The Fifth Estate of the Internet Realm

William H. Dutton

Oxford Internet Institute (OII) University of Oxford

www.ox.ac.uk

Presentation for The Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH), organized by the Cambridge Digital Humanities Network, 17 Mill Lane, Cambridge University, 24 February 2011.

(John Moore, Getty Images)

Technical Novelty – passing fad, not relevant (not ubiquitous), or not ‘real’

Deterministic Technology of Freedom or Control

Reinforcement Politics – Internet Freedom an Illusion?

A Strategic Resource for Reconfiguring Access [enabling a Fifth Estate]

The Political Significance of the Internet and Social Media?

How is the Internet being used to ‘reconfigure access’? Are there discernable patterns?

Does the Internet enable key actors to reconfigure access in ways that enhance their ‘communicative power’?

Key Questions Concerning the Politics of the Digital Age

“[Edmund] Burke said there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters’ Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more prominent far than they all. It is not a figure of speech, or witty saying; it is a literal fact – very momentous to us in these times.”

Thomas Carlyle (1831), Heroes and Hero-Worship, at www.gutenberg.org.etext/1091

The Fourth Estate

Feudal Estates into the 21st Century

Estates Feudal Modern

Clergy Public Intellectuals

Nobility Business, Industry and Economic Elites

Commons Government

‘4th Estate’ Press Journalists and the Mass Media

Mob Mob

Press since the 18th Century - the ‘Fourth Estate’

Internet in the 21st - enabling a Fifth Estate

−−

Enabling people to network with other individuals and with information, services and technical resources in ways that support social accountability in business and industry, government, politics, and the media.

The Fourth and Fifth Estates

• Studies of the political implications of information and communication technologies, like the Internet

• Distributed Problem-Solving Networks, supported by McKinsey

• Oxford eSocial Science Project (OeSS), supported by the ESRC

• Oxford Internet Surveys (OxIS), part of the World Internet Project

• Global Internet Values Survey with INSEAD, ComScore, WEF

Based on a Range of OII Research

• 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009• Cross-sectional Surveys versus Panels• Multi-Stage Probability Sample • England, Scotland & Wales • Respondents: 14 years and older• Face-to-face Interviews, High Response Rates• Sponsorship for 2009 from the British Library,

Higher Education Funding Council for England, Ofcom, and Scottish and Southern Energy

• Component of World Internet Project (WIP)

Oxford Internet Surveys

2003 2005 2007 2009

Fielded in June-July February-

MarchMarch-

AprilFebruary-

March

Number of respondents 2,030 2,185 2,350 2,013

Response rate 66% 72% 77% 67%

OxIS Samples

Looking for Information on Different Media (QA1)

OxIS 2005: N=2,185; OxIS 2007: N=2,350; OxIS 2009: N=2,013. 12

2005 2007 20090%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

29%39%

48%

38%33%

30%

22% 18%15%

11% 10% 7%

TaxesUse the Internet Use the telephonePersonal Visit Directory or book

2005 2007 20090%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

46%55%

62%

13%8%

8%

35% 30%25%

7% 8% 5%

Planning a tripUse the Internet Use the telephonePersonal Visit Directory or book

Pattern of Findings Supporting Conception of Networked Individuals

Average Importance of Media for Information by Internet Users and Non-Users (QA2 by QH14)

OxIS 2009: N=2,013 14

Centrality of the Internet and Trust over Time

OxIS 2003: N=2,029; OxIS 2005: N=2,185; OxIS 2007 N=2,350. OxIS 2009: N=2,013

Networked Institutions, such as in e-Health

Networked Individuals of the Fifth Estate:

going to the Internet for health and medical information

networking physicians via Sermo

Networked Institutions v Networked Individuals of the Fifth Estate

Sermo

Networked Institutions v Networked Individuals of the Fifth Estate

Arenas: Networked Institutions

Networked Individuals

News Online journalism, BBC Online, Live Micro-Blogging

Citizen Journalists, Bloggers, Netizens Posting Videos

Democracy E-Democracy, E-Consultation, e-Voting

Obama campaign, Networking the Pro-Democracy Protests

Education Online Learning, Multimedia Classrooms

Backchannels, informal learning

Health and Medical NHS Direct, e-mailing safety alerts

Going to the Internet for health information, Sermo

Networked Institutions: greater ubiquity, universal access

Networked Individuals of the Fifth Estate: require only a critical mass of users

Networked Institutions v Networked Individuals of the Fifth Estate

Percentage of Internet Users Across Regions of the World

Regions as Percentage of the Worldwide Population of Users

18th Century Estates: 21st Century Enemies

18th Century Estates

21st Century: Enemies of the 5th Estate

Attacks

Clergy Public Intellectuals ‘Culture of Amateurism’, individualist consumerism

Nobility Business, Industry and Economic Elites

Vertical Integration; Monopoly over Search; Three Strikes

Commons Government and Regulatory Agencies

Filtering; Content Regulation; Identification; Surveillance; Disconnection

Press Journalists and the Mass Media

Echo Chambers; but Co-opting, Imitating, Competing

Mob Spammers, Fraudsters, Cyberstalkers, …

Undermining Trust and Confidence; Fostering Regulation of Content

Centrality of the Internet, Trust in Government and Attitudes toward Internet Regulation over Time

OxIS 2003: N=2,029; OxIS 2005: N=2,185; OxIS 2007 N=2,350. OxIS 2009: N=2,013

The Fifth Estate: A Sensitizing Concept

The Fifth Estate of the Internet Realm

William H. Dutton

Oxford Internet Institute (OII) University of Oxford

www.ox.ac.uk

Presentation for The Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH), organized by the Cambridge Digital Humanities Network, 17 Mill Lane, Cambridge University, 24 February 2011.

(John Moore, Getty Images)