For my final paper, I will be analyzing a video recording the death of Neda Agha-Soltan in Tehran, Iran. Neda, a 29-year-old Iranian woman, was shot on the streets in Tehran during the 2009 Iranian election protests. Her death drew national attention as the video went viral over the Internet and via social media outlets. The shooting and her death was caught on a cell-phone video camera and then rebroadcast over the Internet. Neda's death became representative of the struggles of Iranian protesters against the disputed election of Iranian president Ahmadinejad and protesters in general in the Arab world. 

The methodological approach I will take is two-fold. I will take is a media approach as well as a historical approach in analyzing the video. The video got millions of views on YouTube and was spread over Twitter and Facebook immediately after the event. Specifically, I would like to use the Audience Response Theory to analyze the demographic of the people who viewed the video, why they viewed it and whether or not they shared it and why. Did the fact that the video contained graphic content further inspire people to view it?

In terms of a political methodological view, I would like to look at the uprising and revolution that has been born out of this video and how it fits into the historical context of discomfort and unhappiness in the Arab world that is still present today. 

Aptly stated by the Women and Memory Forum, "Narratives of the Arab Spring are not uniform: they range from idealistic celebration to dark pessimism." I would like to better understand the underlying significance of such a comment: what are these narratives? What really went viral? By examining contemporary literature, Google Analytics, trending terms, Instagram and Twitter, I would like to examine the concepts, images and videos that went viral during the recent political revolutions across the Arab World.

 These memes are creating humor about Kim Jung Un and North Korea.  There are multiple memes out there, but I will probably focus on those that make fun of North Korea's technology and Kim Jung Un's weight (the cake memes).  I will be writing my paper about these memes and what they say about how the internet (and the United States) view North Korea.  It's an interesting paradox that we, on the one hand, make fun of the Korean leader and his country, but on the other, are in a heightened state of alertness because of the national security threats North Korea may pose. 

 I chose to analyze Bed Intruder Song for my final project because I think there is a lot to be said about the intersection of viral phenomena and social politics (race/gender/etc). Also the popularity of this video and the song on iTunes raised enough money to help this family move into a new, safer neighborhood, so it is an interesting example of a viral video being used for social justice/a cause.

 This video was posted on October 30, 2012 and has since been viewed more than 17 million times. 

This article, especially the infographic, sparked my curiosity about how politicians have manipulated their strategies to adapt to the continually changing social trends of their time.  Currently, social media is one of the main outlets for voters to express their opinions; how do politicians, particularly the presidential candidates, use this to their advantage?  Does one party seem to use social media more than the other? What could cause this? Overall, I am very interested in examining the effects of social media on public opinion and voter turnout.

 The emergence of social media has reshaped the political landscape and, as a result, the political narratives of presidential candidates. In the 2012 election, both candidates have utilized social media, specifically Twitter and Facebook, to an unprecedented extent, mostly due to their very recent emergence in the public sphere. This highly interactive way of reaching voters involves more risk than previous version of political communication, as the candidates have little control over the responses of voters and how the information is distributed/utilized by supporters or non-supporters. What ramifications do social media have for the formation of candidate narratives?

To the surprise of Jason Russell, co-founder of Invisible Children, Inc., the Kony 2012 went viral shortly after its release. The culture of humanitarianism has gone viral, causing millions to jump into donating money, doing work in Third World Countries, and feeding hungry mouths for eleemosynary purposes. Because making a difference is as quick and easy as pushing a button to spread awareness or donate money, these actions are well-intentioned but short-sighted as they merely alleviate the symptoms behind larger structural (cultural, political, historical, social, economic) issues. The viral nature of humanitarianism has benefited the world greatly, but those under its banner must elevate the conversation beyond 'giving' and 'serving.'

 It would be interesting to see how media in different countries report distinctly from various angles on the same facts (news) based on culture, politics, and tradition. (i.e. World Cup, Olympics, and etc.)