Can Information and Communication Technology Really Heal...

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been said to have the capacity to heal democracy and bring equality to the world’s societies. However, since the beginning of technology, there have always been discussions on whether â€Å"new media† is inherently for good or for evil. This is generally how the debates over technology go. This is because media scholars such as Postman (1992) note that technology is not a neutral entity within our society; it will always have the potential to be used for good and bad. Not only is technology capable of serving these two purposes, media philosophers such as, McLuhan and Postman state that, new technology media is â€Å"ecological†, they will completely change the world we are living in, transforming our reality into a new existence. With these thoughts in mind, this paper will look at how ICTs have benefitted democracy and also how ICTs may have caused harmed. Finally it will argue that though it can be proven that the new media of the 21st century is transforming politics, democracy and our human rights, it does not deserve all the benefit or criticism of molding our world into the societies of which we are a part of today. There are many ways in which new information technology such as the internet and mobile phones can have a positive impact on democracy. A prerequisite for a functioning democracy is a well-informed group of citizens. Balkin notes as cited by (Shirazi, Ngwenyama, Morawczynski, 2009), access to information is atShow MoreRelatedRole of Media in Pakistan5662 Words   |  23 Pagesin Pakistan?............................ 25 14 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦27 International Islamic University, Islamabad | 2 Role of media in Pakistan April 29, 2010 History of Media in Pakistan Print is the oldest media of mass communication. Newspapers can reach greater masses of public. They allow readers to control exposure. This not only gives us the facts about an event or issue but also explains and interprets them. 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