Social Media:

Egyptian Revolution
Media Law & Ethics
Summer Online 2014
Bridget Lynch
When Social Media becomes THE Vehicle for Revolution:
Can Journalist use Social Media as a Source?
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What is Social Media?
Definition:
Forms of electronic communication (as Web
sites for social networking and
microblogging) through which users create
online communities to share information,
ideas, personal messages, and other
content (as videos)
(According to: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/social%20media)
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A New Form of Weapon
Yemen, a cellphone camera is used
at an anti-government rally. This is
the cover story of the July 4 issue
of The Christian Science Monitor
weekly magazine, focusing on
Facebook, Twitter and the limits of
social media as the tools of civic
upheaval.
Click to View Source Page
Reuters photo / John Kehe illustrationIn
Egypt Revolution Background History
Hosni Mubarak, autocratic leader
for almost 30 years
Oppressed people through torture,
poverty, corruption,
unemployment, education, and
censorship
Egyptian Youth Activists led the
revolt and used social media to
communicate through the planning
and execution of the movement
Strategies were planned that led
to the Eighteen Day Revolution
Hundreds of thousands of people
gathered in the streets of Egypt
until the dictator gave up his
power on February 11, 2011
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What are we missing?
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By NOT relying on the social media information,
In this event THIS is a risk you face:
Numbers Dont Lie
Social Media played a vital role in initiating
this revolution
The commentaries online were the birth of
new communication freedoms
This transferred to Blogs, where anyone can
publish anything and some Egyptians began
to express political voices on a regular basis
An entire online community grew out of
these media outlets
Finally, reaching the climax of
communication, as seen in the graphs here,
the online community developed into public
gatherings of people to protest.
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Seek Truth and Report It
The truth was published by millions
of people gathering together
through social media
There were so many sources it
would be very difficult to dispute
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Minimize Harm
Harm in this situation lies in the
human rights issue of whether these
peoples voices are heard
There could be more harm from not
publishing the information on social
media
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Act Independently
There is little potential to align with
anything other than the global
human rights centered issue
The key is the timing and context
which counts in such dire situations
and a journalist has to be sure that
those are completed in the best
interest of the people at hand
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Be Accountable
This is a huge risk, but for the right
cause
There is accountability in this
situation for whether a journalist
chooses to print or not to print
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Sissela Boks Model of Ethical Decision-Making
1. Must have
empathy for
people involved
Ethical
Decisions
2. To maintain
social trust
Two Key Objectives in Ethical Decision Making
Sissela Boks Model of Ethical Decision-Making
Three Questions to Answer:
1. Consult your conscience (right of
action)
2. Is there another way to achieve the
goal that will not raise ethical issues?
3. Conduct a public discussion to discover:
How will others respond to the
proposed act?
Consult your conscience (Right of Action)
The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights is a
common standard of achievement for all peoples and all
nations in which Article 19 states:
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion
and expression; this right includes freedom to
hold opinions without interference and to seek,
receive and impart information and ideas
through any media and regardless of frontiers.
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
Is there another way to achieve the
goal that will not raise ethical issues?
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Censorship by the
government is oppressive
Media Controlled by the
government
When government learned
of the power behind the
social media
communication, the
internet was shut-down
A clear threat - Growing
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A clear threat - Peaking
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A clear threat - Stopped
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A clear threat - Released
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Conduct a public discussion to discover:
How will others respond to the proposed act?
The people wanted to be
heard
A World-wide view of this
situation cripples the
authoritarian government
The quantity of people
documented on social media
was so large it is an irrefutable
source.
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Hundreds of Thousands gathered across Egypt
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VICTORY! EIGHTEEN DAY REVOLUTION
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CONCLUSION:
Journalists were ethical in using the social media as their source
It was such a vital role in this revolution against a government hindering the human rights of so
many people.
The excessive power over communication in this society needed to be challenged and
overthrown.
The quantity of people publishing on social media on this issue creates a source that is to
difficult deny.
World-wide coverage of these transpiring was an act of human right interest and create a
community of international unity.
Would you use social media as a source in
this situation? What approach would you use?