Ukarine and The Social Media Mov

Social media has become a relevant and useful tool around the world. The uses for social media however are often underestimated.  The fight for autonomy in Ukraine from Russia has been an interesting and complex issue.  In an article by Forbes it was examining the effect social media has had on the people in Ukraine. They explained that before social media was prevalent and people were relying on electronic media, things like TV, Cassettes, and chat rooms it was highly censored.

In 2004 Ukraine controlled most of the major media outlets within the county.  Reporters had to be extremely careful of what they reported or they could be fired and possibly relegated to obscurity. The former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich was viewed as an authoritarian regime, so it wasn’t surprising when allies of the Yanukovich regime began to buy up media companies and install new management.  Controlling the media has always been an authoritarian imperative.

It seems to be that social media is what truly can be a thorn in an auouthorain regime. Greg Satell a writer for Forbes talks about the change social media has brought a change to Ukraine. Satell in the article states “a new media purge began and two of my former colleagues, Vitaly Sych and Yulia McGuffie both of whom are friends I know well were told they would either have to start reporting what they were told to or they would be fired. Both resigned and most of their staff left with them. But this time they weren’t relegated to obscurity. Now, released from any restrictions of journalistic propriety, they both actively supported the protests on Facebook, not only reporting on events but actually announcing them beforehand. As two of the most prominent journalists in the country, they were immensely powerful messengers.”

As stated earlier there are many uses for social media, and many often get overlooked or underappreciated. Social media can give a voice to those who have never been able to speak before, which is a gift that Americans and so many around the world so often take for granted. With the ability to connect with so many intuitions and people speech could be considered more powerful now than ever before. 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2014/01/18/if-you-doubt-that-social-media-has-changed-the-world-take-a-look-at-ukraine/