The Book Every College Kid Should Own: Social Media and the Egyptian Revolution
POSTED BY mrenart ON August 25, 2011
by Emily Southard
Images spread across news outlets of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on trial for his grievances against the Egyptian people are a reminder that social revolutions can and still exist. In any uprising, disorder and chaos make communication paramount to expediting a movement. But what if your primary form of communication isn’t men on horses, clutching grave documents, but rather your followers on Twitter?
The Egyptian people took to their weapons of choice–Twitter, F
acebook, and other forms of social media–to organize and protest for a Mubarak free regime. Egyptians had many allies that facilitated and even trained the revolutionaries on how to use these social media tools. The face of politics and news is shifting into a world that doesn’t exist unless someone’s tweeted it. Hatem Rushdy, the president of People Plus, a leading executive search firm in Cairo, was one of the thousands who participated in the protests. Inspired by the movement’s bravery and modernity he wanted to document this experience for the world. Rushdy collected and edited detailed personal accounts of the protest in his new book, 18 Days in Tahrir: Stories from Egypt’s Revolution
What happened during the most volatile and monumental 18 days in the Egyptian revolution proves how effective social media can be. Although we all love cat videos, social media can strike a deeper cord. Communication, journalism and marketing majors should take note: Rushdy’s book proves that the wave of communication through social media is strong enough to demand a government’s attention and mobilize revolutions.
Tags: Egypt, revolution, Social Media, Tahir
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