Makhura and Mboweni: What is it with politicians and Twitter?
Twitter, it would seem, is made for politicians fond of their own voices. Pity the sacrifice of the message
When I was a young undergraduate studying communication, I was taught that the message isn’t just the thing that’s important — it’s the only thing that’s important.Given that politicians are so fond of their own voices, it would seem that Twitter is a medium just made for them. Let’s not bother about the press secretaries, gatekeepers or spokespeople — you know, the people who act as your filter and keep you from embarrassing yourself in public; let’s get out there, freak flags flying, straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.There are just two problems with that approach. One is overstepping the mark in a bout of hot-headedness. The other is the actual message. Just ask Helen Zille.Here’s the thing: Twitter is like those original Usenet groups in which keyboard warriors would machine-gun all their enemies in the water, except it’s even worse. No filters, no restraint — just you, Gauteng premier David Makhura, and you, minister of finance Tito Mboweni, slugging it out for all to...
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