CSS Current Affairs | Social Media as a Tool for Propaganda by Political Entities
The following question of CSS Current Affairs is solved by Tehreeem Zafar under the supervision of Howfiv’s Pakistan Affairs and Current Affairs Coaches. She learnt how to attempt 20 marks question and essay writing from Sir Syed Kazim Ali, Pakistan’s best CSS and PMS English essay and precis teacher with the highest success rate of his students. This solved past paper question is attempted on the pattern taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory and optional subjects for years, and uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Outline
1- Introduction
2- Elaborating the relationship between social media and political propaganda
3- Analyzing how political entities use social media as a propaganda tool at the global level
- ✓By manipulating public opinion by spreading false information against opposition parties
- Evidence: The activity of Russian social media operators exacerbated political polarization in the US during the 2016 US Presidential Elections
- ✓By strengthening fifth-generational warfare elements in enemy countries
- Evidence: According to the EU-Disinfo Lab Report, “In 2019-2020, India’s Asian News International (ANI) and Shrivastava group have developed 256 anti-Pakistan websites, creating misleading information and lobbying in Pakistan’s civil society and across 65 countries since 2005.
- ✓By providing election-related misinformation
- Evidence: Trump’s Tweet in the US 2020 Elections campaign
- ✓By promoting the culture of audio-video leaks
- Evidence: Recent happenings of audio-video leaks in Pakistan between PDM and PTI groups
4- Critical Analysis
5- Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
In today’s fast-paced world, social media and political propaganda go hand in hand. Advancing further, the worldwide and uncontrolled availability of social media fuels the activities of political entities, endorsing social media as a powerful tool for propaganda. However, the activities of political entities using social media for propaganda can be analyzed, from manipulating public opinion through misleading information to strengthening fifth-generational warfare elements. This question analyzes the role of social media as a propaganda tool by political entities in detail.
Elaborating on the relationship between social media and political propaganda
Before diving deep into the details, it is important to understand the relationship between social media and political propaganda. Expanding the point, the unprecedented accessibility of the Internet to individuals in all parts of the world increases interconnectivity at social, political, and cultural levels. Particularly on the political front, social media provides space for global residents to debate and convey their political views to their representatives through opinion-sharing. However, the right to freedom of expression gives an edge to political entities to use social media as a propaganda tool not only to gain public support but also to disseminate derogatory sentiment against opponents.
Analyzing how political entities use social media as a propaganda tool at the global level
- By manipulating public opinion by spreading false information against opposition parties
To begin with, political entities globally use social media as a propaganda tool against opposition parties to manipulate public opinion by spreading false information, as it is easily possible to spread fake news among the masses within no time. Additionally, political actors use social media against opponent states to cement their conspiracy theories among large audiences through speedy activity; as a result, it manipulates the views of the public about their political leadership. To elaborate, the 2016 US Presidential Election is a stark example of social media usage by political entities as Russian operators targeted the social media algorithms of a few voter groups during the elections, ultimately exacerbating political polarization in the USA. In short, using social media for propaganda by political entities heavily casts negative change not only on the political beliefs of citizens but also on the political activities of the state.
- By strengthening fifth-generational warfare elements in enemy countries
Next to it, political entities use social media to propagate fifth-generation warfare elements in enemy countries. Further, the political bodies of one state use social media for the rapid, constant supply of anti-nationalistic information among the locals of another state; as a consequence, it not only erodes the nation’s trust factor about fact and fiction but also seeds hatred among the masses against their own leaders. According to the EU-Disinfo Lab Report, “In 2019-2020, India’s Asian News International (ANI) and Shrivastava group have developed 256 anti-Pakistan websites, creating misleading information and lobbying in Pakistan’s civil society and across 65 countries since 2005. Hence, political entities use social media as a propaganda tool to strengthen fifth-generational warfare elements in opponent countries.
- By providing election-related misinformation
In addition to this, political bodies use social media for propaganda in election-related occurrences. Generally, this kind of activity takes place at the state level among various political parties by using blue-ticked social media handles of political leaders or parties to distract and mislead citizens about election information. As an illustration, in the 2020 US Presidential Elections, US ex-president Donald Trump’s tweet presented false and misleading information about the voting process, which was later clarified by Twitter’s official statement. In short, major political entities use social media as propaganda to mislead the public about election information.
- By promoting the culture of audio-video leaks, audio-video leaks
Last but not least, political entities use social media for propaganda by using various political tactics, such as the promotion of audio-video leaks culture. Historically, in politics, party candidates used to be involved in direct confrontations; however, political figures nowadays use social media to discredit opponents. The political groups use various tricks on social media, like defaming each other’s party leaders through tweets or Instagram/Facebook posts on official social media sites, using foul language about female party workers, and, above all, leaking opponents’ personal data from audio and videos. To illustrate, the exchange of audio-video leaks in Pakistan between PDM and PTI groups after the recent regime change depicts the grim picture of filthy political operations in the country. In short, political bodies use social media as propaganda by promoting audio-video leaks.
Critical Analysis
To investigate critically, the political propaganda lies at the heart of social media. Moreover, the political bodies have negatively impacted the views of individuals in the name and aim of increasing their vote bank and getting power in their hands. That’s why the wide availability of social media websites demand checks and balances for the active and efficient performance of political groups.
Conclusion
To conclude the debate, the political entities use social media for propaganda at the local as well as global levels as the relationship between social media and political propaganda has been strengthened over the last few years. However, the analysis of the actions of political entities through the usage of social media demand effective regulatory measures on the activities of these bodies.
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