Politics Online (the Obvious)
“The age of public sphere of face to face talk is clearly over; the question of democracy must henceforth take into account new forms of electronically mediated discourse.” (Poster 199: 220)
Just as television had its impact on our democratic whelm, so has the internet. The modern communication medium has proved its influence on campaigns trails, news feeds, and global outlets. As we focus on the internet and its participation in democracy we have to understand that its engagement causes a change in our information technology and communication.
In just these past 5 years, there has been an vast increase in Online Journals, Blogs, and Discussion forums. Mass Media efforts, such as online newspapers, have invested greatly in making there news available online (A major factor why print journalism is on the edge of extinction). According to Lister in his chapter of Public Sphere, the fundamental basis of the Pre-Web internet in the 1970s was primarily for the usage of dialogue. The excitement of political announcements, for example, was associated with the early democratic system. Lister states that there are two positions that the new public communication space holds. One is that “through democratizing them means of media production, revives the participatory nature of the idealized public sphere ” The next position takes the stance that the public spheres specific function of extends access to media to the construction of the net as a new way of representing new subjectivity.(Lister, 177).
The contributions of the internet to democracy online is extremely important. But, as a public communicative space, there are highly specific and limited engagements that they internet confines us to. Lister warns of this, quoting Jones, ” The range of possibilities has widened: we are no longer certain of what is reported in the news, and we are much more likely to allow alternative explanations (Lister, p. 178)”. Democracy must involve active democratic participation. With that said, we ask the question ” How far public communication, and our understandings of our place within it, is determined entirely by electronic mediated communications and how far it still relies on different kinds of face-to-face communication?” (Lister, p. 180)
The challenge for us, as citizens, is understanding aspects of this process of change. Change, as in our sources of news be transferred to Online newspapers, Our discussions being regarded to Online Blogs and Chat-rooms, and our advocacy movements resorting to new Facebook invites and text messages. The idea of online information has been promoted as a political future. At the same time these conditions could also promote a worn-out alternative to political communication. We can’t forget to ask ourselves, How much does this access cost? What is the social distribution? and what are the patterns of ownership of new media?
Because the range of sources of information on the internet are endless. We must motive ourselves to be active educated readers and try our best to filter the news feeds that are irrelevant and fake.
RECENT ARTICLES: POLITICS & THE INTERNET:
“Internet Key to Obamas Victories”, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7412045.stm
