Book Review: Social Media Go to War: Rage, Rebellion and Revolution in the Age of Twitter, edited by Ralph D. Berenger

Abstract

Social Media Go to War: Rage, Rebellion and Revolution in the Age of Twitter. Ralph D. Berenger, ed. Spokane, WA: Marquette Books, 2013. 531 pp. $49.95 pbk.This third book in a trilogy from Marquette Books examines the uses and impact of social media in conflicts throughout the world, particularly in Northern Africa and the Middle East. The volume consists of twenty-eight essays from thirty-nine authors, and as with the first two books in the series (Global Media Go to War and Cybermedia Go to War), this volume draws on scholars with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Some of the con- tributors are graduate students; some are journalists. Many are scholars who live and work in the Middle East. Berenger, who also edited the other volumes in the series, is a professor of mass communication at the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and author of numerous studies on media behavior in times of crisis.Five essays in Part 1 consider the theoretical constructs and ideologies that help explain the impact social media had on world uprisings from 2008 until 2013. An essay by the late John C. Merrill leads off the section with a look at ideological forces driving political upheavals. Steven Dick and Katharine R. Allen contribute essays that consider how existing mass communication theories might be applied to social media. Sohail Dahdal explores how Al Jazeera, a popular television series, and social media contributed to the rise of Arab Nationalism. Lt. Col. Jennifer A. Berenger concludes the section with a look at U.S. Department of Defense policies concerning soldiers' use of social media.Part 2 presents case studies of social media use prior to the Arab Spring. This sec- tion includes Byron T. Scott and Ellada Gamreklidze's report on how social media was used during Georgia's war with Russia in 2008; Basma Botros and Melanie Mills' look at the contribution of Facebook to an Egyptian youth movement in 2008; Martin A. Parlett's report of how Barack Obama used social media during the 2008 election; Katherine R. Allen's report on a Cuban blogger; and Catherine Cassara's essay on Tunisian citizen journalists. The section also includes essays by Melissa Wall and Treepon Kirdnak who look at the use of YouTube videos in Thailand; Tim Macafee and J. J. De Simone, who studied social media use during the recall election of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker; and Margaret D'Silva, Siobhan Smith, and Girish Nikam, who discuss how social media helped free an Indian civil rights activist.Part 3 focuses on Iran's presidential election protests in 2009. The five essays in this section include a historical overview by Irfan Raja, a report from Cora Werwitzke and Jurgen Wilke on social media use during the mass demonstrations of June 2009, Emily A. …