Western media says Twitter had a large role in recent Iranian protests. The facts say that’s only part of the story.
The Election
“Mousavi – I call for free elections overseen by a fair national council – not one which has an agenda of its own,” #Iranelection 2:13 AM Jun 21st from webLess than two hours after the polls closed, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that he won 63 percent to Mir Hossein Mousavi’s 34 percent. Mousavi’s supporters say he won 60 percent. While Iranian elections were never fair and private, voters were enraged that Iran did not even make a pretense to count all the votes. Urban intellectuals, students, women from all backgrounds and others are contesting over ten million votes, while most rural Iranians are happy with the results.
The Powder Keg
“The only question now is how will the end happen – peacefully or with civil war,” #Iranelection11:10 AM Jun 23rd from webWesterners who claim Twitter as the coup de gras fail to account for a more important variable – demographics. During and following Iran’s eight year war with Iraq, Iranian clerics urged high birth rates to supply the military. When the resulting 1980s baby boom caused a crisis for the war-torn population, clerics reversed their council. Around the same time, literacy rates in Iran escalated. Coupled with the tremendous death toll from war, political executions and an earthquake, most urban Iranians alive today are educated twenty-something’s – a common recipe for protests.
As a BBC timeline shows, Ahmadinejad’s 2005 election ushered in a conservative lock-down at the same time most Iranians were becoming politically aware. Unlike their parents, younger Iranians don’t remember the 1979 Islamic Revolution. They didn’t live under the Shah’s oppression, but they do know journalists imprisoned today. It was only a matter of time before this simmering anger erupted.
How Iranians used Twitter
“Today Gov hackers broke into our profile – after several hours of hard work we hacked back into our own profile,” #Iranelection5:05 PM Jun 22nd from webTwitter let the world in on the protests. Its 140 character format was perfect for tiny updates, and Iranians can tweet with a cell phone while on the street. With grainy pictures and blunt descriptions of police brutality, Iranians supply Western media with information free from clerical propaganda. However, most on-the-ground communication is simpler: text messages, quickly scribbled notes and word of mouth. Furthermore, Twitter isn’t just a minority protest tool: Ahmadinejad used Twitter in his election campaign, and his supporters use Twitter to defend the election. The information sharing portal only gained significance once traditional journalists were no longer permitted into the flurry of activity.
The Significance
While only 8,600 Twitter users say they are from Iran — and many of these cannot navigate their government’s blocks — the site is one more step away from so called “traditional” journalism (for better or worse) and all those in “information disseminating” roles, albeit marketing, public relations, news, sales, advertising or otherwise would do well to respond.
It can’t be denied that Twitter is a powerful tool for information sharing from a few to many. While the focus should remain on people, not their tools, knowing the tools available often allows for greater focus on the people themselves.
Oh, and if you want to follow the Twitter News Coverage, check out http://iran.twazzup.com/
Categories : Social Media
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