Name: How social media can make history
Uploaded: 2009-06-16T01:00:00Z
Duration: 15 min 30 s
Description: While news from Iran streams to the world, Clay Shirky shows how Facebook, Twitter and TXTs help citizens in repressive regimes to report on real news, bypassing censors (however briefly). The end of top-down control of news is changing the nature of politics.

While news from Iran streams to the world, Clay Shirky shows how Facebook, Twitter and TXTs help citizens in repressive regimes to report on real news, bypassing censors (however briefly). The end of top-down control of news is changing the nature of politics.

How social media can make history

The explosion of social media marks the biggest leap in human expressive capability in history. Ordinary people now create, share, and coordinate on a global scale, as seen when news of the Sichuan earthquake spread faster through Twitter than official sources. This new media landscape rewards participation over passive consumption and turns every connected person into both audience and producer. As old top-down models fade, the challenge becomes learning how to thrive in a world of many voices and instant coordination.

Social Media Shifts Power From Broadcasters To Connected Crowds

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communication

culture

global issues

politics

social change

social media

technology

TED Stage Talk

Clay Shirky: How social media can make history