Paralocal relationships: Re-placing civic engagement for the social media age

Concerns about the decline of traditional forms of civic engagement and local news availability in the United States exist alongside developing forms of activist politics online, with one prominent form of social media-driven activism coming from First Amendment auditors. This study examines the protracted conflict between the governmental authorities of Leon Valley and First Amendment auditors to explore the re-placement of civic engagement for the age of social media, facilitated by the development of what I call paralocal relationships. Paralocal relationships describe a sense of familiarity with and concern toward a place featured in media by viewers who have never been there. First Amendment audits enable paralocal relationships by combining on-the-ground activism with clear and simple calls to action for distant viewers, helping to convert audiences into engaged and invested participants in the political life of featured places and enabling new modes of participatory politics.