Sri Lankan soldiers patrol in the Jaffna peninsula in April 2008. At least 25 government soldiers and 120 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in heavy fighting in northern Sri Lanka on Tuesday. (AFP/File/Lakruwan Wanniarachchi)From Discover Magazine:
In the wake of near-daily scandals involving billions of dollars, it can be easy to lose sight of the rampant unrest in the rest of the world—including Sri Lanka, the small Asian nation that has been fighting a lengthy civil war. The conflict is between the government and a group of insurgents known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and while the violence has been ongoing and tragic, the fascinating aspect is how both sides are using technology to spin their actions, gain public support, and put down the other side.
Brian Calvert at World Politics Review, who is doing an investigative series on the country’s unique technological warfare, reports that releasing YouTube videos depicting things like suicide bombers has become standard practice for both parties. The government even has a headquarters for its information campaign, called the Media Center for National Security, which was established in 2006 to “disseminate accurate defense-related news within short as possible time, to both local and international media, and then at the same time to counter the LTTE propaganda.”
Read more ....
My Comment: Aside from the propaganda factor .... is YouTube an effective means to spread your information and message in a war .... I have some doubts. As an outsider .... I would have to say that the answer is no. But for both sides in this conflict, I can see how a message can reinforce one side or the other. The biases have already been made, and all that this propaganda can do is reinforce these positions. Is it effective .... both sides certainly believe that it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment