MIGORI COUNTY-IS SOCIAL MEDIA RUINING OR RUNNING THE POLITICAL DISCOURSE?

By - - [Politics]


Is Social Media taking over as authority mode of political interraction in Migori county spectrum? Basically social media is a democratising force, transforming the way we do politics into a more direct form of democracy, on the flipside, we see dystopian accounts of how social media is potentially impacting democracy in negative ways.

While both arguments have some credibility, we need to see, in everyday situations, how social media impact the way we learn about news, the way we talk about news, and the way in which we participate in political life.this includes all the different ways we encounter politics online from reading a news story to sharing a meme. All of these things are political acts to be explored together, not in isolation lest you get a very skewed perspective of these communication medim

While some candidates have highly invested in social media and modern technology, the interesting disconnect is while aspirants claim to be in a people-powered movement such as social media their campaign techniques don’t enable members to have a say in key strategic decisions about what messages and policies they prioritise.

Traditionally in the 80s during President Jomo Kenyatta politicians used Baraza's to pass information before Radio's and TVs took over and revolutionised the spectrum as the populous means of passing information and communication during the era of President Daniel Moi.

The advent of interactive social media platforms in the era of Uhuruto and Donald Trump is threatening mainstream media,  coupled with the corona menace that has curtailed movements, political players are left with the single most powerful platform of social media.

Twitter is preferred by top grade class citizen, national and international leaders, the common mwananchi and majority youths are available in facebook and Watsapp groups , but she Mass media channels are reliable and controlled the problem with TV and Radio is that there are too many channels and your message is relayed indirectly by the media authority and may end up being distorted.

If a politician wish to pass a message by mass media he will choose a single TV channel or print press as opposed to social Media that is robust, available,  and accessible

Generally social media is playing a bigger role in politics today -- with politicians using the media to take their views directly to voters, Embakazi East MP Babu Owino recently reached out to Form Four candidates in a Maths lesson via facebook, U-tube and watsapp

Social media gives politicians and voters direct room for engagement, unlike television news, a politician can immediately respond to what's being said -- put your own two cents in Since it's behind a screen, that allows people to feel like they can say some things maybe they wouldn't say in people's faces and choose to participate in live discussions or voice their opinions but with a newspaper or television, you're having kind of this middle man to deliver the message in a different ways

However the problem with social media is excess freedom and misuse by its users .It must therefore have leaders, administrators,and movers who shape directions and safeguard against misuse and abuse.
 
The False conspiracy theories often spewed by users can delude the public. for example, intentional misinformation and hate speech directed toward ethnic and religious groups or a specific political player.  Skewed propaganda

Propaganda is nothing new; it has appeared in pamphlets, books, and newspapers practically since the invention of the printing press. But social media seem particularly susceptible to spreading disinformation. That’s because social media engage viewers in a way that designers call “flow,” a psychological idea adopted as a digital-design strategy .

The Flow focuses on keeping the user moving from one element to the next, repetitively, in search of gratification from the act of consuming media rather than from engaging with its content. even if the messages they carry are truthful and nonconspiratorial. that makes these media a threat to coherent political discourse from the age of print.

Social media sometimes feel addictive and has become a major platform for political information and discussion. Conspiracism flourishes on social media. In part that’s because it’s so easy to use, consistent lie told overtime turns to look like truth,  and so the politics of flow now poses a serious challenge to the earlier tradition of political debate that was factual and truthful and will likely continue to redefine political discourse in our country.

The phenomenon might already have refashioned political discourse and permanently changed the institutions that depend on reasoned debate. And so the question I asked "IS SOCIAL. MEDIA RUINING OR RUNNING OUR POLITICAL DISCOURSE IN MIGORI?




Facebook     Twitter     WhatsApp     Telegram


Kindly Login or Register to comment and like and earn

Comments (0)


No comments for this post

Others are reading



You should be compassionate and forgiving When I am afraid I put my trust in God Five things successful people do before 8am Success is something you attract by the person you become Christian Ronaldo threatens to break word history ever been made in sport word The most common Beaches in Yimbo West Ward in Bondo sub county The only dispensary in Bunyala south ward in Busia County Do the right thing when it’s hard If you don’t love someone neither use nor take things from them And a number of nations will be joined to the Lord in that day, and will become my people; and I will be living among you, and you will see that the Lord of armies has sent me to you.