CHRISTOPHER PAPIALI | PNG Blogs

WE ALL UNDERSTAND THE BASICS: the internet is a communication protocol used by people to do business and communicate with other people on a 24/7 schedule.

And right now the mega-benefiters are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Tagged, Google , DevianArt, LiveJournal and many other social networks that continue to revolutionize very effective and fast communication channels.

And when we examine how some of winners in the current Papua New Guinea national election strategized their election campaigns, we see the internet, print and social media networks loom large.

Two individuals, although there may be others, who stand out in this category are Peter O’Neill and Michael Malabag and their People’s National Congress Party.

O’Neill’s method of marketing himself and his party was his excellent graphically designed campaign images with a small growing tree placed in his palms.

His black jacket with a beaming face must have also played a significant role in maneuvering voters. Further, O’Neill had his advertisement run for couple of weeks leading up to voting.

On the other hand, Michael Malabag was conversing with many people through Facebook, much to the joy of his friends and groups. Even during campaigning and after voting he was the active user of Facebook.

The average person in PNG is now using newspapers every day to find out what is going on in this country. The number of readers is increasing and it is certainly impacting like never before.

Young people in particular are curious and excited about trying out new things and Facebook presents the ultimate satisfaction partner. Already, young Papuan Guineans through Digicel mobile phones download, upload and access stories, news, photos and other online services at their fingertips.

I am led to believe that politics in PNG is changing as more and more people are using the internet and social media networks to communicate. It is also fair to state that the two leaders mentioned should continue to inform their supporters and voters of what they are doing.

Their social media friends can become a rock for them to lean on through advice and criticism.

For those who are planning to run in the 2017 elections, kindly jump on to the social media wagon.

It will carry you where you want to go because it is now proving very successful in countries where their governments prioritize ICT education, training and usage.