[Air-L] Arab spring & social media evidence

[Murray Turoff]

There is a very interesting problem here.  The fundamental reasons might
have little to do with the use of social media except as way of people
being able to receive the information which in it self may explain the cause
of
these revolutions.

I really think what is needed is a content analysis of Wikileaks.
There was a news article i read which might have been in the NYTimes
some time back which pointed out:

A lot of material in the famous release of u.s. secret cables by various
diplomats
and officials confirmed in the mind of many Arabs, especially the young
ones, the real
extend of corruptions among the leaders and their accumulation of wealth as
a result of
their leadership positions.  While this was felt it was never really proved
in the minds of
these people until they could read it online or in circulated copies of
materials downloaded
by others.

I did think this was a cause that was worth considering for the Arab
Spring.   Given they
already did not trust their regular news sources Wikileaks was considered a
more trusted
source.

I would like to see a real content analysis of Wikileaks to compare to other
explanations for
the Arab Spring.

-- 

-- 
*Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Information Systems, NJIT
homepage: http://is.njit.edu/turoff
*