Civic media
From HLWIKI Canada
 To browse other articles on a range of HSL topics, see the wiki index. IntroductionSee also Social media glossary, Social media landscape and Web 2.0 The term civic media refers to social technologies (e.g., social media) that promote and foster civic engagement and a sense of community. The term goes beyond reporting and gathering information and refers to direct civic engagement. MIT has a Center for Future Civic Media and describes the term “civic media” in this way: “We use the term civic media, rather than citizen journalism: civic media is any form of communication that strengthens the social bonds within a community or creates a strong sense of civic engagement among its residents. Civic media goes beyond news gathering and reporting. MIT students are experimenting with a variety of new civic media techniques, from technologies for protests and civil disobedience to phone-texting systems that allow instant, sophisticated votes on everyday activities.” Henry Jenkins, co-director of the MIT center, says civic media is the “the use of any medium that fosters civic engagement.” The concept of a medium for civic engagement refers to the technologies that enable this engagement but also the social practices and protocols that define its cultural uses. One of the affordances of many types of social media tools is that they allow for the creation of communities of interest rather than communities of location. Such tools can also create the possibility for connection among those in a similar location who might not otherwise meet. Any social media tool that supports and enables community engagement can be considered a type of civic media. Blogs, virtual worlds, social networking platforms are such examples as these allow individuals to interact and form community relationships. Even the simple task of sharing a photograph on Flickr could be considered an example of civic media because this picture could be used to connect and share with a larger community, thus fostering community engagement. Leaders in this field include Chris Csikszentmihalyi, Henry Jenkins, Beth Noveck, and Ethan Zuckerman. The MIT Center is working on a number of exciting projects which may be of interest to those wishing to further explore the concept of civic media. The concept of community engagement appeals to librarians and others interesting in community outreach. Canadian contextAs recent elections have demonstrated, Canadians want to play more significant roles in civic dialogue and in shaping political engagement and discourse in Canada. In terms of social media, for example, more than 20 million Canadians are said to maintain Facebook profiles using them to participate in civic and political discussions. References
|
