Smart Mobs in Venezuela protesting TV shut down

This is another example of the global contagion effect of digital connectedness. An example of something that works in one country - like Howard Rheingold's book Smart Mobs describes the protests in Manila Philippines where protesters coordinated their behaviour with SMS text messaging - then spreads around the world.

The French protests a couple of years ago when they burned all the cars - were coordinated by the protesters using SMS. We've seen protesters around the world exhibiting the same Smart Mob behaviour.

Now we learn on CNN that the protesters in Venezuela who are demonstrating against the closing of the popular TV station, are coordinating their movements via SMS. Where do we need to be, where is the police right now, etc. That kind of communication. Yes, once an idea is spread into the digital world, it can't be extinguished.

Comments

[Michael]

I think you should be careful here. The jury is still out on the accuracy of the CNN report. What was reported to be Venezuelan protest by CNN against the closure might be actually from an old Mexican protest that CNN falsely used to demonstrate a point. Lets see.

[Tomi T Ahonen]

Hi Michael

Thank you for visiting and posting the comment.

It is of course possible be that there might be a massive international conspiracy about falsehoods relating to Venezuela and the reported riots, or perhaps a global plot by CNN to falsify the truth.

But first, the pending closing of the most popular TV station of Venezuela, which also was a frequent critic of the current government, was reported well before it happened in numerous media as the media tend to favour freedom of the press and rally in support of threatened media anywhere - Since that was repoted in several media around the world, I doubt you question that the closing of the TV station had actually happened?

You should also know, that I live in Hong Kong and saw it on CNN's international feed to Asia - not the USA domestic CNN nor the Latin American feed. What interest would CNN have in broadcasting repeatedly this story into Asia, if they knew it was false, and risk their very high credibility for "no gain" in this market, beats me, but perhaps you know better.

I also have personally seen the BBC cover the RIOTS in Venezuela following the TV closing. And obviously BBC and CNN are rivals in the 24 hour global news coverage. If there was ANY chance of CNN being wrong and somehow attempting to manipulate the story - the BBC would not be running that story. And their reporters would be eager to "scoop" the story that CNN had been wrong. Obviously its two days since the riots started, and still as of today BBC concurs that they are/were rioting in Caracas Venezuela. Go check the BBC website if you doubt me.

I take it you do know that CNN belongs to Turner's media empire (a private US based company), and the BBC is owned by the British Government, and considered globally the most trusted news source for nearly 100 years (from BBC's radio news empire days). Even if for some reason you Michael consider CNN to be somehow a capitalist evil commercial news outlet, then the BBC is very far from that. These two would have no reason to "collaborate" to fabricate a story.

Now, if you Michael seriously do believe that CNN is falsifying the story, you may freely think so. We cannot stop you from believing what you believe.

I do believe that in general, CNN does a good job reporting on the news. The moment I find another rival global 24 hour news station of impeccable credentials (such as BBC news) reporting the same story, I find myself totally satisfied that the story actually is true. I don't now mean the widely suspected "biased" so-called news services, like many consider Fox News to be, or others consider Al Jazeera to be. I mean the news sources that are accepted worldwide as being fair and unbiased (such as CNN, BBC, CNBC, Euronews, Channel News Asia and Sky News).

So Michael, I honestly don't doubt this story at all. But you may, if you want.

HOWEVER - the point of OUR blog about Venezuela is NOT whether there is a closure of a TV station, nor whether there is a riot Caracas, nor whether the news coverage about the riot is accurate or not.

OUR point is that today, in 2007, the "invention" of using "Smart Mob" behaviour - ie flash mobbing - ie spontaneous mass meetings orchestrated by SMS text messaging on cellphones - THAT has become a global phenomenon.

Again, Smart Mobbing was not "invented" in Venezuela. We've reported on it in our BOOK over two years ago, Howard Rheingold wrote about it in HIS book three years ago. This story has been reported in countless news stories all around the world in various Smart Mob occasions in dozens of instances over the past 3 years.

But it started in weird "corners" of the world, such as congregation of birdwatchers in Finland or the overthrow of the Estrada Government in the Philippines. It then spread to more mainstream locations such as the famous spontaneous mass pillow fights in London.

Today any mass demonstrations around the world - even in Latin America which discovered SMS text messaging much later than Europeans or Asians - are coordinated by SMS text messaging.

THAT is our story. That is my point. I really don't care if there is bias in CNN's coverage of the riot, AS LONG AS the story about the text messaging and Smart Mobbing was true - THAT is part of the mission of our blog - to track the trends in "Communities Dominate" behaviour.

Now, is it "true" that SMS text messaging was used in Venezuela in the riots? CNN ran video of an INTERVIEW of a protester in the middle of what were clear riots who talked about using SMS to coordinate the demonstrators.

I believe my eyes and ears in this case. And the story is totally consistent with all the other facts. And the actual protester was interviewed on camera and showed his phone. Why would this story not be true (that protesters in Venezuela have discovered the same superior communication method that is used by European rioters and Asian demonstrators etc)

If I am wrong, and you are right, and this was not in Venezuela, but an "older Mexican protest" - then you actually PROVE OUR POINT even MORE EMPHATICALLY. Mexico is obivously also in Latin America. This interview was from a protest and the protester said he was using SMS text messages to coordinate the protest.

If you want to believe CNN lied, and this actually happened earlier in Mexico, then so be it. Then you Michael, must EVEN MORE believe this is a truly global phenomenon (of coordinating protests with cellphones using SMS texting) - and that it has been so for even longer (since your Mexico protests).

I am totally fine by that, and I am happy you got our point, whether it actually happened in Venezuela or in Mexico (or perhaps in both)

Thank you for writing

Tomi Ahonen :-)