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Democracy in the Digital Age

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Social Media has become the new platform for the expression of digital diplomacy and democracy. As the Internet, Facebook and Twitter become increasingly popular, traditional news sources are becoming less important. Information can be taken from several sources, including Blogs, message boards, online groups and text messages to name a few. Indeed, Blogs are fast becoming a source for bringing action on the political front that traditional news sources could not do. Similarly, text messaging has become a new source for fundraising via mobile devices. People are more willing to give if the request is coming from someone they know. The earthquake in Haiti is an example of texting media's influence on public engagement. When news of the tragedy hit, millions of users donated money toward disaster relief efforts through text-messaging campaigns. “Please text 'Yéle' to 501501 to donate $5 to Yéle Haiti. Your money will help with relief efforts. They need our help." Sent from the Twitter account of Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean, the text message went out to the singer's nearly 1.4 million followers and kicked off what has quickly become the largest text-based fundraising campaign for disaster relief in history.” [ CITATION Ann10 l 1033 ] An example of texting and Internet affecting democracy, “In June 2009, the US State Department contacted the social networking service Twitter and urged it to delay a planned upgrade that would have cut daytime service to Iranians. The request came in the midst of protests following the disputed Iranian elections, many of them coordinated via Twitter and Facebook in what was termed the “Twitter Revolution”. [ CITATION DrE10 l 1033 ] It is doubtful that traditional news media would have had the impact that social media had in organizing the protests. So, with the coming to power of an administration that seems to have embraced concepts of soft power and public diplomacy, there are signs

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