technology: breaking barriers and building democracy
Post on 15-May-2017
216 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
LoBello
Matthew LoBello
November 17, 2013
Communication 30
Professor Littau
Technology: Breaking Barriers and Building Democracy
Barriers restrict our actions, voices, and freedoms. For so long, barriers of entry such as
money and prestige created significant obstacles into the journalism and publishing industries.
Due to the social and political impartiality that exists in many large, impactful media outlets,
expression of individual voice was difficult, and the ability to induce change was even more
challenging. Oftentimes, this neutrality within news corporations created a framework that
diluted messages, in turn reducing the impact and influence that was possible. However, that is
all changing as a result of technological media sources, which allow citizens to easily connect
and come together to broadcast their news and beliefs all around the world. As Clay Shirky
illustrates in his book Here Comes Everybody, revolutionary change, which was once limited to
large institutions and governments, is now possible for all of us. Through means such as the
Internet and social media, collective action and revolution is easier and more influential than
ever.
Shirky illustrates the emergence of collective action that has resulted from the rise of
technological media sources. This has enabled ordinary citizens to share their stories and voices
to the rest of the world, something that was previously unattainable. This is evidenced by
Shirky’s excerpt that comprehensively summarizes his thesis and leads to countless examples
such as Ivanna’s lost cell phone, the incompetence of American Airlines flight 1348, and the rise
of “Voice of the Faithful.” “When we change the way we communicate, we change society” (pg.
1
LoBello
17). All these movements, and more, that Shirky illustrates would be impossible without the
emergence of our current media sources. These technological developments that allow
individuals to speak freely have led to large-scale collective action projects like nothing we have
ever seen before. This was evidenced by the actions of Kate Hanni, a passenger aboard the
American Airlines flight 1348. In the days following the delay, she, along with other proactive
passengers, connected via comment pages of an Austin newspaper article. Her efforts spread
their cause to a national level and drew attention to the intolerable conditions that were evident
during delays. The social tools that were available to Hanni allowed her to make a difference;
they have provided a platform for individuals to speak up against powerful corporations that
were previously untouchable. These social tools have provided citizens with a voice to say: No
longer is it acceptable for corporations to take advantage of their customers and subsequently
cover it up. As a result, this shared platform that Shirky mentions ensures accountability and
transparency among individuals, firms, and governments alike.
Yet, this evolution of our communication has never been more essential than in our
global fight for democracy. All over the world, individuals as well as social groups are turning
towards technological sources to voice their desire for freedom and democracy against
authoritative regimes.
The same social tools that are being applied to uncover inefficiency within American
corporations are now being used to declare freedom and discourage the rule of authoritative
administrations. The documentary Burma VJ directed by Anders Ostergaard shadows video
journalists for The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) in their fight for freedom during the
Saffron Revolution. The group’s goal is to record the corruption within the Burmese state and
publish the footage all around the world. For decades, an authoritative and corrupt government
2
LoBello
has led Burma. The military, which has overseen the state for the better part of the 21st century,
has restricted communication within, as well as outside of Burma, in an attempt to maintain the
steady stream of propaganda that the citizens receive on a daily basis. Due to the strict rules of
the government, these journalists must conceal their video cameras in bags or under their shirts.
If they were to get caught, they will be beaten, arrested, and sentenced to life in prison, or worse
—death. These reporters film footage and send it out of the country to Oslo, Norway, where
images can be distributed around the world and, for the first time ever, back into Burma. The
citizens had previously generated an uprising in 1988 (known as the 8888 Uprising because it
began on August 8, 1988), which gained great momentum until the military-controlled
government opened fire on its citizens, resulting in 3,000 casualties.
“As always, social tools don’t create new motivations so much as amplify existing ones”
(pg. 294). The inspiration for democracy and freedom has always been evident for the Burmese
people, but they have struggled to find a medium to express their beliefs. Unlike the 1988
revolution, there are social tools available to the DVB to spread their principles such as the
Internet, satellite television, and short-wave radio, which are bringing hundreds of thousands of
citizens together for one cause. As Shirky describes, “New technology makes new things
possible: put another way, when new technology appears, previously impossible things start
occurring” (pg. 107). This “new technology” that is evidenced by the DVB is their means of
distribution, which were previously unachievable. Recorded information has been exchanged
from Burma to the outside world, but for the first time ever, through the DVB, that information
can now be sent back into Burma to counteract the influences of the propaganda. This is vital in
the fight for democracy because educated individuals, ones who know their predicament, can
begin to plan for revolution. This information makes citizens question their authority, and
3
LoBello
doesn’t allow them to be held captive to the propaganda. Due to the improved social connection,
“the previously impossible things,” are now possible. Following the brutal beatings and arrests of
the Burmese monks, the government imposed strict sanctions on its citizens in an attempt to
defuse the revolution. However, that only made the revolution stronger; through the DVB social
networks, a rally was scheduled the next day, and against government regulation, people began
to assemble and unite for their democracy, something that was unimaginable twenty years
earlier.
Social tools that have emerged throughout the century have provided citizens all over the
world with a voice. The barriers that once restricted ordinary voices have been destroyed,
replaced by ones that promote opinion and freedom. Without the DVB’s voice in Burma, their
cause would be silenced; they would go unnoticed, and consequently forgotten. These social
tools that have enhanced our society have created a march towards independence for Burma and
a hope for freedom.
4
top related