Geopolitica del Mediterraneo Madia in the Mena Presentazione di Matteo Minchio de Lo Spazio della Politica alla Societing Summer School 2011

1. Geopolitics of the Mediterranean
Media in the MENA
Societing Summer School
Cava dei Tirreni (SA) 22-27 August 2011
Matteo Minchio, LSDP
Salerno, August 2011 LSDP, Matteo Minchio 1

2. Young masses and old elites
Salerno, August 2011 LSDP, Matteo Minchio 2

3. Corrupt and oppressive rulers
Salerno, August 2011 LSDP, Matteo Minchio 3

4. Educated, urban and jobless:
Arab Youth is a gunpowder
Urban Population
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Yemen Egypt Syria Morocco Algeria Tunisia Jordan Libya Saudi Lebanon
Arabia
Salerno, August 2011 LSDP, Matteo Minchio 4

5. Have Arab netizens reached their critical mass?
Internet Users Population Facebook Users
Country Mill Internet Internet FB FB
People Users users % users users % 90
80
70
60
Algeria 35,4 4,7 13,50% 1,41 3% 50
40
Bahrain 0,8 0,42 53% 0,28 29%
30
Egypt 84,4 20,25 24,30% 4,63 7% 20
10
Jordan 6,0 1,56 26% 1,10 15% 0
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Lebanon 4,2 0,96 23,70% 0,98 23%
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Libya 6,4 0,35 5,50% 0,26 3%
Morocco 31,0 12,71 41,30% 2,45 7%
Saudi Arabia 25,0 9,5 38% 3,21 9%
Syria 21,0 4,2 20,40% 0,24 N.A.
Tunisia 10,4 3,4 34,10% 1,82 16%
UAE 8,2 6,15 75,00% 2,14 45%
Yemen 23,0 2,3 10% 0,18 0,50%
• Internet population is growing fast, but socializers are still few
• Youngsters are a large majority in the online world
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6. Cybercafés and SMS as guerrilla tools
Limited wired networks à Mobile-based system Low Fixed Broadband
penetration à High
capillarity of Internet
cafés à Back to 1700?
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7. Hacktivists agenda: break the (Fire)
Wall and make a buzz
u Handy-cams are your eyes
u SMS are your words
u Chat @ cybercafés
u e-Skype wiretaps
u Blog your storytelling
u Meet-up for a protest
u Geo-localise your crowd
u Hash-clouds provoke
storms
u Big G comes on the stage
u Please record your tweet
after the beep
Followers, Viewers and Likers
are your allies!
Salerno, August 2011 LSDP, Matteo Minchio 7

8. AJA & Co: eyes and ears
open to the world
From Osama s tape to the Arab Spring Don t forget the Cedar!
Building Arabic Mainstream
From The view and the opposite point
of view” to “Continuous Coverage”
Doha, Cairo, Beirut Hezbollah goes on air
Emir of Qatar s voice
Dubai based Saudi TV
Puritan at home, Liberal abroad
Emirati banks do business
Owed by Sheik Al Waleed,
News Corp minority share
Entertainment, watched
mostly in the Arab World
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9. Rulers tricks for repression: gags,
handcuffs and tanks
Tunisian blogger Vodafone forced to
Slim Amamou send Regime SMS
Kidnapped
Internet Shutdown
Egypt, 27/01/11
Asma Al-Ghoul
Palestinian female
journalist tortured
GCC Police clears
Pearl Roundabout
Lybian woman
denoncing violences
kidnapped in direct Syrian tanks make
2.000 victims in
Hama
Salerno, August 2011 LSDP, Matteo Minchio 9

10. Ghosts from 1956: Saudi police cages Bahraini tweet
Are you viral enough to spread the contagion?
FACTS FACTORS
u 14/02 youth groups u Natives (46%) vs Migrants
protest Pearl Roundabout (54%)
u Discrete talks Al-Wifaq- u Tribal divisions (Settled vs
Crown Prince Nomades)
u 08/03 Coalition for u Religious divisions (70%
Bahrain Republic Shites vs Sunni elite)
u 13/03 Barricades in Pearl u Geopolitical issues (Saudi
Roundabout Arabia vs Iran)
u 14/03 GCC troops u National media war
crackdown (Bahrain Tv vs Al-Wasat
u 15/03 State of newspaper)
Emergency u TV spotlight (Al Alam and
u 22/06 Imprisonment and Al Manar) vs Tv blackout
trial of opposition leaders (Al Jazeera)
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