Much of Central America is not well connected to the Internet and the associated mass of news and information available therein. I have been there several times and know from experience that technology may be a barrier to many but also feel that there is a growing desire of many to be part of the 'connected' world...and more importantly, to not be isolated due to lack of connectivity or the resources to take advantage of available connections. Two Sides Take Up Murder Case Online makes some interesting observations in Nicaragua where the traditional tabloid media has now collided with the "social media" world of electronic information exchange. From that article :
"Howard Rheingold, the author of Smart Mobs and a communications expert, believes this is part of an emerging trend. The poor people who earn a dollar a day don't have access to the Internet quite yet, but they've always had access to the networks through which rumors spread — and they hit the streets, says Rheingold. Some of those people on the streets know someone who's connected to the Internet, and I think increasingly we'll see those two worlds merge.In the case of Eric Volz, there are questions being raised regarding the impact of "conversational media”:
“Just as "conversational media" could be used to exonerate the wrongfully imprisoned, Rheingold worries that it could be used the other way.
The question is, is that going to raise the quality of the public sphere, or is this simply going to be a medium that can be manipulated, [where] people become inflamed over falsehoods?"
Good question.
Related: audio by Juan Forero for NPR