AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Erin L. Miller for the degree of Honors Baccalaureate of Arts in English presented on May 13, 2011. Title: One Person, One Broadcaster: Social Media and Iran. Abstract Approved: ___________________________________ Eric Hill The post-election violence in the aftermath of Iran’s 2009 presidential election was viewed through the lens of new, social media. New media publishers created and supported a movement, and in the process they wove a national struggle into the global media landscape. This exploration places Twitter in the context of other historically oppositional narratives, notably pamphleteering during the American Revolution, samizdat publishing in the Soviet Union, and Iran’s 1979 Revolution, when cassette tapes played the role Twitter would take on thirty years later. It explores the role new media plays in convergence culture and explains the workings, effectiveness, and downsides of relying on those mediums to spread dissident messages. Key Words: Iran, Social Media, Twitter, Revolution, Oppositional Narrative, Pamphlet, Samizdat, Anonymity Corresponding email address:
[email protected] ©Copyright by Erin L. Miller May 13, 2011 All Rights Reserved One Person, One Broadcaster Social Media and Iran by Erin L. Miller A PROJECT submitted to Oregon State University University Honors College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Honors Baccalaureate of Arts in English (Honors Scholar) Presented May 13, 2011 Commencement June 2011 Honors Baccalaureate of Arts in English project of Erin L. Miller presented on May 13, 2011. APPROVED: Eric Hill, Mentor, representing University Honors College Steve Kunert, Committee Member, representing English Bill Loges, Committee Member, representing New Media Communications Anita Helle, Transitional Director, School of Writing, Literature and Film Dan Arp, Dean, University Honors College I understand that my project will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University, University Honors College.