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Old And New Media

OLD AND NEW MEDIA: CONVERGING DURING THE PAKISTAN EMERGENCY (MARCH 2007-FEBRUARY 2008)
Abstract
Arguments about digital technology, civic engagement, and collective action are often framed in the context of political participation in developed nations, particularly, the United States. Many have concluded that the availability of digital technologies and new media platforms facilitates democratic practices and participatory behavior. Whether this is equally true of the developing world remains to be critically examined.
Pakistan is a developing nation where digitally networked technologies and new media platforms are emerging, and where a struggle to establish democratic norms amidst authoritarian superstructures is underway. Between March 2007 and February 2008, a period referred to colloquially as the ‘Pakistan Emergency,’ a state of emergency was imposed, the constitution suspended, a popular politician assassinated, media censorship enforced, and general elections conducted.
To help address the knowledge gap about new media and democracy in the developing world, this research paper examines how digital technologies--such as cellphones and live internet streams--and new media platforms--including blogs, YouTube, Flickr, and Facebook--were used to promote democracy, coordinate action, and disseminate citizen journalism during the ‘Pakistan Emergency.’
This research finds that the Pakistani media landscape is multifaceted, comprising a combined--or alternating--use of different mainstream media sources, digital technologies, and new media platforms, depending on availability and security. Moreover, the study finds that the participation gap--the ability to meaningfully use digital technologies and new media--impacts participatory behavior and civic action far more than the digital divide, which is often overcome through the combined use of different technologies. The study also concludes that new media platforms are increasingly effective as tools for...