Publication

This paper looks at how three specific Twitter debates in the Middle East unfolded over time. (The debates centered on the following events: 1) a June 2014 rape that occurred in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, which was captured on video; 2) anti-fracking protests in Southern Algeria, which occurred in early 2015; and 3) Saudi Arabia’s military intervention in Yemen, which began in March 2015.) In looking at these events, the paper's authors aim to shed light on the role Twitter plays in shaping important social and political discussions in this particular part of the world. They also analyze the scope and patterning of Twitter networks; highlight the various ways Twitter is being used by ordinary people, activists, media outlets and officials to impact others; and point to complex fault lines and societal developments in the MENA region which are little noted by Western publics and policy communities.