1
Q
Van Aelst et al (2017) – 6 concerns about recent changes in the political environment
A
- declining amount of political news
- declining quality of news
- power concentration and decreasing diversity
- increasing polarization and fragmentation
- increasing relativism towards facts
- increasing inequalities
2
Q
diversity paradox
A
more outlets (because of the online world) but they are less diverse - The more media outlets, the fewer outlets people consume and stick to their niche
3
Q
Bennet article - a new logic
A
Self-motivated participation (a need to express one’s feelings) → participation is not a cost
4
Q
howard and hussein article - preference falsification
A
- People are afraid of speaking up and protesting (repression)
- They do not share their private (anti-government) beliefs
5
Q
howard and hussein article - shared grievances
A
- State-controlled media
- Citizens rather uninformed about a wide range of grievances
- Via social media they can bypass government censorship and learn about new grievances
6
Q
Bandwagon effect
A
- People don’t want to be the first ones to go on the streets (repression)
- When a critical mass already on the streets, individual repression is less likely
- Social media flooded with images of peoples already on the street
7
Q
5 phases of the story of digital media & Arab spring
A
- Preparation: early tech-savvy activists who start sharing grievances and building community
- Ignition: incident / triggering event
- Street protests
- International buy-in
- Climax: win or lose moment
8
Q
the three F’s
A
fear, friction and flooding
9
Q
Three main ways in which politicians use social media:
A
- Marketing: building a public image
- Mobilization: campaign events, volunteer, donate, vote, etc.
- Dialogue: the most revolutionary from a normative view
