Rather ironically, the measures to clamp down on news channels have unleashed a wave of information through new technology that is now sweeping across the country. Everywhere, the beep of the millions of mobile phones brings new news, fresh messages of protests and sometimes rather colourful jokes about the existing situation and those who are key players within it. The news items, now being churned out from hundreds of sources, including those based overseas and with unfettered access to news, in fact mean that people are better informed than before. After the initial few hours of darkness, the presence of new technology has meant that the attempts to create an information blackout have failed, with news now in fact reaching people not just over television, but at home, at work, in their cars or elsewhere through their phones. Internet blog sites, chat services and the ability to stream television broadcasts have also come in handy. Families have been seen seated around computers hearing the news from their channel of choice, and calls for rallies or campaigns have been relayed efficiently to thousands within a few minutes.

In other words, in an age where new technology rules the world, the rather primitive efforts by the government to stop the flow of news are obviously futile. Times have changed. Simply controlling television airwaves is not enough. Indeed, even efforts being reported to block websites can serve little purpose in a time when giant, internationally controlled sites running blogs can be used to reach out to people. Indeed, the rapid growth in mobile-phone technology now means information is not restricted to the more privileged, with access to computers and the internet, but to more and more people everywhere. The use of Roman English, or increasingly the Urdu font on messaging services makes this all the more true. Of course the use of such informal, uncontrolled means of providing news means that misinformation mingles with what is accurate. In some instances, it is next to impossible to tell truth from untruth; differentiate rumour from fact.

This means that the official effort to control information means it is in fact now more unregulated - and therefore potentially unreliable - than ever before. The situation also shows that in this age of technology, it is impossible to prevent people from gaining access to information, one way or the other. The question now is. when will the government recognize the futility of the measures it has taken to restrict information, and restore suspended networks? If this does not happen, the power of the informal news suppliers to provide information to millions of tech-savvy citizens will only grow and expand to reach more people everywhere.

(Courtesy: The News (Pakistan))