| The Internet is one of the greatest tools against | | | | something is put in writing it gains acceptance in a |
| censorship. Bloggers can get information out within | | | | new way. People forget their critical thinking once |
| seconds using either Twitter, Facebook, personal | | | | they see something that appears credible - and in |
| blogs or reporting in little videos that are | | | | that lies a great challenge for politicians also. |
| afterward shared on YouTube. | | | | The Obama campaign was one of the first |
| Social media has changed politics in many ways. | | | | Presidential campaigns to include the internet, and |
| Bad words in any small land community can | | | | many of us still regularly receive updates through |
| become national television news when someone | | | | Twitter. President Obama knows there is a |
| decides to share an interview through YouTube. | | | | second campaign to be won also. Therefore his |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown discovered that | | | | tools are still well-established, and kept functional. |
| during the recent elections when he forgot to | | | | In much the same way, campaign funds will be |
| remove a microphone that afterward showed | | | | better used when we realize that we don't |
| inappropriate words about an inquisitive lady that | | | | necessarily need to cut lots of trees to get |
| asked questions he didn't like. | | | | functional campaigns running. Campaigning through |
| It's both good and bad. Bad for journalists who | | | | the internet is much more friendly towards the |
| want to keep copyright to materials they have | | | | environment, and gives a greater effect than |
| used, but certainly good for democracy since | | | | what we have ever seen before. |
| events can be shared all over the globe without | | | | What is truly encouraging about all of this is that |
| any time delays for media to reach other parts | | | | as the internet spreads even into dictatorships it |
| of the world. It is a big challenge for established | | | | will be far more difficult for tyrants to brainwash |
| news media who were used to being the only | | | | their people. Unfortunately, however, we have |
| source people listened to, and now they have to | | | | seen that some requests for shutting down the |
| adapt to the fact that we are all journalists in one | | | | internet have been followed by certain ISPs. One |
| form or another. | | | | example is China that didn't want access through |
| Much more than this, it is also a challenge for each | | | | Google Gmail to the internet for their people. All |
| of us because we must become better at | | | | such activities will be impossible to dictate as the |
| selecting between good and bad information. Once | | | | internet spreads, and the freedom that follows. |