Power of social media

The power of social media is highlighted by the movement away from lobbying to direct control of messaging by using the Internet. They now have the ability to effect sponsorship of opinion programs that they disagree with. They can target a particular TV program with a barrage of negativity causing sponsors to cancel their ads. This makes sponsors more sensitive to what is being said and thus they can indirectly influence what is being said. The safest way to keep your advertisers is to avoid any controversial subjects. In other words to silence you. This has happened in our schools to the teachers and now it is happening to various TV shows especially those that express political opinion. If a particular blog or web site has enough viewers they have the power to cause consumers to boycott and thus challenge free speech. In the recent past there have been many examples of advertisers moving away from programs that have been attacked on social media by those with political agenda.