Twitter does not deserve a Nobel Peace Prize!

Image by Newsphoto Amsterdam via Flickr

Once again I have been following a topic for a while and feel I need to speak up. Can we please, please, PLEASE stop glorifying Twitter in relation to events in Iran? Media is shouting about the importance of Twitter in revolution and we all seem to forget that it is actually Iranians who deserve the support and admiration!

I am saying it because I was shown this article today in which Mark Pfeifle puts forward Twitter for Nobel Peace Prize! And you know what, me – quite a heavy geek and social media addict – I find it unhealthy! It is a TOOL of communication used by actual people, and if Twitter were not there revolution would continue – we would simply have less insights into it. And I dare to say – some of us would care less.

Shall we awards tv broadcasting for the success of Solidarnosc movement and changes in Poland, followed by other Easter European countries beginning from ‘89? Should we award Facebook for spreading the word about ‘cc  all/one of your e-mails to Jaqui Smith’ action? Or maybe we should think of people who understood the nature of those tools and used them to support their cause?

Yes, I agree, Twitter and other social media increase the transparency of events and deliver the news quicker. Those venues very often enhance the off-line networking. But they have nothing, but nothing to do with the decision making, the attitude, and willingness to fight and risk your lives for basic human rights!

When traditional journalists were forced to leave the country, Twitter became a window for the world to view hope, heroism, and horror. It became the assignment desk, the reporter, and the producer. And, because of this, Twitter and its creators are worthy of being considered for the Nobel Peace Prize.

-states the post I am referring to.

OK, I agree with the first part, however I see no connection between reporting on the news and actually deserving the gratitude for making the change? News has little to do with standing on the street and fighting for peace. News is there as an observer, not an active participant! News is there to witness the events and it’s people writing it who deserve more focus than the tool itself- does the channel of communication really deserve the Peace Prize? Did it ever before?

Although we don’t know how the uprising in Iran will end, or where the symbols of freedom and liberty will again be given power by people who require an unfettered means of communicating with the rest of us, Twitter and other social media outlets have become the soft weapons of democracy. Twitter told us the story of Neda’s supreme sacrifice. It is telling the story of the Iranian people yearning to breathe free. For those reasons, Twitter deserves consideration for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Again, why is telling the story worth Peace Prize? I will tell you why. Because we have a Twitter bug. We are suddenly discovering, at least most of the global population, how different communication and networking on Twitter and other social media platform is. But for some reason – and I really do not know the answer to this one – we tend to think it’s a miracle! It’s new. It’s magical. So it must be…the best?

Twitter, blogging, image sharing has, is and will be changing the ways we report on news. But it will not change the way we react to events, nor anything else related to our every day activities, place in society, political situation. Yes, in some cases it gives us voice, but we still need to speak up and the decision to do so has nothing to do with the medium.

And in case of this particular article, I find it unfair on Iranians. And somehow posted by the person who received ‘the Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Award for “dramatically improved communication planning and strategies…in support of the Global War on Terror.” rather twisted, simply because I do not trust anyone involved in the American War with terrorism so strongly advocated by Bush administration.

Internet, including social media becomes a part of our live. Few years ago we used to post letters, later we would e-mail them, today we might tweet them. The message stays the same. I hate to think that the channel of communication could ever become more important then those whom it serves.

Twitter should be happy as it is – thanks to the simple fact that Iranian elections and revolution did and still happen on Twitter too, already popular platform gained more users. I see how suddenly in last few weeks the amount of Polish users increased there.

As for awards and appraisals let’s turn to the Iranians themselves, who are wonderful in fighting censorship with the usage of new media; who have a wonderfully developed blogosphere but most of all – who are brave to stand up for their freedom of speech and other basic human rights. Respect to them all!