A number of my left leaning associates/comrades are watching Al Jazeera an Arab news network over the net. These would be political digital elites in the left in the west. http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/ Peter Timusk B.Math statistics. BA legal studies Legal studies of the Information Age Vice President Computers for Communites School work blog http://notebook.webpagex.org Some papers www.webpagex.org -----Original Message----- From: air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org [mailto:air-l-bounces@listserv.aoir.org] On Behalf Of Peaslee, Robert Sent: January-31-11 12:03 PM To: joana ro; Edward M. Corrado Cc: air-l@listserv.aoir.org Subject: Re: [Air-L] ISOC Statement on Egypt¹s Internet shutdown Could be some of that, Johanna. We sure love our technological determinism and development theses here in the West. Not to be lost here, I think, is the decreasing number of on-the-ground journalists stationed abroad in the era of media downsizing. When the "news sources" have no correspondent, no B-roll, etc., they tell us what's on Facebook, Twitter, etc. They don't tell us who's posting in these places, what expertise or contextual knowledge may or may not support the posts...but, hey, it's cheap and it fills up space in the hungry 24-hour news cycle. Even the Beeb is guilty of this at times, though far less often than American sources. -rp On 1/31/11 10:43 AM, "joana ro" <joanaro@googlemail.com> wrote: I wonder why Western media have overemphaiszed SM's role. What good does that do them? Does it simply make the story more accessible for its viewers, give us something in common? Obviously, it also fits nicely into a story of emancipation through media/technology - which would be favorable for other media. Or is this a subtle way of suggesting that the West and its emancipatory technologies are somehow responsible for what is happening? Best, Johanna On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 5:36 PM, Edward M. Corrado <ecorrado@ecorrado.us>wrote:
I haven't done much investigation into this area, but my hunch is, as others have mentioned, that the US (and to some extent European) media has overblown the use of Social Media has played in organizing protests in Egypt and Iran. I do think that, especially in Iran, Social Media played an important role in disseminate information about what was happening to people outside of Iran. I think that may be one of a reasons authorities in Egypt shut the Net and cell phones down -- not necessarily or only because of the role it could have in organizing protests.
Edward
On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 10:28 AM, Mathieu ONeil <mathieu.oneil@anu.edu.au> wrote:
I sit somewhere in the middle: its true that on-the-ground activism dominates but if Facebook etc had no impact then why would the authorities shut the Net down along phones? Journalist accounts out that point out that everyone wants to "friend" them so in those countries people are getting some info through those channels. I reckon this is having more impact than "the role of Twitter in Iran" last year which was indeed largely a projection from outside though my evidence is anecdotal at best. cheers Mathieu
----- Original Message ----- From: Jeremy hunsinger <jeremy@tmttlt.com> Date: Monday, January 31, 2011 4:06 pm Subject: Re: [Air-L] ISOC Statement on Egypt's Internet shutdown To: air-l@listserv.aoir.org
I think social media has very little to do with this event. From my perspective, it looks very much like 1960s-70s organizational patterns. Television, radio, etc. has some to do with it though. I will say that it is likely that social media is being used to connect interested transnational elites to some extent, which also then drives media attention.
On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 10:01 AM, Richard Forno <rforno@infowarrior.org> wrote:
I may end up being labelled a black sheep here, but I find the
US media's infatuation with social media in regard to the Middle East protests to be overdone and a distraction for folks in understanding the real issues involved in the Arab world..
In terms of SM, people have been organising and protesting in
large numbers all around the world long before the Internet or social media came into being --- but watching much of the US "news" coverage one is led to think the Internet is the primary force behind the coordination and street-level control of these recent gatherings.
IMHO social media is playing a supporting role in all of this.
Is it helpful? Sure - but hardly essential. To wit: the Egyptian gov cut off many modes of communication helpful for social media applications, but did it adversely impact the protests? Nope. What does that tell us?
My view is that SM is very helpful 'strategically" in terms of
offering a long-term opportunity for folks to communicate/collaborate/organise along shared views/goals/purposes -- but less so in terms of "hitting the streets" so to speak. Helpful, sure -- but not absolutely necessary.
I'll defer to those who specialise in this stuff to offer more
theoreticaly rooted comments, for I need more caffeine.
-- rick
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/ _______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/