Gone Viral
by Susan M. Schmidt and Eduardo Flores
Trade & Forfaiting Review
December 20, 2011
International trade policy continues to be a contentious issue for policymakers throughout the world. Can social media change the content and tone of the discourse? Its role in spreading political movements in the Middle East or coordinating riots in London after a police shooting of a 29-year-old demonstrate its ability to galvanize action. How different would the anti-trade protests that have often accompanied past World Trade Organization summits have been if they not predated wide use of social media? Although such instances suggest social media’s power, that impact has been episodic and not foundational. International trade discourse and policy initiatives tend to be foundational, punctuated with episodic events. However, even an episodic direct or indirect impact on a company’s international business can be significant.