Kaksikasvoinen media? : Internetin haasteet ja mahdollisuudet yhteiskunnallisille liikkeille

While most of the literature on Internet and politics tends to assess the former’s positive contribution to political processes, this paper stresses both positive and negative consequences. Special attention paid to the Italian Global Justice Movement (GJM). The Internet is presented as a double-faced Janus, creating opportunities but also posing new challenges in empowering poor actors. This paper is built on both quantitative and qualitative research: a survey of participants in the demonstration on the Bolkestein directive (Rome, October 2005) and a series of qualitative interviews with those in leadership positions of different organizational sectors of the GJM. While quantitative data allows checking relations among variables concerning the political use of the Internet, qualitative data provides more detailed information on Internet use in the everyday life of the organizations.