Challenges of The New Media

These past 2 years have seen the new media playing an important role in all aspects of politics, religion, corporate governance and society in general. After all Obama won the US Presidential election by driving rigorous online campaigns, the Malaysian government of 50 years received one hell of a scare when they lost out 5 strong states (but remained in power thanks to West Malaysia) with the new media playing an important role, the Twitter revolution in Moldova was nothing short of spectacular and now the oppositions to the Iranian ruling regime are gaining worldwide support thanks to Youtube, Twitter, Blog sites, Facebook and the likes - all my examples are politically related...haih.

I’m quite new in using this new media (but then again it is called “new media” for a reason so I guess I am part of the process..?) and my experience only spans 1 year (plus). Though I may not have realized its use since the very beginning of its uprising, the impact has always been there.

Instead of discussing its benefits, I think my view would be more interesting discussing its challenges.

The new media creates a level playing field for the less powerful. No doubt the ones with power can use money and influence to propagate their standing through the mainstream media. This is apparent in countries with quite an imbalanced political playing field like Malaysia, Iran, Singapore and so on so forth.

So the new media is good right? Well not substantially. The fact that it creates a level playing field is actually the problem. It creates a level playing to an already one-sided match up. So now the ones with power can use money, influence and also the new media - if they actually know how to, which at the moment it doesn't seem like it.

Similarly in religious matters for example; I being a Muslim and a proud one at that, love the fact that the new media can create a sort of conduit to uphold what is right about Islam and not just let the lies splutter. But again the powerful won't let us have it all too easy. Israel for example, being a very influential lot, can influence more than just the mass media. We all know how they crack down and even hack into websites promoting Islam and condemning Israel.

Also on the religious issue; what bothers me a lot is the fact that the “uprising” of this new media is encouraged along the same line as the “uprising” of the liberals (I am quite the conservative and I am proud to be a conservative).

Despite there being a radical approach towards confronting the anti-Islam mood, the anti-Islam drive is just as great. What worries me the most is the perception that certain liberal Islam groups create out of their falsified belief of what Islam should be. Their belief leads to others questioning the more conservative and natural form of Islam (which I must add does not include suicide bombers and terrorism – it is the mere act of wearing headscarves, praying during lunch hour, reading the Quran in public and so on).

In answering to the call of upholding the truth, the new media is an important ally towards rebranding the tarnished image of Islam. Ulama’ (clerics) as well as those liberal thinkers are using the same method of communication - but of course people would always give the upper hand towards the liberal since they are more “modern”.

Another challenge is trying to block any negativity one might have when the point of attack is at every corner. Barrack Obama famously created a website dedicated to answer all the negative press he had during the election. How great the significance of such website one can only wonder, but the fact that a website needed to be created just to answer negative press shows how deep the concern and how great an attack the new media can bring - and fast too.

When lies are being told in the new media, no one can really stop it. Of course, instead of holding public debate, people are now arguing rather freely through internet forums. The fact that these forums are not mediated and does not have enough credibility does not matter - people do get influenced by it like it or not.

So when people comment, for example, on the righteousness and greatness of the Quran, there are others who are sly enough to lie and twist the beautiful words of the Quran, blatantly. So instead of Islam being the religion of peace, they used certain phrases from the Quran to show that Islam promotes terrorism - this is not true at all and any form of permission the Quran gives towards war or capital punishment comes with solid reasons.

So there you go. It has its challenges despite being significantly useful, especially since the weak have always been in a fight, blind-folded and with two hands tied behind their back. Only this time, the powerful have better coaches, better training facilities and the referee.

I just felt like writing on this topic - for a concrete purpose - but nothing in particular.

Peace :)