IRAN ELECTIONWORLD

INSPIRATION SESSION SUMMER 2009: WWW.FITZROY.NL

WHY IRAN?

• MEDIA INFLUENCE– RECENT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAN PRESENT AN INTERESTING

VIEW ON HOW MEDIA AND THE WAY PEOPLE USE MEDIA HAS CHANGED

• CHANGES IN MEDIA THAT WILL BE ADDRESSEDTHROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION

– REAL TIME WEB– 24/7 CONNECTED– TRANSPARENCY– GROUP ACTIVATION– VIRALITY– ‘YOU THE MEDIA’– ONLINE DRIVES OFFLINE

BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND

• ISLAMITIC REPUBLIC IRAN

• OVER 65 MILLION INHABITANTS– MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN IRAN IS YOUNGER THAN 30– TEHERAN CAPITAL – APPROXIMATELY 10 MILLION INHABITANTS

• AHMADINEJAD, A KNOWN CONSERVATIVE, CAME INTO POWER WHENHE DEFEATED KHATAMI, A ‘REFORMIST’ DURING THE 2005 ELECTION

• REAL POWER IS IN THE HANDS OF THE SPIRITUAL GUARDIANS– COUNCIL OF GUARDIANS AND THE SUPREME LEADER

• MASS MEDIA IS STATE CONTROLLED

ORGANIGRAM

REAL POWER IN HANDS OF THE SUPREME LEADER, KHAMENEI

HARDLINER AND SUPPORTIVE OF AHMADINEJAD

SITUATION

SITUATION

• IRAN HELD ELECTIONS ON JUNE 12TH

• FOUR APPROVED CANDIDATES; TWO MAIN CANDIDATES– AHMEDINEJAD (CURRENT PRESIDENT)– MOUSSAVI (‘REFORMER’)

• BOTH MOUSSAVI AND AHMADINEJAD CLAIM VICTORYEARLY AFTER THE FIRST POLLS

ELECTION RESULTS

• DIRECTLY AFTER THE FIRST POLLS THERE ARE (ONLINE)SOURCES HINTING AT FRAUDE

• THE RUMOURS LEAD TO PROTESTS IN TEHERAN (AND SOMEOTHER CITIES) IN THE WEEKEND AFTER THE EECTIONS

• VERY LITTLE MAINSTREAM MEDIA ATTENTION FOR THEPROTEST

– IRAN REGIME CONTROLS MASS MEDIA– FOREIGN MEDIA IN IRAN IS TOLD TO NOT OPENLY REPORT ON PROTESTS

TRADITIONAL SOURCES

TRADITIONAL DUTCH MEDIA REPORTS ON

AHMADINEJAD WINNING THE ELECTIONS  

TWITTER

EARLY REPORTS THROUGH TWITTER

HINTING AT POSSIBLE FRAUDE

SOCIAL MEDIA

SOCIAL MEDIA NUMBERS

• HUGE EXPLOSION OF REPORTS ON IRAN THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIACHANNELS SUCH AS TWITTER, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE, BLOGS ETC.

TWITTER

221.000 TWEETS ANHOUR AT IT’S PEAK

PEAK AT TWITTER ANNOUNCING MAINTENANCE DOWNTIME SCHEDULED

AT AN INCONVENIENT MOMENT FOR PROTESTING IRANIANS

BLOGS

2.2 MLN BLOG POSTSIN 24 HOURS

BLOGPOSTS MENTIONING IRAN

AS INDEXED BY GOOGLE

YOUTUBE

184.500 IRAN VIDEOS3.000 ON JUNE 17TH

VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE

TAGGED ‘IRAN’

SOCIAL MEDIA & IRAN

• 3 IMPROTANT WAYS ON HOW SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYS AN IMPORTANTROLE IN THE IRAN ELECTION

1. COMMUNICATION2. ORGANISATION3. PARTICIPATION

1. COMMUNICATION

1. IRANIANS COMMUNICATE AMONGST EACH OTHER THROUGHFACEBOOK AND TWITTER

2. SOCIAL MEDIA AS A LIFELINE TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD– LATEST UPDATES ON IRAN DEVELOPMENTS THROUGH SOCIAL SITES

• YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, FLICKR

3. SUPPORT, INPUT AND FEEDBACK FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

1. COMMUNICATION

SHARING THE LATEST FROM IRAN

IRANIANS USE TWITTER

TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER

1. COMMUNICATION

FIRST PICTURES FROM PROTESTS

ONE OF THE EARLIER

PROTEST PICTURES FROM IRAN

1. COMMUNICATION

FIRST VIDEOS ON MASS PROTESTS

VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE SHOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN IRAN AT A

MOMENT WHEN MOST MAINSTREAM MEDIA STILL REMAIN SILENT

1. COMMUNICATION

PICTURES FROM TEHERAN

THROUGH FLICKR WE SEE PICTRES OF PROTESTS;

OPPOSITION LEADER MOUSSAVI JOINS THE CROWD

1. COMMUNICATION

SET YOUR TWITTER AVATAR TO GREEN

IT-ER DEVELOPS A PROGRAM THAT ENABLES YOU TO SET YOUR TWITTER

AVATAR TO GREEN IN SUPPORT OF IRAN; THE FIRST WORLDWIDE TWITTER VIRAL

1. COMMUNICATION

SUPPORT IRAN > GO GREEN

MASSES OF GREEN AVATARS

IN SUPPORT OF IRAN

1. COMMUNICATION

FOLLOW NEWS ON IRAN

IRANIANS SEE THAT THEIR MESSAGES ARE HEARD

OUTSIDE IRAN, THROUGH TWITTER

2. ORGANISATION

1. ORGANISING PHYSICAL PROTESTS– ON FACEBOOK– SPREADING THROUGH FACEBOOK & TWITTER

2. ORGANISING AND CATEGORISING OF INFORMATION– NEWS– SOURCES– RELIABILITY

2. ORGANISATION - FACEBOOK

MOUSSAVI’S FACEBOOK

OPPOSITION LEADER MOUSSAVI ALREADY USED FACEBOOK THROUGHOUT THE ELECTIONS;

DURING THE UPROAR IT IS USED FOR ORGANISATION OF PROTESTS AND STRIKES IN IRAN

2. ORGANISATION - FACEBOOK

SOCIAL GROUPS ON FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK SOCIAL GROUPS ON IRAN

USERS SHARE AND DISCUSS THE LATEST NEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS

2. ORGANISATION - TWITTER

SHARE INFORMATION ON PROTESTS

IRANIANS USE TWITTER TO SHARE DATES

LOCATIONS AND TIMES FOR PROTESTS

2. ORGANISATION - FLICKR

PHOTOSTREAMS FROM TEHERAN

USING SOCIAL TOOLS LIKE FLICKR.COM TO QUICKLY ORGANISE HEAPS OF INFORMATION

ALL PICTURES FROM IRAN UPLOADED, AVAILABLE THROUGH 2 MOUSECLICKS

2. ORGANISATION – YOUTUBE CHANNEL

VIDEO CHANNELS ON YOUTUBE

YOUTUBE CHANNELS ON IRAN; ORGANISING VIDEOS

FROM PROTESTS WITHIN A SPLIT SECOND

2. ORGANISATION - TWITTER

SHARE TRUSTED SOURCES

SHARE TRUSTED AND INSIGHTFUL SOURCES

ON IRAN, THROUGH TWITTER

2. ORGANISATION - TWITTER

SHARE NEWS OVERVIEWS

OVERVIEWS CATEGORISING ALL TRUSTED SOURCES

AGAIN SHARED THROUGH TWITTER

2. ORGANISATION – SOCIAL NEWS

SOCIAL NEWS SITES

ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF ARTICLES RELATING TO IRAN ELECTIONS

ON SOCIAL SITES LIKE DIGG OR REDDIT

2. ORGANISATIE - BLOGS

HUFFINGTON POST: REAL-TIME POSTS

LIVE BLOGGING ON DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAN

GIVES CERTAIN BLOGS ‘MASS MEDIA’ AUTHORITY

2. ORGANISATIE - TWAZZUP

TWAZZUP: GATHERED ONLINE SOURCES

FOLLOWING ALL IMPORTANT TWEETERS, VIDEOS

AND THE LATEST NEWS INCLUDING A ‘LIVE’ FEED

3. PARTICIPATION

• USERS OFFERING SPECIFIC HELP THROUGH USER PARTICIPATION– WIKIPEDIA– TWEETGUIDE– CYBERWAR GUIDE– PROXIES– RETWEETS

• USERS CONNECT TO OUST THEIR OPINION COLLECTIVELY– #CNNFAIL– TWITTER RESCHEDULE

3. PARTICIPATION - WIKIPEDIA

‘INDEPENDENT’ SOURCE ON IRAN

DETAILED AND CONTINUOUSLY UPDATED

WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE ON THE IRAN ELECTIONS

3. PARTICIPATION - TWITTER

ACTIVATING ONLINE CONTENT

CALL TO ACTION THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

TO HELP FURTHER IMPROVE AND UPDATE WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE

3. PARTICIPATION – CYBERWAR GUIDE

DO’S AND DONT’S FOR ‘NEWBIES’

UP TO DATE OVERVIEW ON HOW TO FOLLOW TRUSTED SOCIAL NEWS ON IRAN

WITHOUT ENDANGERING OR HURTING IRANIAN CITIZENS AND PROTESTORS

3. PARTICIPATION - PROXIES

PROVIDING PROXIES TO IRANIANS

HELP IRANIANS TO STAY CONNECTED THROUGH THE INTERNET

BY CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING NEW PROXIES

3. PARTICIPATION - #CNNFAIL

#CNNFAIL: COLLECTIVELY ACT

GROUP ACTIVATION: COLLECTIVELY CALLING ON CNN

TO DEMAND ATTENTION AND AIRTIME FOR THE SITUATION IN IRAN

3. PARTICIPATION – TWITTER DOWNTIME

CALLING ON TWITTER

TWITTER LISTENS TO ITS USERS AND RESCHEDULES

DOWNTIME TO A TIME MORE CONVENIENT FOR PROTESTING IRANIANS

3. PARTICIPATION – TWITTER LIST

WHO TO TRUST?

TWITTER USERS COMPILE LISTS OF RELIABLE TWITTER SOURCES

TO FILTER OUT INFILTRANTS FROM IRANIAN POLICE AND GOVERNMENT

3. PARTICIPATION - TRANSLATIONS

TRANSLATING PERSIAN INTO ENGLISH

PERSIAN MESSAGES ARE BEING TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH

ONLY MINUTES AFTER THEY APPEAR ONLINE

3. PARTICIPATION - HACKING

TAKE DOWN GOVERNMENT SITES

CALLS FOR DDOS ATTACKS IN ORDER TO TAKE DOWN IRANIAN

GOVERNMENT SITES

3. PARTICIPATION - HACKING

OR MAYBE YOU SHOULDN’T

REPLY SAYING THE DDOS ATTACKS NEED TO STOP BECAUSE IT MAY HURT

ALL OFF IRAN’S ONLINE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THUS DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD

3. PARTICIPATION - HACKING

…BUT WHO DO YOU TRUST?

YOU ASK YOURSELF

WHO TO TRUST

3. PARTICIPATION - HACKING

GET YOUR ARGUMENTATION OUT

SEVERAL PEOPLE OPPOSING DDOS ATTACKS

PUT OUT THEIR ARGUMENTATION QUICKLY AND GAIN TRUST

3. PARTICIPATION - PHOTOSHOP

SPECIALISTS SPOT PHOTOSHOP FLAWS

SPECIALISTS POINT OUT THAT THE PICTURES PUT OUT TO SHOW PEOPLE

SUPPORTING AHMADINEJAD ARE PARTLY PHOTOSHOPPED

3. PARTICIPATION - PHOTOSHOP

IRANIAN GOVERNMENT HAS A REP…

IT HAPPENED BEFORE: ON THE LEFT THE ORIGINAL PICTURE

THE ‘EXTRA THREATENING’ PICTURE IN THE MIDDLE AND USER GENERATED VERSION ON THE RIGHT

HOW BRANDS GOT INVOLVED

BRANDS AND IRAN

IRAN AND SIEMENS & NOKIA

IRAN BUYS SPYING EQUIPMENT

ONLINE NEWS ON HOW NOKIA SIEMENS SOLD

SPYING EQUIPMENT TO IRAN

..CONSUMER ACTIVISM

BLOGS CALL FOR BOYCOT

THE NEWS IS PICKED UP BY BLOGS

MESSING WITH NOKIA’S LOGO TO SHOW THEIR DISCONTENT

..MASS EXPOSURE

PICKED UP BY AUTHORITATIVE BLOGS

EVEN THOUGH NOKIA PUTS OUT A REACTION

SOME MAJOR BLOGS SPREAD THE WORD

..INFLUENCING SEO

NEGATIVE PUBLICITY ON GOOGLE

NEWS THAT WILL SHOW UP IN YOUR SEARCH RESULTS

FOR QUITE SOME TIME

RESULTING IN?

LOST CONTRACTS

IN THE USA SIEMENS IS SAID TO ALREADY LOOSE

A LUCRATIVE DEAL

LESSONS

A NEW AGE IN MEDIA

NEWS ON IRAN PREDOMINANTLY FED BY ONLINE, USER GENERATED NEWS;

QUICK, PERSONAL AND UNFILTERED NEWS SEEMD TO BE TO SUBJECTIVE FOR MAINSTREAM MEDIA CHANNELS TO PICK UP ON

CONSUMER IS ALWAYS ON

& CONNECTEDTHROUGH ONLINE SOCIAL TOOLS;

THE IRANIAN REGIME HAD A HARD TIME CONTROLING THE NEWS

ORGANISATION NO LONGER

LIMITS ACTIVATIONBY ORGANIING INFORMATION IN NEW WAYS

GROUP ACTIVATION IS NOW EASIER THAN EVER BEFORE

& CROWD SOURCING

POTENTIAL OF PARTICIPATION

WITH PEOPLE BEING ENGAGED A SIMPLE CRY FOR HELP

CAN BECOME A POWERFUL SELF ORGANISING MOVEMENT THAT IS VERY HARD TO STOP

THE BEGINNINGPICTURES BY FLICKR.COM, BOSTON.COM, THE BIG PICTURE