How the Revolution Changed Media and the Public Sphere in Syria: Mobilizing, Networking, and Publishing Media as Revolutionary Tools

Abstract

In 2011, a wave of uprisings, fueled by socio-political discontent, spread across multiple Arab countries. Often referred to as the ‘Arab Spring’, the uprisings were largely initiated by young Arabs using social media platforms.

A discourse spread worldwide that these revolutions were the direct product of the use of social media platforms. This discourse formed a doxa in scholarly work, international media outlets, blogs and the discourse of social media networks spokespersons.

This thesis sets out to explore the nature of the use of social media use in the early years of the Syrian uprising, which began on March 15th, 2011. It offers an overview of the media and the public sphere under the authoritarian rule of the Assad family focusing on censorship and governmental narratives that were forced on the population.

Between 2011 and 2013, based on interviews with those involved on the activist side, this thesis offers insight into changing public communications of one particular Arab state.