The New Estate “How Social Media Affects Revolutionary Governments” William St. John II

1. The New Estate“How Social Media Affects Revolutionary Governments”William St. John II

2. Research • Project • Reflection

3. Research • 15 Page Paper on the ‘Social’ Media’s interaction with Government • Original Focus on 2009 Iranian Elections • Expanded to include online journalists who have been punished. • “Harming the public interest.” • Analysis on the current state of Social Media within the Arab World. • Social media is rapidly proving to be not only new glue, but a flexible adhesive that can unite, organize and mobilize activists on scales, in ways and with speeds previously unimaginable. • i.e. Use of Twitter by Iranian activists Fun Fact: There are more subscribers to the social media service Facebook in the Middle East and North Africa than there are copies of newspapers circulated in the region.

4. …And then something amazing happened.

5. Egypt Goes Full Revolution! Surprisingly, this ends up hurting me more than helping me.

6. The Old Project • Originally designed to be an ‘Awareness Campaign’. • Eight minute long video describing how Social Media can be used in political movements. • Campaign failed. Everyone became an expert on the subject overnight due to mass news coverage of the Egyptian Revolution. • Learned from my mistake. Altered the focus of the project to something more controllable.

7. The New Project • Revised Video • Less demonstration of social media, more viewpoints from professionals on the issue • New Advertising System • Video was only advertised through one form of Social Media: Facebook • Control group of five individuals to start, told to send messages to their friends about the video (ripple effect) • End of the video included link to a survey website. Used to keep track of the number of users who actually watched the whole film and were capable of following its directions

8. Reflection • What worked? • What didn’t work? • What’s the big concept?

10. Works Cited • Al-Atraqchi, Firas. “Middle East in 2011: Social Media to Take onGovernments.” Huffingtonpost.com. Huffington Post, 31 Dec 2010. Web. 19 January 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/firas-alatraqchi/middle-east-in-2011-socia_b_803037 • Adolf, Antony. “Social Media Lessons from Middle Eastern Activists.” Change.org. Humanrights.change.org, 08 Jan 2010. Web. 19 January 2011. <http:humanrights.change.org/blog/view/social_media_lessons_from_middle_eastern_activists>. • Carr, Pual. "Political Conscientization and Media (Il)Literacy: Critiquing the Mainstream Media as a Form of Democratic Engagement." Education Resources Information Center. Caddo Gap Press, 2009. Web. 24 Jan 2011. <http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ871358.pdf>. • Colin Freeman; David Blair (14 June 2009). "Defeated Iranian reformist Mir-Hossein Mousavi calls for more protest against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad". The Telegraph (London). <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/5533782/Defeated-Iranian-reformist-Mir-Hossein-Mousavi-calls-for-more-protest-against-Mahmoud-Ahmadinejad.html>. • Derakhshan, Hossein. “Opinion: Obama shares Bush’s goals.” Aljazeera. Aljazeera, 17 Sep 2008. Webl. 21 Jan 2001. <http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2008/09/20089151314357484.html>. • "Facebook reach beats newspapers in Middle East and North Africa." sim-expo.com. Signage Imaging Media, 2010. Web. 23 Jan 2011. http://sim-expo.com/Media-Centre/Press-Releases/News3/ .

11. Works Cited (cont.) • Fantz, Ashley. "In Gaza, living with anger and fear." CNN International. CNN, 06 Jan 2009. Web. 23 Jan 2011. <http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/05/gaza.voices/index.html>. • Grossman, Lev. "Iran Protests: Why Twitter Is the Medium of the Movement." TIME. TIME Inc., 17 Jun 2009. Web. 23 Jan 2011. <http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1905125,00.html>. • Hafezi, Parisa (14 June 2009). "Mousavi supporters call protest rally in Tehran". Ottawacitizen.com. <http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Mousavi+seeks+overturn+Iran+election+result/1695058/story.html>. • Harrist, Browyn. “What is the Fourth Estate?.” Wise Geek. Wise Geek, 14 Nov 2010. Web. 14 Jan 2011. <http:www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-foruth-estate.htm>. • “Hossein Derakhshan, Famed Iranian Blogger, Granted Prison Leave.” Huffington Post. Huffington Post, 09 Dec 2010. Web. 21 Jan 2011. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/09/hossein,derakhshan-famed-_n_794487.html>.

12. Works Cited (cont) • "Iran blocks access to Facebook: report". Gulf News. 24 May 2009. <http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iran/10316413.html>. • “Kareem Amer, History’s Longest Imprisoned Blogger, Is Free.” The Huffington Post. Huffinton Post, 17 Nov 2010. Web. 21 Jan 2011. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/16/egyptian-blogger-kareem-amer-freed_n_784413.html>. • Madsen Julian and David. “Middle East writers ‘harassed’.” Aljazeera. Aljazeera, 25 Jan 2010. Web. 21 Jan 2011. <http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2008/12/2008121593548580496.html>. • Stein, Laura, and Anita Prewett. "Media Literacy Education in the Social Studies: Teacher Perceptions and Curricular Challenges." Education Resources Information Center. Caddo Gap Press, 2009. Web. 24 Jan 2011. <http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ851033.pdf>. • "Stop the blocking now". BBC News. 14 June 2009. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2009/06/stop_the_blocking_now.html>. • Qishta, Fida. Sunshine. Blogspot, Web. 23 Jan 2011. <http://sunshine208.blogspot.com/>.

13. Works Cited (cont) • Welch, David. “Nazi Propaganda: the powers and limitations”. Croom Helm, 1983 • ""Whole Language" and Moral Panic in Australia." ERIC. International Association of Educators, 02 06 2007. Web. 16 Nov 2010. <http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED498460.pdf>. • York, Jillian. “Blogging in Iran: A Dangerous Prospect.” Huffington Post. Huffington Post, 21 Dec 2008. Web. 21 Jan 2011. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jillian-york/blogging-in-iran-a-danger_b_152695.html>.