Bullets and Bulletins: Media and Politics in the Wake of the Arab Uprisings
Mohamed Zayani and Suzi Mirgani
Abstract
Bullets and Bulletins takes a sobering and holistic look at the intersections between media and politics before, during, and in the wake of the Arab uprisings. It is a multi-disciplinary approach to the topic, with the research backed up by in-depth and rigorous case studies of the key countries of the Arab uprisings. The protests were accompanied by profound changes in the roles of traditional and new media across the Middle East. What added significantly to the amplification of demands and grievances in the public spheres, streets and squares, was the dovetailing of an increasingly indignant ... More
Bullets and Bulletins takes a sobering and holistic look at the intersections between media and politics before, during, and in the wake of the Arab uprisings. It is a multi-disciplinary approach to the topic, with the research backed up by in-depth and rigorous case studies of the key countries of the Arab uprisings. The protests were accompanied by profound changes in the roles of traditional and new media across the Middle East. What added significantly to the amplification of demands and grievances in the public spheres, streets and squares, was the dovetailing of an increasingly indignant population—ignited by the prospects of economic and political marginalisation—with high rates of media literacy, digital connectivity, and social media prowess. This combination of political activism and mediated communication turned popular street protests into battles over information, where authorities and activists wrestled with each other over media messages. Information and communication technologies were used by both government authorities and protestors as simultaneous tools for silencing or amplifying dissent. Bullets and Bulletins offers original insights and analysis into the role of traditional and new media in what is undoubtedly a most critical period in contemporary Middle Eastern history.
Keywords:
Media,
Politics,
Arab uprisings,
Middle East,
Authoritarianism,
Social Media,
Tahrir Square,
Protests,
Media literacy,
Citizen journalism
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2016 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780190491550 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: January 2017 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190491550.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
Mohamed Zayani, editor
Georgetown University
Suzi Mirgani, editor
School of Foreign Service, Qatar
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