Module 4: Media & Civic Participation

Date: 
Aug 16 2010

How do media enable citizens to engage with their communities and the wider world?

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Introduction 

[To see complete module on Civic Participation, please click here: 
MODULE 4: CIVIC PARTICIPATION]

This module explores how media, and especially mobile media technologies, are empowering individuals and groups around the world.

The module addresses six questions key to thinking about civic participation in our digital age.

 

First, the module addresses what civic participation actually is, and considers such questions as who is a citizen, how do people participate, and how does their kind and level of participation change depending on the triggering event or issue?  Do natural crises, such as earthquakes or hurricanes, for example, prompt a different kind of engagement from different kinds of people, than, say, a political crisis?

 

Second, this module investigates both what technology is employed to enhance citizen journalism, as well as the extent to which technology shapes participatory journalism.  The module focuses on modern digital media applications and platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and mobile phones – especially Smartphone devices – as tools that can empower citizens.  The modules raises questions about whether the extent of civic participation or the quality of engagement differs depending on what kind of media is used – whether people are using mobile phones or community radio, for instance?  Does the expanding presence of Facebook and Twitter mean that connections can come to matter, not just among friends, but across continents?

 

Furthermore, this module considers who are the people who use media for civic participation and what are their motivations for becoming engaged in their communities and the larger world.  Are there patterns of gender, age, culture, nation, economic class and political affiliation?  Social media allows everyone to have a voice; what do individuals and marginalized groups stand to gain when they are involved in participatory communication?

 

This module also looks at several kinds of civic participation:  participation as inspired by individuals and participation that is instigated by institutions – by governments, corporations and NGOs.  Social media has an unmatched ability to create communities, not just for social justice or communities of interest, but communities created for profit or for entertainment.

 

This module further assesses whether participation in the "virtual" world (via blogging, online petitions, viral messaging, texting micropayment charity) leads to greater citizen participation in the actual world.  Does posting on Facebook or using SMS and Twitter to pass on news, make citizens more "social" but not really more "socially responsible" or engaged?  Does civic participation for social justice stand a chance against the lures of such participatory come-ons as online dating services, online seminars and online diplomas?

 

This module concludes with the obstacles that people around the world face when they try to engage with others in their communities. How can social media capture people’s attention for important causes/events when there are so many competing voices?  And finally this module sheds light on certain countries, such as Iran and Burma (Myanmar), that impose high levels of censorship and control on their public and media.  How can digital media empower those who are powerless?

 

Key Questions

 

  1. What is civic participation? 
  2. How does technology shape civic participation?
  3. Who uses digital media and mobile technologies for collective action?
  4. What motivates civic participation? How do media enable participation?
  5. What are the differences when social media for collective action are used by corporate or political institutions vs. individuals?
  6. What is the relationship between online action and "real-world" action?

Ideas / Concepts

Q1: What is Civic Participation?

 

Start with a definition of how media can contribute to  citizenship.

 

How are "Civic Participation" and media linked?

  • UNESCO:  "We live in an era, in which mediated forms of communication not only have become the primary means of delivering information and knowledge but also create essential frameworks for hosting and fostering dialogue and exchange across cultures. Media are increasingly accessible at home and in public spaces providing diverse types of information and entertainment that attract young people everywhere. As a matter of fact, media have become part and parcel of the upbringing and socialization processes of all girls and boys and therefore need to be considered by parents, educators, and media professionals as seriously as formal education."  
  • "Participatory media," where people participate in creating media, is also called "community media"


What is the relationship between social networking and civic participation?

  • Social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook are a phenomenon unto themselves, but share many of the attributes of citizen journalism
  • Business Week:  Is the world becoming a "conversation economy shaped by the social networks"?  The fact is that use of social media is soaring—up 668% over the past year, but only 12% of total web traffic is involved in it. 


How are democracy, civil society and social justice supported by citizens using media?

  • UNESCO manual:  Chapter Two explores the relationship between democracy and citizen participation in media
  • UNESCO:  "The media cannot also limit itself to simply performing an entertainment function, for what is the utility of such a role that makes no effort to help people find their way out of their situation of poverty, illiteracy, disease, insecurity, under-development and so on, but merely encourages them to be happy nonetheless? The media, in my view, should have a higher duty to inform the citizens, to enlighten them about political, economic and social issues, and to activate them into vigorous participation in the governance process. It also has a responsibility to subject government policies, programmes and activities to scrutiny and to expose corruption, misconduct and incompetence in government." 
  • UNESCO (2008): Document about the Vesak celebrations in Bangkok where the speaker argues that the Internet, mobile phones and ICT facilities help media fulfill their roles as witnesses, watchdogs and as means for citizens to communicate with each other. 

Q2: How does technology shape civic participation?

 

  • When we talk about civic participation in media, we are usually talking about media beyond traditional TV, radio and print. People connect to each other through mobile phones, through the Internet, through community radio outlets, and the reach out for help, to build a community, or for other reasons.
  • Citizens increasingly use media to report what they see.  This is known as "citizen journalism."  People can report their stories to many people at once using mobile phone technologies, such as text messages or photo-sharing applications.
    • Sala de Prensa, website of Iberoamerican communication professionals: 

 

How do different media technologies enable connections?

  • The most commonly used applications for citizens to take on a role as "a journalist" are those that allow for the sharing of texts and images, such as Facebook and Twitter. These social media allow people to upload what they are doing and what they are seeing.

When technology threatens those who are powerful, governments and corporations can use censorship and regulations to try and control citizens ability to come together using media.

To see complete module on Civic Participation, please click here:
MODULE 4: CIVIC PARTICIPATION