Blogs and bullets III : Syria's socially mediated civil war

Syria has been the most socially mediated conflict in history. Compared with previous conflicts, an exceptional amount of what the outside world knows -- or thinks it knows -- about the nearly three-year-old conflict has come from videos, analysis, and commentary circulated through social networks. These materials have informed international relief efforts, assessments of the identity and character of the rebel fighting groups, and debates about international intervention. But how credible was such information? How was it produced? Why did some gain attention and other, equally intriguing, information fade into obscurity? How did such information actually flow through the rapidly changing online social media? This report combines a broad survey of pathbreaking work on social media in conflict zones with unique new research findings based on analysis of discussions of Syria on Twitter.… (more)