Communication Activism Research for Social Justice

Kevin M. Carragee is a professor in the Communication, Journalism and Media Department at Suffolk University, USA. Working with Lawrence Frey, he developed communication activism research as a distinct form of engaged communication scholarship. A Fulbright scholar, he has edited six books and published more than 30 journal articles and book chapters, focusing primarily on how the news media define social movements. As a Co-Director of the Media Research and Action Project, he assisted groups in framing their messages, influencing news coverage, and securing reforms.

"Communication Activism Research for Social Justice [...] provides a superb overview of what communication activism research (CAR) is (chapter 1), where it came from and how it can work (chapter 2), and where it is going in the future (chapters 4 and 5). It would have been wonderful to have a book like this in my early years as a scholar-activist, and I am excited to know that such a book is available for subsequent generations of students. Although solidly grounded in the field of communication, this book has great interdisciplinary appeal, serving as an important tool for students, pedagogues, activists, and researchers who want to continue to learn about and conduct CAR."Billie Murray, International Journal of Communication 19(2025)

• Introduction 1. Communication Activism Research, Social Justice, and Collective Action 2. Influences on Communication Activism Research: Applied Communication Research, Social Movement Scholarship, Feminist Research, and Critical Cultural Studies 3. Challenges in Communication Activism Research 4. Methodological Issues in Communication Activism Research 5. Lessons Learned from Communication Activism Research