The Impact Twitter on Black Lives Matter Movements

The Floyd Protests Show That Twitter Is Real Life article by Charlie Warzel articulates how the Black Lives Matter movement has once again brought up an ongoing issue in America since its founding, racism and equality. This time, it led to the highest cohesion people can ever imagine, thanks to the diverse media platforms and the worldwide pandemic. Various individuals' voices presented the nation with the public's thoughts and ideas on this specific topic. On media platforms, audiences will see the most representative opinions, but it is different for Twitter. Twitter offers the public more informal speeches and less accurate information. This is the reality. Most people do not understand politics to the degree to which they can prove every piece of information they gathered is accurate. Over the past years, Twitter has been the most common way politicians and public figures spread the word. As more people remarked on events, more people started forming their views and followed specific beliefs. Therefore, even though there was a high cohesion rate, there were still disagreements, especially among the registered voters, making up 57% of the poll. Nevertheless, the Floyd Protests were compelling. #DefundThePolice signs have made the public notice the corruption and counterproductiveness in the government. Many express the concern that our political imaginations are being limited. As society expands, the world is starting to see a more accurate view of what is going on. However, there are still many uncertainties and unclarity about how media displayed information will affect the public's understanding. 

The concept of the “Public Sphere” is assembled by the democratic political community in which the media plays a significant role in allowing citizens to make their own decisions and cultivate their standpoints. As the general meaning says, “Historically, a critical feature of movements toward democracy has been the creation of ‘public sphere,’ meaning all the places and forums where issues of importance to a political community are discussed and debated, and where information is presented that is essential to citizen participation in community life.” It is a location where political matters are openly examined and disputed. As technology enhances, the location changed from a specific physical site to a transmission network. As a physical setting model, the Agora, meaning “to get together,” was used by the Greek City-States for adjusting social and political matters. On the other hand, the concept of ‘Free Press” is defined by the principle of media communication and expression. A general definition of the concept of “Free Press” is, “The right of newspapers, magazines, etc., to report news without being controlled by the government.” It is similar to the concept of “Free Speech,” but the primary difference is that the government protects “Free Press” media using the First Amendment. Alternatively, they have standards for accurateness and accountability.

The article makes it palpable to tell that some people have complications accepting and seeing situations for what they are, which might be due to the indefinite, inconsistent, and assorted pieces of information the press media has delivered. "But as the activism dominated social media, it did not necessarily have large-scale public support. A 2017 Harvard-Harris poll suggested 57 percent of registered voters had an unfavorable view of the Black Lives Matter movement. And yet, these conversations didn't disappear off the internet when they left front pages. They were all along, in plain view for those who sought them out. They continued, despite portrayals to discredit the movement as a violent fringe and specious claims that "systemic racism is a myth" perpetuated by the media and so-called social justice warriors." This quoted example correlates to the idea of rivals between the press media because depending on the specific media's stand on political matters; there are possibilities of multiple media targeting distinctive audiences that fit their values and beliefs. The press media will make their viewpoints seem validated and well-considered, so when issues such as if the movement is vandalizing or not, the targeted audience would automatically oppose the typical crowd's stance. The press media can also problematize the audience on making rational arguments due to the myriad news on the internet with different assertions, which at last the audience might form a standpoint blended with all the information they collected, perhaps leading to the state of puzzlement or they might not have any stand. 

Bibliography

“Agora.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 22 July 2003, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agora. Accessed 11 December 2020.

Communication for Governance & Accountability Program. “The Public Sphere.” https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08b45e5274a27b2000a69/PubSphereweb.pdf. Accessed 11 December 2020.

Grant, Michael. “Free Speech and Free Press Are Not the Same: One Has Standards.” Patch, 18 May 2011, https://patch.com/california/lamesa/free-speech-and-free-press-are-not-the-same-one-has-standards. Accessed 11 December 2020.

Herman, Edward S., and Robert W. McChesney. “Role of the Media: Concept and Importance of the Public Sphere.” Role of the Media: History and Importance of the Public Sphere, The Global Media, 2001.

Luo, Michael. “How Can the Press Best Serve a Democratic Society?” The New Yorker, 11 July 2020, https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-future-of-democracy/how-can-the-press-best-serve-democracy. Accessed 11 December 2020.

Warzel, Charlie. “The Floyd Protests Show That Twitter Is Real Life.” The New York Times, 10 June 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/opinion/sunday/twitter-protest-politics.html. Accessed 11 December 2020.