Digital Voices of the Arab Spring: Mainstream Media, Social Media, and Narrative in Egypt's Tahrir Square Protests

This thesis questions and examines the dynamics between social media activism and mainstream media coverage during the Tahrir Square protests of the Arab Spring, focusing on how these platforms collectively shaped the global narrative and challenged the Mubarak regime's control over information. How exactly did these two types of media coverage work in tandem to contribute to the revolution's success? Through qualitative textual analysis of the events of January and February of 2011, it analyzes the tweets from activist Gigi Ibrahim alongside reports from The New York Times and Al Jazeera English to identify recurring themes, including corruption and suppression, state-sanctioned violence, and unity among protestors. The findings suggest that while social media provided a crucial tool for mobilization and real-time reporting, its impact was made possible by the amplification of mainstream media, which legitimized activist narratives for a broader audience. The study questions and challenges prior arguments that dismiss the role of social media altogether, arguing instead that the synergy between digital and traditional media was instrumental in countering state propaganda, sustaining the revolution, and the short-term success of the revolution. By demonstrating how these media forms worked in tandem to inform both domestic and international audiences, this research contributes to a nuanced understanding of the media's role in political uprisings and authoritarian resistance.