"Syrians greatly desire news that is free from political partisanship and interference; are reflective and capable of making conscious and informed decisions; are resourceful, reflective and desire the full picture of news and events; value variety in terms of sources, and are therefore often drawn ... to digital platforms that facilitate a diversity of choice as a way to check news and besides valuing pluralism; afe flexible and partial to changing their consumption habits if they begin to notice too much perceived bias in the outlets they use; feel that the majority of content in the Syrian media landscape is not objective or credible enough; believe that media, if and when truly independent, has an important role to play in society as a watchdog and a unifier; prefer breaking news, accurate and exclusive news." (Key findings, page 4) more

"Today, DIY- do-it-yourself - describes more than self-taught carpentry. Social media enables DIY citizens to organize and protest in new ways (as in Egypt's "Twitter revolution" of 2011) and to repurpose corporate content (or create new user-generated content) in order to offer political counternar ... ratives. This book examines the usefulness and limits of DIY citizenship, exploring the diverse forms of political participation and "critical making" that have emerged in recent years. The authors and artists in this collection describe DIY citizens whose activities range from activist fan blogging and video production to knitting and the creation of community gardens. Contributors examine DIY activism, describing new modes of civic engagement that include Harry Potter fan activism and the activities of the Yes Men. They consider DIY making in learning, culture, hacking, and the arts, including do-it-yourself media production and collaborative documentary making." (Back cover) more