Journalism Project: Social networks as a tool for revolutions

Posted by Raphael S. on February 22, 2012 04:14 pm 4

Hey there everybody.

I am currently working on a project for my journalism class, which consists of creating a fairly short feature magazine, in my case dealing with current revolutions, the Arab Spring on the one hand, Occupy Wall Street on the other. As most of you are probably aware, social media has become a very important way for protesters around the globe to communicate with each other, organize protests and get information in and out of countries where censorship is an everyday reality.

So what I would like to ask the people that are reading this are things like:

-Have you actively been aware of the importance of social networks as a tool for revolutionary movements?

-Have you ever participated in anything that had to do with Occupy or the Arab Spring, for example signed a petition, maybe even contacted a protester in one of the Eastern states?

-Which are your favorite networks to follow current developments regarding this subject?

-Do you think social networks will or have already replaced the traditional press as the No. 1 means to bring information to the masses?

-How much of an impact do you think online petitions like the ones from Avaaz make in reality?

These are really only some suggestions of what you might write. I am interested in any kind of information you guys are willing to share about these subjects, so that I may quote some of it in my magazine. Anything Occupy Wall Street or Arab Spring is wanted in the comment section to this post!

Hope to get some good feedback!