Politics of social media and crime
THE RECENT controversial exchange of letters between Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Dr Peter Phillips about a meeting to discuss further extensions to the states of emergency is a clear indication of how central social media has become in Jamaica’s democracy.
The Internet and social media have enhanced democracy greatly. Leaders and members of the public can communicate directly, which is a good thing. More and better information is readily available to inform debate and aid decision making. Marginalised and excluded groups and individuals can let their views be seen and heard instantly as they seek to influence debates.
While this is a clear advance, the Internet and social media do allow ‘fake’ or false news and views to run wild. Debates often take place without much reference to data and are, at times, driven largely by emotions and feelings. A democracy needs an informed public sharing facts and truths about issues. It is in this context that the current imbroglio between the prime minister and the leader of the Opposition may be examined.
The prime minister made his letter available on social media before Dr Phillips was able to reply. The leader of the Opposition then responded in kind by releasing his letter on social media before the PM could react. Apart from the perceived power of social media, what this episode clearly indicates is the desire of leaders to communicate directly to the public and to control the narrative. We may also be witnessing the opening salvos for the next national election, in which social media will again be a major weapon.
What appears lost in this unseemly publicrelations battle is the fact that for Jamaica to have stability, security, and development, there must be collaboration based on shared values and a factbased understanding of the country’s reality. Calls for unity and dialogue require one side to surrender its position.
Failure to achieve genuine collaboration and compromises based on the realities on the ground, respect for the rule of law, and the articulation of a clear strategy for crime fighting after the states of emergency will result in criminals being emboldened. Leadership of the highest calibre is now required to retrieve the situation and prevent a further downward spiral in public discourse.
The attempts to paint one side as being in favour of increasing murders or the other as not being sensitive to the human or constitutional rights of ordinary Jamaicans are extreme and false positions that should be avoided. Common ground will be hard to find if these views are cemented among participants in the media battle now being waged. The increasingly nasty exchanges and memes across the Internet by hyped-up supporters of the two major political parties around the issue of the state of emergency and crime fighting in general will put the leaders in a difficult position to reach necessary compromises.
NO CLEAR BREAKTHROUGH
The Brexit quagmire that the UK has found itself in, with no clear breakthrough imminent, should be a warning to Jamaica about how easily a country and its leaders can find themselves in intractable positions when the voting public is split down the middle and consensus is difficult to achieve.
The planned discussions between the prime minister and the leader of the Opposition cannot be only about extending the states of emergency. The broader issue of crime fighting over the medium to long term must be addressed. The SOE was supposed to cauterise the bloodletting and give the authorities room to develop a longer-term strategy. The reported reduction of more than 20 per cent in the murder rate for 2018 suggests some degree of initial success.
There are international partners with funds allocated to assist Jamaica in crime fighting and security to build on this success. They, too, are awaiting a credible and coherent medium-to-long term crime-fighting strategy as the basis for releasing resources. Beyond the need for a strategy, there is concern about the capacity of the administrative bureaucracy to develop a plan and to manage resources efficiently. These are additional issues that should be placed on the agenda of the proposed meeting between the leaders.
If the planned discussions can go beyond the current social media hype, are fact-based, and are guided by humility and reasonableness, there is a good chance for a successful outcome.