Topic 8

Politics and New Media

• What is meant by alternative media? Give two examples that are significant in Canadian politics.
• What is meant by "e-democracy"? What is its impact on levels of voting in Canada?
• What are the challenges or pitfalls of using social media like Facebook for political activism? Illustrate using examples from Canada and around the world.
• Do abundance and more diverse types of media and communications technology mean more democracy? Illustrate with specific examples from Canada and around the world.
• Do you agree that the shift to online politics further fragments citizens into specific audience groups? Does this limit the discussion of key political and economic change? Argue your position with examples of online democracy in Canada and elsewhere.