Tools of Social Media for Fighting against Corruption
Jul 04, 2015
Tools of Social Media for Fighting against Corruption
Background
In social sphere, corruption discourages
people to work together for the common good.
Frustration and general apathy among the
public result in a weak civil society.
In the modern era, the Social Media tools are
developed as very powerful among the
younger generation for eradicating the
corruption in the society.
The Social media tools has become an
important to affect change and transform
politics around the world and has emerged as
a powerful development tools.
More young people now able to access, create and distribute
information and ideas through social media which are now
spreading faster, pushing the boundaries of freedom of expression
and opening up new possibilities for change and reform.
This online Platform allows virtually everyone to become a
"publisher" and freely report even the corruption cases.
A grounded analysis of social media are not only capable of
blocking access to certain Internet outlets, but also becoming
increasingly adept at manipulating them to their advantage.
Research of this study helps to build the knowledge base on the
availability of social media tools that are used to engage citizens to
fight against corruption.
The study will support Transparency in national efforts to generate
realistic innovative ideas to embrace emerging opportunities for a
social media strategy.
Purpose of study
Hypothesis
Identifying how individuals, civil society
organisations, business men and
governments around the nation use the tools
of the social media technologies in their
strategic planning and day-to-day operations
to fight against corruption. Analysing how the social media tools like
Crowd-sourcing, Social Networking, Online
Communities, Blogging, Mobile Technology,
Internet Censorship Circumvention are
fighting against corruption in our nation and
whether it is functioning effectively to remove
the corruption in the society.
The respondents for the data analysis randomly identified
and interviewed, either via Skype or in person, at among
the leading practitioners and scholars working in the nexus
between civil society and social media.
Totally 75 persons were interviewed and their opinion were
also been recorded. This study is focused to examine
motivations in the context of anti-corruption activism.
From the database, the following categories were found
relevant to the over searching theme of anti-corruption.
Access to Information Checks on Government
Electoral Monitoring Civic Engagement
Disaster Response Human Rights Violations
Methodology
What is corruption?
oCorruption means any abuse of a position of trust in order to gain an
undue advantage. This involves the conduct of both sides that of the
person who abuses his position of trust as well as that of the person
who seeks to gain an undue advantage by this abuse.
oCorrupt practices can range from small favours in anticipation of a
future advantage to the payment of large sums of money to senior
members of governments.
oCorruption can be broadly distinguished as incidental corruption (petty
graft, small-scale embezzlement, favouritism) and systemic corruption
(large-scale embezzlement, misappropriation) at the other.
oNow a days fight against the corruption has been making headlines in
the various tools of Social Media in India. The call for passing the Jan
Lokpal (anti-corruption) bill has transformed the political consciousness
of tens of thousands of Indians who reluctantly accept corruption as
part of their culture.
Types of social media
toolsSocial Media
ToolDescription
Crowd sourcing
The act of outsourcing the gathering of information to the public
via Internet and/or mobile technology in order to produce
collaborative content, to which anyone can contribute.
Social
Networking
Social networking are online communities where people can
interact with friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, and others
with similar interests.
Online
Communities
A type of social network maintained via practice of
membership rituals by participants with shared interests, often taking
the form of chat-rooms or forums.
Blogging
The maintenance of an online space by individuals with regular entries
of commentary, or other material such as graphics or video - allowing
for the exchange of ideas between blogger and visitors.
Technology
Communication enabled via mobile phones through voice call, short
message service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS) and,
increasingly, access to the Internet.
Internet
Censorship
Circumvention
The use of various web technologies to bypass barriers imposed to
block free access to online content.
Social Media Against Corruption
Using social media tools like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter
has become an effective way to expand reach, foster
engagement and increase access to credible, anti-corruption
and legal-based messages. Social media & other emerging
communication technologies can connect millions of voices to:
Facilitate information sharing for the eradication of
corruption in the civil society.
Personalize and reinforce protection of life and fight against
corruption that can be more easily tailored or targeted to
particular audiences of the civil society.
Empower people to make safer and healthier decisions in
anti-corruption as per law, providing in the constitutional
rights.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Due to the development of technology of online
networks, the Chief Vigilance Commission of Government of
India has separately hoisted a social network to watchdog
everything about the corruption and protect the society
without corruption.
The tools of social media are often used in conjunction
with another to produce the most valuable output.
There are several NGOs and civil society activists use
these tools for anti-corruption initiatives.
The causes supported the innovative analyze of the
study valuable insights into how anti-corruption activism is
taking place through the strategic use of social media.
Access to Information
In many developing countries, there are real
structural and political barriers to produce information,
and the ability of citizens to claim their right to
information and to use it to demand better
governance and public services without corruption.
Regarding to access to Information in the strategic
planning and day-to-day operations to fight against
corruption many answers during interview, the online
community, Mobile technology and Social Networking
have been used maximum above 60 percentage and
Crowd sourcing and Blogging are used minimum
percentage. \
Social Media tools in access to Information
to fight against Corruption (N = 75)
Sl. No. Impact dimensions
Change indicators
Yes No
Nos. Percentage Nos. Percentage
1.Crowd sourcing
45 60 30 40
2.Social Networking
65 86.7 10 13.3
3.Online
Communities 70 93.3 05 06.4
4. Blogging 35 46.7 40 53.3
5.Mobile
Technology63 84 12 16
6.
Internet
Censorship
Circumvention
55 73.3 20 26.7
Checks on
Government The various tools of social media maintain a database of public
information on over parliamentary members , legislative members and
officials has proven valuable to journalists reporting on corruption issues.
Regarding to check on Government in their strategic planning and
day-to-day operations to fight against corruption, most of the answer is yes
and for that the effective tools like social networking, online community
and Mobile technology and its change indicators are above fifty and other
tools are used for fighting corruption are below fifty percentage.
The combines the concept of crowd sourcing with blogging and social
networking are effectively checks on government like politicians and
officials who are possessed any illegal properties without giving account to
the government.
Wiki page that assembles several blogs and tweets reporting on the
activities of a chosen politician, foster political transparency and
accountability by monitoring the activities and performance of elected
officials.
Social Media tools checks on Government
for Anti-Corruption (N = 75)
Sl. No.Impact
dimensions
Change indicators
Yes No
Nos. Percentage Nos. Percentage
1. Crowd sourcing 40 53.3 35 46.7
2.Social
Networking70 93.3 05 06.7
3.Online
Communities69 92 06 08
4. Blogging 45 60 30 40
5.Mobile
Technology56 74.7 19 25.3
6.
Internet
Censorship
Circumvention
43 57.3 32 42.7
Electoral
MonitoringMany electoral monitoring initiatives track events
during elections, supporting efforts to expose
incidents of vote buying or fraud. Such initiatives
demonstrate the value of social media, both in
enabling immediate information dissemination via
SMS and mobile technology, and by mapping crowd
sourced data.
The challenges facing electoral monitoring projects
are relevant to collect the real-time data during
elections, information validity, limited rural access,
and long-term impact on accountability.
Social Media tools monitoring election
without Corruption (N = 75)
Sl.
No.
Impact
dimensions
Change indicators
Yes No
Nos. Percentage Nos. Percentage
1. Crowd sourcing 69 92 06 08
2.Social
Networking65 86.7 10 13.3
3.Online
Communities70 93.3 05 06.7
4. Blogging 40 53.3 35 46.7
5.Mobile
Technology50 66.7 25 33.4
6.Internet
Censorship
Circumvention
55 73.3 20 26.7
Civic Engagement
Social networking regarding civic engagement challenges
corruption by encouraging active citizenship, exposing
government inefficiencies and demanding transparency in
service delivery.
Crowd sourcing, mobile technology and online
communities utilizes initiatives such databases of evidence to
bring malfeasance to light based on real time public reports.
Regarding the question of civic engagement many of the
respondent have answered above fifty percentage for the
social media tools of crowd sourcing, social networking, and
online communities, but other tools of the social medias are
getting response below fifty percentage.
Social Media tools used for civic
engagement for fighting corruption (N = 75)
Sl. No. Impact dimensions
Change indicators
Yes No
Nos. Percentage Nos. Percentage
1. Crowd sourcing 55 73.3 20 26.7
2.Social
Networking66 88 09 12
3.Online
Communities65 86.7 10 13.3
4. Blogging 49 65.3 26 34.7
5.Mobile
Technology40 53.3 35 46.4
6.
Internet
Censorship
Circumvention35 46.7 40 53.3
Disaster Response
Thinking back to the recent natural catastrophes, including
the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the 2008 Sichuan
earthquake and even Katrina none seemed to galvanize
support so quickly at this one. Many disaster prone zones also
suffer from endemic corruption, thus making humanitarian aid
particularly vulnerable during emergencies.
Regarding the disaster response questions many of the
respondent have answered above fifty percentages for the
social media tools of social networking, online communities,
and mobile technology, but other tools of the Social Media like
crowd sourcing, blogging, and internet Censorship
Circumvention are getting response below fifty percentage.
Social Media tools fighting corruption in the
issue of
Disaster Response (N = 75)Sl. No. Impact dimensions
Change indicators
Yes No
Nos. Percentage Nos. Percentage
1. Crowd sourcing 40 53.3 35 46.4
2.Social
Networking 65 86.7 10 13.3
3.Online
Communities 70 93.3 05 06.7
4. Blogging 43 57.3 32 42.7
5.Mobile
Technology 55 73.3 20 26.7
6.
Internet
Censorship
Circumvention32 42.7 43 67.3
Human Rights Violations
The anti corruption activists can be directly
threatened by human rights violations. As a result
social media is increasingly used to bring attention
to under reported cases.
Regarding the social media tools used for
protection of human rights many of the respondents
have answered above fifty five percentages for the
social media tools of crowd sourcing, social
networking and online communities, but other tools
of the Social Media like crowd sourcing, blogging,
mobile technology, and internet Censorship
Circumvention are getting response below fifty five
percentage.
Sl. No.Impact
dimensions
Change indicators
Yes No
Nos. Percentage Nos. Percentage
1. Crowd sourcing 50 66.7 25 33.4
2.Social
Networking 55 73.3 20 26.7
3.Online
Communities 63 84 12 16
4. Blogging 44 58.7 31 41.3
5.Mobile
Technology 50 66.7 25 33.4
6.
Internet
Censorship
Circumvention
35 46.7 40 53.3
Social Media tools used for fighting
corruption
in human rights violation (N = 75)
Conclusion
Transparency in the use of providing database among the potential
members of the network of civil society can be a challenge for the
corruption.
iPad, Bribe D 10, Vigeye D 22 encourages Indian citizens to submit
SMS or online reports about instances where they have been
forced to pay a bribe.
Online and Offline interactions among social network users will
have an impact on real time activities to defy widespread tolerance
of bribery as a normal way of dealing with corrupt government
officials.
Providing volunteers with a cost -free and user- friendly interface
can contribute to broader online anti-corruption initiatives and
campaigns.
International and Nation wide attitudinal change, with protests and
candle light support rallies are conducted against the corruption
practices of the Nation and world.