When social networking and political protests collide

In 1989, two major democracy movements arose and brought about two very different results: the pro-democracy uprising in China, culminating in the Tienanmen Square massacre, reaffirmed the dictatorial regime's authority, and; the collapse of the Iron Curtain, climaxed by the falling of the Berlin Wall, brought an end to Soviet-backed communist governments in Eastern Europe.

I remember both events for the tectonic shifts in international politics that they necessarily inspired. I remember, in particular, the way that western media outlets like CNN and BBC, trapped amid the chaos of the revolt in Beijing, managed to capture and broadcast images of the Chinese army gunning down hundreds, if not thousands, of its own citizens... people who had desired more political freedoms in a changing Chinese society.

This was the iconic image from Tienanmen Square -- of one man standing up to an army. It was exactly the kind of media moment that threatened the survival of the communist government. The PRC's response: to finally crack down on media access within the country, and to eventually begin a campaign of historical white-washing. My point is that media was at the threshold of a landmark political moment, but ultimately failed to push it over the edge.

Meanwhile, events in Eastern Europe later that year began to unravel the grip of the communists. It began with the government in Hungary announcing it would remove its physical border fences with Austria. This led 13000 East German tourists to escape to Austria, setting in motion a chain of events that were aided by television broadcasts from West Berlin, and finally brought about the fall of the Berlin Wall.



In both cases, the the media played an important role in how events played out.

Which brings us to June 2009, and the so-called "Twitter Revolution" in Iran. Actually, Twitter is just one communications tool being used in this amazing uprising by Iranians seeking change within their society (amid a hotly disputed election outcome). Social networking tools such as Facebook and YouTube, along with Twitter, have given a voice to the protesters themselves. Whereas the traditional media outlets find it hard to get the reports out, people on the street are spreading the message to the outside world via cellphone. And the message is largely uncensored -- people are being shot and killed, and these images are finding their way to people's computers. Even the news networks are using some of the footage to supplement what they themselves can broadcast.



On YouTube, we can see the intensity of the protests from street level. On Facebook, supporters of the opposition candidate are gathering images, videos, and reports of protests and violence. And there is Twitter, where people are spreading the word in short spurts, helping to galvanize the protests even as the government threatens a violent crackdown. Social networking is fueling this democratic uprising. Where will it end?

I wish the protesters well, and I hope this new media aids them in their cause.

P.S. It's not just the Western world that is following events in Iran. The Arab Street is also using social networks to learn some lessons from their Persian neighbours (with whom they traditionally have a tense relationship).