Social Media and the Arab Spring
On December 17, 2010, a young unemployed man set himself on fire in Tunisia.
Mohammed Bouazizi took that desperate step in protest, after officials had blocked his attempts to make a living selling fruit on the street.
His self-immolation sparked a wave of anti-government protests, first in Tunisia, then all across the Middle East.
And technology and social media have played key roles in many of the pro-democracy movements of the Arab Spring.
Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Zeynep Tufekci, a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society.
The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!