Work

Countering Nationalist Politics Through Distant Witnessing: An Affective-Discursive Approach

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Advancing an affective-discursive approach, this article examines how distant witnessing bolsters digital activist organizing that challenges a Southern authoritarian regime’s nationalist politics on international social media. The research foregrounds an initiative coordinated by a group of overseas dissidents who sought to expose China’s foreign policy regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine on X (Twitter). Amid ongoing battlefield stalemates that have prolonged the war, this initiative has evolved into a broader form of resistance, staging distant witnessing through X postings to circumvent the party-state’s internet censorship. As this process unfolds, activists capitalize on social media affordances to curate witness testimonies that counter China’s distorted geopolitical narratives and beyond. Resorting to both pre-discursive and discursive gestures, this repertoire contributes to the formation of affective publics, thereby stimulating public contention over the party-state’s authoritarian rule from afar. The findings highlight how such digital platforms as X enable an informal model of organization, allowing Southern activists to act as mediators who coordinate distant witnessing in a transnational context.

Source: Social Media + Society

DOI: 10.1177/20563051251337221

Authors: Altman Yuzhu Peng, Yu Sun, Chunyan Wu

Institutions: University of Warwick, University of Glasgow, Northeastern University London

Language: English

Topic: Social Media and Politics

Subfield: Communication

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,000