Can New Media be a better tool for Governance?

Abstract

Given the unique characteristics of the New Media, the
technology offers real opportunities for democratization
and political transformation, especially in societies where
the basic rights of freedom of expression and the press
are constricted by state control. This paper seeks to challenge this main assumption by examining the impact of
the Internet along with the politics surrounding its use
in Asia, with specific attention to the cases of China and
Singapore. This paper postulates that in the cases of certain authoritarian regimes such as China and Singapore,
not only has the presence and use of the Internet failed to
spawn strong opposition movements, but authorities in
these states have cleverly entered the domain of online
expression and have utilized the technology to improve
governance and control of these societies.