Twitter and Facebook won't fix democracy in Liverpool – leading acamedic

Jun 30 2009 by Marc Waddington, Liverpool Daily Post

A MAJOR inquiry was wrong to conclude that technology can save local democracy, according to a leading academic.

Dr Stuart Wilks-Heeg, who is currently the executive director of the research organisation Democratic Audit, described the recommendations of the Liverpool Commission as a “quick fix”.

He said for all its advice about using new technology like Facebook to reach the public, it would do nothing for the improvement of democracy.

The University of Liverpool academic has written widely on politics and policy making in Liverpool.

Some of his research was used in the compilation of the Liverpool Commission report.

But he said that there was a temptation to turn to new technologies as a “quick fix” solution to bigger problems.

Dr Wilks-Heeg, a lecturer in the School of Sociology and Social Policy, said: “There’s been a lot of discussion around the prospect of new technology to open up democratic engagement with people who have previously not been engaged, in order to allow politicians to connect with them.

“But I think it’s a red herring. Technology just gives you a medium for communication, and if the desire is not there in the first place, why will people start becoming interested just because there’s a new medium for it?