Final Presentation - Social Media in Egypt Revolution
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Transcript of Final Presentation - Social Media in Egypt Revolution
Social Media: Egyptian Revolution
Media Law & Ethics
Summer Online 2014
Bridget Lynch
When Social Media becomes THE Vehicle for Revolution: Can Journalist use Social Media as a Source?
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What is Social Media?
Definition:
Forms of electronic communication (as Web
sites for social networking and
microblogging) through which users create
online communities to share information,
ideas, personal messages, and other
content (as videos)
(According to: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/social%20media)
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A New Form of Weapon
Yemen, a cellphone camera is used
at an anti-government rally. This is
the cover story of the July 4 issue
of The Christian Science Monitor
weekly magazine, focusing on
Facebook, Twitter and the limits of
social media as the tools of civic
upheaval.
Click to View Source Page
Reuters photo / John Kehe illustrationIn
Egypt Revolution Background History
• Hosni Mubarak, autocratic leader for almost 30 years
• Oppressed people through torture, poverty, corruption, unemployment, education, and censorship
• Egyptian Youth Activists led the revolt and used social media to communicate through the planning and execution of the movement
• Strategies were planned that led to the Eighteen Day Revolution
• Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the streets of Egypt until the dictator gave up his power on February 11, 2011
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What are we missing?
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By NOT relying on the social media information,
In this event THIS is a risk you face:
Numbers Don’t Lie
• Social Media played a vital role in initiating
this revolution
• The commentaries online were the birth of
new communication freedoms
• This transferred to Blogs, where anyone can
publish anything and some Egyptians began
to express political voices on a regular basis
• An entire online community grew out of
these media outlets
• Finally, reaching the climax of
communication, as seen in the graphs here,
the online community developed into public
gatherings of people to protest.
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Seek Truth and Report It
• The truth was published by millions
of people gathering together –
through social media
• There were so many sources it
would be very difficult to dispute
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Minimize Harm
• Harm in this situation lies in the
human rights issue of whether these
people’s voices are heard
• There could be more harm from not
publishing the information on social
mediaPhoto Source Link – Page 9
Act Independently
• There is little potential to align with
anything other than the global
human rights centered issue
• The key is the timing and context
which counts in such dire situations
and a journalist has to be sure that
those are completed in the best
interest of the people at hand Photo Source Link – Page 10
Be Accountable
• This is a huge risk, but for the right
cause
• There is accountability in this
situation for whether a journalist
chooses to print or not to print
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Sissela Bok’s Model of Ethical Decision-Making
1. Must have
empathy for
people involved
Ethical
Decisions
2. To maintain
social trust
Two Key Objectives in Ethical Decision Making
Sissela Bok’s Model of Ethical Decision-Making
Three Questions to Answer:
1. Consult your conscience (right of
action)
2. ‘Is there another way to achieve the
goal that will not raise ethical issues?’
3. Conduct a public discussion to discover:
‘How will others respond to the
proposed act?’
Consult your conscience (Right of Action)
The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights “is a
common standard of achievement for all peoples and all
nations…” in which Article 19 states:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion
and expression; this right includes freedom to
hold opinions without interference and to seek,
receive and impart information and ideas
through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
‘Is there another way to achieve the goal that will not raise ethical issues?’
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• Censorship by the
government is oppressive
• Media Controlled by the
government
• When government learned
of the power behind the
social media
communication, the
internet was shut-down
A clear threat - Growing
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A clear threat - Peaking
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A clear threat - Released
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Conduct a public discussion to discover: ‘How will others respond to the proposed act?’
• The people wanted to be
heard
• A World-wide view of this
situation cripples the
authoritarian government
• The quantity of people
documented on social media
was so large it is an irrefutable
source.
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Hundreds of Thousands gathered across Egypt
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VICTORY! EIGHTEEN DAY REVOLUTION
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CONCLUSION:
Journalist’s were ethical in using the social media as their source
• It was such a vital role in this revolution against a government hindering the human rights of so
many people.
• The excessive power over communication in this society needed to be challenged and
overthrown.
• The quantity of people publishing on social media on this issue creates a source that is to
difficult deny.
• World-wide coverage of these transpiring was an act of human right interest and create a
community of international unity.
Would you use social media as a source in this situation? What approach would you use?