Hi guys,
Skye, Kirsty and I (Molly) are looking forward to presenting in class tomorrow. Democratization is defined as a transformation of political institutions that leads to the establishment and expansion of democratic institutions in a political system, and there is certainly no doubt that social media, albeit a recent phenomenon has a profound effect on democratization. Ever since the Arab Spring started ten years ago, social media has been argued to have facilitated pro-democracy movements however recent events have shown the flip side of that coin. Tomorrow we will discuss whether social media is a boon or a bane for democracy, refer to recent popular uprising to analyze this, and scrutinize whether reform or regulation is needed in Canada.
It would be great if you guys could listen to this podcast “Breaking Bongo” available here: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/breaking-bongo (there is also a transcript version available on this same link). This podcast will provide context into the powerful and potent effect communication channels have on democracy. It is a really interesting podcast based on the role of communications and social media in a turbulent Gabon. Hope you guys enjoy.
Looking forward to tomorrow.
Take care,
Kirsty, Molly & Skye