Jillian C. York

Latest posts by Jillian C. York

USA: “We Want Our Al Jazeera!”

  31 January 2011

In the wake of the Tunisian and Egyptian popular uprisings, Al Jazeera has received praise around the globe, yet remains unavailable through cable providers in the United States. Jillian C. York looks at reactions from Americans on Twitter and blogs, and finds that they want their Al Jazeera!

Egypt: An Internet Black Hole

  28 January 2011

Over the past few days, as protesting Egyptians have utilized social media tools for organizing and disseminating information, they've also come across numerous obstacles to access. Tonight, the biggest barrier yet as the country's Internet access is cut off.

Israel/Palestine: Reacting to the Palestine Papers

  23 January 2011

Today, Al Jazeera English released the first of more than 1,600 internal documents from a decade of the Israel-Palestine Peace Process, dubbed the “Palestine Papers.” The papers released today make public a number of secret negotiations between Chief PLO Negotiator Saeb Erekat and the Israelis, including what Al Jazeera called...

Tunisia: Whisperings of Coup Just Rumor

  12 January 2011

Early Wednesday morning, January 12, reports of a coup in Tunisia spread like wildfire on Twitter. The reports have now been confirmed to be a rumor - spread by the wishful thinking of Tunisians, who have been protesting against the Ben Ali regime since the middle of December.

Syria: Let It Snow!

  14 December 2010

It's been a whirlwind week of weird weather for much of the Levant, as relieving rains and surprise snows blanket the landscape. In the Syrian capital, the streets are covered with snow for the first time in years. Though the Damascus skies occasionally sprinkle snow, rarely does it stick to the ground.

Morocco: Bloggers Survey Flood Damage

  7 December 2010

Last week, heavy rains throughout Morocco flooded large swaths of the country, disrupting travel and telecommunications and killing at least 30 people, including 24 who perished when their bus was swept away by a flooding river in Bouznika, south of the capital, Rabat. Bloggers share their stories about the rain here.

Morocco: Another Magazine Bites the Dust

Morocco's only weekly magazine published in the local Arabic dialect, darija, Nichane is closing shop after a sustained advertising boycott. Bloggers lament the loss of a publication which filled a niche in Morocco's ever-growing publishing industry, covering topics from a point of view usually reserved for the country's many French-language publications.

Morocco: “Why Belle is a Peace Corps Volunteer”

  28 September 2010

A blog meme is making the rounds amongst female Peace Corps Volunteers in Morocco; though neither of the bloggers who posted the meme disclosed its origins, both women say that they relate to it. The meme in question? "Why Belle, from Beauty and the Beast, is actually a Peace Corps Morocco volunteer."

Egypt: “The Inevitable Mubarak Photoshopping Contest”

  28 September 2010

In its coverage of the 2010 Peace Talks–the latest round of direct negotiations between leaders from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, and the US, Al Ahram newspaper used Photoshop skills to place Mubarak at the front and center in the lineup of heads of states. Bloggers take the cue to launch their own Mubarak Photoshopping Contest!