Democracy though media Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Democracy though media - Article Example The new media has exponentially augmented the access to information and has dramatically expanded the scope of free speech. The global flow of information has enabled people around the world to test and contrast the archaic models of civic life with the emerging trends and influences. The pivotal question in this context is that is the new media ubiquitous and if it is so, does it have the potential to contribute to the cause of democracy at a global scale? I s new media contributing to democratic values in Castro’s Cuba or in war ravaged Afghanistan? A general perusal of the history establishes beyond doubt that one or other form of media did play an essential role in the dissemination of political values and ideologies in the 20th century. Lenin’s smuggling of Iskra into Russia, nine decades ago is an apt example of the subversion of a regime through the usage of media (Leighley, 2003). The ground for the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1978 was possibly laid down when the supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini managed to smuggle audio cassettes into the mosques in Iran (Leighley, 2003). Actually, in many cases, the media was able to impart an aura of credibility to the political content transmitted through it, thereby manifold increasing its effectiveness and impact. For example, when the B92 Radio Station in Serbia was banned by the Milosevic regime, it managed to remain on air by closely associating with the international news organizations like CNN, BBC and Voice of America (Leighley, 2003). The net result was that the cover age of B92 being transmitted into Serbia from outside began to be regarded by its recipients as more credible and authentic than before. The recent Spring Revolution in the Middle East had an inevitable new media element associated with it. The same stands to be true for the recent uprisings in Indonesia. To a great extent it is true that though media has already been a part of most