Twittering Activists
The Uses of Twitter for Political Activism
presented at
Social Web: Towards Networked Protest Politics?
Changing Protest and Media Cultures SFB/FK 615 Media Upheavals
University of Siegen, Germany
November 7, 2008
Andreas Jungherr
http://twitter.com/a_jungherr

Twitter?

140 characters or less

Incident #1)
The Assassination of
Benazir Bhutto

Lesson #1)
Microblogging facilitates
the fast distribution of
information to a local
or global
community of interest.

Incident #2)
The 2008 SXSW Lacy /
Zuckerberg keynote

Lesson #2)
The use of
microblogging feeds can
be a powerful open
backchannel to actively
monitor and comment
on current events.

Incident #3)
San Diego wildfires

Lesson #3)
The use of Twitter can
be an efficient way to
organize and
coordinate small groups
for collective action
and protests.

Incident #4)
James Karl Buck
twitters in Egypt

Lesson #4)
The use of Twitter can
establish a remote
presence for a group of
activists.

Lesson #1)
Fast distribution of
information

Lesson #2)
Communication
backchannel

Lesson #3)
Organization &
coordination of small
groups

Lesson #4)
Remote presence of
community members

Thank You!