EMBRACING SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN PARLIAMENTS
EMBRACING SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN PARLIAMENTS How the Legislative Assembly of Alberta has opened new doors in the pandemic era.
Hon. Nathan Cooper, MLA is
the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He was first elected in 2015, representing the constituency of Olds-DidsburyThree Hills. In 2019, he was elected to serve as 14th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and he also serves as Chair of the Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services. Prior to election, he was Chief of Staff and Director of Legislative Affairs for the Wildrose caucus. Previous to this, he served two terms as councillor for the town of Carstairs. He is a strong supporter of the Rotary Club’s charitable and youth activities.
Pervasive. Ubiquitous. Inescapable. These words can easily describe the impact of digital technologies on human populations globally. In a relatively short period of time such technologies have become deeply entrenched in our lives, in how we communicate with each other, in how we work and play, and in influencing and affecting a multitude of other facets of our daily lives. Social media, likewise, has changed the way many people connect and access information. Initially something of a curiosity, a way to share pictures and connect with friends, social media has become a multitrillion dollar business with billions of users worldwide. It is also an effective means of disseminating information, whether used in business or commercial contexts or by governmental and nongovernment organisations. In the parliamentary context social media is an influential tool for elected officials to connect with the public and provide a level of accessibility that the public has come to expect. In this environment, the Legislative Assembly of Alberta has taken a leading role in embracing technology to engage, educate, and inform. Focusing on adapting to the rapidly expanding digital world helped to prepare us for the substantial challenge presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. As direct result, during the spring
2020 pandemic shutdown our Assembly managed to sit for 52 days – the most in Canada – without a major public health incident. Engaging online Social media has undergone a considerable evolution since its inception. As social media platforms have evolved over the past 20 years, the darker side of these communication tools has also emerged. No longer are they simply vehicles for posting pictures and connecting with ‘Facebook friends’. In addition to privacy concerns, the rise of social media has allowed and encouraged fake news, hate speech, and even foreign interference in elections. In spite of these serious concerns, social media offers tremendous value in reaching a large number of people from across a diverse demographic spectrum and a wide geographical area. It provides an opportunity for Parliaments and Parliamentarians to connect with the public and to highlight parliamentary traditions and purposes in a meaningful way. Using social media platforms not only breaks down barriers but also enables Parliamentarians to speak directly to citizens and engage in a two-way conversation. Currently at the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, social media is used to broadcast parliamentary proceedings. Detailed analytics allow us to see how many people are reached, what they are
watching, and what they are talking about while they are watching. In the past these conversations were taking place in coffee shops and around the dinner table; with social media we not only see these discussions, but we can join them.
“Social media has undergone a considerable evolution since its inception. As social media platforms have evolved over the past 20 years, the darker side of these communication tools has also emerged. No longer are they simply vehicles for posting pictures and connecting with ‘Facebook friends’. In addition to privacy concerns, the rise of social media has allowed and encouraged fake news, hate speech, and even foreign interference in elections.”
The Parliamentarian | 2020: Issue Four | 100 years of publishing 1920-2020 | 311
