Media remains to be one of the most useful tools that are used to shape public opinion on various issues that happen in society. As a result, to maintain the status quo, many rulers have relied on the media to act as a gatekeeper and to suppress any divergent opinion. On the other hand, media has been used as a tool for a political protest aimed at changing the status quo. The use of media as a communication tool for political protest increased significantly after the invention of the internet that led to the development of social media. Unlike traditional or mainstream media, rulers and dictators have little control over social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Digital media have introduced a new communication platform for a mass political protest. The Arab Spring is a perfect example of how digital media, when complemented by mass media and other favorable factors, can result in a successful political protest.
The history of Arab Spring can be traced back to December 17, 2010, when Mohamed Bouazizi, A Tunisian fruit vendor, set himself on fire after undergoing a lot of humiliation on the hand of police officers. Even though Bouazizi’s decision to commit suicide was a personal act of resistance, his action sparked mass protests, leading to Arab Spring in many Arab countries. Arab Spring started in Tunisia on December 18, 2010, and it spread across any Arab countries in North Africa and the Middle East (Saidin, 2018). The primary objective of the Arab Spring was to end the authoritarian and dictatorial leadership style that characterized many Arab countries. The authoritarian rules in the region used the police to suppress and protests through brutality against innocent civilians. Also, the mass protest in the region was caused by other factors such a high rate of employment and poverty. For a long time, Arab dictators and monarchies had used mass media to manipulate public opinion, giving them the opportunity to maintain the status quo (Saidin, 2018). Nevertheless, digital media reduced the influence of social media while offering a voice to the public. The success of the Arab Spring, therefore, is mainly associated with social media.
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Based on the analysis of various researchers and scholars, social media was the primary communication tool that was used during the Arab Spring. Before the invention of social media, Arabic people primarily relied on mainstream media such as the radio, newspapers, and television to get or access information. Unfortunately, a lot of media information was skewed to favor the ruling regime (Smidi & Shahin, 2017). The misuse of media by the government changed significantly when social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter emerged. Specifically, one of the ways in which social media was used to facilitate the Arab Spring was to create public awareness. Civil organizations and young people use social media to create shared awareness, resulting in a common cause and understanding among Arab people, especially affected countries (Smidi & Shahin, 2017). Social media was used to increase the speed with which protesters could communicate, as messages could be relayed instantaneously and spontaneously. Social media was utilized during the Arab Spring to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of communication, leading to improved coordination and collaboration among the public.
Social media was also used to form extensive social networks that were needed for the spring to succeed. Activists in Arab countries used social media to increase their social network, which was not easy under the mainstream media that was controlled by the government. Besides, social media was used to develop social capital among civil activists. Also, social media was used to create pan-Arab consciousness, which led to significant facilitation of a contagion process that shook the entire region (Smidi & Shahin, 2017). Social media was used to promote group communication and encourage personal suggestion, making protesters and Arab people have a common goal, which was to end oppression and dictatorship in the region. Thus, social media was a useful communication tool during the Arab spring (Smidi & Shahin, 2017).
Although social media was a significant communication tool, old or conventional media were also used to facilitate the protests. Old media were used to air and communicate critical information about the protests to attract public and international attention. Mainstream media were used to relay video footages about the protests, creating global awareness about the Arab Spring. Al-Jazeera, for instance, constantly replayed video about protests, leading to international pressure that forced leaders like Mubarak to resign (Smidi & Shahin, 2017). At the same time, Arab print media and other television channels relied on information from digital media to inform the public and the world about the status of the protests (Smidi & Shahin, 2017). Therefore, media were not only used as a tool for communication but also to attract local and international attention, resulting in global awareness and international pressure.
To convince the public and justify mass protests, the media, especially social media was used to frame used to frame Arab leadership as dictatorial and authoritarian. Besides, the leadership was rulers like Mubarak and Zine El Abidine was framed as oppressive and suppressive, especially based on the information that was shared on social media platforms such as Facebook (Smidi & Shahin, 2017). For instance, the story about the brutality of police against Bouazizi was widely shared on different social media networks. The media was used to facilitate the notion that Bouazizi set himself on fire after experiencing a lot of injustice on the hand of law enforcement officers. CNN for instance, termed the Arab Spring as “necessary evil” because it was aimed at ending the injustice and dictatorship that had been witnessed in the region for many years (Smidi & Shahin, 2017). However, some Arab mass media framed the protest as a conspiracy against legitimate governments. The Arab Spring was framed differently in different media.
Moreover, the media was used to show the solidarity of the public against the dictatorial region. For example, the mass protest at Cairo's Tahrir Square was widely covered by both mainstream and social media because thousands of people attended it. The ultimate goal of the Arab Spring was to end the authoritarian and dictatorial regime, which explains why dictatorial framing was common in the media (Smidi & Shahin, 2017). The protests reduced significantly after the resignation of Mubarak in Egypt. Also, the protests were aimed at restoring accountability, transparency, and respect to the rule of law by the government.
The Arab Spring was decentralized mainly because it mainly involved the use of technology to mobilize people and to take action against the dictatorial governments. Protesters did not rely on centralized leadership, but they used technology to organize themselves and work towards a common goal (Smidi & Shahin, 2017). Arab spring is also one of the successful leaderless movements in history. Although the action by people like Bouazizi inspired young people, the movement or revolution did not have any substantial leader who protestors could rely on for direction. Every protester used digital media to play an active role in ensuring the success of the movement. The mobilization and action were mainly done through social media.
Besides, at the beginning of the protests, the public did not have a common awareness of the challenges they were going through in society. The state-controlled media were used to shape and influence public opinion in favor of the government (Smidi & Shahin, 2017). At the same time, the public did not share common awareness or consciousness at the beginning of the protests. However, the share or collective consciousness grew rapidly during the protests as people could easily share and access information through various media platforms. The public became more united at the end of the Arab Spring, leading to accountable and transparent government. Countries like Egypt underwent a transition as people demanded a better system of governance. Therefore, communication tool such as social media networks, televisions, and print media played a critical role in ensuring the success of the Arab Spring. Importantly, they made communication, mobilization, and coordination easier, effective, and efficient. However, other non-media factors like a high rate of youth unemployment increased literacy, and food crisis enhanced the success of the Arab Spring (Mushtaq & Afzal, 2017). The factors made the public to demand a change aggressively.
In conclusion, the Arab Spring was mainly a successful political protest because of the role of the media, particularly social media that were used as effective communication tools. Social media provided a favorable platform for communication, mobilization, coordination, and creating awareness. Mass media, on the other hand, complemented the social media in facilitating the success of the Arab Spring. Currently, some Arab countries have undergone a significant political change due to the Arab Spring, indicating that the protest was a success.
References
Mushtaq, A., & Afzal, A. (2017). Arab spring: Its causes and consequences. JPUHS , 30 (1).
Saidin, M. I. S. (2018). Rethinking the 'Arab Spring': The Root Causes of the Tunisian Jasmine Revolution and Egyptian January 25 Revolution. International Journal of Islamic Thought , 13(2) , 69-79.
Smidi, A., & Shahin, S. (2017). Social Media and Social Mobilization in the Middle East: A Survey of Research on the Arab Spring. India Quarterly , 73 (2), 196-209.
