Social Media
The Wilson Center and Social Media
Africa Transformed: How Women and Youth are Leading the Way Through Technology and Innovation
May 08, 2013
Development on the African continent has gone “high tech.” Using the Internet, mobile devices, and other tools unavailable to previous generations, young people, particularly women, are leading the way in finding innovative ways to unleash technology to solve problems large and small. During a recent conference conducted by the Wilson Center’s Africa Program, we spoke with three front line leaders of a movement that has transformational potential. more
Towards Trustworthy Social Media and Crowdsourcing
Apr 29, 2013
Individuals and organizations using social media and crowdsourcing need two key sets of information: a systematic assessment of the vulnerabilities in these technologies and a comprehensive set of best practices describing how to address these vulnerabilities. This report identifies certain vulnerabilities and provides a guideline to develop best practices necessary to address a growing number of incidents ranging from innocent mistakes to targeted attacks that have claimed lives and cost millions of dollars. more
Survey: Arab Youth Optimistic About Future
Apr 10, 2013
Three-quarters of youth in 15 Arab countries think “our best days are ahead of us,” according to a new survey by Asada’a and Burson Marsteller. About 70 percent of respondents think the Arab world is “better off” since the uprisings began in December 2010, and 67 percent feel personally better off. Nearly half of youth say their government has become more transparent and representative. more
Africa Transformed: How Women and Youth are Leading the Way Through Technology and Innovation
May 08, 2013Development on the African continent has gone “high tech.” Using the Internet, mobile devices, and other tools unavailable to previous generations, young people, particularly women, are leading the way in finding innovative ways to unleash technology to solve problems large and small. During a recent conference conducted by the Wilson Center’s Africa Program, we spoke with three front line leaders of a movement that has transformational potential.
Survey: Arab Youth Optimistic About Future
Apr 10, 2013Three-quarters of youth in 15 Arab countries think “our best days are ahead of us,” according to a new survey by Asada’a and Burson Marsteller. About 70 percent of respondents think the Arab world is “better off” since the uprisings began in December 2010, and 67 percent feel personally better off. Nearly half of youth say their government has become more transparent and representative.
Key Saudi Cleric Warns King in Open Letter
Mar 19, 2013On March 15, Sheikh Salman al Oudah warned that Saudi government inaction on political prisoners, poverty and corruption could spark violence in the kingdom. “When tempers are high, religious, political, and cultural symbols lose their value. The mob in the street takes control,” the open letter said.
The Science Beat: Has Quality of Reporting Improved or Declined?
Feb 28, 2013In a world increasingly driven by scientific and technological breakthroughs, are we getting the information we need to understand the rapid changes and choices we face? And as print space dedicated to science decreases, have online sources emerged to fill the void?
Roundtable Discussion on the Future of U.S. Global Media
February 12, 2013 // 3:30pm — 5:00pm
In any given week, from North Korea to Iran and across the Middle East, from China to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Myanmar, through Africa and India to Russia, Belarus, Central Asia and Cuba, 165 million people—equivalent to more than half the U.S. population—tune into the radio and television programs of U.S. International Broadcasting (USIB) by satellite, Internet and in some cases cooperating local radio stations. After more than half a century, Congressionally-funded U.S. broadcasting remains the leading edge of American soft power—the principal means by which the United States speaks directly to less free and impoverished nations.
The National Broadband Map: A Case Study on Open Innovation for National Policy
October 15, 2012 // 9:30am — 11:00am
Join Michael Byrne of the Federal Communications Commission and Zachary Bastian of Commons Lab for a panel discussion announcing a whitepaper on the National Broadband Map. Keynote speaker Haley Van Dyck of the Executive Office of the President, Sean Gorman of Esri, Greg Elin of the Federal Communications Commission, and Presidential Innovation Fellow Ben Balter discuss the project as an example of open innovation, crowdsourcing, and government transparency.
Webcast Day 2: Connecting Grassroots to Government for Disaster Management: A Policy Roundtable
September 14, 2012 // 9:30am — 3:00pm
Watch via live webcast the workshop "Connecting Grassroots to Government through Open Innovation," focusing on the opportunities and challenges of social media, crowdsourcing, crisismapping and open innovation for the full life-cycle of disaster management.
Towards Trustworthy Social Media and Crowdsourcing
Individuals and organizations using social media and crowdsourcing need two key sets of information: a systematic assessment of the vulnerabilities in these technologies and a comprehensive set of best practices describing how to address these vulnerabilities. This report identifies certain vulnerabilities and provides a guideline to develop best practices necessary to address a growing number of incidents ranging from innocent mistakes to targeted attacks that have claimed lives and cost millions of dollars.
On Cybersecurity, Crowdsourcing, and Social Cyber-Attack
Social media is responsible for much positive change in the world. But these new tools can be used by bad actors to foment strife and undermine stability, as seen during violent incidents in the Assam state of northeast India in July 2012. Cybersecurity efforts must take into account the growing potential for cyber-attack using social media, where hoax messages are incorporated into a stream of otherwise legitimate messages, and understand how quickly mobile apps and text services can disseminate false information.
A 21st Century Vision for U.S. Global Media
Drawing on past work supported by the Cold War International History Program, the A. Ross Johnson and R. Eugene Parta apply lessons from successful U.S. international broadcasting during the Cold War to today’s transformed geopolitical, media, and technological world. They suggest a restatement of mission and corresponding organizational changes to ensure that international broadcasting remains an effective instrument of U.S. soft power – one supporting freedom and democracy abroad in the national interest.
Amy Liedy
B.A., International and Comparative Race Relations and Russian Studies, American University, 2008; Russian Language & Area Studies Program, Department of Russian as a Foreign Language, International University in Moscow (Международный Университет в Москве (МУМ)) 2006-2007
Lea Shanley
Lea Shanley directs the Commons Lab within the Science and Technology Innovation Program (STIP) of Woodrow Wilson Center. You can follow our initiatives, events, videos, and publications at Commons Lab Blog and Commons Lab Facebook Page.Prior to this, Lea was a Postdoct...