Radical Outsiders, Moderate Insiders

Abstract

This chapter argues that a key dilemma facing the producers of Make Poverty History’s communications was whether to adopt a more moderate-insider approach that was supportive of the government, made the most of an opening in political opportunities and promoted dialogue or a more radical-outsider approach that was critical of the government and favoured protest. As I touched on in the previous chapter, there was disagreement in the coalition over the stance to take towards the UK government and the G8. The marketeers were more moderate and wanted a consensual and supportive approach to those in power — an insider strategy. The campaigners were more radical and were pushing for a critical approach to power that tended to preclude dialogue with government — an outsider strategy. It could be argued that branding and marketing, with their positive and simpler approaches to communications, lend themselves more easily to being uncritical and supportive of power, while campaigning, with its more antagonistic and problem-focused approach, is by nature radical and critical. These different insider-outsider approaches to the political process had direct impacts on the production of the movement’s central communications. However, it is also important to note that there was a range of opinions on this radical-outsider to moderate-insider spectrum, with some members of campaigning groups showing more moderate viewpoints and vice versa.