Tuesday, July 14, 2009

New York Times following our discussion!

As it happens, the New York Times posted a video on its site that is relevant to the little "conversation" we had here about the value of Facebook for democracy activists. Interesting discussion. Both parties make good points and the final word has certainly not been said!

5 comments:

Onnik Krikorian said...

You know, the problem is people are thinking too much in black and white. What we are talking about are tools and they can either be used properly or not. They can either be used to break censorship and propaganda or indeed, be used to spread misinformation. The same is true with the media, with international organizations, and political movements. However, there is no doubt in my mind that tools such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs are some of the most valuable tools available in a region where there is little or maybe even no independent media. How you use them, however, is vital.

Meanwhile, as a journalist stuck in a country with two closed borders and one unresolved war, I find such tools liberating. Certainly, in this area they have achieved more than any internationally funded program in a region where the media has failed to be objective on very many sensitive issues.

LN said...

Mr Krikorian said it all, better than I could wish to say it.

I agree fully.

Also, in a country where the media doesn't care a whole lot about two youths being locked up in a country that is of little importance to them (apart from for the oil), twitter and facebook have been pretty much the only thing keeping me up to date. There has been absolutely NOTHING on the BBC etc about this.

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised about the BBC.

LIVLIVS MAXIMVS said...

BBC has betrayed us long before

Anonymous said...

Wow. I had not read this piece before. Outrageous! Did he just parachute into the country?