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Thesis Template New media and old politics: The role of blogging in the 2008 Malaysian general election A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Media and Communication in the University of Canterbury by Foong Lian Hah University of Canterbury 2012 Table of Contents Acknowledgements…………………………..…………………………10 Abstract…………………………………………………………………11 Chapter 1: Introduction………………………………………………..13 Background of research……………………………….........................13 Theoretical framework: An overview…………………………….......21 Political economy approach on blogging and democratic ideals……..24 Habermas's notion of the public sphere on blogging and liberal democratic principles……………………………………………….25 Social determinism approach to blogging and democracy…………....26 Research objectives …………………………………………………..27 Research questions …………………………………………………...29 Research question 1: How does blogging expand liberal democratic practices…………………………………………………………….29 Research question 2: How does blogging contribute to ways of campaigning in an election …………………………………………31 Methodology………………………………………………………….31 Outline of thesis………………………………………………………33 Limitations of study…………………………………………………..37 Chapter 2: Theoretical framework on new media, democracy and political life……………………………………………………………...39 Introduction…………………………………………………………...39 Technological determinism approach………………………………...42 Political economy approach to media and democracy………………..44 Public sphere, the media and democracy……………………………..49 Social determinism approach to new media…………………………..55 More nuanced approach to internet and politics………………...….…60 Summary………………………………………………………..…….63 Chapter 3: Blogging, democracy and political life……………………65 Introduction…………………………………………………………...65 Citizen journalism and blogging………………………………….…..67 Blogging and professional journalism…………………………….…..69 Optimistic view on blogging and the mainstream media……………..73 Critical view on blogging and the mainstream media……………..….77 Optimistic view on blogging and democracy………………………..79 Pessimistic view on blogging and democracy………………………...84 Political economy approach to blogging……………………………...86 Blogging and the public sphere…………………………………..…...89 Access to digital technologies………………………………………...91 1 Public deliberation and mobilisation…………………………….……93 New social movements and social ties………………………………..96 Blogging and political campaigning……………………………..….100 Summary………………………………………………………….…106 Chapter 4: Research methodology…………………………………...109 Introduction……………………………………………………….…109 Content analysis……………………………………………………..113 Sampling…………………………………………………………….115 Pilot study…………………………………………………………...125 Assessment of blogs for actual study………………………………..128 Investigation of blog posts…………………………………………..130 Examination of comments…………………………………………..131 Quantitative analysis……………………………………….………..132 In-depth interviews………………………………………………….135 Participants of in-depth interviews…………………………………..138 Qualitative analysis of interviews…………………………………...143 Summary…………………………………………………………….147 Chapter 5: A socio-political and economic framework of Malaysia..149 Introduction…………………………………………………………149 Malaya in its early days and the struggle for independence………....153 New Economic Policy, rights of bumiputera and political links to businesses………………………………………………………….158 Dominance of Malay politics...…...…………………………………164 Democratic and authoritarian traits………………………………….168 Election rules favouring the ruling regime…………………………..170 Government-controlled media and laws curtailing civil liberties……171 New Media…………………………………………………………..180 Blogging during Abdullah Ahmad Badawi rule………………….….186 Blogging and democratic practices………………………………….188 Summary………………………………………………………….…191 Chapter 6: Content analysis of blogs, blog posts and comments…...194 Introduction……………………………………………………….…194 Results of content analysis…………………………………………..200 Finding 1: Little use of blogs by politician-bloggers to raise funds…201 Finding 2: LIttle use of blogs by politician-bloggers to recruit volunteers………………………………………………………….203 Finding 3: Some use of blogs by politician-bloggers to keep readers informed of campaign activities and electoral candidates…………204 Finding 4: Considerable use of blogs to mobilise political action…...208 Finding 5: Use of blogs to express opinions………………………...212 Finding 6: Discussion is not extensively generated on the blogs……214 2 Finding 7: A blogosphere more supportive of the opposition than the ruling coalition…………………………………………………….218 Finding 8: A blogosphere critical of the ruling party, former premier and government…………………………………………………....227 Finding 9: An apparent use of blogs to manage information flow…..235 Finding 10: Blogging as a representation of population but dominated by elites……………………………………………………………236 Summary…………………………………………………………….240 Chapter 7: Blogging of politician-bloggers at particular junctures in an election……………………………………………………………...245 Introduction………………………………………………………….245 Traditional approaches during campaigning period…………………251 Social inequalities and digital divide………………………………...253 Ethnicity of voters and the mainstream media………………………256 Personalised contact during campaigning…………………………...257 Specific uses of blogs during campaigning………………………….260 Blogging to boost image of self and party before the election…………………………………………………………….262 An active policing of the private and public sphere after the election…………………………………………………………….268 Perception of blogging as a personal endeavour…………………….273 Negotiating for space within the mainstream media………………...276 Summary…………………………………………………………….282 Chapter 8: Blogging as part of scandal politics for leadership change………………………………………………………………….286 Introduction………………………………………………………….286 Political scenario/factor contributing to the forging of ties…....…….291 Private meeting and the secret pact that led to the "band of brotherhood"………………………………………………………300 Managing blog information flows………………………….………..311 Involvement of former media and political elites…………………....319 Collapse in the "band of brotherhood"..……………………………..325 Mainstream media and the partisan bloggers…………..……………328 Summary…………………………………………………………….331 3 Chapter 9: Blogging to promote alternative views and political change………………………………………………………………….336 Introduction………………………………………………………….336 Blog campaigns for political and policy reforms……………………341 Fluid ties and scandal politics to oust ruling regime………………...349 Fragmented blogosphere after March 8 polls………………………..354 Limits to generating public discussion………………………………359 Diversity in the blogosphere………………...………………………363 Summary…………………………………………………………….371 Chapter 10: Conclusion……………………………………………….375 Introduction………………………………………………………….375 The research questions………………………………………........…379 How does blogging expand liberal democratic practices? ……....….379 How does blogging contribute to ways of campaigning in an election?.............................................................................................381 Summary of findings……………………………………………..….381 Three relatively different clusters of bloggers…………………….…381 Politician-bloggers…………………………………………..........…382 Partisan bloggers………………………………………………….…386 Civil society bloggers………………………………………………..390 Theoretical contribution……………………………………………..393 Aspects of network theory and network society………………….….393 Strengthening the political economy approach………......……….…399 The value of Habermas's notion of the public sphere………………..402 Influence of social and political realities on blogging…………….…405 A moment in history on new media and electoral politics……....…..409 Restoration of online democratic forums……………………........…410 Future of blogging and electoral politics in Malaysia…………....….412 Bibliography…………………………………………………………...417 Appendices……………………………………………....….....……….440 4 List of Tables Table 1: A population of blog posts and comments generated from blogs of candidates and non-candidates………………………………………….123 Table 2: A breakdown of the sampled blog posts and comments according to the ratio of candidates to non-candidates…………………………….123 Table 3: A breakdown of sampled blogs and blog posts published on candidate/non-candidate, A-list/B-list and identified/pseudonymous blogs……………………………………………………………………134 Table 4: A cross-tabulation of candidate and non-candidate blogs with A- list/B-list and identified/pseudonymous blogs………………………….201 Table 5: A cross-tabulation of the number of A-list and B-list blogs with identified and pseudonymous blogs…………………………………….201 Table 6: A breakdown of the reasons and the number of blogs that asked for donation on their home page…………………………..……………202 Table 7: The number of blog posts containing campaign and candidate information……………………………………………………………..205 Table 8: The number of blog posts giving campaign information, published by the various types of blogs analysed………………………………….206 Table 9: The number of blog posts passing on candidate information, published by the various groups of blogs analysed……………………..207 Table 10: The number of blog posts asking readers to take part in political action, published by the various types of blogs analysed……………….209 Table 11: The number of blog posts asking readers to vote in the 2008 election, published by the various types of blogs analysed……………..210 Table 12: An overwhelming use of blogs for expressing opinions……..213 Table 13: Use of blogs for expressing opinions and providing information on the different types of blogs examined in this study………………….213 Table 14: Patterns that emerged from the feedback of readers to the blog contents………………………………………………………………....215
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