Publication

2014

This paper analyzes the role of social media in Syria's ongoing civil war and its reliability as a data source for researching and analyzing modern conflicts. In particular, it examines how language and over-prominent groups can skew the portrayal of any situation. Given these problems, analysts and journalists who use social media as a source of information need to develop a more sophisticated understanding of biased online trends and how they relate (or not) to actual developments.

Download English (PDF, 38 pages, 1.0 MB)
Author Marc Lynch, Deen Freelon, Sean Aday
Series USIP Peaceworks
Issue 91
Publisher United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
Copyright © 2014 United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
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