Sifting Fact from Fiction: The Role of Social Media in Conflict

From the war in Libya to the elections in Nigeria, speculation abounds about the power of new media for social change – spawning a cottage industry of “expert” analysis of the data from social networks, which then influences government policy and public perceptions. This Blogs & Bullets meeting brought together the companies and experts who sift through the data with activists that create it and policy-makers who use it. The event looked at the cutting-edge of research technologies and predictive analytics in an effort to expand our ability to harness these new platforms for conflict management and peacebuilding. This event was co-hosted by USIP and George Washington University.