On the occasion of the Journalism Symposium held at the end of September, on the topic of the future of mass media production and consumption, the professor and chairman of the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Athens, Giorgos Pleios, spoke to "K" about his recent research into the world of Facebook, as well as his overall perspective on the social media space.
Mr. Pleios, together with his colleagues at the Social Research Laboratory of the University of Athens, has monitored through five studies, since 2009, the coverage of the crisis in Europe and in particular the economic crisis in Greece, in the media of Greece, Portugal, Italy, Germany, France and Great Britain. Based on the most recent one concerning social media, it gives us very interesting data on what exactly is being discussed on social media in Greece, but also what their role ultimately is.
After studying traditional media and noting the adoption by them of the theory of the country's political and economic elites, he wanted to observe whether the same applies to new media and mainly to Facebook. In Greece, the percentages of users of this particular platform are much higher than for users of any other social networking medium. Specifically, 74% of internet users also have an account on this social networking platform (table 1).
Through his research, Mr. Pleios finds that the agenda of new media is not very different from the agenda of old media. It is characteristic that in new media, the attention of users is focused “mainly on what we call power”. For this reason, the professor characterizes it as a huge “cafeteria”, in which the themes of mainly old media are discussed and criticized.
According to Mr. Pleios, the increase in the use of Facebook in our country and the simultaneous reduction in entertainment expenses coincided with the outbreak of the crisis (table 2). This is no coincidence. “It is a space where cultural consumption is transferred from old media, - the cinema, the theater, the tavern, perhaps - to the internet and social media. It is a way to establish one’s identity and a space where one continues to project or create and intensify a political presence that previously did not exist or was much weaker,” he notes characteristically.
However, he emphasizes that the image that some may have that social media is alternative is false. Many believe that they are means of political mobilization, including Facebook. “This does not seem to be the case. If one looks at some specific political events, such as the Arab Spring or the Indignant movement in Greece, this conclusion does indeed come to mind.” However, this is nothing more than “some discontinuities, isolated events in a large flow.” Michael Jeckel, professor of sociology at the University of Trier in Germany, who attended the Journalism Symposium in Athens as one of the keynote speakers, agrees on this point. “Social networks seem to be a quick means for organizing political events, rallies, etc. In this sense, they are a relatively powerful tool. But when it comes to organizing interests in a broad sense, it seems rather like a slow medium,” he points out.
However, Mr. Pleios, speaking more analytically about the case of the Arab Spring, explains that social networks can be means of mobilization, however, it is not correct to consider them as the cause of the “darkness” that followed after the Arab Spring and was characterized by some scholars as the “Arab Winter”. “Social media is simply the medium”, says Mr. Pleios. “The result came from the political process”. In this way, he embraces, in this specific case, the theory of the “instrumental” neutrality of social networks.
Moreover, through his research on Facebook in our country, he observed that it is not used as a means of confrontation or opposition, but as a solution to adapt to the difficult environment of the crisis. Its users are looking to "find a new way of being" in the midst of the crisis, therefore it is a way to learn to live differently, transferring economic activities to the digital environment and creating potential communities.
Democracy and freedom of social media
According to the Tow Center at Columbia Journalism School, people who were known as the public are no longer readers and viewers, but also publishers of the news, with a simple “click”. Mr. Yekel, referring to social media, speaks of more communication and not more democracy. The “sense that everyone can be heard” is strengthened. “The central problem of each platform is to stabilize this engagement”, he emphasizes. He confirms, however, that through the use of social media, the ability to respond of the recipient of information is strengthened. However, according to Mr. Yekel, the public will continue to have a passive role and does not respond to the possibility of communicative interaction.
For Mr. Pleios, social media enriches, expands and analyzes the boundaries of democracy, “pushing it, if you will, into more direct forms.” Through them, the possibility of expressing concerns, opinions and ideas by individuals who were not able to put them into public debate is given.
On the occasion of Jacqueline De Romily's position on freedom in the Athenian Republic, a reflection emerges through a parallelism. The need for freedom in the modern world has reached "frenzied individualism, to the point where no one ends up being interested in collectivity". The freedom that is claimed and exists on the internet is freedom of expression. This freedom, of course, should not be limited for any reason, according to Pleios, but also according to UNESCO reports. However, in combination with the personalized nature of social media, there is a risk that it will also lead to personalized goals that are anything but helpful to collective well-being.
According to Mr. Gekel, any organizations that have emerged from social media, such as the Five Star Movement in Italy, often “do not have a common and stable ground that will strengthen the rallying and lead to compromise solutions so that they can withstand time”. Ultimately, they may not be able to acquire a common goal. Mr. Pleios does not rule out the emergence of similar political formations at the international level. However, he expresses doubts about whether the conservative political scene of our country will be able to highlight and support such movements. The main issue that arises for the professor is “how to adapt the existing model of democracy to the communication model that has already been formed”.
Populist voices on social media
Mr. Pleios cannot understand why some people talk about populist voices on social media. Political discourse is inherent in democracy and has effective propagandistic and populist content since it is addressed to a heterogeneous audience, as he states. Therefore, propagandistic content is not an exclusive characteristic of social networks. There are, however, new media that, due to their form and capabilities, promote such messages more easily. Such as Twitter, which with the limited space of expression it offers (140 characters) does not promote the development of ideas, but rather provides information, instructions and references, according to the professor.
The talk is about journalism
“The internet is today’s Wild West of mass communication and an unsafe space for worthy creators,” emphasizes Mr. Pleios. Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, in a recent interview with “K”, emphasized that the real change is in the way people behave. Today’s technology allows for a computer in everyone’s hands. This power and participation of citizens in the news must, according to the Tow Center, lead not only to a change in tactics, but also in the perception of their role on the part of professionals in the field. According to Pleios, the restoration of journalism – with the subjective perception of the journalist being evident – promotes a healthy dialogue with fruitful ideological and scientific confrontations.
In Greece, the use of social media is a huge power in the hands of people who seem to be using it to adapt to the difficult reality of the crisis. The bet they must win is to develop democracy and prosperity within this “Wild West”.
Source: portal.kathimerini.gr
