The revolutions of yore used to be cumbersome affair.

Even before attempting to start one, the instigators had to rely on word of mouth, secret messages written in code and sent through daring messengers to likeminded elements. However, as electronic modes of communication began to posit the ability to cast an invisible web of information flow, rallying and organizing protestors could literally be done at the throw of a switch. The recently unleashed wave of revolutionary fervor that is sweeping across the Arab world, though constituting human elements at it forefront, is largely fueled by the awakening created by a motley crew of electronic news and networking media over the past dozen odd years. The uprising in Egypt, that has been one of the most televised revolutions in history, was popularly dubbed as the Facebook Revolution. This moniker is largely attributed to the power of the social networking site to first bring together people virtually via a Facebook community created by one Wael Ghonim and then to direct them in tens of thousands in the form of a protesting community out on the streets. The public uprising in Tunisia was, to a considerable extent, triggered by the likes of Facebook uploader/provider as well as the target audience, the factor of anonymity also comes into play. Where the Egyptian news source had no qualms about revealing his identity, the team behind SBZ news chose to remain in the shadows. The power of Facebook in conveying news and criticism of dictatorial regimes in the far and wide was further augmented by user controlled online services, Twitter and Youtube. In fact, the usability of these sites was linked to the converging aspects of Facebook, whereby creating a virtual underground. Last June, a page set upon Facebook commemorating the brutal murder of Khaled Said who dared to defy the Emergency Law that gives the search anybody, anywhere, anytime linked a video on Youtube covering his murder and thus was successful in creating enough of an impact in tens of thousands of Egyptians who started calling for regime ouster. Twitters ability to provide second to second updates on people and events was channeled alongside Facebook communities calling for protests in the various Arab states, such as by using #25jan in tweets in the case of the Egyptian protests organized on 25th January, 2011. Yet the role played by social networking/media sites of Facebook, twitter and Youtube is but a tip of the virtual iceberg of reality checks delivered to the people in Arab world states. Much of the bulk of news, reporting and analyses has been dealt blow by blow by the Qatar based Al-Jazeera satellite television network. Borne out in 1996 of the now defunct BBC Arabic, with funding provided by the Emir of Qatar, Al-Jazeera was structured right from the start to be less bureaucratic and red-tape laden and more towards integrating social media into what they do. Through its various websites and news channels, the Al-Jazeera network has consistently played hardball with regimes across the Arab world and beyond, and left them rattled in the wake of its broadcasts. Shortly after going on air with original international Arabic-language news channel, anti-Egyptian government coverage on Al-Jazeera in 1997 prompted Cairo to recall its ambassador from Doha. Interestingly in 2000, Al-Jazeera stomped on its own sweet deal with Mubaraks government to be the first network to use facilities and build studios in a new Media Free Zone. Al Jazeera slammed the Arab emergency Sharm al-Sheikh summit hosted by Mubarak as a shameful betrayal of the Palestinians and

the Intifada al-Aqsa. This outcry was a response to the failure of the Arab summit in taking sterner measures against Israel and the US, which was attributed to the hosting Egyptian premier. Al-Jazeera camera crews in West Bank and Gaza also provided footage of enraged Palestinians burning Egyptian flags in protest. Similarly in 2002, both the Saudi and Jordanian governments retaliated to intense criticism of its respective ruling families by recalling their ambassadors from Doha. The same year, government of Bahrain banned the Al Jazeera from reporting from inside the Gulf state. The ban was triggered by Al Jazeera airing footage of anti-US protests within Bahrain without acquiring permission from Bahrain s Ministry of Information. It was only after diplomatic relations between Qatar and Bahrain improved in 2004 that Al Jazeera reporters were allowed back in. However in May 2010, Al Jazeera was again barred from operating within the Kingdom soon after the channel aired a report on poverty in Bahrain. Even with the seemingly unfettered power, modern electronic forms of media, news, networking and communication are still prone to manipulation and censorship. Even though websites of Facebook, Youtube and Twitter could not be targeted by the authoritarian regimes, their access was summarily blocked as soon as their role in the protests became apparent. Al Jazeera has often been accused acting upon the agenda of its backing Qatari state and downplaying issues at home. The channels offices and vehicles have often become the target of the supporters of the regimes that it has been critical of.