Social Justice and Social Media
Social Justice and Social Media
A book review done recently on New York Times book comprised an essay on Harrington, who authored a book on poverty in America published in 1962. The book was small but extremely influential during the presidencies of Johnson and Kennedy. The book persuaded people that paucity was more intractable and it was extensive than it was the previous thought. I have admiration for Harrington and half a century later, the words he said are capturing the challenges in addressing issues affecting individuals who are voiceless in the society. Harrington noted that people get invisible in crucial things, which affect them. They are not just neglected and forgotten. The worst is that they are invisible.
The words of Harrington are true like after their writing, poverty, homelessness and hunger is on the American majority and hardly ever top of mind. The modern media is celebrating consumption rather than scarcity and is focusing on personality and celebrity. It is no longer focusing on convoluted issues with long term solutions. Poverty has remained exotically remote. The cities Americans live; the work place and recreation are in a manner that the majority of the Americans could spend their entire lives devoid of experiencing a community that is impecunious.
However, in a different perspective and firstly in history, the underprivileged are unavoidable or they do not need to be the same. There is immediate access to information regarding nearly everything at present. There is access to information regarding those who got hurt, secluded or left behind and the reasons for this. For instance, logging in to social media can give someone access to first hand information on certain issues (Wong, 2012).
Currently, a person does not need to go to Mississippi Delta to experience hunger issues as Bobby Kennedy did, or organize a hearing of the Congress for reviewing it such as Senator McGovern did. The technology of the internet brings the opportunity of learning and knowing the way other individuals live various parts of the town and in various parts of the world. This comes with the liability of engaging as a citizen, both nationally and internationally in a novel and authoritative ways. Roger Cohen, a New York Times columnist, in his story about journalistic accountability made us remember that social media is not as significant as face to face witnesses bearing. Bearing witnesses implies being available and doing this is not free.
Search engines do not give do not enable one to get the sense danger. However, search engines together with social media have the capability of stripping the poor people’s invisibility at the moment which was a conceivable excuse for inaction. Therefore, if the underprivileged are invisible to us at the moment; they are invisible through the choice we make, the failure to be curious and failure to have public commitment and obligation (Shore, 2009).
Social media has no capability of ensuring social justice. However, it can have effect on the invisibility that acts as the initial obstacle for attaining it. Harrington never imagined the manner in which social media make the deprived be seen to use at the present. However, he would have been articulate to remind people that social media as well makes apathy and unresponsiveness.
Media justice is among the crucial issues on the modern day agenda. This agenda drew researchers’ attention gradually, but it is currently a field of rational stimulation together with being a practical consequence. In the transformational media environment, media and social justice is coming at the appropriate timing.
Social media are on a platform whereby people share their lives together with interests with other individuals. Many people use social medial daily. Pictures of babies, pictures of graduation and politics opinions, or pop music get uploaded for people to see and comment. Initially, internet media followed a similar model as old school radio, print and television. Outlets were communicating information to the general public.
During these periods, it used to be a conversation involving one way communication. Social media entails a dialogue between small groups of audience having similar interests. Social media enables people to give their comments regarding something and give their criticism and also offer their perceptions. Some people have called it Web 2.0, which emphasizes its difference from the one way internet (Pooley, et al 2011).
There are considerable connections between the social media and the social justice. The majority of principles match those of the community that organize them. It entails people grouping for a unified reason; they build a community of individuals caring about similar things. In many occasions, this does not go past ridiculous conversations on sports and celebrities; however, it is up to us to turn these connections and conversations into action. There is a reason to thank the technology of social networking because we are no longer depending on conventional media. When people intent to give their opinions they do it without having to get approval from the leading journals. Now people are free to give their stories to the whole world without facing obstacles.
Social media does not mean an enchantment that does the work for the people. Irrespective of the way the mainstream media is talking about Egypt as revolution of Media, it should be known that the revolution they had would be similar to the one anticipated in other countries via the decisive work of dedicated incredible organizers. An update of twitter does not get someone off the phone banking hook or knocking of the door. Similarly, an email does not amount into been a replacement of real conversation (Harrington, 2011).
Social media are part of the organizing hence it cannot be seen as been separate. Social media does not function when it is someone in an office somewhere without an idea of the happenings. It is another place for the voices of communities affected directly to be aired. Following this, it ought to be integrated into other facets of excellent organizing like participatory research, public education, direct action, and leadership development, among others.
Social media comprise of roles similar to any other media. Social media should be taken as seriously as press callers or police negotiators or other roles. A given individual ought to take charge of all the accounts of social media if there arises a direct even or a direct action. This should be done with an open participation with other components of action. In social media, different categories of people can participate irrespective of the comfort level in technology.
Among the advantages of social media is the manner in which apposite planning can open it up to different people. For members who are considerably nervous about public speaking, to deliver a press conference, they can be chatted with one on one from the confines of the office and a short video shot to give the conversation. People who have accounts on Facebook can invite their close acquaintances to actions (Shipler, 2005).
Probably, the perception is that that 95% of the facebook activities are absurd and time wasting. Probably majority of people follow twitter to know the lives of celebrities. However, it can be used for calling a protest turnout, or for crying foul for happening which are not appealing. There are many positive things for which social media can be used to achieve. Therefore, though we may personally get these aspects as been outrageous, any tools in the fight for emancipation cannot be overlooked (Harrington, 2011).
In the social media, the enemy is listening. Anything placed on an open social network is gone through by various targets including the law enforcement. Sensitive information should not be published for all to see. Confidential information should be kept secret. The choice of words should be careful to avoid misunderstanding. Honesty should be upheld to ensure that the presented information is trustworthy and reliable.
Newsrooms are reducing the staff hired in these organizations, and reporters are not having much time or hustle for digging deep into various happenings. The more people put out through social networking, the easier it becomes to repurpose staff and become news. The majority of groups, together with the large ones lack the time or inclination for putting any effort for building a social networking presence, past probably establishing a page of facebook for soliciting donations through PayPal.
Putting effort to come up with a strong population online a contribution can be made for collective social justice work even if the staff and resources are inadequate. This can be used for playing a crucial role in partnership work with larger groups feeling that there is nothing smaller groups can offer since they could not produce mammoth rally numbers (Harrington, 1997).
The privileged individuals previously were the ones using social media. However, this has no longer been true. People earning low income, specifically young people, are currently using social media expansively. Asking a novel member of the tech savvy to assist in building a social networking base, specifically the work that one has the capability of doing or which is unwilling to do is a greater way for identifying strengths and get people invested in the work. Facebook friends can be invited to take action, or an hour used researching or adding friends and finding YouTube videos dealing with the issues one has in hand.
The social networking appeal lies in actual interactions. This is what the majority of people kept on coming back. There is a direct communication with other people. It may appear unsatisfactory to click like on the news article posted by a friend, or leave a comment on their status update; however, doing this will add happiness to them. Although these social gestures may appear casual, they make people feel more connected to the identity of an organization as well as work (Bowean, 2011).
Social media has been on an increase in the recent years. It has acted as a social justice tool providing justice to the underprivileged whose voices could not be heard before. The use of social media has increased the chances of listening to peoples’ voices and their predicaments solved.
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