The world is a confusing place, to make sense of it we turn to stories which teach us traditions and develop our understanding (Lambert and Hessler 5). The majority of individuals gain knowledge of ‘others’ from the media, which promotes mainstream agendas (Strine 6). Our perspectives and biases are largely dependent on the way stories are presented in the traditional media (Strine 7). As the media is owned by the elite it privileges dominant views, while ignoring minority perspectives. In this way, traditional media reinforces social hierarchies and influences how people view each other, often for the worst (Strine 7).

#BlackLivesMatter utilised social media to share their story:

The development of digital media has made participating in the media more accessible, expanding the diversity of stories that contribute to cultural production (Mark et al. 1058).  The interactivity of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter enabled black voices to push back against the mainstream media, which has failed to communicate the oppression and injustice they face (Clark et al. 287) 

‘What Black Lives Matter means to an 11-year old’, demonstrates how social media allows individuals, who are often excluded from the mainstream narrative, to share their own interpretation of events. Eleven-year-old Jolia Bossette, shares her story as a young black girl, painting a picture of fear that is starkly different from the media’s depiction of black youth (Vox).

Without digital media, it would be difficult to consider stories of minority groups, who are excluded or misrepresented in the mainstream media. Social media serves as a platform for counter stories, enabling us to educate ourselves and correct our perspectives (Clark et al. 289).

The evolution of digital media resulted in the widespread democratisation of content creation. This has resulted in those who were previously regulated to the role of audience, becoming content creators, with the ability to share new stories (Zuckerman). In the case of #BlackLivesMatter participatory media was used to amplify marginalised voices. However participatory media has also resulted in the emergence of conspiracy theories that were disregarded due to their disconnect from reality (Zuckerman).

What is QAnon?

• QAnon is a far-right conspiracy theory that centres around an anonymous figure, ‘Q’, who posts supposedly classified information on 4chan (Lafrance).
• QAnon has a large following of adherents, who are involved in Facebook groups, podcasts and YouTube channels. These adherents band together to decipher Q’s posts (Lafrance).
• QAnon has branded merchandise available for purchase (Lafrance).

Do these characteristics seem familiar? That’s because QAnon is a fandom.
Fandoms are  groups of fans who claim a shared culture and common identity. Members of fandoms engage in collective traditions and practices (Monaghan).  Similarly, adherents of QAnon are like-minded individuals who believe in conspiracy theories, engage in group lingo and discussions (Lafrance). We can perceive QAnon as a sort of fan fiction, where fans take media and rework it into their own original interpretations (Jenkins 22). Q’s information drops act as canon, from which adherents interpret detailed messages (Zuckerman). Just as fanfiction authors can interpret Draco x Harry narratives from Harry Potter Novels, QAnon adherents act as ‘Bakers’ who spin Q’s disjointed ‘crumbs; into coherent messages (Zuckerman).

Conspiracy theory and fandom are intertwined, and as digital media continues to facilitate participatory culture, they will continue to be relevant.

AlexandrUA. Social media background network concept vector image, n.d, VectorStock, https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/social-media-background-network-concept-vector-16150597?fbclid=IwAR0dVA0V9HFsGtYVKbQc51ACEMEpxe5iRFN16-Iw2XkgZ1CBZ7vUTDRFlTs

Clark, Meredith, et al. “Lessons from #McKinney: Social Media and the Interactive Construction of Police Brutality”, The Journal of Social Media in Society, vol. 6, no. 1, 2017, pp. 284-313.

Cliff, David. Activists gathered at Trafalgar Square in the UK on May 31, 2020 to protest the death George Floyd in Minneapolis. 2020. Insider, https://www.insider.com/global-george-floyd-black-lives-matter-protests-photos-2020-5

Jenkins, Henry. “Fandom, Negotiation, and Participatory Culture.” A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies, edited by Paul Booth. Wiley, 2018, pp. 11-26, Wiley Online Library, 10.1002/9781119237211

LaFrance, Adrienne. “The Prophecies of Q.” The Atlantic, June 2020, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/qanon-nothing-can-stop-what-is-coming/610567/

Lambert, Joe and Brooke Hessler. “The Work of Story”. Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating Community, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018, pp. 5-13.

Lashley, Mark, et al. “Voices for a New Vernacular: A Forum on Digital Storytelling”, International Journal of Communication, vol. 11, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1057–1060.

Madi. KEEP CALM AND JOIN A FANDOM, 2013, The Keep Calm-o-matic, https://keepcalms.com/p/keep-calm-and-join-a-fandom/

Monaghan, Whitney. “Participatory Culture: Fan Communities & Fan Viding Part 1: The Theory”, Monash Moodle, Monash University, 24 Aug. 2020, https://monash-panopto.aarnet.edu.au/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?pid=58078e55-e3e7-4da8-9db1-ac0f0043d838

“QAnon: The conspiracy theory spreading fake news - BBC Newsnight.” YouTube, uploaded by BBC Newsnight, Jul. 23 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Gd9MJsnnE

Strine, Samantha. Effects of the Black Lives Matter Movement on Media Portrayals of Accused Criminals. 2020. University at Albany, Masters thesis, Proquest, https://search.proquest.com/docview/2408242578?pq-origsite=primo

“What Black Lives Matter means to an 11-year-old.” YouTube, uploaded by Vox, 31 Aug. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muy5zpqslRc

Zuckerman, Ethan. “QAnon and the Emergence of the Unreal”, Journal of Design and Science, vol. 6, no.1, 2019.

@TopInfoBlogs. “Joe, have you seen this possible decode of Comey's latest 'bizarre' tweet? It's possibly a coded FF message.” Twitter, 29 Apr 2019, 1:59 p.m, https://twitter.com/TopInfoBlogs/status/1122712096066560000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1122712096066560000%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-35256719533564584840.ampproject.net%2F2008290323002%2Fframe.html