Collective Identity Everywhere: Strategy and Collaboration in the Visual Communication of Ten Environmental Organisations in Chile

The possibilities offered by digital technologies to communicate ideas have strengthened the power of digital networks as spaces for public discussions, even more in a context of political intensity where groups are defined around ideas and the definition of future challenges is contested. In these digital public discussions, visual communication is essential to reach and influence audiences. This is also true in contemporary environmental crises, whose meanings are constantly negotiated in public debate. Exploring the digital visual communication of environmental organisations in the Chilean discussions about the constitutional referendum of 2022, this research develops three levels of inquiry with emphasis on collective identity: the definition of environmental discussions, the determination of strategies, and the definition of ways of collaboration between environmental organisations. This research proposes a methodological approach comprised of three levels of analysis: quantitative visual content analysis, qualitative multimodal analysis, and interrelational context analysis based on two data sets: the collection of digital images (n=1736) from ten organisations’ Instagram accounts and in-depth photo-elicited interviews (n=10) with visuals producers. The findings indicate the higher relevance of the representation of nature, the benefits of the new constitution, and the role of testimony and information to guide the public. The environmental organisations show positive messages and publicly evidenced their alliances through photography, mixed techniques, and remediation practices. The findings also present the development of two types of strategies: those profoundly related to their identity and those disconnected from it, and the different cases of uncoordinated, formal, and informal collaborations, in which visual partnership is highlighted, as well as conflicts related to their identities and technical issues. Reflecting on the Chilean case, this research illustrates the digital and visual practices in the public construction of environmental ideas and how collaboration and collective identity plays a key role in it.