Media Transformation and Political Dissent

This weeks readings focused on how the Internet has produced many new forms of reporting and tools for dissent. In the article Taking the state out of the state—media relations theory: how transnational advocacy networks are changing the press—state dynamic, Sean Aday and Steven Livingston discussed how transnational advocacy networks are challenging traditional networks. The reading discusses how traditional “beat” reporters rely to heavily on their sources and perhaps give too much credence these sources.  Aday introduces the concept on of transnational networks he states: “composed of variety of nongovernmental organizations, international organizations, governments, and myriad individuals located within these bureaucracies and other levers of symbolic power in world affairs including academia and the media.”  The definition offered is summarized with that they share “ a common vision of an issue or condition". While I have to say  that at first this statement rubbed me the wrong way, I think it is dangerous to have an agenda in reporting, I wonder if there is such a thing as unbiased reporting. As the reading suggest traditional media reporters, develop close relationship with sources and perhaps that influences their reporting?

The reading this week also highlighted the importance of the Internet as a tool of political dissent. The reading From Steamed Bun to Grass Mud Horse: E Gao as alternative political discourse on the Chinese Internet is a fascinating example of how people in China are using creative ways to shed light on the censorship by the government. The main thing the reading stresses in the humor in these messages, and perhaps that’s why they achieved their viral status. Humor has away for uniting a population, and the reading cites the popularity of shows such as the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, not only entertain, but strike a cord with viewers about important political issues, one need only to look at the popularity of his Rally to Restore Sanity to see that the influence of the show is significant. The reading reminded me a lot of the “dictators dilemma” how do you promote the use of the Internet, while also censoring it? I think the efforts by Chinese dissents will only increase, and the more the government tries to restrict content, the more the population with push back. One only needs to look at what happened when Mubarak shut down the Internet in Egypt, to quell the revolution.  The E Gao movement is creative as it is funny.