K. KULASEKARANB.SC., B.Ed., M.A. (His),  M.A. (JMC), M.,Sc., L.L.B., M.Phil (JMC), PGDCA,

(RESEARCH SCHOLAR - Ph.D.)DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY,

GOVT. OF PONDICHERRY) &

 DR. P. RAJENDRANM.A.(JMC), M.A.(ENG.), M.A.(TAMIL), M.A.(LING.), B.Ed., Ph.D., D.J., P.G.D.T.,

P.G.D.Lab.Law & Adm. Law, P.G.D.Cri .& Police. Adm., H.P., D.K.,

HEAD & ACADEMIC COORDINATOR, DEPT. OF JOURNALISM & LAW D.D.E., MADURAI KAMARAJ UNIVERSITY, MADURAI.

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

Tool Description

Crowd sourcingThe  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.   

OnlineCommunities

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.

BloggingThe 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.

TechnologyCommunication 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 indicatorsYes 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 Technology 63 84 12 16

6.Internet CensorshipCircumvention

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 indicatorsYes No

Nos. Percentage Nos. Percentage

1. Crowd sourcing 40 53.3 35 46.7

2.Social Networking 70 93.3 05 06.7

3.Online Communities 69 92 06 08

4. Blogging 45 60 30 40

5.Mobile Technology 56 74.7 19 25.3

6.Internet CensorshipCircumvention

43 57.3 32 42.7

Electoral Monitoring

Many 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 indicatorsYes No

Nos. Percentage Nos. Percentage

1. Crowd sourcing 69 92 06 08

2.Social

Networking 65 86.7 10 13.3

3.Online

Communities 70 93.3 05 06.7

4. Blogging 40 53.3 35 46.7

5.Mobile

Technology 50 66.7 25 33.4

6.Internet

CensorshipCircumvention

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 indicatorsYes No

Nos. Percentage Nos. Percentage

1. Crowd sourcing 55 73.3 20 26.7

2.Social Networking 66 88 09 12

3.Online Communities 65 86.7 10 13.3

4. Blogging 49 65.3 26 34.7

5.Mobile Technology 40 53.3 35 46.4

6.

Internet CensorshipCircumvention

35 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 indicatorsYes 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 indicatorsYes 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 CensorshipCircumvention

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.

END

Thanks