The role new media technologies play in our society are diverse, causing many changes to the way people interact and exchange information. According to Hacker and Van Dijk (2000, p.1) digital democracy is the extent of which new media technology have enhanced political democracy and encouraged participation from citizens. Digital democracy is the basic starting point from which all the other aspects of online political activism derive from.
An optimistic and utopian perspective of digital democracy is that the internet has brought about the creation of an informed, active and decentralized public sphere that allows for intellectual debate and discussion on serious political issues. It allows for easy communication between individuals themselves, and increased communication between the public (individuals and activist groups) and governments (Keane in Hacker and Van Dijk, 2000, pp.70). This is a result of the many-to-many interactive structure of the internet. Ideally if coupled with disintermediation, low costs, high speeds, no boundaries, universal access and broad band capacity, the internet has great potential as a medium similar to a public sphere. While still in developing stages, there have been some outstanding developments in this area (Rice in Lievrouw and Livingstone, 2002).
While many believe that the internet has sufficiently created a virtual public sphere for active participation and communication on political issues, the real question is whether or not this has affected and influenced people’s voting practices and patterns. The two major troubles with democracy in its current stage is the “less informed citizen and a decline in political participation� (Hagen in Hacker and Van Dijk, 2000, pp. 54). While new media technologies alone will not encourage political participation, they can however intensify existing social behaviours and trends of the time. Current social, political, economic and cultural trends will inevitably affect the amount of advocacy that exists against a particular political system. It is therefore necessary to assess to what degree new media technologies assist activism at a particular state in time (Hagen in Hacker and Van Dijk, 2000, pp. 54-66). For instance the current political landscape is quite prominent with the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. On February 15th 2003, the world’s largest peace demonstration took place, with ten million people gathering across the world (Independent Media Centre, 2004). This shows that there is increased political activity from all walks of life. This was organised through the global communication of the internet. How new media technologies are instigated should reflect this current political state, especially with the upcoming election in the United States.
Networks have the potential for electronic collaboration between individuals, activist groups and scholarly research. It can create interactive forms of communication and participation globally, which can counter the one-way flow of mainstream media. While critics have claimed that information is often unreliable, transient, or biased, what they do not consider is the use of critical judgement by the readers (Poster in Holmes, 1997, pp. 217-221). Because of the vastness of cyberspace and opportunity for two-way communication flows, information which is misleading will often be discriminated against and corrected effectively.
Many political parties are using the internet to campaign more effectively. Greer and LaPointe in Gibson Et al (2004, pp.117) state that almost every candidate in the 2000 United States election used the internet for communicating with voters through campaign specific websites. This gives citizens access to information, policies and issues regarding the candidate, to help them make a more informed decision come voting time. While not directly linked to activism, it does help create a more knowledge and informed public sphere for citizens. Access is no longer restricted or difficult, and communication with a politician has become quite easy.
Gibson, R.K., Römmele, A., and Ward, S.J. (2004) Electronic democracy: mobilisation, organisation, and participation via new ICTs, London: Routledge.
Hacker, K.L. and Van Dijk, J. (ed) (2000) Digital Democracy: issues of theory and practice, London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Holmes, D. (ed) (1997) Virtual Politics: Identity and Community in Cyberspace, London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
Independent Media Centre (2004), viewed 5 August 2004, <http://www.indymedia.org/en/index.shtml>
Lievrouw, L.A., and Livingstone, S. (ed) (2002) Handbook of New Media, London: Sage Publications.
Sclove, R.E (1995) Democracy and Technology, London: The Guilford Press.
Trend, D. (ed) (2001) Reading Digital Culture, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
Tsagarousianou, R., Tambini, D. and Bryan, C. (ed) (1998) Cyberdemocracy: technology, cities and civic networks, London: Routledge
Jason Spierings 22:15, 27 Oct 2004 (EST)
