The Dialectics of New Media

The Iranian political situation is demonstrating the complex nature of contemporary media, where libratory and repressive dynamics play out side by side. An interesting article in the Wall Street Journal today shows the potentially repressive power of modern media: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124562668777335653.html#printMode, given the complex and comprehensive control Iran appears to have over its internal Internet access while reports have detailed the ways in which Twitter and other web-based technology helped to develop and bolster the oppositions revolt against what appears to be a fraudulent election (http://arirusila.cafebabel.com/en/post/2009/06/22/Iran-%E2%80%93-Twitter-%E2%80%93-Revolution). As with all countries, control of information is paramount to control of the people. America is certainly not immune, and one can think of the buildup to the Iraq War as a perfect example of controlling information and spreading misinformation with incredible acumen; while the large scale anti-war protests were orchestrated predominantly through the use of new media to challenge mainstream media's silence. The difference, of course, is that American journalists and media are largely complicit through their laziness, ability to be manipulated and bullied and tacit complicity with those in power. In other countries, it is often a question of life and death or access to information and the ability to disseminate it. In any case, Iran is showing the critical importance of media and technology to political action today and the possibilities and perils of relying on it for positive change.