The practices and principles of media behaviour in elections were developed for what we now regard as “old” media: newspapers, radio, and television. Yet new forms of media are developing at a rapid rate. The Internet is the obvious example, but there are other technologies that have a clear relevance to elections: short messages (SMS) transmitted over mobile telephones, for example.
Are the regulatory practices and styles of reporting that have developed over the years for conventional media equally applicable to “new” media?
First, there is a potential confusion to clear out of the way. There are many possible uses for electronic communications technology in the electoral process itself. These include registering and voting online using the internet or SMS. However, these are quite specific and need to be distinguished from the role that these technologies may play as news or campaigning media. These are not discussed here.
Many of the assumptions that underlie the regulation of conventional media simply do not apply to new media. For example, the space to publish material on the World Wide Web is literally infinite, compared with the assumption behind broadcasting regulation that the frequency spectrum is a finite resource that must be shared.
New technologies may, to some extent, also challenge the dominance of powerful corporate or governmental voices. It is far easier for individuals or small groups to set up web sites or campaign using SMS messages than it is for them to launch newspapers or television stations. Ultimately, however, the internet and other new technologies are carried on media (such as telephone lines) that are owned by governments or large corporate owners.
The regulatory challenge posed by new media so far has been the following: old media can be regulated in a way that does not constitute censorship and enhances, rather than restricts, freedom of expression. Such regulation of new media has proven impossible. New media can be regulated, but the content of the Internet, for example, is so diverse and widespread that regulation has been heavy-handed and has amounted to censorship: interception of emails, closure of web sites, and pressure or legal action against Internet service providers.
The Internet, in particular, poses a challenge to traditional views of media conduct in elections. Election reporting blackouts, for example, have been rendered virtually obsolete by the activities of unregulated web sites. The characteristic of the Internet that places it beyond regulation is its international nature. Attempts by national regulators to close down websites are met by the creation of mirror sites (replicas) beyond the country’s borders.
This regulatory challenge is likely to extend beyond the written word, with the development of Internet radio and, with time, television. Other variants, such as podcasting – the transmission of audio files – RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and peer-to-peer networks, will only increase this challenge.
