Reframing Constituency Communication in Changing Times

The insecure citizen, the powerful consumer and contaminated communication are the three metaphors used to explain the kind of cultural revolution currently underway in Western democracies. From a media ecology perspective, culture, communication and technology are not only deeply interrelated, but they compete with other agencies and institutions to occupy socio-political space. Digital media have reduced the distance between citizens and representatives allowing for greater control of media resources by individual members of Parliament. The focus has shifted from parties to party leaders, and in some respects even to representatives. In this context, reframing representation according to the milieu of new social media can offer some preliminary answers to two relevant questions: are we moving towards a personal parliament? Does the future of democracy lie in the hands of direct representation?