The largest Twitter WAR - ARAB SPRING, 2011 - War against Journalists & Bloggers
This report aims to investigate the role of internet activism in the
2011 Egyptian uprisings. It suggests that the significance of internet activism in
Egypt in this period was twofold: first, in its utility as
a tool for activists to mobilize,
organize and inspire Egyptians to take to the streets on 25 January 2011; and,
second, in its use as a medium to document events in Egypt beyond the reach of
the authorities.
Particular attention is paid to the growth of the ‘We Are All Khaled
Said’ (WAAKS) campaign on Facebook and its capacity to translate online dissent
into the offline world. The transformation of protesters into citizen journalists through
information and communication technologies,
and Twitter in particular, is examined
for its success in challenging the narrative set by Egyptian state media and in
providing a window into events for the outside world.
Keywords activism, Egypt, Facebook, internet, revolution, Twitter
The article by prominent blogger Hussein Ghrer is a sober examination of the role of
social media during the uprising in Syria. It highlights the importance of cultural, social
and political factors that affect how and why people use internet tools. It contrasts the
use of social media in Syria with social media use in Tunisia and Egypt, reminding us
again of the importance of context.
Unfortunately Ghrer was arrested on 16 February
2012, two days after submitting his first draft to WPCC. [because it proved government & media was lying about their murder then coverup of Khalid] Online journalist, and friend of
Ghrer, Maurice Aaek, comments on the article a year later, in February 2013.
Tim Eaton currently works for BBC Media Action on media development projects in the Middle East. He previously completed his postgraduate degree at the University of Exeter, majoring in Middle East Studies. He is also a former researcher for Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International...
www.westminsterpapers.org
uStraight Arrow News
⇑ Sep 06 2023
