[ecrea] Call for Chapters, Social Media Go to War­Civil Unrest, Rebellion and Revolution in the Age of Twitter

> From: Ralph Berenger <(ralph.berenger /at/ yahoo.com)>
>
> Dear Colleague,
>
> The events of January 2011 in Cairo and 
> throughout the Middle East appears to have been 
> sparked by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other 
> social media. This is a little known phenomenon 
> that our book, Social Media Go to War: Unrest, 
> rebellion and revolution in the Age of Twitter, 
> hopes to examine. If you are developing research 
> on social media in conflict areas and are 
> seeking an outlet, this might be your venue. 
> Please see the attached call for chapters. Free 
> free to share it with your contacts who might be interested.
Call for Chapters

Working Title: Social Media Go to War­Civil 
Unrest, Rebellion and Revolution in the Age of Twitter
Edited by Ralph D. Berenger
The world?s attention was riveted on political 
developments in the Middle East at the end of 
January 2011, but while traditional media 
reported street violence in Tunisia, Egypt , 
Jordan and Yemen, the stage belonged to a new, 
potent­and little understood­form of mass communication: social media.

Facebook, Twitter, and text messaging­aided and 
abetted by Weblogs and e-mail­have been credited 
with mobilizing large numbers of street 
protestors. Middle East governments were forced 
to play ?digital whack-a-mole? with social 
networkers. As soon as regimes shut down one 
upload link, another would spring up and the word 
would get out over ubiquitous mobile phones. Cell 
phone videos spread across the world via YouTube and other Internet sites


Non-traditional  media has played a significant 
role in informing global publics about the causes 
of the street riots in large cities and small 
towns throughout the Middle East and helped set 
the agenda for international news organizations. 
Social Media Go to War is the third in a series 
by Marquette Books that examine media behavior in 
times of conflict. Other books in the series are: 
Global Media Go to War: Role of News and 
Entertainment Media During the 2003 Iraq War 
(2004); and Cybermedia Go to War: Role of 
converging media during and after the 2003 Iraq War (2006).

This book will be a study overview of how social 
media affected behaviors by citizens and 
governments in various parts of the world, not 
only in the troubled North Africa-Middle East in 
2011.  We are seeking 25-30 chapters between 
3,500 and 5,000 words that examine and explain 
how individuals form networks and how those 
networks form mass movements; but it will also 
look at the reactions of controlling authorities.

Successful chapters will be written for a college 
audience and will be based on various, acceptable 
methodologies, communications theory or practice. 
Case studies are particularly encouraged. Topics 
could include, but are not limited to:
   * What role did social media (Facebook, 
Twitter, SMS, e-mail, YouTube, etc.) play in 
recent uprisings, rebellions and revolutions around the world in recent years?
   * How effective were social media during this 
time in mobilizing demonstrations against controlling authorities?
   * Who were the initiators of civil protest 
and what were their objectives? How did they 
organize themselves and communicate internally and externally?
   * What new technologies and software were utilized?
   * What lessons were learned about the use of 
social media to effect political and social 
change that might be applicable to non-authoritarian regimes?
   * How did traditional media extend the reach 
of social media? What new techniques have the 
traditional media used to monitor social networking?
   * What theoretical models could be developed 
to explain the phenomenon the world witnessed in 
2011 regarding use of social media?
   * What should college students be taught 
about the nexus of social media and social change?
   * How influential were images from Web cams 
and cell phones in effecting regime change 
demands by external political forces?
   * How did governmental reaction to protests 
(blocking Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, and mobile 
phones) contribute to the anger and intensity of protestors?
   * Are there grounds for hope that increased 
new media use will result in behavioralchanges of 
hard-line regimes in other parts of the world?

The book will be edited by Ralph D. Berenger, 
associate professor of  mass communication at the 
American University of Sharjah, United Arab 
Emirates, where he teaches courses in 
international communication, public opinion and 
propaganda, ethics and theory in addition to 
reporting, writing and editing skills. Dr. 
Berenger edited  Global Media Go to War, and 
Cybermedia Go to War, and was co-author with John 
and Charles Merrill of Media Musings: Interviews 
with Great Thinkers (published by Marquette Books 
2004, 2006 and 2004). His most recent book was 
Framing U.S. Political Behavior (VDM Verlag Dr. 
Muller, 2009). He has nearly 40 years experience 
with U.S. news media and with communications 
operations in Bolivia, St. Lucia, Kenya, Zambia, 
the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

Editorial guidelines will be sent to those who 
provide a 75-word biographical sketch, abstract 
or outline of your proposed chapter before April 15, 2011 to:

Dr. Ralph D. Berenger
(rberenger /at/ aus.edu)

Final chapters due July 15, 2011, for publication in January 2012. Authors
are responsible for securing permission to 
reprint Web pages, artwork, photographs and
cartoons, according to international copyright 
conventions. Permission must accompany
press-ready reproductions of the work.





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Nico Carpentier (Phd)
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