Transcript Andrew Puddephatt - Introduction to the project and layer model

Challenges to freedom of
expression
• The right to freedom of expression is a
“foundation right” in society.
• It protects the right to:
- Express ourselves in words, music etc.
- Receive and exchange ideas and
information
- Operates “regardless of frontiers”
- Heavily protected internationally and
regionally
Why is it important?
• Essential to our human integrity
• Enables better protection of other rights
and freedoms
• Provides the basis of democracy by
allowing the exchange of ideas and
opinions
• Underpins human development
What does it need?
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We express ourselves in many ways
- One to one conversations
- Meeting in groups or association
- One speaking to many
Traditionally, all of these operate in
different ways and by different rules
• Different types of content are received in
different ways
Do networked digital
What limits free expression?
communications affect these limits?
• Geographical and linguistic boundaries
Create a global, accessible communications network carrying all kinds of
content available through different devices
• Technical limits
An environment where 1 to1, group conversations and 1 to many
communication happen side by side
• Censorship, direct and indirect
}
Traditional “gatekeepers” and bottlenecks - government, corporations,
“mediators” - undermined
• Commercial factors
New business models develop
A communication
democracy?
The content layer – the subject
• matter
It depends
who
controls
of the communication
the new
environment.
• Actors and institutions can exercise
The Application layer – tools to
influence
in different ways and at different
navigate
content.
levels…
Connectivity & code layer – the
‘language’ or protocols of the
communication.
The Physical layer – the physical
infrastructure that makes
communications possible.
The Drivers of change
The layer model of the networked
communications environment
The issues
Do networked communications…
Expand the way
we get
information and
debate issues?
Increase our ability
to act and
collaborate
together?
Offer possibilities to
strengthen
democracy &
empower people?
Create opportunities
to share and develop
human creativity?
The key questions
• Do networked communications
– Change the way we access information and
ideas
– Increase our ability to act together
– Change the relationship between people and
government
– Create new opportunities for the creation and
distribution of arts and culture?
Accessing information and ideas
• Traditional media model is changing
• Greater citizen interactivity – including the
blog, the wiki - can bypass censorship e.g.
Malaysia, Burma
• But traditional media is reinventing itself
• And most news still from traditional
sources
• Transforming the news or a barren echo
chamber?
Increasing co-operation?
• NCE affects civil society groups, networks and
coalitions, social movements
• Depends upon opportunity structures and
framing processes
• Increases collaboration, publishing, mobilisation
and observation
• Informal movements v. centralised
communications
• Networked communications is the “master key”
Strengthen democracy and
empower people
• Bypassing of censorship models opens up
government
• New interactive, transactional relations
• Growth of right to information laws
• But increasing surveillance post 9/11
• Integration of government databases
• Privacy more and more conditional
New opportunities to share and
develop creativity
• New abilities to promote, exhibit, perform
and publish online - direct interactive links
between creators and consumers
• On line marketing facilitates niche
interests and the “long tail”
• New ability to produce and collaborate in
productions
• New emphasis upon IPR and ownership of
products
Proportion of worldwide
earnings from licences and
royalty fees
The dangers
• Governments control networked
communications for their own ends
• Traditional media companies take over the
environment
• Private companies use it exclusively for
commercial ends
• The technology is turned against us
Conclusions
• We can overcome the limitations of media
monopolisation and censorship
• We can facilitate a democratic politics, and
a more equal society
• We can have a global communication
environment that is under “public” control
• We can create a more vibrant, accessible
and open arts and culture
But only if
• Progressive policies are applied at all “layers” &
the right regulatory framework is applied
– Requires further research to define frameworks &
advocacy at national to international levels.
• Multi stakeholder governance is applied
– Requires support of multi-stakeholder processes and
civil society involvement in them.
• Civil society develops the capacity to utilise new
possibilities
– Requires support of ‘social-tech’ groups and their
networking with wider civil society.