POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON POLITICAL PARTICIPATION AND DELIBERATION

IN DEMOCRATIC STATES.

QUESTION: How does social media affect the political participation and deliberation in

democratic states?
 1. INTRODUCTION
In the current age of technological advances, it seems that old media is facing competition from

ever expanding new forms of media. Traditional media often referred to as old media, consists

of broadcast/cable television, radio, newspapers, magazines and the majority of print

publications. The earliest form of old media was a Newspaper that have been around for

centuries, straining off as written newsletter, and ultimately progressing into an official true

publication. On the other hand, social media, which grows with technology, includes the use

of Twitter, social networks as well as blogs -using internet as a platform.

importance of social media for democracy

Media can be defined as a mean of mass communication with the help of television, radio,

internet and newspapers. All forms of media such as internet, newspapers, radio, television

and social media (Facebook, twitter etc.) can influence the political campaign since they have

the authority to interpret the political ideology of any political party. Social networking sites

such as Facebook, Twitter, and even blogs has evolved to allow civil society to become more

active in the governance in its countries. It has encouraged the process of bringing about a

tool that enhances democracy through the 'true' will of the people, even in strong dictatorship

regimes.

Social media networks

The internet has provided an open channel of free communication of information that has

come to be known as social media tools, which would include the very popular social

networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter. The use of social media tools enabled
Obama to initially overcome a large portion of the presidential nominating race; and his

ability to embrace the social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, was

considered different which became advantageous to his campaign. This approach was

considered so successful that Mr Obama's use of social media tools has led to mobilise

younger generation. The golden rule of social media marketing is to put the product, in this

case, Barack Obama himself out there the be recognized and known by the public. To do so,

there are different possibilities: becoming an active blogger or tweeter and establishing a

strong presence on Facebook and Twitter. And this is exactly what Obama and his team have

done for his political campaign. They implemented social networking in their strategy. His

activity on social media platforms gives him the chance to get his message out there across

several media platforms.

2. THESIS STATEMENT

How political campaigns have been changed through the years will be clarified in

the following. In the past, political candidates were focusing mainly on TV ads to get

their political message out. But TV ads are an expensive medium because not only did

the candidates have to pay for the crew, the producing and the editing of the ad, they

also had to spend a lot on money on broadcasting this ad on TV.

In addition politicians have previously focused almost exclusively on election posters

and campaign events, political parties had to rethink their campaign strategy in recent

years and integrate additional media platforms due to the innovation of social

media. Over the years the importance of social media and the media in general has

rapidly grown especially because it provides new ways to organize the participation of

the citizens in political life. Political candidates have increased their presence on social

media platforms recently, because it allows them to post news about their campaign
 program, videos, updates for upcoming visits and so on, 24 hours a day, 7 days a

week. They are not restricted by airing dates, time slots and TV producers.

3. Social media to direct people to political

Through social media platforms the society gets the opportunity to get in contact with the

politicians directly, for example through his or her Facebook or Twitter page. The information

exchange is faster, easier and direct. On the other hand it is easier for politician's to reach the

potential voters directly and they can also target a specific matter directly. New media has

reshaped the methods and possibilities in the political communication process by influencing

the ways politicians are not interacting with society and vice versa. But also the contact with

the opponents has become easier with social media ' they can interact with each other or with

each other's campaign more easily and faster. For instance, criticizing each other: in the past

that was mainly only possible through newspapers or in a TV duel where the candidates

debated with each other to try to make the other candidate look bad. Utilizing social media

they can debate more easily through social media platforms. But the old media should not be

forgotten, because television and print media still act as the most important and most

influential platform in political campaigns

Social media role in the Arab Spring.

The Arab Spring movement that began in late 2010, it would be difficult to argue against such
a notion. The mass media has labelled the Arab Spring as a 'social media revolution', with
citizen journalism and social media reporting helping to sustain the wave of protests in North
Africa and the Middle East from 2010. Thus, there are two ways in which social media has
been used during the Arab Spring, these being: (1) by helping to coordinate protests on a mass
scale, and (2) by reporting on the events without any media bias. This then, is something that
was also used to great effect during the 2011 riots in England, when social media was used to
coordinate riots in various English cities and it is perhaps no coincidence that these riots
coincided with the Arab Spring movement and the successful use of social media in North
Africa and the Middle East at that time. However, in oppressive regimes in North Africa and
the Middle East, unlike in the UK, such technologies are a revelation in communication as
these are countries that have traditionally had their media manipulated by despotic rulers and
regimes, and have been subjected to extreme censorship and manipulation.
A study in Washington found that social media helped to shape and lead the debate with
regard to the politics of the Arab Spring, and that young and educated people tended to lead
this discourse, with women also being highly involved with social media participation (and
the riots and protests themselves). For example, Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
discovered the power of social media when revolutionaries posted a video of him and his wife
using a government-funded jet to travel to Europe on lavish shopping trips something that
angered locals, who were struggling with economic conditions; and ultimately contributed to
his downfall. Moreover, the Washington study also found that social media was instrumental
in sharing democratic ideas internationally, and this no doubt also helped to fuel the Arab
Spring, and to make people in the region dream of living in a free and democratic society.

Social media role in Occupy Wall Street Movement.

The 15 October 2011 global protests and the Occupy Wall Street movement, which started in

the United States and has since spread to Asia and Europe, drew direct inspiration from the

Arab Spring, with organizers asking U.S. citizens "Are you ready for a Tahrir moment?" The

protesters have committed to using the "revolutionary Arab Spring tactic" to achieve their

goals of curbing corporate power and control in Western governments.Certainly one of the

greatest benefits of using social media within Occupy Wall Street is the agility of the Internet.

With the quick click of a button, thousands of people from across the nation, and even around

the world, became well known of this protest and its strategy to uncover the truth behind

Americas economic inequality.

4. Freedom of expression
The Internet and Social Media has become a vital communications tool through which

individuals can exercise their right of freedom of expression and exchange information and
ideas. In the past year or so, a growing movement of people around the world has been

witnessed who are advocating for change, justice, equality, accountability of the powerful and

respect for human rights. In such movements, the Internet and Social Media has often played

a key role by enabling people to connect and exchange information instantly and by creating a

sense of solidarity. There can be no democratic participation in decision making without

transparency and sharing information. Social media has the power to reach the masses and

distribute information, which in turn has resulted in everyone acting as a watchdog,

scrutinizing the powerful and exposing mismanagement and corruption.

The importance of social media for liberty.

social media have the capacity to provide greater liberty .The new media has

created an alternative reality what is different from the reality with much more

liberal space. The concept of writing easily (through phonetic) in web platform and

a common front page, where every new post from bloggers show, start the

dynamics of community. Social media helps people to promulgate their views and

opinions because the emergence of social movement or survival of social

movements depends on supporting views and opinions by the society.

The Emergence of Public Opinion

They seek out discussion on popular internet blogs and chat rooms. Many campaigns are also

willing to get outside organizations to spread negative rumors and chatter about opposing

candidates to the media and on the internet to sway public opinion in their favor. Today's

media behemoths control the distribution and content for global news operations their
predecessors could never have imagined. The more media outlets that a single entity owns,

the more power and influence that they have over public opinion.

The Importance of Social Media for Public Opinion

In social media, ideas can spread like a wild fire. Media does play a significant role in the

formation of public opinion. Where that role is overt, through news media and current affairs

style programs, the effect receives at least some attention by the research community. The

more pervasive and persistent culturalization by other forms of media has received less

attention and yet possibly has a greater impact on how the public, as a whole, creates the

foundations of mores and norms that are the bedrock of public opinion. Media: it's not just

entertainment anymore.

The Power of Public Opinion

The more media outlets that a single entity owns, the more power and influence that they

have over public opinion. Social media websites are a great platform for expressing ones

thoughts and opinions. Every time something momentous occurs, Facebook and Twitter are

sent aflutter with comment pouring in from concerned parties. This can have a great impact

on political decisions and marketing campaigns

5. CONCLUSION
The media's role in politics is even more significant. They help shape the political culture, and
have the power to make a candidate appealing or repulsive. The media can also lead the
general public to misunderstand the actions of one particular political group, and as a result,
other political parties have to face a difficult political situation. It has been concluded that
politicians and advertisement producers believe that advertising allows candidates to reach
even the uninterested and unmotivated citizens like those who are not paying attention in
news reports, debates, and other campaign event.The media is primarily needed to fix itself to
reporting on politics, not shaping it. The media should not have the bias of the nation, but
should offer information to allow ideas to form liberally and independently. The nature of the
impact of the media coverage is perhaps most dramatically evident in people's awareness of
the candidates and the consequences for how they vote. In the coverage of elections, media
fulfills different roles. This includes informing, enlightening, and educating the electorate,
providing a platform and forum for controversial social debates, forming public opinion, and
serving as a watchdog on the side of the citizens. Among these roles, the duty of informing
the electorate is the primary and the other roles are only ancillary and fall under this primary
role. The media has also the ability of affecting the behavior and decision making of the
electorate. Many factors are to consider in determining the voting behavior of the electorate;
and though there is no certainty on the extent that media affects the decision making process
of the electorate, media is one of the few things that can count heavily on affecting and
changing the opinions and decisions of the electorate. Apart from persuading the electorate,
the media can also persuade the political candidates. The media influence the decision and
actions of politicians and officials, change their priorities and can reduce their ability to
control events. , it is therefore true that media persuasion does not only work between the
media and the public, but logically speaking, we and others can also influence the media.
Both positively and negatively, the mass media contributes a great factor in affecting the
decisions of the electorate because it exercises a powerful role in the electoral processes by
informing and educating the public.