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Iran’s Twitter Revolution Iran’s Twitter Revolution 140 characters to freedom? 140 characters to freedom?

Twitter + Iran = Herm

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Slides for my presentation on Iran's "Twitter Revolution" in 2009. This was for my Politics and Economics of Global Media course in the Global Communication graduate program at the American University of Paris. Fall 2010.

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Page 1: Twitter + Iran = Herm

Iran’s Twitter RevolutionIran’s Twitter Revolution140 characters to freedom?140 characters to freedom?

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Research QuestionsResearch Questions

Is Twitter a viable tool for organizing social Is Twitter a viable tool for organizing social movement around political dissent?movement around political dissent?

Is Twitter a means of effectively spreading Is Twitter a means of effectively spreading democracy?democracy?

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RundownRundown

TwitterTwitter

Iran ElectionIran Election

The Green MovementThe Green Movement

AnalysisAnalysis

Other case studiesOther case studies

What’s next?What’s next?

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A little bird told me...A little bird told me...

2006: Twitter founded by Evan Williams, Jack 2006: Twitter founded by Evan Williams, Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone under Obvious Corp.Dorsey and Biz Stone under Obvious Corp.

2007: Twitter, Inc.2007: Twitter, Inc.

Tweet, @, RT, DM, #, linksTweet, @, RT, DM, #, links

Access: Internet and MobileAccess: Internet and Mobile

175m users, 95m tweets/day175m users, 95m tweets/day

fastest-growing free microblogging softwarefastest-growing free microblogging software

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Iran ElectionIran Election

June 12, 2009: Iran’s 10th June 12, 2009: Iran’s 10th presidential electionpresidential election

Three candidates, one incumbentThree candidates, one incumbent

June 13: Islamic Republic News June 13: Islamic Republic News agency announces Mahmoud agency announces Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won with 62% of Ahmadinejad won with 62% of the two-thirds already-counted, the two-thirds already-counted, Mir-Hossein Mousavi runner-up Mir-Hossein Mousavi runner-up with 34%with 34%

Mousavi to Council of Guardians: Mousavi to Council of Guardians: Cancel the resultCancel the result

Incumbent Mahmoud Incumbent Mahmoud AhmadinejadAhmadinejad

Reformist Mir-Hossein MousaviReformist Mir-Hossein Mousavi(last Iran PM, 1981-89)(last Iran PM, 1981-89)

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Video: ProtestsVideo: Protests

Video: Video: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/809894http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8098942.stm2.stm

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Cyber-protestCyber-protestYouTube: Neda Soltani shot by pro-government YouTube: Neda Soltani shot by pro-government militia Basijimilitia Basiji

Facebook: Pages with Info and videos on protestors Facebook: Pages with Info and videos on protestors that have diedthat have died

Blogs: CommentaryBlogs: Commentary

Hackers allegedly took down Ahmadinejad’s Hackers allegedly took down Ahmadinejad’s websitewebsite

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Video: The Digital Video: The Digital CitizenCitizen

http://money.cnn.com/video/news/http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2009/06/22/2009/06/22/n_twitter_revolution_iran_pentagon.cnnmoney/n_twitter_revolution_iran_pentagon.cnnmoney/

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Twitter’s #IranElectionTwitter’s #IranElection100,000 tweets/day, 100,000 tweets/day, 8,000/hour8,000/hour

Trending topics: Trending topics: #IranElection, #CNNFail#IranElection, #CNNFail

International awareness International awareness of election, questions of election, questions about legitimacy and about legitimacy and protestsprotests

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ResponseResponsePhone & mobile lines shut down or Phone & mobile lines shut down or slowed downslowed down

Restricted Internet accessRestricted Internet access

Online protestors arrested for Online protestors arrested for tweetingtweeting

State spreading falsified info, posing State spreading falsified info, posing as pro-Mousaviistsas pro-Mousaviists

Changing location to Tehran to Changing location to Tehran to “confuse” Iranian government“confuse” Iranian government

U.S. State Dept delayed scheduled U.S. State Dept delayed scheduled Twitter maintenance to prevent Twitter maintenance to prevent disruptiondisruption

Proxy servers set up, bypass Proxy servers set up, bypass censorshipcensorship

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What What ReallyReally Happened? Happened?

1,000 active Twitter accounts during protests1,000 active Twitter accounts during protests

Citizen accounts provided organic perspective, Citizen accounts provided organic perspective, but also inaccurate details (700,000 protestors but also inaccurate details (700,000 protestors vs. 7,000)vs. 7,000)

Engagement happened outside of IranEngagement happened outside of Iran

"Twitter's impact inside Iran is zero. Here, there is lots of buzz, but once you look... you see most of it are Americans tweeting among themselves.”

Mehdi YahyanejadManager of Farsi-language news site in LA

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Rise of an Information Rise of an Information EliteElite

The downside of SSS: The downside of SSS: Twitter’s “Short, Twitter’s “Short, Sweet and Simple” Sweet and Simple” framework made RT’s framework made RT’s the best the best communication communication methodmethod

Algorithmic efficiency: Algorithmic efficiency: RT’s = nodal, follow-RT’s = nodal, follow-based. Easy to reduce based. Easy to reduce original sources to original sources to select fewselect few

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Follower’s FollyFollower’s FollyTweets users Tweets users receive often receive often reflect their own reflect their own viewsviews

Users retweet Users retweet tweets that reflect tweets that reflect their own viewstheir own views

Result: Isolation of Result: Isolation of partisan partisan information information networksnetworks

Real-time information clusters show Real-time information clusters show emergence of tightly intwoven conservative emergence of tightly intwoven conservative Twittersphere and more isolated liberal and Twittersphere and more isolated liberal and

mainstream spheresmainstream spheres

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Who’s tweeting?Who’s tweeting?

Tweets in English rather than FarsiTweets in English rather than Farsi

Overrepresentation of middle-class urbanitesOverrepresentation of middle-class urbanites

Accentuation of issues brought up during Accentuation of issues brought up during presidential racepresidential race

Reformist vs. ConservativeReformist vs. Conservative

Middle Class vs. Working ClassMiddle Class vs. Working Class

Urban Sector vs. Rural PopulationUrban Sector vs. Rural Population

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ConclusionConclusion

Iran’s Twitter Revolution was not “Iran’s.” Rather, it was a Iran’s Twitter Revolution was not “Iran’s.” Rather, it was a movement that mobilized diaspora Iranians and subsequently movement that mobilized diaspora Iranians and subsequently the Western world. Twitter has been used as a tool for sharing the Western world. Twitter has been used as a tool for sharing real-time information about political movement with the world, real-time information about political movement with the world,

but it paints a narrow picture of what is actually happening. but it paints a narrow picture of what is actually happening. Ironically, while Twitter was thought by the Western world to Ironically, while Twitter was thought by the Western world to be a tool for spreading democracy in Iran, it was used by the be a tool for spreading democracy in Iran, it was used by the

Iranian government as a tool to subvert dissent.Iranian government as a tool to subvert dissent.

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Other Case StudiesOther Case Studies

Moldova: Moldova: Protests following 2009 parliamentary Protests following 2009 parliamentary elections included few and were more effectively carried elections included few and were more effectively carried out on Facebook and through text messagingout on Facebook and through text messaging

China:China: Cheng Jianping sentened to a year in labor camp Cheng Jianping sentened to a year in labor camp for urging nationalist protestors to smash Japan’s for urging nationalist protestors to smash Japan’s paviliion at Shanghai Expopaviliion at Shanghai Expo

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Social Media CrackdownSocial Media Crackdown

The growing panopticon: Governments struggling (but continuing) The growing panopticon: Governments struggling (but continuing) to control citizens’ expression of discontentto control citizens’ expression of discontent

Another facet of ideological struggle: America’s liberal democracy Another facet of ideological struggle: America’s liberal democracy vs. Everyone Elsevs. Everyone Else

The future of Twitter in politics: Will still be a forum for The future of Twitter in politics: Will still be a forum for conversation, but holds limited prospects for political engagementconversation, but holds limited prospects for political engagement