The World Watches Syria’s Uprising on YouTube

February 7th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Syria has undoubtedly been swept up in the Arab Spring, popular uprisings against dictatorial rulers that have spread throughout the Middle East since early last year. The country, ruled by Bashar al-Assad since 2000, has also been the site of the most brutal crackdowns against protesters. With foreign press barred from entering the country, Syrians and the rest of the world have been watching video from a single source: YouTube.

Early uprisings against Assad‘s rule began in January of last year. The following March, an anti-Assad protest in a southern city was met with a violent suppression from government forces. Within hours, graphic video of the event was posted on YouTube. Since then, protests have occurred across Syria as the opposition coalesces into a more formal fighting force.

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Meanwhile, Syrians who witness confrontations between government forces and protesters are uploading new videos every day.

On Saturday, Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have called for Assad to step down. Earlier in the day, U.S. President Barack Obama personally urged Assad to step aside.

“Assad has no right to lead Syria, and has lost all legitimacy with his people and the international community,” said Obama.

Undeterred by calls to relinquish power, Assad’s government conducted a siege of the port city of Homs Monday, leaving approximately 29 civilians dead according to the AFP. Following the violence, the U.S. State Department announced the closing of its embassy in Syria’s capital.

As Syria teeters on the precipice of civil war, the world watches online. With foreign press agencies unable to send reporters or cameras, outsiders have been relying on video (along with telephone calls) recorded by Syrians on small camcorders and mobile devices and later uploaded to the web. These videos cannot be verified and they often include titles and descriptions with bias for their side of the conflict. But it’s difficult to ignore the raw visceral power of the footage.

Can these YouTube videos fill the media’s watchdog role in armed conflicts that are closed to the press? Clay Shirky, distinguished writer in residence at NYU Journalism, said that citizen journalism is a global trend not limited to autocratic societies experiencing tumult. He explained:

“There are three advantages to citizen video over what is produced by trained press. The first is that the first people on the scene of an event are usually citizens, so it is better for speed. The second is that there are more citizens than press, so it is better for coverage. The third is that it is harder to control citizens than press, so it is better for free speech.”

Shirky’s third point sticks out in reference to Syria. The video being uploaded by Syrians isn’t being subjected to any kind of government censorship. Shirky was, however, quick to point out that citizen journalism has limitations.

“The losses are image and sound quality, lack of access to military or political newsmakers, and lack of provenance (so policing fraud becomes more problematic),” he said.

The squashing of free speech and free press doesn’t only apply to autocratic regimes either.

“Reflect on the fact that the press was rendered toothless in covering the clearing out of the #OWS camp at Zuccotti, while the citizens were irreplaceable. In fact, one of my students who went down to cover the event brought his press pass, and realized that when he showed it, he got less access to the event, so he hid it and plunged into the crowd,” Shirky said.

We’ve included a gallery of footage from Syria throughout the uprising.

Do you think YouTube videos provide an acceptable replacement for press in Syria? Let us know in the comments below.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT