Social Media and the Iran Election Crisis
Social media has taken center stage during the election crisis in Iran and emerged as a powerful vehicle for global information dissemination. With foreign media outlets unable to operate effectively inside the country, the international reporting torch has officially passed into the hands of social media, and grassroots social networking resources are now keeping the world informed of the latest crisis developments.
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Reports of violence between police and protesters are posted to Twitter in real time, while demonstration videos and images are shared on Flickr and YouTube accounts. Blogs detailing savage student beatings and daily protest schedules are also spreading rapidly. Social media is clearly fanning the flame of government resistance.
Social media is no stranger to this radical role (remember Twittering out of jail in Egypt), but this is one of the first instances blogs and social networking sites have been viewed as superior sources of information than traditional media outlets. For perhaps the first times in history, the world can watch on as citizens literally fight for their freedom against an authoritative regime and it is all thanks to social networking. Even the U.S. government believes in social media’s power, reportedly the U.S. State Department asked Twitter to delay its scheduled maintenance session so the latest Tweets from Iran could be monitored.
While these developments are promising, and historically relevant, there are still issues regarding social media’s long-term viability as a news source. Because anyone can create a blog or send a Tweet, it is impossible to know if a story is reliable. This means that, as with all web-based communications, users must look at everything tagged “Iran Election” with a critical eye. It is the classic double-edged sword of web content. While the Internet allows you to receive uncensored and up-to-the-minute information, it is up to you to verify the information. For tips on the best ways to follow the Iran Election using social media, check out Ben Parr’s recent post at Mashable.
What do you think? Has the explosion of Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking websites in relation to the Iran election crisis set a new precedent for how the world consumes breaking news stories?
