Online activism has been given a boost as the BBC re-launches its groundbreaking iCan site this week. The website aims to help people to get involved in their local community. BBC news online covered its re-launch on Tuesday and the site, renamed Action Network can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/actionnetwork.
The original BBC iCan site was flagged up as an example of citizen power in action by Dan Gillmor in his book ‘We the media’ - which I've previously mentioned in connection with activism. It provides a good example of how publics can come together to become active, and how the Internet can facilitate this.
BBC News Online quotes Martin Vogel, Action Network project leader: "The new look and feel for Action Network makes the site easier to use and the name change will give a clearer indication to the users what the site offers.
"What hasn't changed is BBC's impartial role, providing a neutral platform to help anyone in the UK become more involved in local civic and democratic activities."
What’s also interesting about the site is the way that successful campaigns can feed the BBC’s traditional media outlets – be they local radio, or national TV. So the new media and citizen media is driving the traditional media agenda.
Matt
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