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Presentation at the April CafeBeijing, July 22, 2012

China and Syria: Netizens ExposeMedia Fabrications and Distortions

Jay Hauben

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Online edition January 19941994 年 1月在线版

http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/netbook/English Print Edition May 1997

1997 年 5月英文版Japanese Print Edition October 1997

1997 年 10月日文版

Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet Michael Hauben and Ronda Hauben

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The anti-cnn Website is an example of netizens activity in China. But to be sure there is netizens activity in virtually every society.

Anti-cnn and my epilogue about Syria are examples of netizens as watchdogs over the mainstream and online media. Anti-cnn is also an example of the value of discussion forums.

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“a new social institution, an electronic commons developing.”

Michael Hauben“Preface: What is a netizen?” in Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet, Beppu Bay Japan and NYC 1995

“The entire process was one of mutual respect and sharingof research and ideas. A real notion of ‘community’ and ‘participation’ takes place.”

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net.citizen netizen

网络公民 Not all net users

are Netizens

Netizens, come online for public rather than simply for personal and entertainment

purposes

The concept of net.citizen or netizen

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“My research demonstrated that there were people active as members of the network, which the words net citizen did not precisely represent. The word citizen suggests a geographic or national definition of social membership. The word Netizen reflects the new non-geographically based social membership. …”

Michael Hauben 1995

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“Netizens are not just anyone who comes online. Netizens are especially not people who come online for individual gain or profit. They are not people who come to the Net thinking it is a service. Rather they are people who understand it takes effort and action on each and everyone’s part to make the Net a regenerative and vibrant community and resource. Netizens are people who decide to devote time and effort into making the Net, this new part of our world, a better place.”

网络公民不是仅指那些上网的人。不是那些为了获得个人利益而上网的人。不是把网络作为一种服务的人。而是那些理解网络的各种作用和影响，将网络构建成可再生、充满活力的社区和资源的人。是那些为使网络成为我们世界中一个崭新的、更美好的地方，而奉献时间和努力人。 Michael Hauben

Talk given at the Hypernetwork ‘95 Conference Beppu Bay, Japan

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Haiqing Yu writes,

“Netizens are those who use the Internet as a venue for exercising citizenship through rational public debates on social and political issues of common concern.”

“From Active Audience to Media Citizenship: The Case of Post-Mao China”, Social Semiotics, 16 (2), June 2006

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On March 14, 2008, Tibetan demonstrators in Lhasa the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in China turned violent against civilians, property and the police.

The Chinese media framed the story as violence against Han Chinese and Muslim Chinese fomented by the Tibetan government in exile.

Much of the mainstream international media like BBC, VOA, and CNN framed the violence as the result of discriminatory Chinese rule and Chinese police brutality.

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In April 2008, Rau Jin, a recent Tsinghua university graduate launched the Anti-cnn website to:

“Speak out our thoughts and let the westerners learn about the truth.”

The website had forum sections in Chinese and in English.

Anti-cnn website example

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Anti-cnn:

To overcome media bias in the West by fostering communication between Chinese netizens and netizens outside of China so that the people of the world can have accurate knowledge about each other.

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“We are not against the western media, but against the lies and fabricated stories in the media.” statement on anti-cnn website

“CNN is the media superpower. It can do great damage so it must be watched and challenged when it is wrong.” Qi Hanting an anti-cnn organizer

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“I can say free media works the same way as less-free media. So what's most important? The people I'd say---. . .If people dare to doubt, dare to think on their own, do not take whatever comes to them, then we'll have a clear mind, noteasily be fooled.”

“I can say, if such people exist, then should be Chinese.... the least likely to be brainwashed, when have suffered from all those incidents, cultural revolution, plus a whole long history with all kinds of tricks. “ kylin

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Syria:

In early March 2011, protest demonstrations in Dara’a in southern Syria were given a violent component. Gunmen attacked the police killing seven. Media reports said at least four other people were killed at that time.

The Syrian state media framed the story as “armed gangs attacking security forces and public property”. Western and Gulf satellite media quickly framed the story that “the Syrian government is killing its own people”.

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Websites for exposures of media distortionsAbout Syria

TunisiansQuestforTruthhttp://tunisianquestfortruth.wordpress.com/

Uprooted Palestinians http://uprootedpalestinians.blogspot.com/)

Moon of Alabamahttp://www.moonofalabama.org

21Palestinians murdered in Gaza labeled as Syrian martyrs by the Syrian government

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Photo from YemenLabeled by the Opposition as“Bashar’s Reforms”

Wounds from an explosion in NewYork City posted online as theresult of a Syrian government attackon Syrian protestors.

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Photo of pro-government demonstration presented as an anti government demonstration by adding an extra star to the flag

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The ambassador's picture

Certain areas of the picture are marked as "Fires", "Military vehicles" and "Smoke". But when one compares the bigger version of the picture with older pictures of those places from Google map and Google Earth all marked areas seem to be outside of Bab Amr and depict nothing that is obviously of military nature.

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Graphic 9 clearly shows a military training ground. There are many dug out U-type emplacements that shield from the front and the sides and allow to pull out to the back. They point into various directions. There are also blast holes in the ground likely from the earlier use of training ammunition in the area. The guns shown are out in the open, not camouflaged and with no ammunition stacks or the like visible nearby.

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Alternative accounts and critiques of Western and Gulf State

media narrative about Syria.

Among these are

The Center for Research on GlobalizationVoltairenetSyria360

RT (Russia Today)Prensa Latina

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Conclusion

The net continues to empower people toward a greater participation in more and more aspects of their societies, as with the anti-cnn website in 2008 and the opening of an alternative channel of information, news and analysis in the Syria crisis in 2011 and 2012.

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Netizens are becoming an increasing force not only in domestic politics but in

international politics-------------------

Thank you for your attention – Jay Hauben –

hauben@columbia.edu