Media Impacts on the Public in both springs.
Arab Spring, in its contextual state, turned out to be a series of protests that were pro-democratic and being carried out in Tunisia. In due time, due to the increase in the need for a ruling government that upholds democracy and the rule of the people, by the people and for the people around the world, the protest spread to adjacent Arab nations [9]. The main significance of these protests was their ability to transform the leadership of many nations from authoritarianism to a democratic type of leadership. The protests were carried out in the North African and the Middle East parts between 2010 and 2011 [10]. As highlighted by Allagui and Johanne, the main contributory factor to this Arab Spring was the Arabic nations who were undergoing authoritarian oppression [11]. In these nations, public views were not presented adequately, as well as the lack of consideration of human rights and privileges due to being under the rule of a dictatorial form of government [12]. The citizens were not even accorded the basic rights and freedoms, for example, their freedom of speech. Additionally, their political views were not put into consideration.
The first demonstration was carried out in December 2010, in the central part of Tunisia. The main catalyst was the “Self-immolation” of Mohamed Bouazizi. Quickly, the protests and violence against the oppression of the public and reformation of the kind of leadership began to spread throughout Tunisia. The attempts of the Tunisian government to end the unrest proved to be futile. The protest further became intense, and the incumbent President, Zine el-Abidine, was forced to relinquish the presidency due to the piling pressures from the people. Soon after, a free election was carried out in the nation that led Tunisia to elect the former Prime Minister as the President in 2011. This move brought a light at the end of the tunnel by ushering in a new form of leadership that considered the opinion of the public in its governance process. The political changes that were undertaken after these protests tend to be the shifting of the authoritarian era to a democratic one.
The spring further extended to Egypt, where, in late January 2011, a massive breakout of protests was witnessed [13]. The government had found itself having limited efforts in curbing the protests [14]. The Egyptian army vehemently refused to use force and brutal measures against the protesters, forcing President Hosni Mubarak to step down [15]. By stepping down, there was an indication of the government is failing to settle the disputes that had surged among the citizens [16]. This move was a major motivation to other Arab nations such as Syria, Libya, Bahrain, and Yemen who later settled to starting their mass protest movements [17]. These protests’ major reason was the move by the government to suppress the rights, privileges, and freedoms of the public [18]. Besides that, the authoritarian form of leadership, a high rate of unemployment, and increased economic downfall were the additional reasons that led to the rise of these protests [19].
Media Oppression and Censorship during the Springs
During the Arab and the Seoul Springs, as the protests were taking place, media bodies were up to the task, trying their level best to cover the incidents that were happening for the sake of keeping the public in limelight [20]. However, media censorship was widespread while journalists and the news bodies faced a great extent of ruthless physical attacks and threats to their lives [21]. To handle the attacks, some news bodies aligned themselves to the government while some decided to secretly work with the citizens. This move by the government further contributed to the denial of freedom of speech and was geared towards benefitting the few individuals who sought to gain power and wealth through the oppression of the citizens amidst the protests [22]. In the Arabic spring, in particular, the governments had issued sanctions on the specific events to be covered on the news [23]. Some Arabic governments took a further step to include the shutting down of media houses that did not either comply with this directive or seen to be standing in the way of the governments’ agendas [24]. Additionally, there was complete internet blockage, denying people access to the online world and what was happening in other nations [25].
Some rallies during the time of the demonstration were Spread headed by some officials, which further fueled the intensity of the protests [26]. Besides, some of these Arabic countries faulted the content creators, and they bolted such popular communication channels like Facebook [27]. Electronic communications were shut down after the internet cut down and the blockage of major online sources of news [28]. This move by the government to bar any form of electronic news coverage and communication was carried out to prevent the full coverage of whatever was happening on the ground, an act that indicated how a government denied the media its basic freedom. These suppressions accomplished the need of the government to maintain its authoritarian governance over the Arabic People.
In the Seoul Spring, there were also cases of media oppression. Several media houses sought to side themselves to particular political sides [29]. The political strongholds took a step of bringing some of the media channels close to their side so that they could not uncover the government flaws [30]. The reason some media channels established a rapport with the incumbent governments was the fear of their oppression and censorship, which could lead to their harassment or further shut down [31]. There could also be a hypothetical fear of arrest and detention of some media officials if they went against the government [32]. Some of the media houses were working with the government while others were working against the government policies as highlighted by Friedrichs [33].
However, any private media house that tried to bring to light the contemporary issues and the government’s oppressions publicly was reprimanded as well as undergoing attacks from the government physically, which forced them to shut down their media houses [34]. In its conservative regime, the South Korean Government provided no room for different editorial opinions in a move of controlling the information that reached out to the public [35]. This move might have been the main reason why the government was able to greatly retain its power for long periods during the protests. The Korean media efforts were very crucial in promoting democracy even when they faced ruthless opposition from the government. For example, the citizens through the media helped the government to consider their views and opinions in the formulation of the nation’s policies [36]. The media helped the society and the leaders to identify the appropriate ways of making the government realize the importance of citizens in national construction and overall governance.
Media Impacts on the Public in both springs.
The media greatly impacted the public in both springs. It made the citizens increase the intensity of their efforts by exposing the weakest parts of the government so that the citizens could easily counter government measures. The media-fueled more energy for the public to carry on with the demonstrations. In the quest to advocate for transformative leadership, the media played a critical role. It significantly impacted the public in all the springs [37]. In the Seoul Spring, the media transformed the society into a more democratic one by exposing the irregularities that were being perpetrated by the incumbent government, which increased the urge of the citizens to have a democratic leadership [38]. Largely, the media assisted the public in the organization of the protests by providing specific information on the safest place and time that they could plan for the protests. [39]. Social media was also integral to the public’s efforts in planning and organizing the protests since there were no other legal methods of organizing political gatherings. It used the information provided by journals to analyze the strategies that they could effectively employ to counter the dictatorial efforts by the government [40]. The media thus affected the public by creating a fierce playground for them to fight for their freedom and champion for their rights whereby the people were enlightened on the extent to which they should participate in their governance. Many people from the neighboring cities as well were attracted to the demonstrations, and the number tremendously rose to around one million participants in a short time.
The media also led to the reconsideration of the situation by some of the parliament members’ ruling party [41]. After realizing that much has been exposed to the public by the media, The South Korean parliament decided to take into consideration the people’s grievances to end the stalemate in the nation. They addressed their issues by considering the inclusion of their views in policy formation, which was successful in easing their outrage and distrust [42]. The media enlightened the public, which made them realize that they had the power to stop any act of anomaly and forms of oppression in any society, at any given time [43]. Through the media, the public came to a realization of the need to have their views adequately represented and their freedoms properly safeguarded.
Perception of Freedom Fighters
Freedom fighters and their perception are an utterly important solution to any disparities and disputes. Their views help to form a framework that can be used in the analysis of what is expected in society. In their efforts, their views played a crucial role in the determination of what was needed in both the Arab and the Seoul Spring.
They consisted of human rights activists in charge of the demonstrations who violently resisted the brutal form of governance that was taking place at the time. Their contribution was advocating for a change in the form of leadership and advocacy of basic fundamental human rights [44]. They majorly helped in the fomenting of the demonstrations, whose primary aim was to make sure that there was the realization for freedom of expression, speech, and equal participation in the government matters [45]. The freedom fighters and their efforts acted as a significant turning point in an actual mileage of political change. A new era of transformed leadership was ushered in.
In extreme conditions of human rights suppression, forceful measures can be useful in effecting the much-needed change. Although using consensual means is particularly crucial to maintaining the peace and wellbeing of society, a little force helps in the implementation of the conflict resolution method being used [46]. Since the era of Arab and Seoul spring, it was reported that governments carried out no less than 400 media shutdowns in more than 400 countries globally [47]. The act of shutting down the media houses was an act that had no absolute solution to the problem since it only doubled the rate of demonstrations. Despite the oppression and vision of media during these times, research has it that there was an increase in the autonomy and strength of media activities [48].
Findings: Freedom Press Reports
From the freedom of press reports, both the springs showed an apparent indication of violations of media houses. The reports from some of the journalists indicated that the media houses operated under strict media censorship by the government [49]. Two years after the beginning of the Arab spring, journalists were struggling with the best mechanisms possible that they could employ to cope up with the situation of censorship and oppression [50]. For instance, in the Arab Spring, one of the Egyptian journalists said there was a total lack of press freedom in their working jurisdiction. She said she was forced by the situation to quit her job after becoming frustrated with media censorship and infiltration at her workplace. She was recognized as Shahira Ahmin and was working for Nile TV. “I felt that we were not telling the whole story, and that is why I walked out [20]”. That was the statement that she recorded.
Additionally, findings from the freedom house indicated a countless number of severe restrictions on private news outlets. Most of the private media houses were forced to operate under strict self-censorship from the government. As for the case of Egypt, for instance, there was a high rate of the denial of press freedom [51]. There was also an acute infringement of the right to report the news to the public. “During the revolution, the major media outlets in Egypt were ignoring thousands of demonstrations that were being held at Tahrir square. This statement was given by one of the journalists named “Jamal Dejani,” who was the vice president of the MENA region interviews [51]. The condition was the same in other European Arab countries.
In the Seoul spring, the reports indicate a massive allying of media houses to the government to prevent further infiltration and censorship. They decided to work together with the ruling regime because of fear of censorship, division, harassment, and worse enough, arrests and detention. However, the freedom of the press was largely deprived of social responsibility by media companies which further led to a divided society, which is a danger to grassroots democracy [21]. Several private media companies who felt that justice and ethics were overlooked demonstrated for the freedom of the press. They, however, received ruthless attacks and shut down of their media houses. The conservative regime in South Korea gave room for different editorial opinions in the media; perhaps this is why they could remain in power for a long time. The media played a vital role in democracy in South Korea. Journalists created awareness among the people and acted as the watchdogs of power by disclosing government injustices during the Seoul spring [20].
How media censorship was used to terminate both springs
Media censorship in both springs played a critical role in ending the escalated violence. The oppression and censorship of media houses and other media bodies led to the realization of the need to end the chaos in a proper and considerate way. The ending of the two springs can be attributed to the efforts of the media. In one way or another, the oppression of the media bodies and social network platforms exponentially accelerated the need for the public to fight for their fundamental freedom. In both springs, the media houses faced rampant violence and oppression. For example, the private news houses in the Seoul Springs were utterly shut down and infiltrated for having their support given to the public. In the Arab spring, there was also a complete shutdown of the media house.
However, the public did not lightly take the issue of oppression and censorship. The media’s oppression was a message to the public that there is not even an iota of freedom. This came as a motivation to them because they tirelessly employed protest strategies that helped them achieve the solution to their grievances [52]. Though some of the media bodies faced a significant threat from the government, they tried as much as they could to make sure that there was the provision of basic knowledge to the public to make them understand the government’s ongoing strategies [53]. As a result, they exposed the flaws in the government strategies, which allowed them to make sure that they develop counter-attack measures to the government.
How the media played its role in ensuring that the end of the demonstration is the major issue. The escalation in cases of denial of freedom to media bodies and the public increased the intensity of the demonstrations in both springs. The increase in the demonstration recorded a large number of staged protests. At that time, the government realized that the people had become tired of their authoritarian form of governance [54]. Therefore, it was challenging to use the brutal and ruthless measures to stop the public in the whole country from staging demonstrations. The increased rate of anti-government protests necessitated the use of consensual conflict relation measures like dialogue [55]. In some of the countries like Egypt, the sitting presidents decided to relinquish their presidency. This was how the media, its censorship, and oppression facilitated the ending of springs.
Possible Solutions
The political environment can be changed, whereby the authoritarian regime can be done away with if there are strict measures that can be laid down. Such vices like shutting down of media houses can be effectively dealt with by the formation of necessary legal measures that use minimal suppression of freedom of expression and speech to the public and media bodies could be applied [56]. To ensure there is a necessary end to springs, the following might be among the strategies that can be effective;
Formation of international laws to govern the freedom of the press. Conflict resolution in any given community is crucial as it reduces the chances of recurrence of the problem [57]. Instead of just using suppressive means, the government and the international community should engage its citizens in peace talks to ensure that misunderstandings are peacefully resolved [58].
As for the mass media, they must be allowed to exercise their freedom of the press. This is to make the future of media brighter [59]. All forms of media censorship and infiltration can only be brought to an end through the formation of legislative measures that aim to promote freedom of the press [60]. The measures should provide strict punitive actions to those found in oppression and censorship of media bodies. It may be the only necessary option [61].
There should be the signing of treaties to enable peacekeeping in all the countries that are likely to be much adversely affected by the anti-government protests [62]. In case of the occurrence of anti-government protests, the international community, and the human rights organizations should intervene to come up with the possible best conflict resolution mechanisms to ensure that there is political stability [63]. The realization of peace is the beginning of respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights in any sovereign state.
Conclusion
The Arab and the Seoul springs were found to have positive effects on the countries that took part. Such countries like Tunisia and Egypt that took place are found to be politically accountable for now. There is room for economic development due to the presence of an ambient political environment. The media has a crucial role that it plays in the reshaping of the democratic existence of a community, as seen from the case of South Korea. Without the media, people would not be aware of whatever would be happening around them. Media seeks to fight for justice in a society where there is no justice. It plays the role of a political tool and a pivot for the utmost liberty among the people. There has been the promotion of liberty and freedom in the current Arab countries due to the springs. The incidents of media oppression and infiltration that took place during the two springs may reflect the uncovered cases of media censorship that are still taking place in the present day, without the realization of many. It is a clear indicator of the time for the struggle for independence among the people, in which the colonial rulers suppressed the ordinary freedoms for the public.
The fear of journalists to be censored and oppressed by the government also established an international concern about freedom of media. It can also be deduced from the discussion that the acts of oppression and denial of basic fundamental rights to the citizens do not help solve problems that are a significant concern in the whole state. Instead, using a decisive approach that is not motivated by individual prospects of gain can help build and establish a stable democratic foundation, which may lead to the realization of the citizens’ freedom and rights. The paper also depicts that media censorship, in one way, creates strength in the media personnel, and it can be useful in the renaissance of an exponential era of media freedom. It can thus be concluded that the critical role played by the media, especially in times of chaos, cannot be masked by acts of censorship and oppression. The government’s brutal policies to end the chaos, proving futile, indicate the need to establish a considerate