GW 2008: The Year In Tech

If 2008 is remembered for anything, it will be the year new media made a difference in the lives of many around the world. From using Twitter to help a student get out of an Egyptian prison to blogging in support of LGBT rights in Jamaica, digital activism has created new opportunities to achieve social justice. However, President-elect Barack Obama’s road to the White House not only showed the power of new media, but also that that power belongs with the people from all walks of life when they come together for a common cause. All this digital activism makes us look forward to 2009!

Happy New Year!

GW 2008 Innovator of the Year

Barack Obama will not only go down in history as America's first black president, he is also the first commander-in-chief to use new media as part of his successful campaign. Early on in the election cycle, the Obama campaign knew that if it wanted to bring "change" to American politics, they would need innovative communication to do it.

What Did We Say:

Obama used the Internet for both fundraising purposes and growing a community of like-minded voters who wanted to see the country go in a different direction than the one led by the Bush Administration. According to data from the Federal Election Commission, Obama raised over $470 million in individual contributions through October 15, compared to rival John McCain’s $200 million. Obama accomplished this by taking smaller contributions from supporters and creating an easy online giving process.

Also, his supporters got online to show their support for him on multiple social networks, including a YouTube video from pop star Will.i.am and “Obama Girl.”

The Obama campaign also used text messaging to announce the selection of VP running mate Joe Biden.

The president-elect has vowed to make technological innovation a priority in his administration, as his weekly radio addresses will also be posted on YouTube, bringing new meaning to the fireside chats. Also, for the first time, there will be a chief technology officer to help Obama "ensure that our government and all its agencies have the right infrastructure, policies and services for the 21st Century."

Here at Global Wire, we are most interested, though, in how transparent Obama will be about his policy decisions, and if he will be frank or shady about discussing his decisions in cyberspace. We recommend that he take questions from the American people and answer them in his YouTube chats if he wants to keep the momentum that got him elected in the first place. Otherwise, he will be seen as just another politician that says one thing and does another. While we love that the next U.S. president is tech-savvy, we will cry foul on any questionable decisions he makes, especially regarding the war on terrorism and the growing economic crisis.

But for now, we hold our glasses up to Barack Obama on his achievements so far!

GW 2008 In Memoriam

Eartha Kitt was best known for her style, grace and sensuality. But only a few know that the entertainer is rumored to have made Lady Bird Johnson cry after criticizing the Johnson administration in 1968 for not putting enough resources into solving America's urban blight and perpetuating an illegal war in Viet Nam (sounds like she could be talking about the current administration...). Following that encounter, Kitt's career was essentially dead in the United States and the FBI harassed her for many years after. But she didn't let adversity keep her back; she got back up, continued her career while supporting social justice around the world for the rest of her life. And for this we salute her.

Miriam Makeba also took risks by standing up for what she believed in throughout her life. She had her South African passport revoked in 1960 when she spoke out in the United States against the apartheid regime. She would be rejected again when she married Black Panther Stokley Carmichael and moved to Guinea. Makeba continued with her activism and singing until her final performance in Italy last November.

<Aimé Césaire was best known for initiating Negritude, a political and literary movement that rejected colonialism and promoted black pride. He also served as an inspiration to Franz Fanon, one of the great thinkers of our time. I first learned about Césaire when I was in college, where I minored in post-colonial studies. He is one of the reasons I am the person I am today.

Mark Felt only did one simple act in his life that brought down a president, revolutionized American journalism and made Americans more skeptical of what their elected officials are doing behind closed doors. Will there be another Mark Felt? Only time will tell.

Speaking of journalism, if declining newspaper readership is any indication, traditional journalism is (almost) officially dead. According to an August survey released by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, only 46 percent of Americans read a newspaper regularly, which is down from 52 percent in 2006. On the other hand, online readership has grown from 9 percent to 13 percent in two years, as reported by Editor & Publisher magazine. Out with newspapers and magazines and in with blogs and YouTube. Only one question that needs to be answered in 2009: how will the traditional media make money off of their online content? Someone needs to get paid, y'all!

GW 2008 Book of the Year

Of course a book on one of the greatest social activists of all time is going to get top honors from us! BBC presenter and author Colin Grant may have written the most comprehensive biography of radical Marcus Garvey, beginning with his roots in Jamaica to becoming a spokesman for the black diaspora. Negro with a Hat is a must read.

Over the weekend, we, the Associates, thought about what new media tools Marcus Garvey would use today if he were alive. Here are our thoughts and why:

Talia: Marcus Garvey would be a dedicated blogger. He would probably be blogging about the injustices incurred by Hurrican Katrina, the undevelopments of Africa and the continuing struggles of black people worldwide. Not only would the Field Negro have a run for his money, but Garvey's blog posts would probably have more comments than W.E.B. Dubois' blog.

Marjane: Twitter would be his tool for activism because he used to organize his mass rallies, sometimes on short notice, and he would need to contact as many attendees as possible. He would also use Google Maps to map out social injustices around the world.

Philip: Marcus Garvey would be a Facebook addict. He would easily attract thousands of Facebook friends like overnight and raise crazy money like Obama for the Black Star company.

Maria: YouTube, podcasts and Ning would be his tools. Marcus Garvey used to give powerful speeches, and viral video and audio, more people could have seen and heard him in action. I think he would have had a Ning because he believe in his supporters being their own activists, and they could have used Ning to start their own social networks.

GW 2008 Film of the Year

We actually called it nearly a year ago, so it is no surprise and it is very much our honor to give Persepolis film of the year.

What Did We Say:

...Persepolis is one of those coming-of-age films that you don't usually see come out of Hollywood because it is actually good. The film is based on Marjane Satrapi's four best selling graphic novels of the same name, which chronicles her everyday life during and after the Iranian Revolution. We see Marjane living under the repressive regime of the Shah and later Islamic fundamentalism. The film also deals nicely with Satrapi coming to grips with her identity as an Iranian and a female in Iran and in the West. The animation is simply amazing; not even a Pixar film can stand up next to this. What I liked most about the film was that it said true to the original books. The film easily get the Oscar for Best Animated Film this year...

While Persopolis didn't win the Oscar, we are hoping that another film, Frost/Nixon, which came in a very close second, will take away top honors this award season. A great film about political corruption and the beginning of "infotainment journalism" to see if you haven't already. Kinda makes you wonder what the real Richard Nixon would think of Frank Langella?