Back in the days when news was not reported in real time, transcripts were not readily available forget YouTube Videos, it was convenient for Politicians to extricate themselves from mass communication snafus by seeking refuge in - “I was misquoted by the media” or “The media misinterpreted what I said” or “The media twisted my remarks”.
The 24×7 TV and now the Digital era has changed much of that what with Politicians most recently blaming Twitter’s 140 character limit. News filtering today of a proposed ban on blogging and twitter on policy issues by BJP leaders highlights a larger point that is being missed by the political leadership of not just the BJP but other parties as well.
It is myopic to dismiss away the rapid rise of personalized social media platforms like Twitter as a passing fad. The kind of Digital Internationalism we are witnessing over the events in the Middle East is a reminder that this medium is here to stay and its growth is irreversible.
It is also foolish to characterize a personalized digital megaphone like Twitter as somehow fostering a personality cult and as somehow going against a culture of joint leadership. All mass communication in politics is personality oriented albeit from a medium of one’s choosing. Fellow blogger Pragamtic_D said it right in this comment on Twitter:
Some politicians may be more comfortable with 24×7 TV Studios and Op-ed columns. Comfort with the English language might put them a distinct advantage on those media. Some others may prefer the more informal Social Medium for both its brevity, flexibility and one to one interactivity with their constituents.
Any Digital disengagement via diktats over new media is akin to an attempt to turn the clock back to the days when politics thrived on information asymmetry. What the BJP needs is not a social media ban but a coordinated Digital Strategy so a distinction may be drawn between the Party line and an individual leader’s opinion.
We already have this undemocratic environment where in the name of consensus building Parties dont conduct internal elections, key appointments are an outcome of backroom intrigue, legislative freedom is stifled through strict Party line Whips and the threat of disqualification thanks to the archaic anti-defection law. By extending this culture of gagging opinion to the digital medium political parties are making an already bad situation worse.
So what might that have Ms. Sushma Swaraj done differently in this situation ?
Ms. Swaraj made a fundamental mistake by drawing a distinction between the cattle class and the media on Twitter. By maintaining two different twitter accounts she allowed herself to be twitter baited by the media in projecting what might have been her personal opinion as the party line. It is clear that Ms. Swaraj is not personally savvy with the technical aspects of the medium and their impact on mass communication. A safer and far more meaningful Digital Strategy for Ms. Swaraj would have been to use Twitter for its natural strengths – viral and non-linear digital amplification of stated positions and opinions.
What could the BJP do differently ?
Rather than box itself into a corner on apparent contradictions it should turned this whole episode to its advantage by projecting it as an example of how vibrant and open the BJP is on debate and discussion and in embracing new media. After all there is no precedent for a Leader of the Opposition in a Parliamentary Democracy to have used Twitter in the manner Ms. Swaraj during the J&K intervention.
It is clear that there is a spirited battle for who must lead the BJP in 2014. That battle has to be settled through an open and transparent process, ideally with a Primary of sorts. It is unfortunate that Digital Engagement is being made the casualty in that battle.
Dear BJP leaders, Digital disengagement is not the answer. We need @SushmaSwarajBJP to tweet and tweet more. We want @NarendraModi to continue to do what he is already doing. There surely is a yet to be claimed Arun Jaitley Twitter handle. It would not be a bad idea at all to make Twitter the Platform where Debate takes place on Decision 2014 for the BJP.
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Filed under: Assam elections 2011, Assembly elections 2011, DesiPundit, Digital Citizen, Internet Hindus, Narendra Modi, Nitin Gadkari, Offstumped, Social Media Reflections
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