It is evident that the Internet and social media were driving forces of the Tunisia revolution back in 2011. With the establishment of blogs such as Nawaat, accompanied by Facebook and Twitter, Tunisians were not only able to learn of the voices of those who were also questioning then-President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali's regime, but they were also able to speak of their own views as well. Blogs and social media offered a glimpse at how groups of individuals were protesting against the strict ruling of their government. But did these two outlets spark the revolution?
Foreign Policy's Ethan Zuckerman made a valid point about the role of the Internet and social media in the uprising. While Facebook and Twitter certainly bolstered the movement, they were not the ignitors of the revolution. The frustration of Tunisians towards their government was boiling for quite sometime, and the Internet and social media certainly contributing to this. However, they were not the tipping point of the revolution.
In some instances, actions speak louder than words, and this expression rings quite profoundly during this time. When a 26-year-old penniless crops vendor by the name of Al Bouazizi set himself ablaze, that jump-started the revolution. Bouazizi's actions spoke the hearts of Tunisians, and caused the public to take their vexation and transform it into something physical, like protests and riots.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Media Censorship is Slowing Down the Wave of New Technology in Certain Countries
With the rise of the technological age across the globe has increasingly enhanced citizens' right to voice their thoughts and opinions on what is either occurring within the nation they reside in, or the world that surrounds them.
We have seen the powers of blogging in countries where its inhabitants did not have access to a source or platform in which they could report on topics and issues that need the attention. In Egypt, for instance, the usage of blogs and social media united individuals and human rights activists over police brutality, which was the cause of death of 28-year-old Khalid Said, and sparked national discussion and activism on social media.
Patrick Butler's 2007 article for the International Center for Journalists titled "New Technology, New Voices" touched upon how in nations, such as China and Iran whose governments censor information that is published over the Internet, scrambled more than ever to try to muzzle the voices of the blogosphere that was growing stronger and stronger.
A decade later, we have seen blogs build upon their prominence within the realm of citizen journalism. However, some countries have yet to fully reap the benefits of the technology the rest of the world is currently utilizing.
Last semester, I was enrolled in a course titled "Global Journalism." In this class, my classmates and I were assigned either one or multiple countries to report on throughout the semester. My professor assigned me the countries of Rwanda and South Africa.
I wrote an article on media censorship in Rwanda and how even though the country has made strides to mitigate media censorship, it is still quite prevalent. In fact, self-censorship is just as common among Rwandan journalists due to the constant hounding and threats by the government.
This, coupled with Rwandan's poor personal rights, has not bode well for bloggers and will not so long as President Paul Kagame and his regime do not loosen their stronghold of the media in the country.
According to the Social Progress Imperative index on Rwanda, Rwandans have strong scores on Internet access. But it is the government's actions and intimidations that prevent its citizens from voicing their perspectives. So until the ruling of the government loosens, Rwandans will continue to be silenced.
We have seen the powers of blogging in countries where its inhabitants did not have access to a source or platform in which they could report on topics and issues that need the attention. In Egypt, for instance, the usage of blogs and social media united individuals and human rights activists over police brutality, which was the cause of death of 28-year-old Khalid Said, and sparked national discussion and activism on social media.
Patrick Butler's 2007 article for the International Center for Journalists titled "New Technology, New Voices" touched upon how in nations, such as China and Iran whose governments censor information that is published over the Internet, scrambled more than ever to try to muzzle the voices of the blogosphere that was growing stronger and stronger.
A decade later, we have seen blogs build upon their prominence within the realm of citizen journalism. However, some countries have yet to fully reap the benefits of the technology the rest of the world is currently utilizing.
Last semester, I was enrolled in a course titled "Global Journalism." In this class, my classmates and I were assigned either one or multiple countries to report on throughout the semester. My professor assigned me the countries of Rwanda and South Africa.
I wrote an article on media censorship in Rwanda and how even though the country has made strides to mitigate media censorship, it is still quite prevalent. In fact, self-censorship is just as common among Rwandan journalists due to the constant hounding and threats by the government.
This, coupled with Rwandan's poor personal rights, has not bode well for bloggers and will not so long as President Paul Kagame and his regime do not loosen their stronghold of the media in the country.
According to the Social Progress Imperative index on Rwanda, Rwandans have strong scores on Internet access. But it is the government's actions and intimidations that prevent its citizens from voicing their perspectives. So until the ruling of the government loosens, Rwandans will continue to be silenced.
Review: Voices of NY
After scanning through Voices of NY's website, I was able to draw some parallels between this news outlet and the publication Colorlines. The former had a more localized flavor than the latter. With Colorlines, the theme of its articles tend to be the impact, whether positive or negative, of the news being reported on in Washington, D.C. on ethnic and minority groups across the nation. Voices of NY adopts this focus and examines it at a closer distance in the areas of New York. For instance, Colorlines' website has an entire section dedicated to the Trump Presidency, where much of the articles discuss topics such as Trump's immigration policy and how the nation has responded. With Voices of NY, the publication takes a national news story and puts a local spin on it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)