Socio-political implications

The essentials

New media affect society and politics in many ways. They can deepen democracy by widening access to information and participation, but they also raise questions of unequal access, misinformation, privacy and control by a few powerful technology companies. These issues connect to older debates about who controls the global flow of information.

Key points

• New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO): a debate in the 1970s and 1980s, led largely by developing countries at UNESCO, about the unequal one-way flow of news from developed to developing nations.
• The MacBride Commission report for UNESCO, "Many Voices, One World" (1980), called for a more balanced and fair flow of information.
• New media allow developing countries and small groups to tell their own stories, but large global platforms can still dominate.
• Digital divide: the gap between those who have access to digital technology and skills and those who do not, for example between urban and rural areas or rich and poor.
• Democracy: easier access to information, direct contact with representatives, e-governance and citizen participation.
• Risks: fake news, hate speech, manipulation of opinion, surveillance and loss of privacy, and concentration of power in big technology firms.
• Digital literacy helps citizens judge information critically.

Exam tips

Use balanced arguments. Remember the MacBride report title and that NWICO was about the imbalance in global information flow.

Common mistakes

The digital divide is not only about owning a device; it also includes connectivity, cost, language and the skills to use technology well.