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Netpolitique : In "Viral Politics",
you describe a series of tools and techniques that are
redefining online, as well as offline, campaigning.
What are (some of) these viral marketing techniques
and what impact do you think they're having on political
communications?
A. Painter : The first thing to say is that net
politics and net campaigning is only in its infancy.
The second point is that we shouldn't see the internet
in isolation- it is part of cultural shift that is partly
enabled by the advent of a series of technologies that
can be described as 'new media.'
I would go as far as saying that we can confidently
say that the predominant cultural environment of under-35s
is this 'new media' culture. It is culture that is personal,
conditional, demanding, mobile and infinite and this
has significant consequences for politics in the 'new
media era.'
Therefore, modern political techniques have to be adapted
to this new
environment.
To answer your question directly, the actual approach
you take to political communication is most important
as a technique and the approach that parties, NGOs,
politicians, and Governments take towards the 'new media
generation' should be radically different from the techniques
deployed in the mass media age. That they are not radically
different shows just how far we have to go and explains
a good part of difficulties that all mature democracies
are facing in legitimising themselves with younger voters.
Netpolitique.net : In the essay titled "the
contagious campaign", Anthony Painter argues that
the rules of campaigning, designed in the era of mass
media will no longer apply in the new media era. How
so?
A. Painter : Everything a Government does, every
policy, every external communication, every relationship
and every reaction is 'political campaigning.' The most
effective campaigns are those that have a good story
to tell. But it's a dynamic process. Governments interact
with key stakeholders, political interests and citizens
themselves in an ongoing game of mutual communication
and positioning.
In a mass media environment, the major relationships
are with print and broadcast journalists for any politician
because a handful of people and organisations control
access to the space of politics- the media itself. Our
cultural environment is far more diverse in the new
media era and the space of politics becomes individuals
themselves because they are the directors of their own
culture!
It is the ability to engage directly with citizens either
locally or
nationally, sometimes through traditional media, sometimes
through new technologies, the skill in generating a
conversation, peer-to-peer, more akin to community interaction
than direct marketing, that will determine successful
politicians in the future. That is what I mean by a
'viral politics' and it has only been achieved by very
few political actors. Unfortunately, some of those actors
have been on the extreme wings of politics and there
is a severe risk that mainstream politics will not adapt
to this new environment in time.
In a sense, creating a 'viral politics' becomes a defence
of politics
itself.
Netpolitique.net : Do you have a good example
of "applied" viral politics?
A. Painter : Yes I do. There is no doubt that
NGOs, particularly aid agencies and environmental groups,
have adapted to the new environment quicker than other
political players. It seems remarkable that aid and
development have maintained such prominence as issues
for the last few years given that I doubt they are in
most peoples' top-ten most important issues.
Recently, an organisation linking a number of aid agencies
conducted a 'mass lobby of Parliament.' The Trade Justice
Movement managed to congregate 19,000 people in Westminster,
UK to pressure MPs to support their fair trade agenda.
Obviously, they used new media impressively. Most innovative
in their campaigning tool-kit was the use of SMS text-messaging.
During the day they texted volunteers with updates about
where to meet and what was happening. It shows that
these new technologies have organisational utility as
well as being tools for politics, information and communications.
Holding
somebody's mobile phone number and postcode is a very
powerful political device.
Netpolitique.net : What are your 3 favourite
boomarks?
A. Painter : www.opendemocracy.net
for access to a wide range of issues beyond everyday
political conversation. www.liverpoolfc.tv
: A fantastic use of new media and thank-you France
for Gerard Houllier.
www.amazon.co.uk
for making my life easier.
Anthony Painter
ajpainter75@hotmail.com
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