NEW MEDIA IN CONTEMPORATY TIMES

COMRADE JULIUS TRUST BOKURU

ARTICLE (1) By comrade julius trust bokuru
Nothing has defined our transition into the 21st century more than what new media has. Taking the last decade in retrospect one might not note very much evident changes except of course the emergence of new media. Back then, major news corporations were mostly government owned, they churned out volumns upon volumns of screened articles on newspapers which very often did not meet the demands of the teeming populace. Only a priviledged few had the grace to create and disseminate information. For that, news became scarce and relatively unreliable, thus, providing shelters for political and social excesses.
It is fair to say that had new media emerged earliar, a good deal of the dictators that featured all through the last century would have been ousted soon after their inconsistencies earned publicity. Our Mobutu's, Idi Amins, Kenyatta's, apartheid regimes etc. Wouldn't have lingered with the goblet of power as they did.
New media is the greatest gift man has armed democracy with. Little wonder communist and autocratic regimes vehemently reviewed and banned social media detecting it as an enhancer of free speech. The importance of new media in contemporary times can never be over emphasized. Images are effectively created and effectivel tarnished with alarming ease. President Jonathan who first declared his intent to run for the presidency of Nigeria on facebook in less than a week became one of the most 'liked' presidents on social media, second only to president Barack Obama of the United states. Social media was the wheels by which the campaigns of Goodluck Jonathan and Henry Dickson for president and governor respectively glided into record victories, courtesy of Dr John Idumange's social media crusades
Another very notoriously fascinating example of the rising might of new media was the Arab spring which in many respects is still ongoing. It all started in Tunisia when a certain Bouazisi struck a match and placed it on his fuel-taken body, incinerating both himself and his shattered dreams, an act inspired his insensitive government. The fires from Bouazisi's body illuminated the arab world through the near infinite channels of new media
New media has been more than a setback for corruption, it has imposed the process of transparency on so many governments around the world. As seen in 2011 general elections, new media played a very crucial role in the conduction of one of the fairest elections of our time
It has increased awareness among citizens. The former ignoramuses of politics can now say a thing or two about latest political events. It has made it possible to share experience and knowledge of tools used around the world and explore possibility of adaptation partaining good governance such as performance assesment, budget tracking, policy driven discourse, civic engagements etc.
It is imperative to note that new media has come to stay and it will forever be a tool of good governance provided that governments, corporations, individuals harness its potentials to the fullest extent.