Social Media and Political Activism from Samizdat to

Social Media and Political Activism from Samizdat to the Arab Spring Professor Eric Freedman 3 October 2011 Klaipeda University freedma 5@msu. edu

The Political Power of Communications Technologies “Why should any man be allowed to buy a printing press and disseminate pernicious opinions calculated to embarrass the government? ” Vladimir Lenin (1920) “Print is the sharpest and the strongest weapon of our party. ” Josef Stalin (1923)

Lecture Outline • Samizdat in the Soviet era • Modern regime efforts to suppress cyberdissent • Arab Spring 2011 • Implications & unresolved issues for the future

Glossary • Repressitarian: Both authoritarian in governance and repressive in human rights practices • Samizdat: Illegal. underground publications during Soviet times • ICT: Information and communication technology • Stakeholder: A person, group of institution affected by a decision or policy • NGO: Nongovernmental organization

Samizdat in the Soviet Era самиздат Laisves Sauklys Vytis "I myself create it, edit it, censor it, publish it, distribute it, and. . . get imprisoned for it. ” Vladimir S

“Recent developments demonstrate how blogging and social media tools may fulfill a crucial role for nonjournalists and oppositional groups that journalism serves in more democratic societies. ” Bowe, Freedman & Blom, 2011

Theory: UNESCO Model for Digital Rights—Part 1 Goals Main Stakeholders Strategies/Objectives Access-Freedom of connection E-businesses; governments; civil society advocates; consumers of info & com Infrastructures/services; media literacy/skills; public access facilities; lower access costs Freedom of expression Civil society & human rights groups; press & media Challenge laws, practices & regulations interfering with free expression Censorship Governments; ISPs; political & Filtering; block websites; interest groups; regulators; arrest bloggers; impose other human rights advocates legal restrictions Equality Press & media groups; developing & developed countries Rebalance coverage; reduce inequities; decentralize news production; reduce dominance of global media

Theory: UNESCO Model for Digital Rights-Part 2 Goals Main Stakeholders Strategies/Objectives Freedom of information Civil society; politicians, NGOs; citizen groups Promote access to government & public info through policies & laws Privacy & data protection Courts; law enforcement; government agencies; citizens; users Enable data-sharing; try to protect personal information from unauthorized disclosure; avoid unjustified surveillance

Reality: Prisoner of Free Expression in an Electronic World

Scenes from the Arab Spring

Discussion Points • Is grassroots-generated political change always good, and for whom? • Can communications technology be misused, and who determines that? • What happens when established power institutions themselves wield new communications technologies? • Are there important things that the “old, ” “traditional” or “legacy” media do—or at least did—better than online and social media do—at least so far?