Citizen Journalism and the Iranian Uprising

With the Iranian regime cracking down on newspapers and TV in the wake of clashes over the country's disputed election, citizen journalists are using websites, blogs, YouTube and Twitter to get the word out about what is happening. For example, on the site Tehran 24, a blogger has posted videos and pictures taken at the frontlines of the election protests. There are images of demonstrators confronting riot police, tires being set ablaze in the middle of a Tehran street, and injured protesters.

As Iranians clash in the streets over the presidential elections, studies show the country has a poor record on freedom of the press, one that has only gotten worse under current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Under Ahmadinejad, "Newspapers have been shut for increasingly arbitrary reasons, and reporters' physical security has been compromised by threats and imprisonment," says a report by Freedom House, an advocacy group promoting democratic movements worldwide. Most reformist newspapers have been closed down by the conservative judicial authorities, the report adds.

A journalism advocacy group that defends reporters persecuted for doing their jobs is urging the international community to not recognize the results of the Iranian presidential election "because censorship and a crackdown on journalists are preventing a democratic electoral process." Reporters Without Borders says media censorship and arrests of journalists are growing in Iran as the dispute over the election results continues.

Iranian citizens angry about the presidential election have used Twitter, websites and blogs to spread the word about what is happening in their country. Now the government is trying to muzzle those voices. The Revolutionary Guard, an elite military force answering to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that Iranian websites and bloggers must remove any materials that "create tension" - or else face legal action, according to news reports.

There's been an explosion of blogsposts, pictures and videos sent across the web by citizen journalists covering the anti-government protests in Iran. Here are some of the key sites.

The Iranian government's attempts to muzzle citizen journalists who are using Twitter, blogs and websites to spread the news about the protests in that country don't seem to be working. Some of the most widely followed Twitterers and bloggers - including Tehran 24, Tehran Bureau and Change for Iran - appeared to be still up and running. The Revolutionary Guard, an elite military force answering to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned earlier this week that Iranian websites and bloggers must remove any materials that "create tension" - or else face legal action. The regime also barred foreign media from leaving their offices to report on the demonstrations.

With the Iranian regime cracking down on protesters over the weekend, it became ever more difficult and dangerous for both citizen and mainstream journalists to get the word out about what was happening. CNN reported that at least 19 people were killed in clashes between protesters and riot police in Tehran on Saturday, while unconfirmed reports put the number as high as 150. Still, the protests appeared to be continuing. Internet postings on Twitter and Facebook said there was expected to be a vigil Monday for a young female protester, reportedly named Neda, whose death was caught on camera.

The Iranian protests were the biggest story of the week, so this "Week in Pictures" gallery consists entirely of photos from those demonstrations. These pictures all come from the blog Tehran 24, which is run by one of the citizen journalists who has been covering the protests.

The Iranian uprising was a watershed moment for citizen journalism. As the regime clamped down on foreign journalists, average Iranians using Twitter, websites, blogs and YouTube spread the word about what was happening in a way that mainstream news organizations could not. So what has this experience demonstrated?