What role has the use of Twitter played in the Egyptian revolution 2011?

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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ABSTRACT

This proposed research examines the vital role of social media; mainly the part Twitter has played as a new communication technology in recent political events in Egypt where people did not have freedom of press, speech and assembly. The research provides background information and analysis to help understand the increasing influence of the usage of popular sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube as a means to organise, mobilise and publicise the political movements in Arab countries. It will particularly focus on how Twitter has become very significant communication tool for Egyptian youth groups, journalists, and human rights and democratic activists, not only in Egypt but across the whole Middle East region that is well known for its oppressive and undemocratic governments who have been in power for decades. How dramatic postings of shocking images and other materials on the social media websites have helped the protesters to draw an international attention will also be considered. Some commentators would argue that Twitter had a very little impact on the ground because of the inaccessibility and lack of internet services in some parts of Egypt. Critics, on the other hand, would argue that there were far more other important offline activities by the demonstrators on the streets. Attempt will also be made to get an answer whether or not the so called online revolution was entirely driven by Twitter and other social networking sites. The research critically analyses the power and control of Twitter and social media in general in the context of Egyptian revolution. It concludes with some findings of how much Twitter along with other social media has contributed to the unprecedented political and social changes in the country.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Research Aims and Objectives2

Research Questions3

Significance of the Study3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW4

Social media4

Social Network Sites4

Facebook4

YouTube5

Twitter6

Social Media and the News7

Twitter Revolution9

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY11

Research Design11

Research Technique and Process12

Pros and cons of chosen methodology14

Participants15

Interview Questions15

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION16

Overview of the Egypt Revolution and the role of Social Media16

Government's Intervention to Disrupt Communications18

Impact of Shutdown of Internet & Mobile Phone Networks on the Revolution19

Google's Support in the Revolution21

Some statistics of the use of Facebook and Twitter during the time of Revolution22

The Role of Twitter and Other Social Media in the Egyptian Revolution23

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION25

REFERENCES27

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

The shift from broadcast mass media to networked digital media has change the flow of information and the way news work. Mainstream media outlets have been adopting social media sites, in particular Twitter, as a ...