http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/26/syria-targets-journalists?CMP=twt_gu
"The regime of Bashar al-Assad has learned the lessons of the Arab spring when it comes to dealing with the media – both citizen journalists and international outlets. As the Committee to Protect Journalists noted in a 2011 report, the regime quickly 'enforced an effective media blackout' as soon as the protests began last March.
It banned, arrested and expelled international journalists and detained local reporters who tried to cover the protests.
It disabled mobile phones, landlines, electricity, and the internet in cities where the protests broke out, and used violence to extract the passwords of social media sites from journalists, allowing the Syrian electronic army, a pro-government online group, to hack the sites and post pro-regime comments. 'In April,' the report continues, 'al-Jazeera suspended its Damascus bureau after several of its journalists were harassed and received threats.'"
Journalists are a protester's friend. They help you get your message out to many more people, and give it more legitimacy. The Powers That Be know this, and try to thwart any such journalistic coverage. If journalism is killed off, only the regimes benefit.
Internet Collective Action is people organizing in a nonhierarchical manner to accomplish a particular goal. The reward is in the doing, and how much or how little anyone participates is completely voluntary, depending on their abilities and commitment to the goal. By this process amazing things can be accomplished. ICA will grow so long as the Internet is free. http://www.lisamcpherson.org/pc.htm is an example of ICA.
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