By Jack Madrid
April 26, 2010

Is it just me or have the first two months of this year of the Tiger zipped by at the speed of Usain Bolt? I also just read that PAGASA has officially declared the start of summer. Personally, I just crossed a mini-milestone myself: I have now been a Yahoo! for six months. And amazingly, I am writing this on a “Purple Friday” as Yahoo! celebrates its 15th birthday! As the first site on the web that I ever visited and the first place I searched for something on the internet, it is incredible to look back on how the web has changed our lives, with much more to look forward to.

Yet another milestone in our country is fast approaching. The upcoming election is the most important activity for Filipinos in 2010, with a critical decision for us: who to elect as our new President. What makes this particular election even more interesting is that this is the first one where we are seeing the role that social media is playing in terms of shaping news and public opinion. As we know, sociability and social networks are ingrained into the Pinoy culture, so it is natural for social media to be weaved into the tapestry of Filipinos’ daily lives. Given the ease of information transfer and the internet as a communications platform, it is especially critical that we leverage on social media with awareness and responsibility.

An increasing number of Filipinos are using social media to listen, connect, publish and distribute content: the press, the youth, office workers and political candidates. So as more and more people “share” content with our “friends, fans and followers,” on our social networks, we need to be mindful of the implications, given that a lot of this is new, with no clear guidelines on social media norms or privacy issues.

At a recent Social Media forum organized by Yahoo! Philippines, a panel of experts from the leading national news networks and publications shared their views on how social media is reshaping what goes on inside the newsroom.

Around the world, we have seen how social media has shaped public opinion and influenced the fate of countries & governments. In Iran, we saw how Twitter helped change the course of the revolution. But the most visible case study is how Barack Obama’s use of social media in his campaign helped him win the presidency of the United States. By building social networks, targeted email, SMS text campaigns and online video, Obama was able to convert everyday people in the grassroots of America into engaged and empowered volunteers, advocates and donors.

We can learn from Obama’s well-planned and orchestrated campaign that by creating a groundswell, built on social media platforms, there is a new way to manage communication efforts. The applications and impact of this will go beyond politics and change how companies engage with customers, partners and employees as well. This is in sharp contrast to traditional one-way, top-down style of communications. Social media will showcase the power of public engagement and how it can influence conversations at all levels of society.

Personally, what I really think is cool about the internet is its ability to be inclusive and not exclusive. If used responsibly, social media can level the playing field but we need to be cognizant of our roles & responsibilities as Filipino “Netizens.” On the education front, the Commission on Elections is using social media to educate voters about the automation process for the elections. On the campaign front, politicians and lawmakers are attempting social media tactics to reach out to constituents, some more successfully than others, trying to engage them in important dialogue to gain visibility among the youth and win their votes. There is even a race for who will have the most number of fans on Facebook.

It is early days yet and there are bound to be challenges on how to balance the means with the ends. There are risks of abuse as well as ethical or privacy concerns. Not all the rules have been written, but we need to go through the process of learning by doing.

Because of the paramount importance of this topic, Yahoo! Philippines has developed the “The Purple Thumb,” a Philippines elections site dedicated to being a trusted source of information, as well as an important starting point on our social media journey. It is a place where we try to provide relevant, authentic and objective stories, and where we allow our audience to share their thoughts and views.

I believe that social media should inspire, give Filipinos a voice, and allow them to connect with fellow citizens and engage in meaningful conversations.

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