Two years have passed since the initial demonstrations in Tahrir Square, and today not many journalists or other “new media” enthusiasts still claim that Twitter started, sustained or steered the 2011 Egyptian uprising. Indeed, many of the participants vociferously challenge the idea that Twitter or Facebook were anywhere nearly as important as their own determined efforts.
As part of the reassessment of social media’s role, Marc Lynch, George Washington University’s leading Middle East political analyst, writes an immensely intelligent commentary in Foreign Policy. The subtitle foretells his principal point: “How social media is hurting the Arab Spring.”
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| (Image from Foreign Policy) |
In his article, Twitter Devolutions, Lynch defines seven lessons, seven ways the Internet and social media played a role in the post-uprising struggles in several Arab countries. I think he is right in concluding that social media may have done more harm than good.
While Professor Lynch targets his critique on the impact social media made on the Arab countries, his article offers an equally valid insight into how Western diplomats, journalists, and academics misappraised the role of social media in those revolutions.
Indeed, there is a strong argument that in the Arab Spring, mis-reading and over-interpreting social media led to leaps of faith, even Western policy mistakes. There was too little attention to just how few individuals in the region actually use social media, where information comes from, and the insights obtainable from data-driven network analysis.
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| Marc Lynch |
This is the key lesson about social media, especially for public diplomacy: you go into social media to listen, not to talk.
Just recently, Twitter announced its intention to buy Bluefin Labs, a social analytics company that specializes in data about what people are saying about television programs while they are on the air. For example, companies like CBS or HBO pay Bluefin for information about what is being said about them online, while shows are airing. It is invaluable to get those indications of opinion trends and sentiment shifts early, while you have time to act on them.
By now, everyone has heard of the “United Breaks Guitars” case and the viral video. As an example of how much the corporate world has learned since 2009, listen to the Airplane Geeks podcast interview with Jon Bird, director of social media for American Airlines. Companies large and small are listening intently to their customers every second of the day. And, more and more, corporations are agile in reacting to what they hear.
Is public diplomacy listening enough? Is our diplomacy agile enough?
[See the Public Diplomacy Council website for the original version of this post and comments.]
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Indeed, many of the participants cheat code for instagram followers vociferously challenge the idea that Twitter or Facebook were anywhere nearly as important as their own determined efforts.
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