Real-Time Diplomacy: Politics and Power in the Social Media Era

IMGXYZ4280IMGZYXThe term “real-time diplomacy” has emerged as a result of the rapid spread of information facilitated by social media. These new forms of communication have pushed the traditional structure of diplomacy to adapt. Carnegie-Tsinghua’s Zhao Kejin hosted a roundtable discussion with both international and Chinese scholars to investigate these issues.

What Constitutes “Real-Time Diplomacy?”

• Rapid Exchange of Information: Wang Wen, an editor at the Global Times, argued that there are five main types of media and the principal difference between them is how quickly the information is distributed. Magazines are distributed monthly, newspapers are delivered daily, TV programs are aired on an hourly basis, websites are updated within minutes, and social media platforms publish information within seconds. As a result, this immediacy has changed the expectations of information consumers.
   
• A Greater Reach: Philip Seib, a professor of journalism, public diplomacy, and international relations at the University of Southern California, explained that social media provides interactivity and empowerment to the general population. Facebook, Twitter, and email allow people to reach a much greater audience. For example, in 2007 there were 400,000 tweets per quarter on Twitter. Now, there are 65 million each day. Facebook has 900 million users, he continued. If it were a country, it would be the third largest in the world. With the 24-hour news cycle and rapid sharing on social media, Seib argued that policymakers have to respond in real time. He also noted that real-time diplomacy may be escalating rash decisions and encouraging people to react quickly, rather than thoughtfully, to unfolding events.
   
• More Individualistic and Un-Edited Material: Seib stated that social media empowers the user to interact with different types of media. Filip Noubel, country director for the International Center for Communication and Development, added that the quality of information has changed, along with the nature of narratives and the distribution system. Whereas traditional media has a format, social media is raw and unedited. In traditional media, the content has to be catered to the median consumer, while social media can start local and move into the global sphere. Noubel added that social media is universal, it enjoys mobility, and it features low costs and immediacy. However, he noted that social media can also create a cocoon, allowing individuals to only follow feeds of information selected to one taste.

Real-Time Diplomacy in the Middle East

• Social Media Provides Information Access: Seib observed that the increased use of social media indicates that the era of state-controlled media in the Middle East is disappearing, as social media allows the public to access multiple sources of information. News outlets, such as Al-Jazeera, rely on news traveling through social media channels to remain informed of the latest developments.
   
• Failed Attempts at Control: During the Tunisian Revolution, the Egyptian government attempted to shut down coverage of the uprising in order to prevent ideas from fermenting domestically, Seib added. This attempt failed, largely due to the fact that satellite channels like Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya were accessible to large parts of the Egyptian population.

Discussants Included: Filip Noubel, Ma Xiaolin, Wen Jian, Wang Wen, Dong Qingling