Telegram

Today we have access to a variety of public communication instruments. Everyone has an opportunity to express their views and deliver their texts to thousands of potential followers.
One of the newest public information tools is Telegram that provides an option of having your personal channel. What is a Telegram channel? It is a stream of posts that you can send as if you are texting your friend, but it can be received by everyone who joins your channel. No comments, no interaction, only your posts, information, views, links, pictures and stuff.
Its simplicity attracts users, especially in particular countries. In Iran, for instance, Telegram channels are extremely popular, and one channel can have 10 million or even more followers. During the last election campaign, Telegram was one of the main sources of political information for Iranians.
How come?
The thing is, a Telegram channel conceals your profile. Most of the channels are anonymous, and it would be very challenging for the authorities to reveal the real authors.
Here in Russia we also can see a significant influence of Telegram channels, especially among experts who create political agenda. The most popular genre is an insight channel that looks like a source of current information leaking from the top. There are 4 or 5 channels considered as headliners, and often their posts cause havoc.
But even such a simple and effective instrument has its weakness. These days, only a lazy politician doesn't own a Telegram channel. Experts and institutions are also following the trend. So if you are involved in politics, your feed will be flooded with a deluge of their messages. One way or another, you will have to deal with a mess of contradictory information. Needless to say, it's the quality that suffers.
Mess and cacophony are the first enemies of free speech.
#freedomofspeech #telegram #freedomofexpressoin #socialnetworks #writing #politics

Governance and media

It would be erroneous to say that here in Russia any sort of free speech is completely non-existent. A significant part of well-established media still retains an ironic and critical attitude towards authorities, just take the Kommersant or the Vedomosti as examples.
Russia is definitely not like North Korea, Turkmenistan, or Azerbaijan.That's the good news.
The bad news is that you would never find a media outlet which is not involved in political or business fights and schemes, or one that would not be prepared to shift the angle of observation according to a specific business proposal. It's no secret that so-called Kremlin "towers" live in a permanent state of war and competition, and media are one of the most effective weapons in this battlefield.
Unfortunately, despite numerous scoops that reveal corruption, this collision cancels out transparency, good governance, and other benefits which journalists usually struggle for. Even a well-proven critical publication about a failed ministry would not make them change the way they do their work. Let's have a look at the hero of the day. This failed minister will gladly ask "Who paid for the article?" but never "What have I done wrong?".
You can write a good text about the poor condition of the road system, or even about police bribery and you will easily find the way to publish the article because a good piece of writing is always welcome. But the effect of your truth will disappoint you. The Road Department will not dash to build a new road but firstly, they would start searching for the enemy among other governmental or business structures that could have arranged the publication. Of course, your figures and facts could become a weapon against the head of the Department but I'm not sure that it would do the public any good.
#freedomofspeech #governance #transparency #media #politics