Technology’s not the culprit, but how people use it

MARGOT COHEN

Speaking at a Union of Jewish Women lecture, Harber extolled the virtues of new media like Facebook, Twitter and Google. The downside, he said, is that digital media has no gatekeepers or filtering, as does conventional journalism.

Harber pointed out that every wave of new media has brought a moral panic and highlighted social anxiety about how it could change our lives.

In the seventies when television arrived in South Africa, there was a fear that too much watching would turn us into idiots. He said that the instinct is to blame technology but that actually, it’s the way people use it that matters.

Use of the Internet has helped us widen our horizons. How we manage it or use it is what is important. New media is here to stay, so use it intelligently, posits Harber.

Do our children read less now? Evidence points to the contrary, says Harber. Young people absorb more news than the older generation, he believes. They define for themselves what they want to read and digest the news. They read shorter pieces or watch videos; they are quite well informed.

Social media usage widens our choice. Boundaries are crossed easily reading international newspapers on line. We can choose which papers to read. All citizens now have the power to enter national conversations.

So, what are the negatives?

The possible promotion of racism or anti-Semitism is a negative, he says. It can also be parochial because Facebook only talks to friends. But one has the power to cut them off or unfollow undesirable views.

He says common law deals adequately with violence or anti-Semitism, “so we don’t need censorship”. Net neutrality – an argument that the Internet be treated like the phone, rather than radio or newspapers, has arisen.

Harber pointed out that some companies are trying to get preferential treatment on the Internet, where diversity is the key.

He was “forcibly struck” by the capacity of the state to control when he was in China and could not access Google, Twitter or Facebook.

His concerns are that there is no business model for journalism on the Internet. Traditional advertising no longer works. Free speech is important, but the Internet is hard to sensor or control.

The gathering of information costs money, and it is hard to get people to understand that they must pay for it. Yet, says Harber, there has been a boom in investigative reporting in South Africa. Why? Philanthropy pays for investigative journalism in some cases. This is, however, unsustainable and will have to change.

Ways to manage and select information is important. Being discerning and checking sources must continue. Media awareness should be taught at schools, he maintains.

Harber is leaving the relative comfort and safety of Wits for eNews Channel Africa where he will spend two years.