{"id":121620,"date":"2018-08-27T22:47:40","date_gmt":"2018-08-27T20:47:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/bobi-wine-case-demonstrates-the-power-of-social-media-the-conversation\/"},"modified":"2018-08-27T22:47:40","modified_gmt":"2018-08-27T20:47:40","slug":"bobi-wine-case-demonstrates-the-power-of-social-media-the-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/bobi-wine-case-demonstrates-the-power-of-social-media-the-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"Bobi Wine case demonstrates the power of social media | The Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bobi Wine case demonstrates the power of social media<\/a>: <\/p>\n

Graffiti mural of Bobi Wine in Nairobi.<\/span> Kevin Issac\/@Nyawizzy<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine, is a Ugandan politician whose arrest and incarceration has sparked widespread protests in Uganda and elsewhere in the East African region. A great deal of this can be attributed to social media, which quickly spread his story. The Conversation Africa spoke to Philip Ephraim about social media, and the impact it can have on politics.<\/em><\/p>\n

How has social media been used in the Bobi Wine saga?<\/strong><\/p>\n

From what I\u2019ve seen, most major social media tools \u2014-Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram \u2014- have all been used. In my opinion, Twitter has been the most prominent of these platforms. The video of Bobi Wine\u2019s arrest and the hashtag #freebobiwine first appeared on Twitter on the morning following his arrest and soon began to trend. It has since gone viral across various social media and mainstream platforms.<\/p>\n

Over ten days, 60 twitter accounts have so far either been created or renamed to promote the hashtag with over 100,000 tweets. And I\u2019ve seen four accounts created on Facebook. <\/p>\n

In this way, social media is being used as an advocacy tool to challenge Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni \u2014- who has been in power for over 30 years \u2014- and his regime\u2019s oppressive tactics.<\/p>\n

What has the impact of this online activity been?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unlike traditional media, social media has the unique capacity to make messages go viral. It can reach audiences worldwide within minutes through content sharing. <\/p>\n

Social media has played a central role in attracting attention to the plight of Bobi Wine across the world. It has kept the general public up to date on his court case, the arrest of his friends and coworkers and on his physical health. <\/p>\n

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Videos and images of him circulated online show him struggling to walk and talk, which suggests that he\u2019s been tortured in detention. Messages from his family have also been shared, and gone viral, creating more support. <\/p>\n

Personally, I became aware of this situation through a Kenyan YouTube channel which announced the incident and sought to drum up support for Bobi Wine. This prompted me to look further into what was happening to him. <\/p>\n

The activity on social media has been translated into actual, physical action. Concerts and rallies calling for his release have been held in South Africa and neighbouring countries such as Kenya. <\/p>\n

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Protests in London for the release of Bobi Wine.<\/span> Shutterstock\/Dan_L<\/span><\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And the message has spread beyond Africa\u2019s borders, which is probably at least partly because of social media\u2019s enormous reach. There have even been protests in London calling for his release. International artists like Chris Martin from Coldplay and Damon Albarn from Blur are among those who\u2019ve come out in support of Bobi Wine.<\/p>\n

What has the Ugandan government\u2019s reaction been?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Uganda\u2019s government has a turbulent relationship with social media, which it\u2019s trying to control \u2013 but can\u2019t. Earlier this year a social media tax was introduced which means that Ugandans pay USD$ 0.05 a day to use popular platforms like Twitter or WhatsApp. <\/p>\n

So, it\u2019s no surprise that the government\u2019s reaction has been defensive. It has tried to justify its actions, accusing Bobi Wine of leading a group of protesters to attack the president and his military and police convoy with stones and illegal firearms with a view to politically destabilise Uganda. In this way the government has framed itself as engaging in self defence against violent protesters.<\/p>\n

It has also tried to discredit the information being shared online. President Museveni has dismissed information about Bobi Wine\u2019s beating and injuries as \u201cfake news\u201d. <\/p>\n

And recent media reports have tried to reinforce a positive, magnanimous image of the Ugandan government, for instance saying it will allow Bobi Wine to be flown abroad for medical treatment. <\/p>\n

What concerns are there when social media is used to address politics?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A central issue is the lack of gatekeeping. Anyone can produce and share sensational content on social media. In this way the porous nature of social media fuels the spread of disinformation and misinformation and the notorious \u201cfake news\u201d. This means not all content will be, or should be trusted. This could hurt a cause.<\/p>\n

For instance, there\u2019s already information emerging that suggests Boni Wine\u2019s condition might not have been as critical as was portrayed in some messages that circulated on social media. Other reports declared that Bobi Wine had been shot dead with his driver; some claimed he\u2019d been beaten to a pulp and was blind and completely paralysed. However, evidence has emerged that he was able to receive visits from family and close friends including his wife and even wrote letters while in detention. <\/p>\n

The Ugandan government has already accused the media and the opposition of spreading fake news to fuel anarchy and chaos. <\/p>\n

Do you think social media can play a role in protecting democracy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Indeed, social media functions are a powerful tool in promoting democracy through:<\/p>\n