of society question how much involvement is required and how the issue may speak to them. I think it’s a really interesting question you posed asking, ‘is part of being an activist about being an audience-participant in other causes.” It’s important to have public writing but it is also important to put words into actions, something people can’t always find time to do. But it is important to have at least one cause or issue that you care about and at least keep track of. However, this doesn’t mean you need to be involved in other groups worried about the same issue. I think it’s great when people do this or more so the people who are true activists, because it requires constant support and involvement. Public writing and activism both try to create motivation. People have a hard time motivating themselves to pursue their cause or even other issues, because when we become activist, it is purely hard work to get those in power to notice.

            I myself am passionate about the environment but even though it was my main focus throughout the course, I haven’t done a great deal to consider myself an activist. However, this class has allowed me to contribute in terms of public writing, and through my blog and twitter I can maintain my support to this cause. However, it isn’t always easy for people to keep themselves involved. To maintain a stance is difficult in the hustle and bustle of everyday hassles and sometimes, updating a twitter page now and then doesn’t seem like enough. If you are involved in more widespread issues, it takes a little more time to feel like you’re making a contribution, which can get discouraging. Even as a public wrier, when we write an article, draw a message of an abandoned wall or post a blog concerning the environment, it doesn’t feel like we made a huge impact on the problem so we eventually do less and less.  To find time to support groups and causes is difficult, but if we all do these little things for a widespread issue, eventually they will add up.