129. Name: Raquel Albuquerque Title: What Role Have Al Jazeera and Social Media Played in the Revolutions of Tunisia and Egypt? An Analysis of the Role of Media in Revolutionary Contexts Institution: University of St Andrews Country: United Kingdom Date: 2012 Language: English Abstract: The recent wave of popular movements through the Arab world triggered discussions particularly on the role of media. The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt were televised and Al Jazeera occupied a central position in their coverage. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs and text messaging were fundamental as well. The analysis of the involvement of media in past revolutions, such as in Egypt in 1952 and in Iran in 1979, shows that some form of communication has always been connected with social movements and revolutions. Therefore, the unprecedented feature of the 2011 revolutions is not the involvement of media, but the unparalleled connection between a powerful international mass medium, Al Jazeera, and the popular and widely accessible social media. This connection has amplified previously unheard voices, giving rise to an individual empowerment, which has evidenced the capability of people to revolutionize authoritarian systems. From a theoretical analysis of revolution, this research approaches revolution through a rare lens: a communication perspective. It is important to underline the unpredictability and the reliance on individual minds, human behavior and perceptions, which are undoubtedly involved in any revolutionary situation.
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