Class Reflection: Digital Democracy

Digital democracy.

Initially I was attracted to the MCDM course because of its timeliness. There were some special things happening during the 2008 election cycle: why NOT study it while it was happening?

Although my election-obsession drew me into the class, I knew there would be more to it. However my definition of digital democracy was quite literal.

Digital made me think we’d examine the tools — Twitter, blogs, Facebook, etc. — that were being used to fundraise and create a supporting base for the presidential candidates.

And my thought of ‘democracy’ was purely on government. I thought we’d focus on the way the digital tools (as mentioned above) could affect giving each and every person a voice in our country.

In a sense, that is what we studied: not only did we look at the effects the social media revolution had on the 2008 presidential campaign, but how digital and social media is affecting local government and policy making.

Still, most .orgs engage in one-way conversation

“In the modern era, almost every interest group finds the Internet an appropriate medium for advocacy. What’s not to like about disseminating information and mobilizing at a fraction of the cost of other techniques of communication? Groups of all beliefs and resource levels have taken to the Internet.” — Robert J. Koltz, Politics of Internet Communication

In the early days of the Internet, scholars predicted nonprofit organizations would most definitely benefit from the direct, deliberative democracy that the new technology would bring to citizens. The bottom-up, side-to-side, interactive, social and easy to use medium would aid nonprofits that rely on volunteerism and relationship.

The problem? Joe Trippi, the man behind Howard Dean’s 2004 campaign might say:

Most of ‘em still just don’t get it.

Where politics live

Politics land on front porches each morning. They are blasted through car audio systems and iPod earbuds and sent to inboxes via RSS feeders. They play out in the background endlessly and relentlessly on the small screens of our homes.

Politicians make decisions on Capitol Hill but politics arrive, thrive and die in the media. As Manuel Castells points out, newspapers, radio, podcasts, blogs and television are the privileged space of politics in America.

This presidential election season is more of a testament to this than ever before. But politics dwelling in the media isn’t a novelty, as Castells points out in “The Crisis of Democracy.”