Is social media shaping world politics and is populist agenda now more important than democrasy?

krish

No we saw the start of this in the US less than a month into Trump's administration, with POTUS taking a shot at the First Amendment, branding various news outlets as "the enemy of the American People" ...
Donald J. Trump on TwitterThe so called 'Leader of the Free World' is an authoritarian and coward with respect to his ongoing attacks and threats against the free press (no matter how empty or toothless)
Donald J. Trump on Twitter

Pacifico

But you are advocating that the government be allowed to decide who is allowed to publish - that is government control.

Pacifico

The Leader of the Free World exercising his constitutional right to Free Speech. Whats the problem?

Faust

Facebook, Twitter etc.  I realise this is just my own opinion but I believe that social media in it's present unregulated form is the biggest threat to world stability since the height of the cold war or the 'Bay of Pigs'.

imightbewrong

But how do you define the 'etc'? Look at all the posts of fake and real news in the politics section here.

Faust

I'm advocating a free professional press.  There has to be safeguards though in any society, you can't go around making wildly unsubstantiated rumours/claims willy nilly without the right of redress if proven untrue - Sir Cliff anyone!

Faust

It shouldn't happen.  Isn't that what Zuckerberg et-al have been tasked with sorting out i.e. coming up with some algorithm which will allegedly sort out fake news from fact.

imightbewrong

It would sure be cool if every time someone posted 'the moon landings were faked' their post got automatically deleted

Pacifico

Sorry but I dont see how you can have a free press if you want the government to decide who is part of this free press. As far as safeguards go - well we already have legal redress, Cliff was awarded a £1 million in compensation.

Trollslayer

Including support for the little people who can't afford expensive barristers.