社交媒体在埃塞俄比亚民族政治发展中的角色及其影响

Role of Social Media in Development of Ethiopian Ethnic Politics and Its Impact

埃塞民族关系复杂且持续变动。在埃塞媒体管理制度趋严、传统纸媒衰退、媒体极化现象凸显等独特背景下,以脸书、推特等为代表的社交媒体逐步兴起。埃塞的民族政治关系也深受新技术运用的影响,社交媒体为民族“虚拟共同体”形成提供了平台。与此同时,社交媒体也成为埃塞极端民族主义势力传播虚假信息和仇恨言论、煽动族际冲突的工具。这既与埃塞的民族、政治、经济状况有关,也与社交媒体的工具属性以及埃塞社交媒体年轻用户的特性有关。社交媒体的“双刃剑”功效塑造了埃塞民族政治中别样的社交媒体使用图景,也给埃塞政府带来一种全新的治理挑战。尽管埃塞政府采取了法律、自律、自建平台等举措以加强对社交媒体的治理,但仍然面临着多重困境。为此,埃塞需从重塑国家认同、重建政府与媒体的良性关系等更为宏大的视野来思考如何更好发挥社交媒体的正向作用。

As a typical multi-ethnic country,Ethiopia has complex and constantly changing ethnic relations.The social media represented by Facebook and Twitter have gradually emerged under the background of the strict media regulation,the decline of traditional media,and the polarized media landscape.The new technology profoundly impacts the ethnic politics of Ethiopia,because it has provided a platform for the formation of an“imaginary community”of the nation and strengthened the national identity of all ethnic groups,offering chances for Ethiopian young people to participate in political affairs,while the dominant social media are also being used to spread fake information and hate speech and instigate ethnic conflicts.Especially in major events related to ethnic politics such as the Tigray conflict,social media incite ethnic extremism and undermine the foundation of the federal system on which it depends,increasing ethnic tensions and national-state contradictions.On the whole,the negative impact far exceeds the positive role that social media play in Ethiopian ethnic politics,and this is not only related to Ethiopia’s ethnic,political and economic conditions,but also to the traits of social media and unique characteristics of social media users in Ethiopia.The double-edged sword of social media shapes new social media landscapes in Ethiopian ethnic politics and provides new experience in governance.Although Ethiopian government has taken various measures including laws,self-discipline,self-construction of platforms and so on to stop the negative impacts of social media,it still faces multiple dilemmas.In the long run,reconstructing Ethiopia’s national identity as well as rebuilding a better relationship between the government and the media should be considered.