Have correspondents follow large groups
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2025 5:55 am
The advantage of today is not only that it is easier to write history based on these enormous datasets, but especially to predict social and political change. Suppose we could have followed a large number of East Germans in the 1980s, we probably would not have been so surprised by the fall of the wall. And if we had followed South Africans for a longer period of time, we would have known quickly enough that apartheid would eventually come to an end. The advantage of this is not only that these movements receive more attention from policymakers and politicians, but also that they can be better supported with policy.
For those who have followed various Egyptian bloggers over the years, the upheaval in Egypt came as less of a surprise than all those who suddenly started searching for the hashtag #Jan25 on Twitter and Facebook. Blogger Wael Abbas ' YouTube channel was taken down by YouTube in 2007 because of "graphic content." His channel featured videos of police violence in Egypt. Yahoo had blocked his two email addresses and accused him of sending spam.
Even those who have been following bloggers and other Iranians on the internet for a while could have seen the mass protests of 2009 (#iranelection) coming. And if you were to zoom in on people in countries that seem calm at the moment, you would be able to tell over time which way a country is headed.
It is impossible for policymakers and politicians to follow large groups of nigeria phone number list people on Twitter or Facebook. Now that the discussion about the future of journalism and newspapers is in full swing (see video), there is also a nice task here for journalism. A service that could also generate money.
of people in different countries. Not ad hoc when a disaster or conflict breaks out somewhere, but for a longer period. Report periodically on the mood in regions or with different subgroups and analyze or point out possible trends. Show who they follow, what authority or expertise they have and in which region they live, so that readers can ultimately make direct contact. The added value of this is that by following someone for a long time, you can often better estimate on the basis of what experience, knowledge or authority someone speaks. A correspondent has the time and knowledge for that and experts, scientists, policymakers, politicians and interested parties will gladly pay for that.
This is just one way in which social media can be used and can have a useful value in politics and in making policy for the future. It also gives a new possible complementary role for journalists. Looking for opportunities and possibilities of social media to listen seems to me a more useful use of time than telling how to broadcast.
For those who have followed various Egyptian bloggers over the years, the upheaval in Egypt came as less of a surprise than all those who suddenly started searching for the hashtag #Jan25 on Twitter and Facebook. Blogger Wael Abbas ' YouTube channel was taken down by YouTube in 2007 because of "graphic content." His channel featured videos of police violence in Egypt. Yahoo had blocked his two email addresses and accused him of sending spam.
Even those who have been following bloggers and other Iranians on the internet for a while could have seen the mass protests of 2009 (#iranelection) coming. And if you were to zoom in on people in countries that seem calm at the moment, you would be able to tell over time which way a country is headed.
It is impossible for policymakers and politicians to follow large groups of nigeria phone number list people on Twitter or Facebook. Now that the discussion about the future of journalism and newspapers is in full swing (see video), there is also a nice task here for journalism. A service that could also generate money.
of people in different countries. Not ad hoc when a disaster or conflict breaks out somewhere, but for a longer period. Report periodically on the mood in regions or with different subgroups and analyze or point out possible trends. Show who they follow, what authority or expertise they have and in which region they live, so that readers can ultimately make direct contact. The added value of this is that by following someone for a long time, you can often better estimate on the basis of what experience, knowledge or authority someone speaks. A correspondent has the time and knowledge for that and experts, scientists, policymakers, politicians and interested parties will gladly pay for that.
This is just one way in which social media can be used and can have a useful value in politics and in making policy for the future. It also gives a new possible complementary role for journalists. Looking for opportunities and possibilities of social media to listen seems to me a more useful use of time than telling how to broadcast.