Who Controls the Arab Public Sphere in the Era of New Media, the New Revolutionists or the Deep State?

Abstract

Recent events in Arab countries, particularly in Tunisia, Egypt have shown that new modes of communications such as Mobile phones and social networking sites have facilitated civil society's organization by allowing a timely exchange of opinions and ideas. Youth protesters in uprising societies have recognised the value of Mechanisms in which the public can meet and discuss and share ideas openly, recognise problems and suggest solutions (Caplan and Boyd, 2016). Those Young demonstrators have taken to social media such as Facebook and Twitter online to organize social prodemocracy movements and start the revolution, demonstrating how the Web-based platforms have become a crucial alternative media instrument for advocacy in today's Digital Age. (Kenix, 2009).