Katie, you bring up so many valuable points. I agree that there has to be a criteria for moderating political speech online just like there are rules offline and that the is a need to define who a politician is. I’d love to hear more about the blogger aspect because, in some countries, politicians use bloggers to do the bidding especially the many countries that do not require blog disclosures. Some of the posts, stories, and “unbiased opinions” do end up impacting the outcome of an election. The long-term effect does not just demonize opponents but also polarizes the public and sometimes leads to election-related violence.
Katie, you bring up so many valuable points. I agree that there has to be a criteria for moderating political speech online just like there are rules offline and that the is a need to define who a politician is. I’d love to hear more about the blogger aspect because, in some countries, politicians use bloggers to do the bidding especially the many countries that do not require blog disclosures. Some of the posts, stories, and “unbiased opinions” do end up impacting the outcome of an election. The long-term effect does not just demonize opponents but also polarizes the public and sometimes leads to election-related violence.
Looking forward to this week’s newsletter!