The #digitalcivilrevolution leads to a fundamentally different public arena and media landscape and so to a totally different battle for public leadership and public authority. In this video Steven de Waal reflects on his lectures and debates in Canada and Finland and also on the current unrest in the Middle East to explain this new public arena. [Read more below video. This interview is also available as podcast.]
The basic analysis is how the new third channel of and by citizens themselves, usually called social media, besides the classic mediachannels of Television/Radio and Press, is fundamentally changing the medialandscape. In this new competition, the #battlefortheeyeballs, this channel will win, leading to a dominating influence on agenda setting, political debates and persons to listen to (public authority). This is the new disruptive power of citizens. Proof of this is shown by persons who complain about this new power, often being the ones who used to have (or thought so!) public attention and authority, like experts, commentators, executives, public administrators and politicians.
The more fundamental question people ask Steven de Waal in his current international debates, acknowledging this strategic analysis, is if this is not leading to a success of persons who do have the rhetorical skills and personality to win this new battle, but not the individuals who are best in leading the public cause? He thinks we are now in the middle of a learning curve, both of citizens themselves to acknowledge their new power, as of persons with the right attitude and character to lead our society and public issues, to learn the skills to perform in this new medialandscape.
