Blog Post Weeks 7-8

User generated content published on web 2.0 has enabled political messaging in the public sphere to be reactive to current events. Content creators can publish political commentary almost simultaneously with mainstream media outlets. Concurrence with the mainstream media is necessary for social relevance. For example, the show South Park has been socially relevant in the public sphere because it parodies current events. The show’s crude animation style allows the showrunners to release episodes only days after the episode’s inception. In the early 2000s before the onset of web 2.0, South Park released an episode parodying the Elian Gonzalez custody case involving the governments of Cuba and the United States. However, political relevance is currently not relegated to those in the mainstream media and prominent creators such as the showrunners of South Park. The ease at which users can now create and broadcast content enables larger participation from more diverse demographics in political discussions.
The expansion of the public sphere enabled by Web 2.0 has vast implications for America’s military ventures. Strong public support is still a prerequisite for starting and continuing war. The initial popularity of the Iraq war enabled our government to start the conflict. The later unpopularity of the Iraq war undoubtedly influenced the de-escalation of America’s military presence there. The web was still in its infancy during the start of the Iraq war: thus, the public received information primarily from the mainstream media. At the start of the Iraq war, 71% of American sources were in favor of the invasion. 26% of American sources were neutral and 3% of American sources were against the war. The expansion of the public sphere from web 2.0 has allowed for greater exposure of media sources that counter the interventionist rhetoric of the mainstream media and the Pentagon.
Recently, the conflict between America and North Korea has dominated the news cycle. Right now, it is speculated that although North Korea does not have the capability to reliably strike America, military action against the Kim regime would result in millions dead in North and South Korea. I chose to cover this conflict for my video because of its political relevance and my familial ties to South Korea. As evidenced by the projects we have watched for class, a short video can send a very powerful message. The video about the teacher remembering her Muslim students who were killed in a shooting was especially poignant. Content such as videos, podcasts, etc. published online may change public opinion enough to influence the government’s actions during this conflict. Hopefully they will deter public support for costly military intervention before it’s too late.