Global Digital Diplomacy, An Ebook

DIGITAL DIPLOMACY Social Media & Civil Society
A Compendium of Blog Posts on eDiplomacy & Civil Society

An eBook
Compiled By: Giles Crouch
2013 MediaBadger Ltd. All Rights. Creative Commons.
2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution
contents
- Our Cultural Identiers in Social Media - 4 - Citizen Snackers, Government & Social Media -5 - Role of Social Media in Aid Delivery Programs -6 - Twitter in Developing Countries- 7 - Twitter, Emerging Markets and Digital Diplomacy - 8 - Ranking of Governments Using Digital Diplomacy 2012 - 9 - 2012 Top 10 Hottest Social Issues in Social Media Globally - 11 - Analysis of Foreign Language Use in Elections: Tunisia - 14 - Public Policy and The Downside of Focusing on Inuencers in Social Media - 15 - Dangerous Assumptions About Social Media Engagement in Developing Nations - 16 - Why Governments Engage in Digital Diplomacy Through Social Media - 18 - Social Media and Language Usage in Foreign Digital Diplomacy - 19 - Digital Diplomacy As a Soft Power Element 20 - Foreign Policy & Social Media: A New Battleground? - 21 - How America is Leading Foreign Digital Diplomacy - 23 - Why Social Media Works in Civil Actions - 24 - The Double Edged Sword of Social Media in Civil Unrest - 25 - The Role of Social Media in Foreign Policy 27 - Government Engaging Ethnic Communities via Social Media - 28 - Social Media & The New Tensions Between Society and Government - 29 - Social Media & Political Action: When? - 30 - How Social Media Activism Turns Into Real World Results - 31 - Mobile & Social Media Global Issues Forecast - 33 - Online Petitions: Why They Fail - 34 - Civil Society Groups and How They Use Social Media - 36 - Are Digital Diaspora Communities Engaged in Online Politics? - 37 - Tricky Political Tactics in Social Media - 39 - The Social Media Challenge for Crisis Reporting - 41 - Social Media and Cultural Warfare: A Synopsis - 42 - Why Facebook is not A Revolutionaries Tool 44 - Importance of Emotion & Mythology in Social Media for Government - 46 - Phases of Social Media Use in Civil Society 48 - The Hidden Internet in Developing Nations 50 - Exporting Revolutions in Social Media - 52 - Digital Activism and the Message Map - 53 - An Uncomfortable Question on Freedom of Speech - 54 - The Evangelical Right & Aid Relief in Fragile States - 56 - Haiti, Social Media and Being Connected - 57 - Social Media in Fragile Nations: Elites Only? 58 - Social Media as an Information Weapon - 60 - Dialog or Conict? Social Media in the Next Century - 62 - How Social Media Might Strengthen Cultures - 64 - Tongue Twisting Social Media: On Cyber Slang - 65
Foreword
Our hope at MediaBadger is that the material in this compendium or eBook, can be insightful and perhaps helpful and hopefully, thought provoking. Today, over 2 billion people are connected to the Internet, or cyberspace, if you will. Around the world, academics, governments and professionals are all trying to make sense of cyberspace and the technologies that connect us. It is our intense curiosity at MediaBadger that drives us to do the research we do. Our team is often insatiable in their desire to learn and make sense of all this information and the world around us. Its hard to get perspective at the best of times. The human conversation is constantly evolving. Every day, millions of hours of video are uploaded to YouTube alone. Hundreds of millions of people add to the global conversation in almost every language every second and every hour of the day. Since 2009 weve conducted nearly 300 research projects for clients and some internally. This compendium brings together what we thought would be the most insightful for readers interested in how social media is impacting civil society. Our view is that there has been and continues to be, massive amounts of time and effort by the business world on consumer and marketing issues related to social media. While this is important in terms of consumer economics, we spend most of our time researching the impact of these tools and technologies around civil society issues. Arguably perhaps, we are the rst research and consulting rm to focus on the impact of social media technologies in civil society in both the Global North and the Global South. Our team consists of experienced ambassadors, diplomats, senior police and military personnel, anthropologists, sociologists, investor and public relations practitioners, government relations professionals, international law and peace operations professionals. And as we see social media as a global issue, our team members come from all over the world including Kenya, Ghana, Mexico, Lebanon, Egypt, China, South Korea, England, Belgium, America and beyond. This incredible mix of experiences, cultures, religions and views makes for a very dynamic working environment and truly global perspectives. These blog posts that weve compiled reect some intense debates and discussions. The writing style varies and we remind the reader that these are blog posts; they are written to be concise and short and sometimes state an opinion or view quickly. Blog posts are meant to be short and concise. They also span three years.
Our Cultural Identiers in Social Media //

In 2009 we ran our rst internal research project regarding social media use in Africa in terms of civil society issues. We were surprised in a few ways by what we learned. Clients that we shared the report with were also quite surprised all in a very good way. The objective of our research project was to attempt to understand if there were any online discussions by Sudanese around the census undertaken for the referendum on separation by southern Sudan from the north. Indeed there was. The key take-aways from this research and some subsequent projects were: 1. Tribal Identiers: In 97% of the instances of discussions in forums, blogs and social networks, people rst identied themselves by their tribe, then their country and then their views. Tribal distinctions it seems, are important in the context of online discussions around politics, sports and religion in social media in Africa. We have since found some similar traits emerging in parts of Latin America. 2. Engagement is Not Restricted to Elites: A common assumption of business management and many senior government ofcials is that only the elite in a developing nation use the Internet. Weve proven this wrong with our research projects in Iraq, Haiti, Jamaica, Ghana, Benin and a number of other countries. As weve detailed before, non-elites or the general population use mobile phones, Internet cafes and hijacked high-speed connections. All socioeconomic levels are very active in social media and this is increasing rapidly around the world. 3. Language Usage: The most common language, even in Africa, tends to be English or French in Africa then Spanish and English in Latin America. As Africa is a plurality of languages, the dominant language is that of the former colonising country. Since there can be an incredible variance in tribal languages, English or French becomes the easiest for more people to understand. These ndings have been supported through subsequent research projects weve since conducted in Benin, Ghana, Cote DIvoire, DRC and South Africa. For governments engaging in Digital Diplomacy (or eDiplomacy as some call it) and companies engaged in international marketing through social media, understanding these nuances can make the difference in monitoring and also strategy development. - See original at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/06/our-cultural-identiers-in-social-mediafrom-africa-to-latin-america/
Original Post: 21 June 2012
Citizen Snackers, Government & Social Media //

Governments in democratic countries are struggling with how they should engage in social media. Governments in not so democratic countries are subverting social media to their cause; rather effectively in many cases if you read Evgeny Morozovs insightful commentary. And then citizens of democratic nations want, often rant, for government to be more open, to engage in a dialogue. Sounds simple right? Except its not. The Citizen Snacker Increasingly, people are snacking when it comes to Web-based content (social media et al.) People prefer 90 second or less video content, quickly share and comment on photos and since weve been researching social media use, weve seen the average blog post slip down to 200 words from 800 words. Been on Wikipedia? Ever found yourself wondering where you started and how you got to where you did? Right. Snacking. Government Policy is Not Really Snackable Were taking editorial liberty to invent snackable as a word but how do you effectively explain why a certain government policy is needed in 140 characters on Twitter? You cant, but you can include a link to where the deeper content is. Some people will go there. Most wont. But theyll sure have an opinion on it. We Love Our Echo Chambers Increasingly in our various research projects, we are seeing how people tend to engage with others who have similar views and opinions. This means if youre a golfer, for example, you will tend to focus on websites and social networks related to golng. Those who are deeply religious will tend to stay within those online communities. This is just normal, real-world human behaviour translated to Cyburbia. We call it Echo Chambers. Our research has shown that at least 78% of people engaged in social media are in some form of Echo Chamber. Perception Becomes Reality in 140 Characters Were in the 90-Second Economy or the Attention Economy. We snack on media, we scan news headlines, we quickly share a breaking story. But we rarely dive deep. Weve done some research for clients showing that on a really horric story (i.e. a school shooting or grisly murder) that people will dig deep at the height, chasing content. Within 72 hours of the conclusion of the event howeveryou get the picture. But this is the reality that people perceive.
Government & Perception: The Public Diplomacy Challenge When a government implements new legislation or a policy of some sort, that invariably impacts society. Major issues such as debt management, tax increases or justice need deeper explanation. The challenge governments face is getting a point across in 90-seconds and providing the back-up somewhere for those who are interested. Can government choose not to engage? Certainly. But can they afford not to? New policies are a reecting of the political party in power. At some point an election will be called. If people use social media well enough, they can change and shape perceptions as good as, if not better than, political parties. As happened with Keystone XL Pipeline citizen use of social media was very effective, it created enough awareness that it caused political damage. Were Over 200 Words Our readers will be pleased to know were working on a bookthat is more than 200 words. Sorry weve exceeded your attention span of 200 words, but if youve read this far, were delighted! - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/06/citizen-snackers-government-socialmedia-a-rough-mix
Original Post: 6 June 2012
Role of Social Media in Aid Delivery Programs //

While there is much discussion regarding the use of social media for crowdsourcing during humanitarian crises, there are other relevant applications of social media analysis and engagement on an ongoing basis. But rst, some assumptions need to be addressed namely that there is little use of social media by non-elites in developing nations. Such an assumption has lead to some missed opportunities and more based on some of our research. Often, in developing nations, social media services are accessed through mobile phones, either by texting to a social network or accessing it directly through an app on the phone. Nonelites or general society often access the Internet and social media services through Internet cafes or buying from an individual who has set up a private ISP service from their home. In our research projects in Sudan, Haiti, Benin, DRC, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries we estimated Internet use by the general population (non-elites) was on average, 43% higher than ofcial estimates taken from reporting ISPs in the country. By researching and analysing social media usage by civil society (both non-state organisational actors and individuals) aid agencies, governments helping in reconstruction or aid and other organisations, can gain some key insights into topical issues. They may identify areas where aid isnt reaching or be able to better dene political atmospherics, new groups to engage with and more meaningful dialogue opportunities.
2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution 6
These are but some of the benets to researching and understanding the engagement of civil society in social media today. Others become apparent when research is undertaken and aid organisations or governments can enhance their digital and public diplomacy activities. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/05/social-medias-role-in-aid-deliveryprograms/
Original Post: 5 May 2012
Twitter in Developing Countries //

Twitter saves a cow. Sounds funny in a Western world context doesnt it? But in rural Kenya, that cow is a critical part of staying alive. An Al Jazeera story shows an immediate and direct impact of the microblogging tool Twitter in Kenya. It is a direct statement of the role these technologies are starting to play in developing nations. In this case, it is a local policeman who is bringing the education of how to use this tool in meaningful ways. Access to Twitter is via a much cheaper SMS or texting gateway. Although Twitter recently announced a low-bandwidth version, SmartPhones can still be too expensive in many developing countries and SMS integration will remain a key use for sometime. Increasingly, we are seeing how mobile apps and social media services are being accessed by mobile phones through SMS gateways. When you add in geolocation capabilities of mobile carriers, we start to see how these phones, not even advanced ones like the iPhone or Blackberry, can play an increasingly vital role in public diplomacy, digital diplomacy, aidrelief, monitoring & evaluation and crisis reporting (as is done already by valuable systems like Ushahidi.) As citizens in these countries begin to see the direct impact value of these tools, it can help governments reach out and connect more with citizens. On the downside, less amenable governments may also use the tools in more nefarious ways such as listening in or seeking opponents. Sadly, there is always good with the bad, but one can hope the good will outweigh the bad in these instances. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/05/twitter-in-developing-countries/
Original Posting: 5 May 2012
Twitter, Emerging Markets and Digital Diplomacy //

Twitter announced on May 7th of 2012 that it has made signicant changes to its software for mobile devices (iPhones, iPads, tablets and BlackBerrys etc.) so that it uses less bandwidth than previous versions all ostensibly to benet users in emerging markets (read: developing nations.) The rst obvious intent of such a move is for marketing purposes to drive revenues. That is of course, the initial strategy. But it has deeper implications in terms of public diplomacy or eDiplomacy. In Moldova in 2009, citizens planned to use Twitter to start a revolution. It failed miserably. In 2009, Twitter featured prominently in the Iranian failed Green Revolution (although some research indicates most tweets in support of the Iran revolution were coming from nonIranians outside Iran.) The use of Twitter by the Occupy movement and during the protests against Keystone XL Pipeline are examples more regionally. In terms of revolutions, Twitter cannot and will not create revolutions, that is the work of humans. But Twitter can, and has, played a critical role in organising and communicating. Such was the case in Egypt and during the Arab Spring as a whole. With the app for mobile devices now to become more accessible in low-bandwidth areas, the can provide a critical tool to those in less democratic nations who want to rally people to a cause or create attention in Western nations. It is key to realize that Twitter enables a more global engagement than ever before; but thats another blog post. For those practicing Digital Diplomacy or eDiplomacy, this is yet another tool that becomes more readily available in terms of reach and engagement. Although it is interesting to note that most emerging markets that are building wireless/cellular networks often end up with better bandwidth and cheaper access to more services than found in Canada and the U.S. and many EU countries. As an example, Haiti has implemented a 3G network, rivalling that of Canadians and many American cities at comparable lower cost. Still, a lower bandwidth Twitter app is good in many ways. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/05/twitter-emerging-markets-digitaldiplomacy/
Original Posting: 8 May 2012
Ranking of Governments Using Digital Diplomacy 2012 //

The concept of Digital Diplomacy (sometimes called Virtual Diplomacy) is fairly new, arguably coming to the forefront of international affairs as a result of the failed Green Revolution in Iran in 2009 where social media played a role, albeit ambiguously in its effect. Then came the Arab Spring and the use of Facebook and other tools. Today, the most active governments are the U.S. and UK in using social media as Digital Diplomacy tools. Below weve provided a ranking of which democratic and non-democratic countries are most active in terms of international relations through digital media in Cyberspace. Democratic Governments Using Social Media for Digital Diplomacy As the graph below shows, the U.S. government leads the way with a foreign affairs department using social media actively to promote its foreign policy with a close second from the UK FCO. Australia is third but coming up fast. For the most part however, most governments tend to broadcast and not engage in dialogue. This graph ranks a government based on a) volume of content created and pushed across digital channels, b) number of channels they are active in and c) number of entities or people that push out content from that department. The highest a government can achieve for activity is a 9.
Democratic Governments Engaging in Dialogue with Foreign Citizens for Digital Diplomacy Without a doubt, Australia leads in terms of responding to inquiries and having, albeit short, bursts of engagement with citizens from other countries. Behind them is the Netherlands and then the UK. We term engagement as responding to inquiries and questions and occasionally in Twitter, re-tweeting content from someone else.Engaging in dialogue however, can be a challenge for a government in international affairs as there can be serious implications. Over time, as diplomatic services become more familiar with and comfortable in the use of social media, engagement levels will likely change.
Methodology For this research we used our proprietary software to analyze the Twitter accounts of conrmed government foreign affairs departments and then looked at trafc and engagement across blogs, Facebook and any other social networks such as YouTube. Rankings are designed to understand the level of activity use by each government in a channel. Human analysts then completed the work through link and data verication. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/04/ranking-of-governments-engaged-indigital-diplomacy-through-social-media/
Original Posting: 4 April 2012
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2012 Top 10 Hottest Social Issues in Social Media Globally //

In April of 2010, we took our rst look into what were the hottest issues of civil society in the USA, Canada and UK on international concerns. We looked at the historical period of 2008 to March of 2010. Now, again two years later, we decided to see if there were any changes and conducted a historical trend from 2010 to 2011. Our methodology and sample size is detailed at the bottom of this blog post. Were just touching upon the surface of these issues in this blog post; you can contact us directly for a deeper discussion. What we did nd that is important in this new study, is that citizens in the US, Canada and UK are increasingly discussing issues of civil society; politics, legislation, services etc. Based on a comparative sample size between the two studies (we increased the sample size analysis in 2012) we can see a 34% increase in overall discussion volumes of civil society issues. This is important for government policy makers, those involved with public diplomacy and large corporations with a vested interest in these issues. Financial Crisis: We re-classied this as US focused as Europe warranted a category on its own. Overall, the concern of citizens in the US, Canada and UK regarding the impact of the US Financial crisis and system of 2008-9 has declined in our rankings. We accounted for US citizen views to form a weighted average and adjusted for engaged volume of population sizes. While remains a concern, increasingly, people in all three countries are more concerned with the nancial crisis in the EU, seeing it as potentially impacting the global economy and certainly Western economies. Energy: This replaces Aid Relief as a greater and growing concern. Leading the source of citizen concerns in US and Canada is fracking with its impact on water supplies, in additional the Keystone XL Pipeline contributed signicantly to the volume of discussion in 2011. In terms of energy we included renewable and non-renewable sources and the adoption of greener sources. Although there is a signicant rise in concerns over energy, citizens continue to increase their consumption.
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Climate Change: Interrelated with energy is climate change. Interestingly, this issue held steady with 2011 views by citizens. We havent seen a signicant or even marginal increase in discussion by citizens in social media over climate change. Middle East: No doubt triggered by the Arab Spring in 2011, citizens in Canada, USA and UK have turned their attention to the Middle East. Many are positively impacted by the obvious turn to a demand for greater democracy by citizens in these Arab countries. Unease over Israel and Palestine continues and Iran features prominently as many citizens fear at least a low-level conict. Many continue to see the region as volatile and unpredictable, but there is a more upbeat view of the region and possible stabilization. Europe Crisis: Certainly a concern of UK citizens so directly impacted by the economy of the EU, it still weighs strong for UK and Canadian citizens. With Canada negotiating a free trade agreement with the EU the state of the economy becomes of increasing interest to Canadians, while America sees this trading partner impacting its investment banking sector and sales of consumer goods. Likely the EU crisis will feature in citizen concerns into 2014. Afghanistan: In 2010, we added Iraq into the equation as it was a hot topic of discussion in all three countries. Today the discussion over Iraq has dropped signicantly, while the issue of Afghanistan has risen to a category of its own. With all three countries having been engaged in combat and civil engineering in Afghanistan, it is no surprise citizens were so engaged. Privacy: The issue of privacy is one that always simmers in the background, but is of increasing concern to citizens in the US, Canada and UK. All three countries have been working through various changes and proposed legislations concerning privacy and copyright laws. With the SOPA and PIPA issue in the US, this has citizens of Canada and the UK looking on fearing similar ripple effects in their own countries. US Election: This one has been simmering to a boil since 2010. Canadian and UK citizens are always fascinated with the U.S. elections and so it was no surprise this issue featured prominently in our analysis. China: Increasingly, citizens in the U.S., Canada and UK are expressing concerns over Chinas increasing role on the global stage. Their impact on the U.S. dollar, acquisition of natural resources in Canada and the U.S. and their role in acquiring energy resources around the world. While Chinas soft power and economic power is less than Americas, people are increasinglyperceivinga greater level of inuence on the coming years for China. In Soft Power terms, perceptions are important.
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As western countries increasingly engage in Digital Diplomacy and even Public Diplomacy domestically takes on a digital aspect, insight into what citizens are concerned about can help change and form policy and strategic communications.
Methodology: This project was carried out using our proprietary search engine and analytics software. We only analysed English language. We took a representative sample size of 3,000 citizens per country and weighted for engaged population in the U.S., Canada and UK. We did not identify any particular individuals in this report. We discounted sockpuppeting and astroturng comments and applied our spam lters. The age groups sampled were between 25 and 55 where we could identify an education of at least high school level. We analysed 350,000 tweets from Twitter, 4,750 blog postings and 125 news media sites for comments that were publicly available back to 2010. Additional information on our methodology is proprietary. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/04/2012-top-10-hottest-topics-on-societalissues-in-social-media-globally/#sthash.paN1ihgn.dpuf
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Analysis of Foreign Language Use in Elections: Tunisia //

Its common knowledge that Twitter today can play a key role in communications and organising for not just marketing, but civil society issues, such as the Arab Spring and Occupy. Most of our research is for multi-national corporations and governments around public policy and diplomacy. As part of this, Twitter is one of many channels that we look at. This means we have to work in multiple languages. And wed hazard a guess that very few rms deal in langages in social media like we do. With that context set, weve found some interesting aspects to the use of Twitter around languages. It is often assumed that for the country in question, citizens will use mostly if not always, the native language. Turns out this isnt the case. Languages will be mixed up with up to three languages in a single tweet and multiple hashtags. In research into the use of Twitter in Tunisia, Haiti, Sudan and Afghanistan we found that these languages will comprise of; 1) native tongue (Arabic, Kreyol, Tribal), 2) English and 3) the Colonial countrys language such as Spanish or French. In the case of Tunisia (and other former French colony countries) we also found that French words/numbers may be used that sound like an Arabic word. Not even Google Translate can manage this level of complexity, especially when you add numerical characters and an ever changing Lexicon of words. Heres an example of a tweet in Tunisia around the recent election: jai vote ta7ya tounes #TyElec #vote Which basically means I voted in the Tunisia election and what ta7ya tounes translates to is Arabic for long live Tunisia. The use of ta7ya is French and a number that makes up the sound of an Arabic word. Our study looked at 16,700 distinct users all located in Tunisia. We found that 67% of all tweets contained at least one English word with 14% of tweets being fully English. 92% of the tweets we looked at (over a 1 month period from February to March 2012) contained a hashtag. Overall French and English dominated the tweets, which is interesting given it is predominantly an Arabic speaking language. We anticipated a high level of French with Tunisia being a former French colony. The use of hashtags in Twitter for civil society issues has a complex set of communications goals that are used to identify; 1) Event, 2) Location, 3)Timing, 4) Opinion or view. They may also be used to establish political standing, tribal or community standing and a sub-set of events or issues and at times to add another layer of context. An example of an added layer of context is the use of the #Syria and #tugov (means Tunisian government) where the Syrian ambassador to Tunisia was asked to leave. This event took place during the election period and was a subset issue of the national election. In the cases of Haiti we found little use of Kreyol (at only 12% of all tweets examined) and a much higher use of English (68% of the tweets) than French where we had expected French to
be used. The Haitian tweets we looked at were from Haiti and we excluded Haitian diaspora. This is an interesting nding for a country that until the 2010 earthquake used very little English in social media. In Sudan we found that hashtags are often used by people to rst identify their tribe or region of Sudan. Arabic and English dominated with very little use of tribal languages. Conclusion All of this goes to show that Twitter has become a key communication tool for people around the world. For those that dont understand Twitter and only see the silly tweets, this nding we are releasing and our other research shows that Twitter plays a key role in the voice of civil society today and we suspect it will only increase. For building any analytics with natural language processing, it will be a daunting task and always be limited by the rapid changes in hashtags, short life-spans for some hashtags and their evolving nature in Twitter communications. We also posit that the dominant use of English and French is that nationals and civil society groups are intending to reach an international audience, including news media. This issue also adds a layer of complexity for foreign governments with digital diplomacy and public diplomacy programs that use social media. They will need to develop an understanding of the meanings and context of hashtags as they evolve and to understand how words may be played with and what the use of former colonial languages may be signalling, if anything. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/04/analysis-of-foreign-language-usage-intwitter-tunisia/
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Public Policy and The Downside of Focusing on Inuencers in Social Media //

When it comes to companies and brands looking to engage in social media for marketing purposes, the emphasis is on people who have inuence or authorityin other words; reach. If youre a brand, you want to engage with someone who has an audience, that way if they something good about your brand, they reach a lot of people. Thats okay for marketing, but not so much when it comes to public diplomacy or policy issues. Even in marketing terms, it has a downside and heres why. Really valuable information, the kind of information that becomes intelligence (remember, its intelligence we use to make a decision, not informationand were not talking espionage type intelligence) may be a single tweet or blog post from someone who perhaps doesnt have a very big audience. But the quality of their content is critical. In public policy terms, it may be a
blog post that can play a critical role in shaping a policy through a suggested improvement or approach. In marketing terms, it may be a comment on a product feature/function the company had never thought of that provides for a whole new revenue stream. Too often in our research projects (over 200 of them) into social and news media, we see public and private sector clients looking for the big wow or the thought leader they can then instantly form a rapport with without a clear understanding as to why it has to be someone with a big audience. This can mean the most valuable of information gets completely overlooked. With so much industry news media and pundit hype over social media and size mattering more than substance, it is not the fault of the governments, NGOs and corporations who fall prey to looking for big numbers over substance. If youre researching into digital media, in this case specically social media, then be cautious about focusing on on just those who have a big audience; they often have different value to their content. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/04/the-downside-of-focusing-on-inuencersin-social-media-for-public-policy/
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Dangerous Assumptions About Social Media Engagement in Developing Nations //

An assumption weve seen made by some large international aid organisations and Western governments about citizen use of social media in developing nations is that their citizens dont use it. That because ofcial literacy rates are high and broadband Internet access is assumed to only reach the elites, the general population isnt engaged. This is a very dangerous assumption and one weve shown to be wrong on a number of occasions. Heres our ndings; 1. Underground Internet: In projects with partner research rms and from other independent ndings we often uncover a larger than expected underground Internet population. These are people who access the Internet from Internet Cafes and pirated connections. In countries like Haiti, Iraq and Afghanistan, it is not uncommon for someone in an apartment complex or neighbourhood to buy a DSL or high-bandwidth line and then rent access to others around them either wirelessly or through a hard wired router. Assuming that the non-elite cant or arent buying PCs is again a misconception. There is access to these machines through black markets and retailers. Granted, they may be Windows 98 running IE4, but they can still access online forums and basic services enough that people can engage in online dialogue.
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2. AssumedIlliteracy: On the ground surveys and ofcial reporting by a government may allude to high illiteracy rates. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Measurement of literacy is questionable. People learn character recognition and nd literacy by many different means. Often, programs run by NGOs, especially religious NGOs are not counted. Yet they are increasing the literacy rate far faster than might be assumed by a foreign government. In our research projects we found computer literacy rates to sometimes be higher than 20% of what the ofcial government reported. The government of a developing nation reporting low literacy rates helps ensure more aid funding to improve its education programs. 3. The Mobile & Wireless Connection: In many cases, developing nations completely bypass landline infrastructure and go to wireless mobile infrastructure. The systems than get installed range from Edge to G3 networks with many being 3G networks. SmartPhones are affordable, as are data packages. More so than in western nations where data packages are often more costly. Coupled with real literacy rates, the accessibility of mobile devices by those in developing nations translates to quick use of social media apps like Twitter, Facebook and others. 4. The Facebook Delusion: We see this quite often. An assumption by a Western NGO or government that because the population in a developing nation that uses Facebook is primarily elites, that non-elites are not connected to social networks. The reality is that outside of Western and developed nations, Facebook is often not the primary social network. In fact, Facebook will often be far down the list. Those in developing nations and other parts of the world will likely use a social network more integrated with their culture. Like Latin Americans using Orkut ahead of Facebook or Haitians preferring forums over Facebook. 5. False Frame of Reference Assumptions: In most developing nations, we primarily use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flickr and Blogger or WordPress as the top social media apps to access. It is often assumed that these are the only social media channels available. The truth is that there are literally thousands of other tools out there for blogs, images, videos and microblogs as well as social networks. When an NGO or government agency doesnt see activity in a quick Facebook search (and by the way, search in Facebook is terrible) they assume there is little to no engagement. It is natural for people to make assumptions based on our known frames of reference. 6. The Unconsidered Digital Diaspora: Almost every developing nation has diaspora; sometimes rst generation refugees, and often second, third or fourth generation. Regardless, there are always diaspora connected to their country of origin. These communities often collect information from families and friends living in the home nation and then communicate events and issues via social media platforms. This can be a rich source of information often untapped and unrealised by their host nation.
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As a result of these assumptions, larger NGOs and governments may miss several key opportunities that could help them a) improve aid delivery, b) engage in deeper digital diplomacy and c) understand better the situation on the ground politically and in aid terms. Unfortunately, this gap in understanding cant be laid at the feet of government centres like Ottawa, Washington or London. Such assumptions may also reside in the central cities where their eld headquarters are by staff who may not be as connected to the ground as sometimes is assumed. We see this as a transitional phase in truly understanding the impact of the social web in the developing and developed world. As many people in government do not use social media tools for more than entertainment and family communications, it is easy to assume that is how others use these tools. These are complex times and the communications dynamic is shifting daily and weekly. A lot has to be learned and just blindly jumping in can also be dangerous. - See original at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/04/dangerous-assumptions-about-socialmedia-in-developing-nations/
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Why Governments Engage in Digital Diplomacy Through Social Media //

The US State Department and the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Ofce (FCO) are perhaps the most engaged Western governments when it comes to social media. Following them is Sweden and Australia. Lagging is Canada, Germany and other major Western nations. Even terror groups like Al Qaeda use some social media tools such as Twitter. Russia is engaged and Hugo Chavez, when not in Cuba for health care, is madly tweeting on Twitter. But why? Does it make sense in this new area called Digital Diplomacy? Very much so and public diplomacy is nothing new. Its been going on for hundreds of years. To understand why Digital Diplomacy is a natural part of Public Diplomacy, just look at how foreign governments have a long history of reaching out to citizens of a foreign land. Public Diplomacy has been a staple part of Soft Power for centuries. Modern public diplomacy has mostly been shaped and dened by America; and they do an exceptionally good job. Its aim is to inuence the general public in the country in which the instigator has a foreign policy interest everything from trade negotiations to peace operations. Traditional public diplomacy tactics range from advertising and editorial coverage in foreign newspapers to bringing youth to a country to study at universities and exporting cultural elements (exporting culture is considered an aspect of Soft Power.)
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Digital Diplomacy is simply extending the aims and goals of Public Diplomacy into cyberspace/Cyburbia. Today, Cyburbia is an increasingly deeper part of our every day lives; from email to classieds, online dating, social networking over 2 billion people worldwide connect to Cyburbia every day in some form. That doesnt mean you have to open a browser on your computer to access the Internet. Your email comes to your SmartPhone, you might access Facebook or Twitter through your SmartPhone or iPad, never once opening a browser or watch YouTube videos through your DVD player or, Roku box or AppleTV. Countries that understand the complexities of todays fractured media landscape know that public diplomacy through traditional channels alone is no longer enough. Added to this is the aspect of being able to develop a dialogue with non-state actors and groups as well as individuals. With citizen groups and individuals having the ability to form groups and communicate at virtually no cost, effective use of Digital Diplomacy by a foreign government advancing an agenda, can become much more effective. A foreign government knows that if it effectively communicates its agenda and gets more support in Cyburbia, it can add political pressure by citizens. This is most effective in democratic countries, a lot harder in less or nondemocratic states. But different tactics are used and messaging can help encourage citizens in a difcult country. The key to Digital Diplomacy is a) the ability to shape a message quickly and adapt it as conditions change and b) to be able to actually engage in dialogue with the target audiences in the foreign country. Two elements that have never before been possible. These two factors are very powerful. Governments that understand this and engage with a strategy will have an effective Soft Power tool. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/04/why-governments-engage-in-digitaldiplomacy-through-social-media/
Original Post: 2 April 2012
Social Media and Language Usage in Foreign Digital Diplomacy //

In our research projects in the use of social media in Public Diplomacy andDigitalDiplomacy, weve noted some interesting aspects around what language people will use in their primary communications. This is important, as what language is being used in a social media channel can be a prime indicator of who a message or communication is aimed at. For example, with the Syria crisis ongoing an in the Egypt crisis of 2011, we would see abrupt changes in the primary language used, especially in video content, between Arabic and English. In 87% of the videos analysed on video channels such as YouTube and Vimeo relating to the Syria crisis, English was used, especially in narrated videos. If the intent of the authors was to reach an Arabic audience, they would use Arabic, but instead used English. A similar pattern evolved with the Egypt crisis of 2o11. Weve noted similar patterns in the Sudan and Haiti.
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English is the primary language used online and certainly the main language an organisation would use to gain the attention of western news media and governments. When tagging videos, blog posts or images and using hashtags on Twitter, these are predominantly English. Also keeping in mind that the top social media channels such as Twitter, blogging platforms or YouTube are Western tools delivered mostly in English. Digital diplomacy is not just the bane of governments, it is a powerful soft power tool used by well organised non-state actors and ad-hoc groups to gain attention from not just western governments and news media, but from the general population and perhaps diaspora communities where the originating native tongue is not spoken as much; such as with third generation diaspora. Understanding language usage can be an important element of dening primary and secondary messages to various audiences. As more governments and state/nonstate actors engage in these back-channel public diplomacy tactics, new subtleties and dynamics will begin to emerge in the world of digital diplomacy. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/04/language-use-in-digital-diplomacy-viasocial-media/
Digital Diplomacy As a Soft Power Element //

Digital Diplomacy; is it worthwhile? What is the impact if any? Why even bother with digital diplomacy? And there are more questions than that as the U.S. and the UK lead the way in digital diplomacy. So what does digital diplomacy even mean? In short, it means a government putting out its foreign policy messages via social media channels, looking to engage in dialogue with the target countries. Its not without some controversy and there are those who suggest its just a form of cultural export. Digital Diplomacy is certainly an aspect of Soft Power, of which one element is cultural exports. Hard Power is the use of force, such as military elements deployed to project force to ensure a foreign power understands the threat and the potential of damage to them from the use of Hard Power. On the other hand, Soft Power is a complex set of tools ranging from embargoes through to exporting ones culture; such as Bollywood movies entering the Western entertainment eld and American television being broadcast into European households. Or MacDonalds in many countries. Digital Diplomacy is a new element of Soft Power. It enables countries that use it well, to reach an audience through social media channels that it might not otherwise reach. By the US State Department and the UKs Foreign & Commonwealth Ofce (FCO) use of the same tools, they have the ability to project their foreign policy views into other countries. It also enables the average citizen of the U.S. or UK to participate in communicating the message of a
government through their own choice. A prime example may be the diaspora of a country living in America sharing and discussing US foreign policy issues to people in their homeland. As a result of this citizen to citizen (C2C) engagement, a foreign government can engage in dialogue and undermine a dictatorship or ensure a greater understanding of their objectives, bypassing the rhetoric of atotalitarianregime such as in Burma or Syria. It can also bolster the support of rebel groups, such as those in Syria, that a foreign country acknowledges their issues and mission. The Best Part of Digital Diplomacy Diplomacy is all about ideas, ideologies and views of how the world could be. Most importantly, when properly executed, digital diplomacy can help foster more open dialogue. When we understand each others views, opinions and concerns more clearly, we are less likely to seek conict as a method of resolution. By the U.S. and UK and increasingly Norway and Sweden, use digital diplomacy by engaging in dialog through Twitter, blogs, Google+, Facebook and other tools, they provide a second viewpoint than that of a particular State. When such engagements deepen the reach into civil society in a state of conict or where the leaderships rhetoric is more violent in its intent, dialogue might more easily happen. This is a good thing. As long as people are talking, there is less chance of violent outcomes. Social Media tools enable an opportunity to engage civil societies in more dialogue. That cant be a bad thing can it? - See original at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/03/digital-diplomacy-is-a-new-soft-powerelement/
Original Posting: 4 October 2011
Foreign Policy & Social Media: A New Battleground? //

On August 3rd, 2011, the U.S. State Department openly declared its mission to counter extremism online through social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. This action clearly shows that the U.S. government is engaging in foreign policy online. What we too are seeing, through our research, is the shaping up of a new battleground of foreign policy engagement by governments democratic and otherwise via social medias. Some might say the opening act was the failed green revolution of 2009 when the U.S. State Department informally, through a low-level person, asked Twitter to not shut down its servers so Iranian protestors could continue to post. Then came the rise of the Arab Spring in January 2011. Below we take a quick look at some of the online activities on foreign policy taking place by governments;
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US State Department: Countering extremism through channels such as Facebook and Twitter. Already they have a number of embassies and senior staff on Twitter and blogging. Iranian Basiji: The Basiji are actively engaged in putting out counter-revolutionary rhetoric against those Iranians pushing for regime change and more democracy. This started in 2010 and is only increasing in activity. The Iranian government puts similar anti-revolutionary content out through its website. Sudan Government: Bashir engages legions of pro-Bashir bloggers to counter pro-separatist statements in 2010 through 2011. Syrian Government: Assad takes a similar move to Bashir in Sudan using mostly bloggers and Facebook Russian Government: The Russian government in 2011 ostensibly states it will map and monitor social media to better understand citizen views on issues. Some argue it is for spying on dissidents. At the same time the government has called for a ban on encrypted services like Gmail. UK Government: Has established its Digital Diplomacy Department to put UK foreign policy issues into the public sphere. Like the U.S. State Department they have a number of Twitter accounts and train FCO staff on using and engaging in social media. These are just a few examples of governments engaging in social medias to promote foreign policy or defend their roles and actions in the global sphere. While we are examining the use of social media and Internet policies internally, we can see on the global stage that governments recognize a need to listen and engage. Its too early in the game to understand the long-term implications of these actions, but they are certainly playing a part in international affairs. And we suspect this will only increase over time. - See original at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/08/foreign-policy-social-media-a-newbattleground/
Initial Posting: 7 August 2012
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How America is Leading Foreign Digital Diplomacy //

Some of our team was reading Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Judith Mchales remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations on June 21st this year. One statement caught my attention on how the US State Department has looked to deal with our complex world of communications today and shes very right: By taking our public diplomacy into the marketplace of ideas. The social web is very much about ideas. It is where ideas are rst translated from mind into an electronic world where they can be quickly and easily adopted, fostered and developed into actions that take place in the real world. Such as the Arab Spring, raising money for Obamas election campaign, gaining support for petitions at a local level or simply creating new products. For governments around the world the social web represents a challenge from municipal government through to federal and as the U.S. State Department truly understands international relations. Undersecretary McHales remark reects a national government that truly understands the very nature of the social web; that it is a marketplace of ideas, that it is ideas that become actions. But then, the social web is from ideas primarily hatched and adopted globally by America. The social web is in part, an embodiment of the American nature of having an idea and being able to turn it into something that moves the world. The State Department also recognises that the social web is not all roses and hugs for peace and love. Just as many of the people in the Middle East are using social media to share ideas and organize for democracy, so have dictators like Assad in Syria and al-Bashir in the Sudan vowed to use those same tools to crush freedom of thought. China throws up its Great Firewall to discount ideas of freedom. Somehow, just as communism collapsed, I suspect democracy and capitalism will win in the end; Im an eternal optimist in this regard. Political views aside however, the State Department has recognized and embraced this new medium; and they share ideas, foster the values of democracy and freedom of speech and they listen and respond. From blogs to Twitter to Facebook and beyond. Some governments have been afraid to step into such turbulent and unpredictable waters. They have only to look at the US State Department, who has made its missteps for sure, but acknowledged them, stood back up and kept on going. As an average citizen, well, Im impressed. Perhaps the continuance of this dialogue they have bravely enjoined, will play a part in improving international relations through debate, discussion and consensus. Its sure an awful lot better than lobbing bombs.
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- See original at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/06/how-the-u-s-government-is-leadingcyber-diplomacy/

Original Post: June 15 2012
Why Social Media Works in Civil Actions //

Issues for protest or causing some form of unrest aside, the real reason social media tools have been a key technology in driving signicant societal changes comes down to one reason we propose lowered individual risk and group comfort. One person protesting in front of city hall is unlikely to cause a change. You need a lot of people. Our research into Keystone XL and the use of social media by civil society groups showed how now even groups can connect with other groups to take action on issues. Herd Mentality The truth is that we as humans prefer to act in groups. We have to. One person alone cannot build an ofce tower. When we see others gathering, we are more likely to join in when we share that groups values, ideas, opinions or vision. Social Media Shows Commitment Look at a Facebook group page on an issue of society, a celebrity or brand. If one group has thousands of followers we assume that group is generally more popular. A group page with just a few members isnt as compelling. Well go for the group with more people in general. An individual will go where theres the perception of others with similar views. As social media tools thrive on high volumes of users, require little to know technical skills and are available through mobile devices as well, a person can quickly see when something is becoming popular. When we see others are committed, were more likely to commit. Digital Mob Mentality When an issue takes off, like #Occupy, Egyptian revolution or the London riots of 2011, people go into what we term Digital Mob Mentality. They are fast to comment and quick to share with their peer networks. This becomes a feeding frenzy of information. Coordination is quick, communication is essentially at zero cost and there is no friction. To those that suggest slacktivism takes place, yes, to some degree. But as the above events and many others show, the slacktivists are far less than those who can and do actively participate in the issue. Hyper-Momentum & Networks Because of the signicant increases in the use of mobile data devices (SmartPhones and Tablets) and the easy access to social media technologies over increasingly higher bandwidth networks, an issue gains what we call hyper-momentum. The story spreads fast and furious. Far faster than ever before in human history. No one has to wait for mail to arrive or has to be at home to take the phone call. And every one of us has social networks of friends, family, co 2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution 24
workers etc. And we trust news and actions of friends very quickly. More so than ofcial government communications. In several research projects weve done for governments around the use of social media in both natural and man-made disasters, we see a greater reliance on information passed through social networks or the social graph than that coming from government (including policing and re services.) In Summary When we see other people taking part in something we are curious. Whenever we see a crowd, we are curious as to what has drawn other peoples attention. These behaviours are simply translated to online services through social media. The more we see others with a similar view are committed to an action, the more likely we are to participate. Its as simple as that. And we have plenty of evidence. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/01/why-social-media-really-works-in-civilactions/
Original Posting: June 2011
The Double Edged Sword of Social Media in Civil Unrest //

Following the riots in the UK, the British government knee-jerked and an MP called for turning off social media during times of such civil unrest. Unfortunately, this would likely make the situation worse. When the Egyptian government in February of 2011 turned off Internet access, the protests grew stronger. Aside from this issue, is that social medias are varied and used in many different ways. They can also play a positive role in a crises. Weve conducted a number of research projects for clients looking to understand the role of social medias in crisis situations; from natural disasters through to various forms of civil unrest. Heres a summary of what weve come to understand: The Challenge of Social Medias in a Crisis Social Medias and technology do not cause a revolution or riots. Today, technology can help in organizing unrest and pushing out a message to a broader audience. In the case of the UK riots, one particular technology seemingly played a role; the Blackberry and its private messaging service but the evidence is weak as to how much of a role it played, if indeed it did. In Egypt, Facebook and Twitter played a role. In Iran in 2009, Twitter, ickr, YouTube and blogs were primary tools. In peaceful protest of the proroguing of Canadian parliament in 2010, Facebook was used by the opposition party to organize national protests. In almost all cases weve researched, more than one tool plays a role and in different ways. And the role of these technologies is not always quantiable. We have found that there are signals that can indicate a climax to civil unrest and indicators that the momentum is waning or lost.
The Helpful Challenge of Social Media in a Crisis Just as social medias can play a negative role (depending on whos side youre on and the nature of the issue at hand), so can these technologies play a critical role. Our research would indicate that social medias offer far more positives than negatives. Especially during and just after a natural disaster. After the earthquake in Haiti, txt messaging played a vital role in getting recovery crews to real emergencies. After a natural disaster in Canada, videos on YouTube helped the government identify key areas where help was needed. A post-crisis analysis, such as the ones weve done, have helped governments learn about how to better handle future crises, when resources might be laid on and how to communicate with citizens. In the London riots, many more people than rioters used social medias to inform each other of how to be safe, where to go and who to help. The Double Edged Sword of Social Media in a Crisis These two issues present a complicated scenario of just what to do about these technologies in crises. On the one hand, they can result in saving lives and property and give comfort to those suffering or questioning. On the other they can help wreaking havoc. Then there is the public policy issue of freedom of information and civil liberties. An authoritarian government like Egypts Moubarak can hit the off switch, China can pull the plug or build great rewalls. Yet, as witnessed in Egypt and Bahrain, turning off the Internet doesnt necessarily solve the problem. Riots and civil unrest arent caused by the technology, they are symptoms of a deeper cause. Then theres the issue of democratic countries with established rule of law and protection of civil liberties turning off the Internet in a crisis is seen as a totalitarian act and may jeopardize peoples lives. These are some of the complex issues society has toendeavourto understand and develop policies for. The answers are not always clear and as good governments can use social media to help citizens, so can totalitarian states use it to censure and cause damage. But we still dont clearly understand exactly what the impact is and until we have enough research and situations, we wont. - See original at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/08/the-double-edged-sword-of-socialmedia-in-civil-unrest-crises/
Original Post: 10 August 2011
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The Role of Social Media in Foreign Policy //

Most discussion on social medias impact on society has been around business marketing and public relations. But in 2011, we began to see that social medias are playing an increasingly important role in the world of international relations; both democratic and otherwise. This increasingly important role of the Internet in international political affairs arguably started in 2009 with the failed green revolution in Iran and came to the forefront in the Arab Spring start in January 2011. But as we point out below, social media engagement is not just about security intelligence matters it can help make our world a better place, in apeacefulway. Governments are increasingly seeing opportunities for engaging citizens in other countries, and of engaging their own citizens living and working in foreign countries. In our hyperconnected world and seemingly smaller world, such engagement by governments is increasingly important. Citizens in conict or dictatorial states can, although often not easily, connect with and understand how democratic countries operate and potentially connect with them for support or advice. Prior to the Internet and the advent of social medias, governments of one country relied on the industrial media of the foreign country to communicate their message; not an easy thing to do in open, developed nations. Impossible in closed states. Now, with citizens in fragile states engaging increasingly in social media, even through mobile devices, it means developed nations can gain better insights into the real concerns of civil society, not just the political elite. This can mean better aid policy decisions, improved trade negotiations and peace operations activity. For a comprehensive look at the darker side of these issues, we recommend The Net Delusion by Evgeny Morozov for a sobering viewpoint. While he makes some interesting points, he does miss the benets and the fact there are signs of changes in dictatorial countries. Changes that may take time, but are underway. One democratic state that doesnt see value to social media however, is New Zealand, who has a policy of non-engagement. International relations and global politics today is all about seeking dialogue to resolve disputes. That dialogue may be negotiations or using organizations such as the UN or WTO for dispute resolution. This may take longer, but is far better an outcome than war. As governments become more comfortable and develop social media engagement policies, we can be sure to see further engagement in these channels. The question is will citizens be interested? Can such engagement have the inuence governments hope? Our research in this area so far indicates yes, but it depends on a large number of factors and it is still early days. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/08/the-role-of-social-media-in-foreign-policy/
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Government Engaging Ethnic Communities via Social Media //

Canada, like America and the UK are cultural melting pots. Personally I think that makes for a richer tapestry of interweaving cultures that denes a better democracy and a diverse environment which can only enrich ones life. For governments (local through federal) it represents a number of serious challenges from by-laws to legislation on everything from health care and education through to municipal planning and human resources policies. Increasingly, government departments at all levels are looking to increase their communications with various ethnic communities. Naturally, social media channels are becoming a part of the discussion on how to engage these communities. The challenge for governments or IGOs looking to engage however, is where, how and to what extent. And once engaged, how does that conversation continue? Who is going to manage it and how will feedback be incorporated into policy making and insights that are helpful to senior staff and policy makers? From our research work, weve seen the same behaviour patterns in Canada, America and the UK when it comes to ethnic communities active in social media channels. They may partake in Facebook, perhaps even creating a Facebook page for their cultural community group. Primary communications however, often take place in more closed social network services such as a Ning group or similar tool. To participate in those groups means the target community must let you in and be open to a government or IGO having some small part in the conversation in that group. This means trust has to be developed before-hand and then subsequently once engaged. This is a challenge in and of itself; ensuring the community your engagement as an organization is sincere and meant to be a positive action. There will also be an awareness by the community that an outside organization is engaged. There are strategies and processes for handling this (part of our consulting) but research up front can be critical. Finding where these groups are talking is key, then listening to their public commentary and layering that over empirical research and current understanding can ensure a safer path to engagement. A more popular approach weve seen work is for an organization to nd a champion or two within the target community and have them bring members into an online environment run by the organization. This approach means the organization can focus the feedback and the community feels their privacy is respected. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/05/government-engaging-ethniccommunities-through-social-media/
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Social Media & The New Tensions Between Society and Government //
Theres a connectivity gap between governments and citizens when it comes to social media. Thats no surprise and its well known. But why and how did that come about? Through projects in our Public Sector Policy Research practice, weve come to gain some insights into the reasons. At a high-level, this is what were seeing for developed state governments. Catching Up For the last century or so, the interaction between citizens and government was rather well established. Policies were in place based on an understanding of where citizens, government and economics intersected. This was because the routes of communication were clearly dened; mail, phone, fax and personal meetings. Industrial news media had a dened role and the rules of connection were known, the players and their roles established. Social media technologies and the Web as a whole changed the roles and rules. Governments however, are still catching up. Well, of course you say. Its The Citizens Fault Governments are large. They know they have to, and are, trying to catch up. But the technologies move so rapidly and more to the point is that how the tools are used changes even faster. As citizens, we adopt tools like Facebook and Twitter and often end up using them in ways the original inventors hadnt planned. It is unrealistic to expect government agencies and departments to adapt as quickly as citizens. When governments implement new ways of connecting with citizens and the private sector, there are implications. Without proper consideration that can mean breaches of privacy for people, companies and other organizations. The Bigger Challenge Is... Governments understand a need to adapt and adopt a lot of these new technologies. But beyond the issues of privacy or management of information is an even bigger challenge the changing expectations of citizens regarding their input to the process of governance and the expectations of governments transparency and performance. These new social technologies and more critically, the digitization of vast amounts of data with subsequently powerful new ways of visualizing and interpreting such data creates a new set of tensions. Governments are increasingly releasing data to the public allowing them ways to manipulate and interpret that data (the Sunlight Foundation is a great example.) And so citizens are. As they interpret this data or add other data sets into the mix and then use social
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technologies to communicate and drive change, it creates a challenge for government. How to then respond and make use of that data. This is the underlying set of tensions, we believe, that governments in developed (and some developing) nations, face. Private sector businesses and organizations are also nding themselves in a similar space. This also translates into the political sphere; thus the relationship between the citizenry, economy and polity are undergoing immense levels of tension where they connect. And as usual, the economy and the citizenry are the moving faster and adapting. This set of tensions will create enormous pressures on governments at the political and operational level in the coming years. The US federal government recognizes this and has formed the CIO Council and has a chief information ofcer; certainly a vital and positive move to adapt. Similar measures are underway in the UK, but few other countries have taken such a signicant step. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/05/social-technology-the-new-tensionbetween-citizens-and-government/
Social Media & Political Action: When? //

We havent really seen signicant impact on politics in Canada, the USA or UK yet as a result of Social Media. You might be tempted to say ah, but Obama used it well. Yes, he did. But it was campaign stuff, slogans, videos, speeches. Weve seen some effective use of Twitter in Egypt, Iran and attempts in Belarus. In Canada the whole prorogued issue took off in Social Media and became a meme, and continues to thrive, albeit somewhat less so. But it didnt result in the Prime Minister calling Parliament back. Discussions take place, there are plenty of political blogs, messages on Twitter and then theres all those Facebook Groups; support this, protest that, save this. Nice. But still window dressing in the end. We think theres two factors at work here: 1) Were still enamored with the capablities; making fun videos, sharing stuff, editing photos and such. Id suggest were still in the Honeymoon Phase which Ive suggested before. Its all still new and fresh and fun. That will change. 2) Its because its still in large part entertainment and to some degree, industrial media portrays it that way. Metrics to measure and understand Social Media are still in their infancy and there are no standards like there are with focus groups and polling mechanisms. That makes it hard for politicians and policy makers to take it seriously.
So if thats the case, will Social Media become a serious contender for the attention of government policy makers and political parties? Absolutely. One very important fact about Social Media: it enables the almost instantaneous formation of groups and the collaboration capabilities to enable consensus development. We just havent seen real activism develop from a Facebook group thats evolved into a determined political agenda resulting in regulatory, policy or legislative change. That will happen. Its starting. Some small groups are guring that out. The US Government made a huge step with the Peer-To-Patent program. As government departments understand the collaborative and citizen-expert engagement advantages, Social Technologies will start to see deeper engagement between citizen and government. I give it 5-10 years. Look at how Innocentive is using such social technologies to solve problems. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2010/02/social-media-political-action-when/
Original Post: May 2012
How Social Media Activism Turns Into Real World Results //

While most of our corporate clients understand the impact to a brand from negative social media is related to a slump in sales or falling stock price, many are still attempting to connect the dots when it comes to activist groups or special interest groups opposing or supporting a new mine, landll, manufacturing plant or similar major project. In addition, many corporations see actions by these groups as a negative risk factor, when they may in fact represent an opportunity. Here we attempt to provide some insight on how a corporation or government department can be directly impacted by social media beyond brand issues in the real world where it ends up mattering the most. The Basic Role of Social Media for Grassroots Organising The use of social media technologies solves three very basic, but critical issues for grassroots organisations; 1) near zero cost to organise people, 2) near zero cost of communication and 3) minimal time lag. In just a few minutes a Facebook group or Google+ Community can be set up and hundreds if not thousands can connect easily. This is where it starts. Within a few hours or a couple of days, an organisation is formed, messaging agreed upon and without ever having to meet physically, they can organise rallies, petitions and other events. Unlike in the past, they do not have to pay for radio, television or print coverage. In fact, if an issue meets a critical mass and it becomes popular in social media, it is likely that news media will pick up on it. At that point, news coverage means a whole new set of issues for a company or government to be concerned with.
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Why Social Media Activism Presents Opportunities Because most of the tools being used are open to the public, they are open to the corporation to see. While some of the inner workings may be in locked-down sections of a social network, the main issues are public. Now, a corporation may better understand what the issues of an activist group may be. They can then enter into dialogue faster and develop a better, more informed strategy of engagement. Rather than be opponents, there is a better chance of working together towards a solution than ever before. As a corporation is seen to be in dialogue with a former opponent, both parties are that much closer to a solution. Measuring Real World Impact Once an organisation has rallied to either support or oppose a project, their messaging is in place and they rally the people. It translates to the real world when they start calling their MLA or State Senate rep and emailing or letter writing etc. Whether you support the group tacitly or directly or they are an opponent, this is when it starts to hit the real world. This may be followed up with protests or support rallies, either way, politicians see community engagement and will react accordingly. By using social media technologies, grassroots groups can organise incredibly fast, coordinate messages across State, Provincial and national boundaries and generate mass awareness far cheaper than ever before. So Wheres The Proof? In 2012 the Keystone XL Pipeline was a highly coordinated grassroots opposition that leveraged social media to rally groups in Canada and the United States. They ensured their messaging was the same in both countries and they gained serious public and media attention Obama ended up delaying political support until after the election. In the small Canadian province of Nova Scotia, citizens leveraged social media to push government to support keeping a skating oval in the city of Halifax after the Canada winter games they won and social media got over 20,000 support names on a petition in less than 24 hours. Why Not Just Use a Social Media Monitoring Tool? 99% of these tools are designed for brand monitoring, not issues monitoring. They skim only the top services and cant do the deep dive, nor can they assess or provide any intelligence on groups or organisations at best they are a keyword search tool with some basic text analytics to make pretty graphs when there is enough volume of conversation. After all, they are tools designed for big brands with lots of consumers chatting about them. In these situations more sophisticated tools are needed and human eyes with sector specic knowledge to make sense of it all. - See original at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2013/02/how-social-media-activism-turns-intoreal-world-action/
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Mobile & Social Media Global Issues Forecast //

Just last year the Indian government decided to implement a program to bring the worlds cheapest tablet device to the population. This to drive increased use of the Internet by its citizens. A brilliant move. A Canadian manufacturer won that bid. This signaled a radical change that will begin to have a signicant global impact into 2012. In ways that go far beyond the world of consumerism and brands. 2012 Will Be The Year of Mobile. So what? Nothing new in that proclamation is there? Every pundit and forecaster is saying the same thing. Yet it is true. The impact however, is not just on the world of brands and presenting yet another challenge to marketers, it is more about the impact on the developing world and in regards to how we live and connect as humans globally. As millions of devices spill into the market with high-end devices in developed nations, the developing nations will suddenly have access to a whole new world of content and learningand engagement. The Nature of Mobile Content in Social Media Our research has shown us that engagement in mobile devices is different for social media. For the most part, the most popular form of content created is images via cameras, followed by sharing of other content created more often by non-mobile devices such as PCs or in media facilities. Very little text content is generated beyond essentially, that of a tweet or 140 characters. It is the exception, not the rule, for long blog posts to be written on a smartphone or tablet like the iPad or Galaxy. The Nature of Mobile Engagement in Social Media Engagement or actual interaction on social media services tends to be shorter than on a PC or xed-device, even a laptop. While laptop computers are mobile, we dont really classify them as such as they are not instant-on or always-on devices like tablets and smartphones. The primary purposes of engagement in social media with mobile devices is 1) status updating & checking 2) planning & organising for social or business meetings 3) sharing content from another in ones network or received from another and 4) sharing images and videos. We anticipate signicant increases in the sharing of live and streaming video of everything from music concerts to protests like the Occupy movement. Civil Society & Mobile Device Use The protests of 2012 will be lively and they will be shared in still and moving image form unlike ever before. This increased sharing will result in either bigger and longer-lasting protests or smaller protests where people can observe and dont feel the need to participate. More likely we will see wider spread use of these devices in the areas of change for civil society. One risk is the possibility of more staged events by protestors and activists such as acts of vandalism or stunts to generate increased awareness. This may present a new challenge to corporations and policing services trying to maintain some form of healthy expression of democratic rights.
The Societal Debates Will Increase As a result of the use of these mobile devices in civil society by populations for change and democratic expression, we anticipate even more debates around privacy and civil actions. Governments in democracies can no longer just hit a kill switch for risk of facing signicant outrage by the public. Carriers and content providers will increasingly ask citizens and consumers to give up more of their privacy and that will spark even further debate. The Mobile World Is Upon Us So no doubt that signicant changes are coming as more and more people are connected. Consumers have found their voice regarding engagement with brands. Now the consumer as a citizen may very well nd their voice for changes in society; good and bad. Over 2 Billion humans connect to the Internet today. With the rapid spread of mobile devices, a far lower infrastructure cost than landlines, increased data rates of mobile service providers and ease of use of these devices, the game is truly on in 2012 into 2015 and beyond. An additional challenge for governments and corporations will be capturing useful insights out of the ever increasing and vast amounts of data available online. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/12/mobile-social-media-global-forecast/
Original Posting: December 2011
Online Petitions: Why They Fail //

Isnt it great that in just a few seconds you can sign a petition, get your name into the mix, feel that your name, among hundreds or thousands of others, is going to change the game? Youve showed your values true, declared your stand. You feel a part of that whole democratic process thing. Except, it means nothing. Absolutely nothing. Perhaps because the petition you just signed is for an issue in Montana and you live in Saskatchewan, Canada. Or perhaps its for Hamilton, Ontario and you live in Victoria, BC. Our whole business is about research and analysis of what people are saying in digital media channels and a good portion of that is around civil society issues. That includes dissecting and analysing online petitions. So heres a reality check in regards to online petitions: they are meaningless in regards to actual change in civil society what that means is, if you think a government is going to change a law or bring in a new law because you signed an online petition you are mistaken. That is not going to happen. Why? Digital Signatures Are Useless? Asking around our ofce showed that of our 25+ staff, each had an average of 3 email addresses. Much of our team is alsogeographicallydispersed (we have ofces in Calgary, Vancouver, Halifax and London, UK.) When you sign a petition online, your IP address is
used to verify your actual location where you are signing. So, while you may very much be a resident of Kitchener, Ontario, you may be in Croydon, England on business when you sign it. You feel like a hero, but your signature became useless. It is foreign and therefore inadmissible. Digital Petitions Are Not Recognised As much as you might feel you got a good nights sleep from signing an online petition, they have no legal bearing at all in the United States, Canada or United Kingdom. They cannot be formally introduced into federal, state, provincial or municipal chambers for consideration. But Dont They Help With Fundraising for Government Support? Sorry, but they dont. At all. If youre talking about getting money from the city of Topeka, Kansas and 90% of the signatures come from upstate New York, well, why would Council care? Those signatures have no real bearing, at all, in any legal format. Digital Signatures Are Useless In addition, there is no truly accepted standard by governments anywhere in the Western world in regards to a digital signature. Therefore they areinadmissible. Anyone can set up multiple email addresses and pose as an individual. It takes just a few minutes. While you might treasure your person Gmail or Hotmail address, law makers dont care. Do Online Petitions Have Any Value? Fortunately, they do. Mostly in terms of brand reputation and management. A number of validated IP addresses and signatures in a given country, region or city may give a company a sense that it has a major PR or marketing issue at hand. They are more likely to consider public opinion in this regard as they know the issue has reached a broader audience. The Summary Weve analysed over 125 petitions for various clients, both digital and traditional of all our corporate and government clients, the only ones that truly matter are those with real signatures, on paper with more realistic locations. Neither companies nor governments put much stock in an online petition. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but its reality. It may help in terms of product pricing or a bad product experience, but not much in terms of serious changes to government regulations or legislation. Sorry. Reality sucks sometimes. Perhaps once there is a more dened way of signing a digital or online petition, that will change, but until then, maybe get a bit more engaged before you think signing an online petition is your good deed for the day. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2012/06/online-petitions-why-they-fail/
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Civil Society Groups and How They Use Social Media //

From the Arab Spring to the Occupy Wall Street movement and the Keystone XL issue and even down to small, localised activities, civil society groups (from radical left-wing activists to the average and necessary protest) have gured out social media and are making increasingly effective use of it. Below, weve provided a diagram of how these groups, some that have been around a long time, others that just form for a short period, are using these tools. Businesses would do well to understand them and the processes for marketing, investor and public relations.
In the Management block, we can see how social media tools are used to manage the administrative functions of the group. In this case they may use email, a Facebook group, Wikis and other tools, that are a mix of open to the public and private. In the second block, Communication, we see how they use the various tools to communicate/broadcast the messages developed as a team. All forms of digital content are used across multiple platforms (e.g. Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Flickr etc.) Once the content and creative has been released it moves to the Engagement phase, where the grassroots group enters into dialogue with the general public, answering questions and ensuring the message is consistent and understood by the public and hopefully shared. The Actions shows how once the message is out there (i.e. meet at the town hall, wear your t-shirts and bring signs at 2PM) it can result in a number of real-world activities. The green circle indicates that if an event in public or online piece of content (e.g. video) is successful, the general public shares the results of the activity that took place in public and the feedback communications loop is triggered (the green line returning to the communications block.) Once news media picks up on a story, such as a highly successful public rally, this transitions the story to a broadcast public, usually signicantly increasing recognition for the civil society group and expanding their message. Social Media is a highly cost-effective route to organizing, creating and communicating a mission. Traditional news media then plays a vital role in expanding audience attention and driving further public actions.
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We have seen this process used in a number of actions over the past two years. It works and has become highly effective. The gap we often nd that our business and government clients miss, is that these social media is simply a set of tools used togalvanizesupport and actions that take place in the real world. They might see videos after a protest or action and say oh well, yeah, we know that happened. But the same tools were used beforehand to organize the rally. Those affected by these necessary and key parts of a democracy could, however, be better prepared. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/11/civil-society-groups-how-they-use-socialmedia/
Are Digital Diaspora Communities Engaged in Online Politics? //

This blog entry is an update on our ongoing research into digital diaspora communities and how they are using social medias and technologies to engage with their country/culture of origin and within their new host/home country. In this quick snapshot we endeavor to partly answer the question of digital diasporas levels of political engagement in the host country and country/culture of origin. The answer would seem to be depends. It would seem to depend on a number of factors which include; size of diaspora community in a given nation, number of generations, political atmosphere in the country of origin and the political climate and structure within the host nation. Generational Engagement In host countries where a diaspora community is fairly well established with at least three generations existing, we nd that the second and third generation will tend to be more vocal in political issues relating to their country of origin from rst generation arrivals. This tends to change when a diaspora community has recently (within a 10 year period) seen rapid growth due to conict or humanitarian crises in the host nation. The recently displaced will tend to become more vocal within their host nation. The Citizenship & Power of Inuence Equation Where a diaspora community is established for two to three generations and the majority of the community has either dual citizenship or adopted the citizenship of their host nation, diaspora communities would appear to feel more stable in protests and political engagement. For example, the Tamil community in Toronto, Canada, is well-established and with a large number being Canadian citizens, they hold signicant voting power in two federal political ridings. They were active in urging Canadian government support and policy changes regardingSri Lanka during the civil conict period.
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Applicability to Host Nation Political Inuence It is rather hard to participate in a protest when you are 3,000 miles away. Diaspora inuence politically is most often through inuencing host nation foreign policy. For their country of origin it is usually a support role through remittances, but also by providing materiel where possible and hosting revolutionary or anti-government content. We know that during the failed Green Revolution of 2009 in Iran that less than 10% of the tweets coming from Twitter actually originated in Iran. Of the 92% or so outside Iran our research indicates less than 40% were by Iranian digital diaspora. Perhaps the revolution wasnt tweeted after all? More Questions Than Answers Digital diaspora are politically active but as the graph indicates below, they are focused on other topics as well. This graph indicates time periods where there was little political unrest or major political events taking place in Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan and Haiti. We do note a signicant spike in digital diaspora activity just before and during a crisis period. Which begs the question do digital diaspora contribute to creating or driving activity back in their country of origin? We are working on that, but have no denitive answer at this point. We took a sample size of 1,500 individually identied diaspora in Canada, USA and England analyzing text in English and native languages with our AI Engine and human analysts.
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Methodology Complete details can be found here on our page providing details about our digital diaspora project. For more information or questions you may have, please see our contact page or email giles-at-mediabadger.com. This information and content is Copyright 2011, MediaBadger Public Affairs Ltd. (Canada) and MediaBadger Ltd. (UK). Content may be linked to or otherwise shared with attribution. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/10/are-digital-diaspora-communitiespolitically-engaged-online/
Tricky Political Tactics in Social Media //

Anyone following the 2008 U.S. election knows Obamas campaign team made very effective use of social media. From YouTube videos to appeals for small donation amounts that added up to hundreds of millions. In Canadas 2011 election Twitter featured front and centre, not so much as a fundraising tool but as ongoing commentary. But there is a darker side to how social media is used in political campaigns. We take a quick look at some tactics were sure to see in the 2012 election. Some are tactics used in quasi-democratic states as well. Sockpuppeting: In our research projects, weve come across this one the most. This is where an individual creates one or more sets of false identities online. These identities are then used to create negative or inammatory commentary against an opposing political party but appear to be disconnected from a political party. Heavily used in the US, UK and Canada. Sometimes it is just an individual or organization that is aligned to an issue such as environmentalism or a union. This tactic is also known as meatpuppets and sometimes used in stealth marketing. DeepPersona**: Weve coined this one ourselves. This is sockpuppeting taken to the next level. One person will likely control between 2-5 personalities. Unlike sockpuppeting where the identity is shallow, usually just a fake name and email, in this case they may build deeper histories and proles across multiple sites and services. These are to provide greater authenticity, although they collapse under scrutiny. In our research we often nd these to be used in less democratic countries. They may also be used to inuence diaspora or foreign policy in other states. Cyber Astroturng: Taken from the long-time practice of astroturng where a political group rallies a large number of citizens to drive awareness around an issue, but the hiring party hides behind the scenes. In digital astroturng, this is when the political party or special interest groups rallies others to create awareness in online channels while remaining behind the scenes with plausible deniability.
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Cyber Provacateur: This can be a nasty thorn to a political party. Similar to the concept of agent provocateur in the real world, this type of agent urges hackers or a group of tech-savvy individuals to cause DoS (Denial of Service) or similar attacks against opponents websites or online properties. They may also foment highly aggressive activity online that is criminal in nature. Such actions are often used in nations such as Iran, Burma (Myanmar), and Ukraine etc. Cyber Front Group: Similar to real-world front groups that act independent of the funding government, political party or agency. They are formally registered as a non-prot organization. In the US and Canada it may be a religious group or activist group that may or may not know who is providing them cash or resource support, yet they act aggressively on an issue. They target online properties (specically in social media channels) to rally followers and create disinformation or similar. Trolls: A well-known term. These we classify as individuals out to cause trouble because, well, they can. Thats their entertainment. They rarely if ever work for anyone but may easily become a sockpuppet without realizing it. Cyber Quasi-State Organ (CQSO): Seen mostly in fragile, semi-democratic states where the government in power creates an arm of the government that is quasi-governmental. The aim is usually to expend a large amount of time creating pro-government content online, pushing down anti-government sentiment. Hugo Chavez has an arm of Chavistas that do this, Bashir in Sudan used an army of bloggers in 2011 and in Iran the Basij (a quasi-state organ) have been doing this since early 2010. We expect such groups and tactics to grow in the coming years as Cyburbia plays an increasingly important role in the world of ideas and politics is nothing if not a lot of ideology! We have developed an algorithm that can ngerprint individuals who attempt to post as multiple peoplenot matter how much we try, a writing style is very much the same as our voice unique. This is how we can assess our research into such uses by political groups and others. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/09/tricky-political-tactics-in-social-media/
Original Post: September 2009
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The Social Media Challenge for Crisis Reporting //

From the earthquake in Haiti, to Snowmageddon in Washington, DC and Japans earthquake and the riots in London; social media tools are increasingly playing a role during natural and man-made crises. From monitoring a situation and reporting through to organizing. There are major benets, but increasingly there are growing challenges that solutions will need to overcome. From our research into how social medias are used before, during and after a crises, weve identied several issues; 1. Validity of Information: One of the biggest challenges is determining the accuracy and validity of information posted to public (open) tools such as Ushahidi and CrisisMappers. Anyone with a mobile phone or wireless device (i.e. iPad) can enter information. From where a house may have collapsed to where a store is being trashed. But what happens when someone in a fragile state reports a collapsed house with victims after an earthquake, but it isnt true, theyre just looking for something they dont really need. Recovery resources are assigned and where the help is really needed, victims may die. Or rioters mis-direct police to take attention away from what is really happening. 2. Identity & Reliability: Anyone who can access a publicly available reporting system can add information. But who are they? Where are they? Such anonymity can make it difcult to prosecute offenders later or gain valuable information from a witness. These too are critical issues. 3. From Data to Information to Intelligence: So much data is fed into the system or systems with the result of information overload. For a decision to be made, one must be able to extract intelligence from the information. No solution as yet addresses such an issue. The intelligence in the information comes from being able to validate sources, determine reliability of the information and accuracy of location and the event in question. 4. Too Many Systems No One Solution: Ushahidi is by far the best real-time reporting and monitoring tool for crises, but it isnt the only one. Different aid agencies and governments may use other tools or citizens may create their own tool. As a result, there are multiple inputs that can lead to indecision or resource paralysis on the ground. In addition, no one solution pulls information in from all available sources; some use email and txt messaging over maps while others rely on txt messaging alone to populate a map and people not on the ground to clarify data on a map. These are just four of the main issues weve identied with social media monitoring and reporting during a crises. They are not the fault of the people whove spent an enormous amount of time to build and populate; there is evidence that these tools can be vital. But challenges such as those above make it increasingly difcult for aid agencies and
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governments providing relief or the affected government, to use them in more than an anecdotal fashion. For security services and policing, they are even less reliable. Addressing the challenges in identity and validity, technology may be able to help, but it will be sometime yet before that is a reality. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/08/the-social-media-challenges-for-crisisreporting/
Original Post: August 2011
Social Media and Cultural Warfare: A Synopsis //

Throughout ever research project in the social Web, we encounter the nasty stuff. From spam and porn content through to anti-societal groups and racism. Just as there is much good to social media, there is the bad. One of these more frightening aspects is what we term Cultural CyberWarfare. This means information (videos, blogs, tweets etc.) that is created by one cultural/ethnic/religious group (all non-state actors) against another. Such hate content has been around for centuries in various forms, sometimes as state-sanctioned propaganda and at other times by non-state actors and groups. With social medias and current technologies however, such rhetoric is far easier to create and broadcast than ever before. For the most part, such destructive content is seen for what it is and easily dismissed. But sometimes we argue, this is not the right way to view such content. Our research results are indicating that radical groups and other non-state actors are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their use of social media technologies to conduct information warfare or psyops. And it may have a real-world effect on peace negotiations in fragile or conict ridden states, between religios groups in fragile states and so on. In the case of Iran, we can see that the Basij has become very sophisticated and coordinated in their counter-revolutionary tactics through blogs, forums, Facebook and other social networking sites. They regularly counter claims by would-be revolutionaries. Information the Basij gains on Iranians living in Iran via Iranian diaspora is often used to arrest and imprison the resident Iranians. Throughout YouTube and other video sites there are Islamic fundamentalist videos that aim to recruit youth and others and even convert more moderate and liberal Muslims (which is the majority of Muslims anyway.) Increasingly, we see pro-Palestinian groups creating anti-Israeli propaganda.
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There are several ways that such information warfare in social media can spill into the realworld and here are some of them; Drive recruiting of youth or disenfranchised people, resulting in increased activists that can lead to larger protests on city streets Create perceived tensions between affected groups that hampers negotiating efforts Unnoticed, this tension can undermine relations between communities and state actors may not understand underlying reasons Aggressor states may use so-called civil society groups or non-state actors to conduct psyops at a distance to disrupt negotiations or identify potential protestors and dissidents to arrest, compromising legitimate protest. Flushing out opponents for violent acts
Governments and other organizations, including multi-national companies operating in fragile states will need to pay ever more closer attention to these issues to avoid security risk for personnel and to provide situational awareness for negotiations and other international relations purposes. Such activity will only increase in the coming years as regions like the Middle East and Western Africa undergo huge political and societal shifts. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/07/social-media-cultural-warfare-a-synopsis/
Original Posting: July 2011
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Why Facebook is not A Revolutionaries Tool //

Many a pundit has put forward that Facebook played a vital role in the Arab Spring and in 2009 in the failed Iranian revolution, that it will increasingly play an important role in organizing revolutions in repressed regimes and developing nations. We beg to differ on that point and heres why. Facebook is Not the Hub of the Online Protest Contrary to popular perception by pundits et al, Facebook plays a lesser role than other social networks and social technologies from our research. When we looked at the Arab Spring and the tools used in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Libya and Bahrainit was Ning networks, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and blogs that drove more trafc and were used for reporting and organizing over 78% more than Facebook. Why Other Channels? One of the conclusions weve drawn from why so many other tools take the majority of trafc and engagement is that there are always a number of different groups involved for different reasons. Coordinated groups in any uprising is rare. There may be a lead interest group and eventually one does come out on top, but in the early phases and during the depths of an uprising, there are multiple parties involved with different priorities. Hence a number of different tools and channels are used. The Visibility Factor of Facebook = Liability As easy as it is for a group to organize and protest on Facebook, so it is for the group in power to search and view that information and who is involved. Today, as Iranian students studying abroad go home to visit family in Iran, the security forces check their Facebook proles for who they are connected to. A hostile government can quickly determine key players through Facebook. With blogs, Twitter accounts and private Ning groups, this becomes harder. Online Information Warfare Tactics Expanding on the visibility factor of Facebook issue, at the start of a drive for societal change, the fomenting groups can push an agenda and ideas into the social web while gaining some degree of anonymity or at least protecting their families and themselves. Using a tool like Ning affords some level of security by enabling the group administrator(s) to vet any requesting members. As an issue progresses, the government under attack my also deploy tactics to create counter-messages on the social web. This is quite easy with Facebook, a little harder with blogging and Twitter and how these engagements can be countered by the protestors or antagonists. Egypt chose to shut down the Web, as did al-Assad in Syria, but then Syria started engaging online and countering the claims made by protestors information warfare in social media then escalates.
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Conclusion While Facebook is a valuable tool in planning a revolution and communicating, it actually becomes a liability as a protest action escalates. Anti-government organizers understand this. In the case of Egypt, Syria and Bahrain, Facebook became less and less popular for the revolutionaries. We found use of Facebook by organizers in a country in question dropped over 90% once the protest spilled into the real-world through actions. For observers and westerners, they used Facebook to share information, views and opinions and content pushed out onto YouTube, Flickr and Twitter, but the revolutionaries were rarely there. So Facebook is a liability for the revolutionaries and a news and opinion channel for the non-participants. - See original at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/06/why-facebook-is-not-a-revolutionariestool/
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Importance of Emotion & Mythology in Social Media for Government //

Its easy to dismiss a lot of comments on newspaper websites, rants by bloggers or in Twitter as uninformed, emotional and useless when it comes to looking at what citizens are saying on government policies or issues of the moment, even perhaps, when riots are looming. For the Vancouver police this was a grave error. For organizations like the UN and the cholera issue in Haiti, it is a potential for danger to UN workers and citizens. Why Listen to the Rants? For the most part, they are no more than emotional rants and very often by people who are uninformed or basing their views on unreliable sources and may not even be in the physical area of the issue or crisis in question. But not always, and even those rants can provide vital clues. For those in the area of concern, they may be ranting or venting, but they may also present critical clues to a deeper understanding of issues. They may also indicate the evolution of a mythology or a meme. The Role of Online Memes & Mythology (i.e. Perceptions) As a story or issue evolves, it will take on a life of its own in social media channels. Before long, people from all over the world or other cities are expressing their views and opinions. In large volumes of discussion on an issue, weve found that a meme or mythology forms within 24-48 hours of the inception of the crisis or issue breaking into mainstream media from social media. Once an issue gains uptake in mainstream media, on average (of the 24 crises we examined) a story will develop a mythology or meme 87% of the time. Other times it will zzle out and come to nothing. These mythologies or memes are vital because they play a key role in how online discussion results in real-world actions. How Mythologies & Memes Evolve to Real World Actions This is where understanding the memes or mythologies becomes important. A mythology (see Haiti example below) or meme can become the underlying message that then drives citizens to organize a public protest, strike, or other form of civil unrest, as in riots or petitions. The meme or mythology becomes the overall perception of the masses, ltering from the Web into every day society in the real-world. This then becomes the driver, the call-to-action if you will. At this point, the reality of the situation or the truth, is no longer relevant. A government or corporation must then deal with the perception and counter it effectively or face any range of actions from peaceful protest through to full-blown riots. Haiti, Cholera and The Genocide Mythology In some of our research into Haiti (more to come) an overriding mythology (which is completely untrue and impossible) is that the cholera outbreak was engineered by certain (they arent named other than the usual suspects) UN member countries to wipe out the Haitian people.
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This is a mythology and has evolved over the past several months to become the overriding perception by Haitians in Haiti and Haitian diaspora living around the world. Although this isnt reality, it is a popular discussion. Well be releasing more data on this issue in July of 2011. Approaches to Understanding Government departments, large corporations, IGOs and NGOs will have to develop a deeper understanding of what the value is in researching, monitoring and addressing the issues of mythologies as they evolve. Understanding issues that are escalating can help develop more effective messaging, reduce risks of greater civil unrest and in some cases save lives. A part of the challenge will always be separating the rants that are simply an expression of opinion and venting from the true indicators that may or are, evolving into a meme or mythology that will need addressing. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/06/importance-of-emotion-mythology-insocial-media-for-government/
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Phases of Social Media Use in Civil Society //

Egypt and #Jan25 was perhaps the seminal, global wake-up call event of how social media can be used for driving civil change in a society. Some might argue that it was Iran in 2009 with the so-called Twitter Revolution. In fact social media did play a key role in the Arab Spring but it did not start it. And continues to do so. The term Arab Spring itself has become a meme (more on that later.) Here we wanted to provide a quick overview of how social media tools are being used and the phases around driving civil change through these tools. We think its important to note that in the semi-nal stage, social media can become irrelevant to the nal change. Phase One Trigger Event In Tunisia it was a fruit-stand operator who lit himself on re to protest government corruption. In Egypt it was meant to be a small protest over the police beating of a so-called drug dealer that unintentionally became a drive for regime change. Any drive for change in society starts with a Trigger Event, something that gets a large enough portion of the population angry or motivated to start a movement for change. This doesnt mean government change alone, it may be around a bill before legislation or simply getting a municipal by-law adopted. Phase Two Inception & Formation This is where the idea that will become the meme or issue that will likely result in civil change. We call it the Inception Point. Someone starts it by venting on a blog, posting something on Facebook or a YouTube video around the evidence of the issue and may present the initial idea for a solution. It is at this point a number of tools begin to be used that will be used for later planning & organizing Phase Three Rallying & Packaging The idea has gained momentum, perhaps a meme is starting to form. Enough people have come together that the Planning & Organizing element (or Rallying) starts to take on a more susbstantial form, the actors are becoming dened and some form of leadership or hierarchy is forming. Packaging is developed to pull the idea together and begin communicating it. Phase Four Media Traversal Key Inection Point This is a key inection point where the issue gains serious legs by being picked up by mainstream media. This can vary depending on the role of mainstream/industrial media in a local, regional or national context. Our research shows that mainstream media plays a vital role in growing awareness around an issue. Phase Five Meme Formation & Mass Audience Depending on mainstream medias treatment of a story and issue, once there is larger audience buy-in the social media activity takes on a greater intensity. This is a transitional
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phase towards where we may see it translate from a mostly Cyburbia action into real-world engagement. Phase Six Cyber Transference There may have been street rallies, ash mobs or small demonstrations prior to this point, but it is an inection point. This is where the masses take to the streets or we see other forms of protest or civil actions taking place outside of Cyburbia. This is a short period as well of perhaps hours. A number of indicators are at play here with warning signs of impending activity. Phase Seven Change Effect & Technology Shift This is where the use of social media tools takes on a signicant shift from planning and organizing to monitoring, documenting and reporting. The original organizing group and the greater online community begin to use these tools (video/photo sharing, blogs, Twitter, Social Networks etc.) to keep momentum going as real-world actions are brought about. Mainstream media may also go into high-gear as a story gains legs and becomes a major issue either locally, regionally, nationally or internationally depending on the scope of the societal changes being sought by citizens. In Egypt, after the government shut down Internet access, instead of driving people home, it actually caused people to wander out into the streets to nd out what was happening and they ended up joining the revolution. Concluding While this is isnt how all civil changes occur through the use of social media, weve patterned enough uses of the tools in local, regional, national and international contexts to be able to dene these phases more clearly. A number of issues can change the steps, cause a campaign to falter or alter course. In developing states much depends on the form of government and that governments approach to social media and the Internet (do they allow free access? Have they co-opted the Internet to produce their own message? etc.) Fringe groups or radicals with extreme views or those in the bane of the conspiracy theorists tend to be marginalized fairly regularly and they rarely gain momentum for change. The key challenge in monitoring and analysis of these issues is understanding when an idea may grow and become a rallying cry that moves into the phases of signicant civil society change; whether thats for local by-laws or overthrowing dictatorships like Egypt and Libya. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/05/social-media-in-revolutions/
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The Hidden Internet in Developing Nations //

Internet access is ubiquitous in the developed nations of the West. Penetration is close to 100% and we access the Web not just from a PC but from our smart phones and tablets like the iPad or Playbook. Weve learned over our years of research that when it comes to developing nations, we in the West or the Global North if you will, tend to think that access in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, India and across most of Africa is minimal and only for the Elites who can afford it. This is a dangerous assumption that may cost governments their power or at least a little troubles. Companies doing business in the Global South may also suffer from boycotts of products to organized protests, especially when it comes to the extractive resource sector. Governments, larger NGOs and NPOs and corporations of the Global North often make their assumptions on Internet usage from generally available data on Internet usage stats. For example the World Bank database on Internet stats and the oft referred Internet World Stats published by for-prot marketing company Miniwatts. While their data is good it tends only to look at numbers published by ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and Telcos in those countries. Our research indicates that the gap between ofcial and unofcial online populations in developing nations is as much as 60% in many cases. This is a signicant disparity. Here is some data visualized in Google from World Bank data, perhaps the closest to reality, but still not entirely accurate. The Hidden Internet What weve come to nd through our ongoing research projects, is that the number published by most organizations is often just the surface of real access and rarely accounts for mobile device connectivity to the Internet. We call it the Hidden Internet. Its vibrant, its alive and its growing. Its hidden, essentially, because there is no formal mechanism for recognizing or evaluating its presence or that of the people contributing. Heres how it works; Pirate Connections: Illegal access through wireless networks directly by hackers. This most often happens for criminal organizations that send out those mass emails about their cousin who died with millions in the bank and only you can help them get the money, with a generous reward for your time of course! Unofcial ISPs: Weve found a number of times that a person may subscribe to service from the local, ofcial Telco or ISP for a broadband connection to their home. They then install a wired or wireless router and resell connection to their neighbours to help cover the cost of access and sometimes turn a small prot. They are unofcial and may even rent out access to their PC in their own homes.
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Education System: Then theres the universities and high-schools with multiple students online. Often times parents and friends can gain access to these services as part of literacy training for the community. Weve seen this in Kinshasa, Nairobi, Amman and many other cities. These numbers are not ofcially counted though. We estimate that for every student, two additional community members are regularly accessing the Web. Internet Cafes: One of our favourite examples here is Haiti. The assumption by many aid agencies and some governments has been that Internet access by non-elites is minimal. The reality however, is far different. Shortly after the earthquake in 2010, Internet cafes popped up in tents in the tent communities; they remain active to this day. These Internet cafes are increasingly popular throughout the developing world and play a crucial role in connecting communities, improving literacy both in ICT and language. Mobile Devices: With most developing nations building sophisticated wireless networks from 3G to 4G and up, mobile device use of data services is surging. In fact Africa is one of the fastest growing mobile regions in the world. The Congo went from 2% population penetration in 2000 to approaching 50% in 2010. Some research on low income urban youth using mobile devices shows its not just texting, but social media use that is growing on mobile devices. Some other research in southern Africa countries shows over 54% of the time mobile devices are used to access social media channels. We forecast that mobile device access for social media services will be the biggest growth sector in mobile data usage, not texting. The role of texting in online communications behaviour is limited at best. Accessing image sharing and the conversation streams possible in status updates and rich content sharing to Facebook, Zoopy or PlentyAfricans.com for example brings a deeper, richer layer of engagement that is a natural element of human communications through digital media. Summary & Moving Forward Organizations such as the World Bank and Internet World stats or Africa Analysis have been well done, but the methodologies and the questions have been the issue. We would argue that additional research can be carried out through technologies such as our mediasphere360 and digging a little deeper in on-the-ground research. Even with the capabilities of our technology it is hard to truly quantify the real numbers. But the volume of conversations we measure and analyse for clients and the anecdotal data we collect on the ground is indicative of a larger, more engaged online population in the Global South than we have a tendency to acknowledge. Empirical methods alone are proving inadequate to gain the deeper insights necessary to understand how digital citizens in developing nations are engaging. Different, complimentary approaches will be needed in the future. Traditional methodologies are still and will remain, necessary. But layered online analysis is now vital. The role of digital diaspora is also key to understanding connectivity and engagement. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/04/the-hidden-internet-in-developingnations/#sthash.UwEuzhBP.dpuf
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Exporting Revolutions in Social Media //

Was Facebook the key driver that sparked revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. Not likely. The social network, like Twitter, certainly played a pivotal role, of that there is little doubt. When the Web was mostly shut off in Egypt, mobile networks generally remained and people switched to alternate means; faxes and calling via landline to connections outside the country, who then reported via social networks. Social technologies via the Web are enabling citizens to engage directly in the dialogue of governance. An issue developed nations are struggling to contend with and now arguably, one that has helped topple dictatorships. Such unrest in the Global North is unlikely to take on the scale and demands seen in Egypt and Libya, but there will be some unrest. Already we have seen a glimmer in Wisconsin, of all places. Could that be the rst sign of the export of revolutions? Arguably, it is fragile states that have shown the West how to use social technologies to drive change in governance and civil society. The uses of the tools in the Global North have been, so far, very much at the local level small petitions and tools to create awareness about potholes their city isnt xing. That could change. Citizens in Western nations have much more to lose by toppling governments than they did in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. Thankfully, we enjoy much more stability, hence use of social technologies has been largely in the area of entertainment rather than political or societal change issues. Most revolutions come from the middle class and in Western nations, the middle class is increasingly restless; just as it was in Egypt and Libya. As food prices and the cost of energy continue to rise, this will put added pressure on the middle classes in Western nations. No doubt there is yet more unrest to come in the Middle East. One interesting aspect of the unrest in the Middle East is that it is not religiously motivated as it has been before. This certainly puts a nice damper on the aspirations of al Quaeda and is a signicant statement to the Ayatollahs in Iran. Their spouting of a promised land has failed to materialize in 30+ years. This unrest is a desire for voice in the governance of their affairs. Social technologies are key; for these citizens of the middle east have seen the freedoms we enjoy in the West and the benets of a capitalist society (maybe not perfect, but better than autocratic rule by far.) The middle classes in the West may then start to look at organizing through social technologies for more than just to help them get potholes xed faster. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/02/exporting-revolutions-in-social-media/
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Digital Activism and the Message Map //

With the advent of so many communications channels today via the Web and mobile networks, creating, executing and delivering a message by digital diaspora groups or social activists, protestors etc., is increasingly easy and very low cost. Consciously or not, and in most cases it is a conscious plan, there is a method to the seeming madness. In our research, weve plotted out the most common route a group will take to push their message. The map below shows this process. In many cases an activist group or social group has an idea of the channels to leverage (i.e. they will establish a Facebook group or a blog/ microsite to be the focal point of the message) then they will distribute the message across other digital channels such as Twitter. Simultaneously, they will address traditional methods of attracting industrial news media such as international news broadcasters, radio and print publications. Using digital media channels however, they can drive an issue much faster and set the news agenda when they garner a large following with uptake of the message. This was shown in Egypt when Twitter was actively engaged by the protesters on January 25, 2011; The rst hashtag for the protests was #Jan25 and the second most popular was #Egypt. The volume went viral rapidly in the wake of the Tunisia uprisings. Although it was only part organized a form of digital mob mentality (a blog on that to come) took over. The noise was loud enough that news media began to pick up the story. While we arent, for obvious reasons, unveiling our entire look at process in the case of using digital media channels to communicate activism, this map can provide some key insights to the process that follows. Even as the Egyptian government disconnected Web access, people found a way around using mobile networks (well have another map on that shortly.) - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/02/digital-activism-the-message-map/
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An Uncomfortable Question on Freedom of Speech //

The world watched with piqued interest as Tunisians rallied to overthrow their government, success though, seems to be just out of grasp. And social media technologies it would seem, played no small part. Just over a week later, Egypt followed suit. Within two days however, the Egyptian government turned off Internet access in the country. Tunisia did not, interestingly enough. Egypt does however, have a very sophisticated internal security aparatus, likely far more in tune to the possible effects of social technologies and having watched Tunisia and the applied use of social media services. All of this to say, an uncomfortable question is likely irting the edges of established democratic Western countries in the minds of the people and their governments if this happened to us, would the government shut the Internet down? and governments saying is it possible to shut the Internet down? This question might be precipitated by the US governments proposal of Net Neutrality, which in large part would meter Internet access in favour of major content producing corporations that have been battling to stay protable. In Canada, similar issues arise with metered usage. The people it seems, are not happy. Largely this debate has been about people resisting a return to canned content that they dont want and an inability to produce their own content. The Internet grew largely because people wanted to access and create content that was their own and to socialize. Arguably, Facebook is a channel now, but may become a guide to the future potential of new media powerhouses provision of a framework for freedom of expression wrapped in a shell that enables economic prosperity. Western democratic countries will have an incredibly hard time to shut down Internet access, however. The cat is out of the bag and with the technologies readily available on the open markets today, a secondary or third Internet layer would be up in a matter of hours a rough Mesh Network was up in Egypt in a matter of hours. Governments would have to shut down entire infrastructures. Add to that the many corporations making money from people accessing the Internet and that makes it harder again. That America, Canada or Western European countries would see riots and protests on the scale of Egypt is unlikely. Civil change here would likely be, well, more civil. The well established tenets of democracy and capitalism work in the favor of the people in this case, as it should. For the paranoid conspiracy wonk these issues are certainly fuel for their res. The reality however, is likely to be somewhat different. Still, it is an interesting question for both society and government to be asking. The CBC in Canada has asked the question and a quick analysis of the commentary shows people would not be amused should government choose the shut off
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button. Still, the question is rampant across social media channels in the West and many other countries. We are beginning to see a rising tide in societal change I suspect, worldwide. One can hope that such actions hits Venezuela to depose despot Chavez or in Zimbabwe to get ride of Mugabe or Mugarbage as one sees him called by dissenters. There is an ancient Chinese curse that says may you live in interesting timesperhaps that too, could be a blessing for people in Egypt and Tunisia? - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/01/an-uncomfortable-question-on-freedomof-speech/
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The Evangelical Right & Aid Relief in Fragile States //

Over the past few months weve undertaken, on our own, a project to map the use of social media by the evangelical right. Part of our research has been how Christian/evangelical nonprot aid groups are engaging in aid delivery in fragile nations and post-crisis states (e.g. Haiti post-earthquake.) We examined 1,800 blogs and websites of various groups and sub-groups across the United States, Canada and UK. The majority of the evangelical aid groups (78%) come from the United States with the remainder split between Canada (15%) and the UK (7%). In looking at Haiti, we noted there is little to no recognition of the aid efforts of these groups there by UNOCHA, US, Canadian or British governments. Yet by our estimates these evangelical NPOs may represent anywhere between 20% to 35% of the relief efforts. These groups also report their accomplishments in Haiti and other countries where they are active. US and Canadian evangelical aid groups tend to focus on Latin American countries and the Caribbean, whereas as UK-based groups are active in Eastern Europe and the Indian subcontinent. We suspect that due to their religious afliation, they tend to be less recognized by agencies like the UN or donor nation funded NPOs and NGOs. This is an anecdotal theory only vaguely supported through our research and experience. It is a difcult situation for the UN or similar governmental organizations since this then indicates support for religiously afliated groups and can lead to host nation conicts or security threats and diplomatic issues. As well, evangelical groups tend to focus on orphanages, water delivery and often include the building of a community centre that will often double as a church (noted from projects listed on blogs and websites.) One may speculate the intended outcome of these projects is to no doubt, improve living conditions (and they do, successfully), but also as recruitment opportunities. We do not argue that this is either right or wrong. But such activities by these groups shows they are well organized and highly effective in delivering aid. Projects tend to be very focused and well-funded through church members in the country of origin. All of this then raises several questions; 1) Should religious groups delivering aid be more ofcially recognised by the UN or similar governmental agencies? 2) If so, are they then eligible to receive added funding? 3) What are the implications of moves like this? Social media technologies offer a unique opportunity to monitor and understand the activities of these groups, their key messaging objectives and where they are delivering aid certainly information that could better aid organizations like the UN in understanding where aid is being delivered since these organizations rarely tend to engage in communication with the UN or donor governments, except indirectly.
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- See original at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2010/10/the-evangelical-right-aid-relief-infragile-nations/
Haiti, Social Media and Being Connected //

As was demonstrated in Haitis earthquake crisis this year, Social Media can play a key role in evaluating crisis issues. Already bre connections have been restored (many thanks to NetHope and their work) and there are Internet Cafes popping up in the tent cities people are still living in. Think about that for a moment: people are still living in tents, yet they want to be connected to the world. To me, this says loud and clear how critical Social Media tools have become on a societal level to citizens. These free tools are connecting families and relief agencies, enabling family ties to remain close indesperatesituations. Thats powerful. And from our research, prices are not ridiculously expensive for access. High, yes, but not much more so than pre-earthquake. The most popular use of these tent city Internet cafes is of course, Social Media tools. A large portion of Haitian Diaspora live in Montreal, Canada and then in France. Interestingly though, for donor nations, France is third for aid support behind the U.S., Canada and UK. And France is a former colonial government. Haiti was a fragile nation before the earthquake, although just about at the tipping point of impressive recovery, now once again a very fragile nation. On the upside is that there is no threat of conict from another nation. Social Media tools are drawing our world ever closer, creating a level of global fragility weve never known. It is also enabling families to stay connected unlike ever before, and when getting access to communicating with family over having a house is a priority, well it shows the heart of humanity and our need to be connected to one another. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2010/06/haiti-social-media-passion/
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Social Media in Fragile Nations: Elites Only? //

Iranians vying for more democracy in Iran last year used Social Media tools such as Flickr and YouTube very effectively to gain global attention and newsmedia coverage. Ukrainians used it in 2005, and we saw use of Twitter in a Belorus in late 2009 during an election the usage failed miserably there. But who has access to Social Media in fragile nations and post-conict nations like Somalia, Sudan, Cote DIvoire, Uruguay? Worldwide over 1.5 Billion people are connected and millions are connecting each month. The largest growth online will come from China and India over the next few years. And when they get online, they jump on Social Media services quickly. In these fragile nations {a.k.a Global South} (Somalia, Sudan, DRC) or emerging markets (India, Iran, Brazil, China) they are not only connecting with one another in social groups, but many are nding Social Media as an effective way to communicate a message to the developed world (the Global North.) But whos getting a voice? Today its mostly Elites; students of wealthy families, wealthy families themselves, political elites. They can afford Internet access or have it at academic institutions. Those in lower classes cannot afford a computer let alone Web access and often suffer from lack of technical skills and illiteracy. Where that may change is through mobile devices such as SmartPhones and Netbooks. They are more affordable and accessible and in fragile nations communications infrastructure builds are predominantly wireless today. Today, political unrest in these fragile nations is mostly being driven by students. They may not have access to the Web in the home, but they do in universities and Internet cafes. Take the most recent case of such activism in Sudan where the movement Girifna is being driven by a young medical student. They use mobile devices and services such as Facebook and YouTube. They are often in the Elite class still, but are the dissafected of the Elite. Bringing access to poorer segments will be pivotal to broader societal and democratic change in fragile nations. The inherent risk however, will remain with the government in power who might turn off the Web and mobile networks quickly and easily. As the Belorus government did in 2006 with the mobile network having seen what happened in the Ukraine in 2005 and the Orange Revolution. For now, it is mostly the elites who have access and using Social Media for societal and political change will most likely remain in the hands of the students. They will use it to drive
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western (Global North) media attention and to organize and rally those who dont have access. Which opens up a whole other set of issues, such as widening the gap in wealthy vs. poor and uneducated and what type of inuence is being driven? - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2010/04/social-media-in-fragile-nations-elitesonly/
Original Post: April 2010
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Social Media as an Information Weapon //

On the darker side of Social Media, it can effectively be used as a weapon to discredit a competitors product or service. It can be used to discredit a person/celebrity or to even shake up a stock. More importantly, it does not just affect big corporations. Today, Social Media can be used as a competitive weapon to hurt local or regional businesses. We come into the area of Online Reputation Management here, but from the angle of competitive intent. What is often overlooked, is that sometimes an individual, business or stock is not under attack by a random blogger or group of legitimately frustrated consumers. Sometimes the attack is planned and highly coordinated; by a competitor or rival celebrity. Its an aspect of Social Media that until now, has not been generally discussed. Through our experience however, we know its very real. We also predict it will become an element in corporate competitive strategy in the future. So how come we havent heard about it much before? If youre the company under attack, you may never know it was coordinated, or the way in which an outcome is settled is not one you want to announce publicly. Just dealing with the ensuing crisis is expensive enough in terms of brand reputation, PR costs and stress on internal resources and stakeholder communications. The ability to gather evidence of where the issue started or by whom can be challenging at best and is murky in legal terms. Our case was with a petrochemical company (I cant give any data other than the industry) who faced a sudden upswing in public complaints and was registering increased hostility from consumers and government. The story was close to hitting mainstream media. Instead, quick research was done and the story was countered effectively before it spread across more of the blogosphere or hit traditional media. So in what way are these attacks occurring and why? A competitor can plant information with apparent evidence with a series of bloggers known to have the right following, or in bulletin boards used by retail traders, as an example. The story is usually emotional in nature, designed just so it will be shared and incite discussion. Then the consumer takes over, adding to and building on the story. The primary objective is to have the issue hit traditional media and accelerate it further. So, why then, and who? Social activist groups are learning the power of targeting companies they feel are committing social wrongs no surprise there. Competitors can discredit a product on launch to either stop or divert their competitors attention on the product, culling marketing and sales efforts. Damaging a brand via Social Media can result in setting a victim back many months and weakening their market position. There are a number of tools including splogs or
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Spam Blogs that can aid in driving a negative attack, seeding misleading messages through anonymous accounts, link spamming and more. Such actions, if a person, organization or company is caught, can lead to serious litigation, defamation of character and slander suits. Is it happening? yes. What can you do? Certainly a monitoring tool helps, but there are certain indicators that can be analysed to give indicators an attack is not random. Proof can be challenging, but there are ways. Caught quickly, most attacks can be diverted, but monitoring remains an essential element. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2008/11/social-media-as-a-weapon/
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Dialog or Conict? Social Media in the Next Century //

No one argues much today that the invention of the printing press was a wonderful thing for humanity. We could suddenly share ideas which turned into better human rights, forms of democracy and a more civil society. Eventually. Then along came the telephone and radio. A new revolution. What followed was one of the bloodiest centuries globally. Today, conict is declining all over the worldalthough somedays that may seem a bit unreal. Use of the Internet and other Liberation Technologies such as social media, mobile phones and such, have aided the tranisition of ideas and opinions into political action. Both positive and negative. The Orange Revolution of the Ukraine used SMS messaging via mobiles to organize. Two years later Belarus shut down the mobile networks to prevent such a revolution. The intense protests of the Iranian elections in 2009, although democracy seems to have failed so far. The online newspaper Malaysiakini has arguably lead to increased democracy and improved human rights in Malaysia. Certainly it has tread where no other traditional newspaper can in Malaysia. China recently battled with Google and in ways, subtly continues to do so. Reports out of Pakistan indicate that Taliban leadership has gone quiet in Social Media channels and are resorting to human transfer of messages; although a recent Twitter battle between the State Department & a Taliban spokesperson suggests otherwise. Personally, I rather hope that these Liberation Technologies such as social media tools and the devices that enable their operation, lead to greater democracy worldwide. In fragile nations however, we are increasingly seeing a fragmentation between Elites and the lower classes. Yet both are using social media services. Then we bring in the diaspora and their interconnections between the home country and their new host country and inuence over foreign policies of the host country. These interactions mean more information reaching the hands of the citizens, being shaped by citizens and communicated into the larger populace, even where Internet access is limited. That foments ideas and then change. Such change in fragile nations is rarely conducted (successful or not) without conict. Anecdotal y, I suspect we may see less chance of global conict than before, but an increase in more localized or regional conict in fragile nations. It is not only Elites that are accessing these Liberation Technologies, but the common citizen. And some governments are becoming clever at using these tools to counter those who want democracy. International relations have always been complex. With social technologies, they are going to become ever more complex. The relationship between governments, civil society, industry and global organizations is changing. Social technologies and the Internet is about human ideas, it
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is where ideas get developed and evolve. Now ideas and ideologies can evolve faster. Groups can form, disband and fracture faster and easier than ever before. Our research suggests the views and predictions of thinkers like George Friedman have not accounted for these Liberation Technologies that may be their Black Swan to what does end up happening. There is no easy answer and no clear path to the future or to what will or wont happen. The only sure thing; social medias will result in fundamental shifts in international relations. Lets hope that dialogue reins and the values of democracy prosper. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/09/dialog-or-conict-social-media-and-thenext-century/
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How Social Media Might Strengthen Cultures //

Before the advent of Social Media, even the Web as a whole, there was argument that Western television was destroying other cultures. Yet the most popular shows in Brazil (still are) are called Telenovelas made in Brazil, by Brazilians and watched daily by more than 60 million Brazilians more than ever watched American TV shows produced in the U.S. Step forward to today. Internet access reaches over a billion people around the world. With the advent of Social Media, we can create content and distribute it globally in just seconds. Never before, in the history of mankind, have we been able to do that. Media content such as Where The Hell is Matt opened up our eyes to the shared human experience of music dance. The music he used by one Indian artist, Praan, resulted in that musicians exposure to the world increasing his sales and popularity beyond India unlike ever possible before. The theres Playing For Change, again using music as a cultural learning tool. Susan Boyles performance came out of England and ew around the world. As did the said and fatal shooting of Nadia in Iran (warning: this is a very graphic and sad video). All items that point to how Social Media is expanding global cultural awareness. Humans have moved all over the planet in the past 100 years and very much so in the past 40 years. Some are refugees forced by war and political upheaval to leave, others for economic reasons and some because they can. This has created a large population of immigrants in many Western and other nations the diaspora of these countries are producing content. And sharing it. And were all consuming it, because its easy to access. In all democratic and free nations where diaspora reside they form communities. This is natural after all, being in a minority in a new culture is hard. Over time, that community shares its culture with its host community (sometimes its rough, sometimes not.) Now these communities can reach out and engage and share unlike ever before. In the end, Social Media allows us to experience other cultures, understanding we have far more in common with each other than not. The diaspora and immigrant communities can strengthen the ties in their host community and back to their home nation. What do you think? Can Social Media strengthen cultures? Is it going to help shape a new global culture? Reduce wars and conict? Grow more democracies?
- See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2009/11/how-social-media-will-strengthencultures/
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Tongue Twisting Social Media: On Cyber Slang //

We dem hazum data dis now. Confused? You just dont happen to speak/write in that particular Caribbean island slang I guess. Then lets toss in not just Hatian creole but the online text version of Haitian creole. Or how about the variation of Pashto used by Afghans online? Then theres the text version of Ebonics and the Jersey Shore variations. In ethnic and cultural group research online, language understanding is perhaps the largest hurdle. Whether for ethnic marketing or reaching civil society for their views and opinions on policy. Perhaps youre a nonprot looking to engage online populations? Unfortunately Google Translate doesnt cover slang, patois and regional dialect variations. In fact no translation tool can handle these issues. Another challenge weve noted in online language use is that it is always evolving. No one uses the Queens English in blog posts okay, maybe English majors and literary types. They are a tiny market though. If youre looking to reach ethnic groups online, for marketing or public policy issues, understanding online language use is critical. In our research in Africa, weve found that the use of English or French is always mingled with tribal elements. When different ethnic groups meet in online forums where they may be discussing political issues or products, they will identify themselves via their ethnic group or tribe/clan. This helps us from a researcher perspective, but can make for an interesting time putting this into usable information. Example of Caribbean slang used online: - Sparky = money - bouncy::bouncy: = stoned or drugs (note also the use of colons) - likker ga kill we = Booze will kill you - lip shet = Keep your mouth closed - Sands and chicken sous = booze reference, means drinking If youre looking for software to conduct textual analysis (e.g. sentiment), dont bother. The sheer volume of text data required to provide a reasonable sample size and avoid signicant false positives is simply not available online. The other challenge is the constant shifting of terms and meanings in todays fast-paced cyber world. In addition, characters such as colons and semi-colons plus those for emoticons are also often used, adding a signicant level of automation challenges to any software. Weve also noted the inuence of Western entertainment and products in slang terms in countries like India, Ghana, Sudan, Emirates and a number of others. A product name or use of the product can take on an actual meaning, like Kleenex becoming a word used for tissues, even though its a product. We saw in some Caribbean research that Goslings rum was picked
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up for a time as git gosled (pro: gozzled) and in India we saw the term makked referencing the Gilette Mach series of razors, it was a positive use for this brand. But this shows how digital language adapts swiftly in online communities and how products and issues are absorbed. Our research into the referendum in Sudan two years ago showed a number of Southern Sudanese using the term kartoomed. In this case it meant the individual in question was loyal to the government in Khartoum and was therefor deemed against secession from the north. Identifying language use, cultural, ethnic and regional/local variations is critical when looking to engage with ethnic audiences. Not doing this can miss a critical piece of understanding who and where to engage online and in the real world where so many ideas and online discussion translates to real-world activity. - See more at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/07/tongue-twisting-social-media-on-digitalslang/
Original Posting: July 2011
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About MediaBadger //
MediaBadger is an innovative cyber research and insights rm our difference from traditional research rms is that we pull entirely and only from cyberspace; social media, news media and other public online sources. We then deliver our insights through comprehensive reports that help our clients make critical, strategic decisions on foreign and domestic policy, export markets, competitor insights and more. The rm is headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Since 2009, we have delivered over 280 research projects to clients that include the United Nations, UK Trade & Investment, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Clearwater Seafoods, Cardinal Health, Foreign Affairs Canada, Medicins Sans Frontiers and more. Our insights have played a key role in governments forming foreign and domestic policy and uncovered new niche markets for brands and products around the world. The rm has ofces in Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver. Brains + Technology Weve developed a suite of highly specialised analytics tools to extract intelligence from text and other data available online. We collect data through our specially designed search engine. Then the brains come in. We have a team of deeply experienced consultants ranging from peace operations, political science and rule of law to marketing , economics and public policy.
Contributors:
Mike MacKinnon, Ph.D. (political science)
Vice President, Public Policy & Research, Co-Founder
Robert Snell, B.Sc.

COO, Co-Founder
Giles Crouch, MM
CEO, Co-Founder
A number of contributions to the development of the blog posts, editing and analysis came from our consulting team and we thank them. They include; Susan Soux, Zak Moyhadin, David Beer, Brig. General (Retd) Greg Mitchell, Louis Guay, Andrea Colson, Mwangi Murikuri and others.
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Contact Us //
Head Ofce Cogswell Tower 2000 Barrington St. Suite 1202 Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada B3J 3K1 +1-877-670-7610 Visit: www.mediabadger.com
Halifax | Ottawa | Calgary | Vancouver
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Notes and Clarications

Privacy All the data we collect and analyse is from publicly available sources. At no time whatsoever do we access, review or collect private data from private accounts. At all times we work within the guidelines of Canadas federal privacy law, PIPEDA. No personal information is reviewed or stored or sold to third parties. We may verify an individual through third party sources, but we do not retain that data or make it public. Mentions of people, organisations or corporations are from publicly available sources and are for information purposes. Validity of Data We believe the information provided was accurate at the time of the posting and publication of the blog. This data may have been changed since. We are not responsible for claims, statements, views or opinions of third parties. Some information may have changed since the original publication date. This is beyond our control and we are not liable in any way. Non-Commercial Use Rights Any non-profit, non-governmental, inter-governmental, government, academic or other public institution may use the information herein. It may not be used for commercial purposes or to be profited from. MediaBadger Public Affairs Ltd. retains the right to the information and to pursue legal action for improper use. If used for educational or research purposes, this material may be copied or distributed. Attribution is requested.
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Global Digital Diplomacy, An Ebook

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DIGITAL DIPLOMACY Social Media & Civil Society

A Compendium of Blog Posts on eDiplomacy & Civil Society

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. All Rights. Creative Commons.

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Our Cultural Identiers in Social Media //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Citizen Snackers, Government & Social Media //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Role of Social Media in Aid Delivery Programs //

Twitter in Developing Countries //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Twitter, Emerging Markets and Digital Diplomacy //

Original Posting: 8 May 2012

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Ranking of Governments Using Digital Diplomacy 2012 //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

2012 Top 10 Hottest Social Issues in Social Media Globally //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Analysis of Foreign Language Use in Elections: Tunisia //

Public Policy and The Downside of Focusing on Inuencers in Social Media //

Dangerous Assumptions About Social Media Engagement in Developing Nations //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Why Governments Engage in Digital Diplomacy Through Social Media //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Social Media and Language Usage in Foreign Digital Diplomacy //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Digital Diplomacy As a Soft Power Element //

Foreign Policy & Social Media: A New Battleground? //

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2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

How America is Leading Foreign Digital Diplomacy //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

- See original at: http://www.mediabadger.com/2011/06/how-the-u-s-government-is-leadingcyber-diplomacy/

Why Social Media Works in Civil Actions //

The Double Edged Sword of Social Media in Civil Unrest //

Original Post: 10 August 2011

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The Role of Social Media in Foreign Policy //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Government Engaging Ethnic Communities via Social Media //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Social Media & Political Action: When? //

Original Post: May 2012

How Social Media Activism Turns Into Real World Results //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Mobile & Social Media Global Issues Forecast //

Original Posting: December 2011

Online Petitions: Why They Fail //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Civil Society Groups and How They Use Social Media //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Are Digital Diaspora Communities Engaged in Online Politics? //

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

2013 MediaBadger Ltd. | Creative Commons | Attribution

Tricky Political Tactics in Social Media //