generated diverse but passive support with an unclear end aim . Thus , the unsuitability of the campaign is evident .
EFFECTIVENESS : The Bring Back Our Girls campaign has not achieved its main aim . A few of the girls managed to escape Boko Haram , and they have released others as part of governmental negotiations . However , over 100 girls have still never been found ( Amnesty International , 2021 ). The results of the campaign seem misaligned with its scope . Michelle Obama ’ s tweet on the 7 May 2014 alone was viewed hundreds of millions of times worldwide . Within weeks , over two million people had tweeted using the # BringBackOurGirls hashtag ( Parkinson and Hinshaw , 2021 , pp . 15- 19 ). The use of the hashtag was also correlated with the mainstream media ’ s coverage of the kidnapping . From 5 May to 12 May 2014 , the phrases " Boko Haram " and " Chibok " appeared in 761 news articles , increasing over 300 % from the previous week ( Carter Olson , 2016 , pp . 777-779 ). While its total reach is almost impossible to quantify , the magnitude of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign is apparent . Paradoxically , this is precisely why it did not work . The use of social media internationalised the campaign , but it made it less clear in doing so . Tweets spread misinformation , and the campaign ’ s goals became less cohesive . Activists in the Global North called for Northern intervention , while Nigerian activists campaigned for local resolution ( Maxfield , 2016 , pp . 891-892 ). Furthermore , the international interest made the girls more valuable to Boko Haram as it could use them for exposure and to negotiate , making securing their release significantly more difficult . It has also led to Boko Haram committing more kidnappings to reinforce its position ( Parkinson and Hinshaw , 2021 ). Therefore , not only did the campaign not improve the situation , it actively made it worse .
EFFICIENCY : Altogether , the Bring Back Our Girls campaign was not conducted in the best way to achieve its aims . When the girls were abducted , the hashtag ‘# BringBackOurGirls ’ successfully brought attention to the cause . As previously demonstrated , it was used millions of times with celebrities like Cara Delevingne and Michelle Obama playing prominent roles in its growth ( Shearlaw , 2015 ). Due to the online element of the campaign , supporting it was cost efficient and simple . By retweeting or utilising the hashtag , anyone could support # BringBackOurGirls . However , the kidnappings have continued , and many of the girls from the 2014 kidnapping are still unaccounted for ( International Crisis Group , 2018 ). Thus , it would be difficult to argue that the campaign was successful . One of the issues with the campaign may be that Twitter is not a reliable place to find information . People can change or misinterpret facts which could have led to the campaign having little effect . For a campaign to be successful , framing is critical . Campaigns must outline the issue , suggest a solution , and motivate citizens to respond ( Creamer , et al ., 2017 ). It may be difficult for those three factors to be satisfied in a single tweet . Therefore , instead of using Twitter , the grassroots campaigners could have utilised other mediums and methods . For example , short films or campaign videos could have explored the campaign ’ s ambitions in more depth . Furthermore , they could have established a certain degree of personal responsibility . If viewers could visibly see and comprehend the stories of the victims ’ parents or listen to the victims ’ perspectives themselves , a higher level of empathy could have been obtained . Thus , this could have led to more active involvement in the campaign . It could also have prevented the spread of misinformation . Finally , a short film could have made the campaign ' s goals much
MOLLY PENNINGTON , REBECCA MURRAY & TOMAS BEAVAN
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