new media in the south caucasus: engaging publics
DESCRIPTION
This is a look at public media 2.0 on an international scale. It reviews the way in which public media and new media interact in the context of the South Caucasus.TRANSCRIPT
NEW MEDIA IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS: ENGAGING PUBLICS
WHAT TO EXPECT
Introduction Public Media 2.0 New Media: A Toolkit The South Caucasus Current Media Climate A Media Literacy Context Country Specific Overview of New Media Transcaucasian Collaboration Projects Caveats of New Media for Change Theory Questions
NOTE CONTEXT
Public Media as foundation A South Caucasian giving this
presentation may focus on drastically different things
The convenience and limits of transnational projects
MY INTRODUCTION Peace Corps 2003-2005 Fulbright Fellow 2007-2008
PUBLIC MEDIA
Publics can disagree, however they form with a common central issue
Engaging publics to solve problems
Media as tool to create a dynamic civil society
Capacity to act on your own/ greater agency
WIKIPEDIA DEFINITION OF NEW MEDIA*
New media is a term meant to encompass the emergence of digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies in the later part of the 20th century. Most technologies described as "new media" are digital, often having characteristics of being manipulatable, networkable, dense, compressible, interactive and impartial
WIKIPEDIA IS NEW MEDIA“MANIPULABLE, INTERACTIVE, IMPARTIAL”
Manipulable: first edit in 2003 since then hundreds more on just one definition
Interactive: Anyone who wants to can contribute
Impartial: Wisdom of Crowds
“In part because individual judgment is not accurate enough or consistent enough, cognitive diversity is essential to good decision making.”
-James Surowiecki
PUBLIC MEDIA 2.0
Where public media meets new media
Engaged publics using participatory networked tools to create change
This has different manifestations relative to government systems it interacts with
OpenCongress
NEW MEDIA: IT’S WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT
Entertainment Business Education Journalism Cross border Communication Peacebuilding Repression
IT’S ALSO WHAT YOU USE TO MAKE IT
Networked participatory media is fundamental: Blogs Vlogs User-generated photos Slideshare Forums Podcasts Social Networking sites Wikis Mashups Apps TwitterAnd more…
PUBLIC MEDIA IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUSFROM COLOR REVOLUTIONS TO DONKEYS
GEORGIA
Historically the most outspoken in the
region
Rose Revolution –Kmara and Rustavi 2
‘Rally Round the Flag’ effect: War with
Russia
“There is not a single nationwide TV channel in the country, which is not directly or indirectly controlled by the state. The judiciary is far from independent. The legislative branch is nothing but an obedient executor of the will of the government. The governing style of the president and his closest aides can be best characterized by the formula ‘we know best, so don't interfere.’ ”
-David Kakabadze, RFE/RLFive Years After The Rose Revolution, A
Functioning State
ARMENIA
Russia’s closest ally in the
region
The disparate Diaspora
Relations warming with Turkey
“2008 an 'unprecedented' year in terms of attacks on journalists and limitations on freedom of speech with 18 cases of physical attacks on journalists.”
-The Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression
Report on Violations of Media and Journalists Rights in Armenia
AZERBAIJAN
BBC, RFL and VOA shut down January
’09
Government currently involved in
biggest ‘new media’ scandal in the
South Caucasus ever
Gov’t-run media consists of anti-
Armenian rhetoric
Azerbaijan is ranked 169th out of 195 in
Global Press Freedom House Index
(Armenia, 151; Georgia, 128)Freedom House
MEDIA LITERACY QUESTIONS
Who created this message and what is the purpose?
What creative techniques are used to attract and hold attention?
How might different people understand this message differently?
What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in this message?
What is omitted from the message?
NEW MEDIA OVERVIEW: COUNTRY SPECIFIC
GEORGIA
Approx. 1,500 blogs (tend to be mainly in Georgian)
Generally ‘leisure’ content with some politics interspersed
ExamplesFace.ge –a Facebook Georgian styleCYXYMU – a digital refugeeKoxora –an instant starGiga Paichadze
ARMENIA
Healthy Armenian blogosphere in Russia’s livejournal.ru
Wide variety of blogs in English, Russian and Armenian
ExamplesArmeniapedia.orgOnnik Krikorian
AZERBAIJAN
Wide variety of languages in Azerbaijani,
English, Iranian, Turkish and Russian
Surprising amount of gov’t
critical blogs in English
Examples
The Donkey Video
Arzu Gebullayeva
TRANSCAUCASIAN PUBLIC MEDIA PROJECTS
GLOBAL VOICES ONLINE
THREATENED VOICES ONLINE
PROJECT HARMONY’S DOTCOM
FREE EMIN AND ADNAN
Transmedia: Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Vlog, YouTube
South Caucasus Unification: Georgian, Armenian and Azerbaijani consensus
Mass media coverage: NY Times, WA Post, Reuters, Reporters Without Borders, BBC, Global Voices
New media sparked censorship, new media used to protest censorship
FACEBOOK HATE GROUPS*
Certainly using new media tools, but is this public media?
CHALLENGES
Catalyst of change vs. Opiate of masses?
Authoritarian deliberationSlactivismLack of access (digital divide)Not in a vacuumLack of institutionalism
QUESTIONS?
Questions?
Micael BogarCenter for Social MediaSchool of CommunicationAmerican [email protected]