Some of my essays that I published on Medium between 2014 and 2021 went behind a paywell, so I migrated them into my Substack archive. I also miraculously managed to salvage my old “Jaron Report” travel journal/blog from the Blogger days (circa 2005-2014) and also added many of those to my Substack archive. Can’t vouch for all the links, or the ideas, but I think it’s nice to see how my writing has evolved over the years. The below stories linked below live on PBS and Haaretz websites. (Sorry I can’t do anything about the Haaretz paywall…)
One Journalist's Survival Guide to the Egyptian Revolution
(Egypt 2011)
During the uprising that eventually ended the 30-year reign of President Hosni Mubarak, I became convinced that the most important journalistic work being done today is in those countries where journalists are not wanted. Mubarak and his agents were determined to silence the protesters and their message. But, thanks to the valiant efforts of journalists and the resilience of the protesters they were there to cover, the revolution was not only televised, it was also streamed, blogged, and tweeted. During 18 days of sustained resistance by the Egyptian people, the world was able to see what real bravery is -- in real time. This is one reporter's eyewitness recollection of the revolution and the coverage of it.
PBS MediaShift | How Social Media Makes Life Hard for Dictators
(Egypt 2011)
What role did social media and technology play in the revolution in Egypt? MediaShift's Jaron Gilinsky talked to people in Tahrir Square, including students, professors, and media people, to find out about the waning influence of state-run media and the rise of blogs, Facebook, and Twitter there.
PBS MediaShift | Egyptian Blogger “Sandmonkey” Revealed
(Egypt 2011)
The Egyptian blogger, who was only known as "Sandmonkey" for years, finally revealed his identity in Tahrir Square on February 6. He felt emboldened by the bravery of his fellow pro-democracy activists and wanted to come out to the media to seek justice for his assailants. He revealed his identity for the first time to Eliot Spitzer on CNN in an audio-only interview. MediaShift's Jaron Gilinksy's interview with Sam Adam, a.k.a. the Sandmonkey, was his first on-camera interview. His real name is Mahmoud Salem.
U.K. Conservatives Pushed Online Promotion -- But TV Reigns
(Great Britain, 2010)
The new media evangelists who preached of a revolution in British electoral politics will have to wait until at least the next election to see their prophecies come to fruition. In this country steeped in electoral tradition, the impact of new and social media on the 2010 race was minimal. The British still consume high tea and scones, watch football at the local pub, and obsess over the royal family. They also still rely on the traditional news media for political information and analysis.
Brave Citizen Journalists Provide New Images of Iranian Life
(Israel, 2009)
Like many people, I have been watching this so-called "Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, [Insert New Media Application] Revolution" unfold in Iran from the comfort of my own home. Watching the dizzying and horrifying images that have emerged on the Internet has triggered a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts.
How Obama Inspired Israeli Politicians' Online Campaigns
(Israel, 2008)
Just as television changed the way political campaigns were run in the 1960s, the Internet has changed the way political campaigns are run in the 2000s. Upwards of 70 million people watched the more aesthetically-pleasing JFK debating the more radio-suited Nixon on the tube in 1960. Nearly 50 years later, the YouTube debates of 2008 allowed people to ask their own questions to the candidates, or watch the debates online -- on demand -- on any Internet-equipped device. While television transformed political campaigns simply by making candidates viewable, the Internet's social media functions are changing modern political campaigns all over the world in ways previously thought unimaginable.
How Social Media War Was Waged in Gaza-Israel Conflict
(Israel, 2008)
Both sides deployed dangerous new media weapons during this latest round of fighting in Gaza. Armed with Facebook profiles, Twitter accounts, and Lavazza espresso, warriors fearlessly and tirelessly scoured the cyber battlefield searching for enemy (blog) outposts. Outfitted with high-tech ammunition like HD videocameras, firewire 800s, and white phosphorescent keyboards, they attacked one-sided videos, slanted essays, and enemy propaganda with propaganda of their own. Instead of grad rockets, they launched grad school wits. Instead of anti-tank missiles, they battled with anti-spamming technology. In 22 days of combat in Gaza, these were the young fighters tasked with winning the merciless war of public opinion for their side.
Innovative Web Video Series Shows Real Life in Gaza, Israel
(Israel, 2008)
One sense of fear, two armies, and three rows of electrical fences separate Israel and the Gaza Strip. For the past 10 years, it has been difficult for residents of these two places to ever imagine meeting one another in person. Now, thanks to a new documentary project produced by French/German television station Arte TV and a handful of Israeli and Palestinian production teams, residents of the besieged Israeli city of Sderot and the besieged Gaza Strip are able to see something they haven't seen in a decade: each other.
Chutzpah or Economics
(Israel, 2011)
So, what’s really behind the largest street protest in Israeli history? Palestinian human rights? Way too divisive. Cottage cheese prices? Now that’s something I will fight for. Doesn’t anyone else see the satire in this (not so) poor man’s Arab Spring (aka Jewish Summer)?
This Narrative is Mine
(Israel/Palestinian Territories, 2010)
Although there are no valuable minerals in the West Bank or Gaza for Israelis/greedy earthlings to exploit, some Palestinian activists have embraced the Na'vi narrative so wholeheartedly that a half-dozen of them dressed up in Na'vi costumes last Friday at the weekly protest against the security fence in Bil'in.
Veni, vidi, Wiki
(Israel, 2010)
With WikiLeaks we have another way to check and balance the enormous trust we place in government, and an extra row of teeth should they violate it.
Not Too Late to Reschedule
(Israel, 2010)
While Devendra Banhart said he didn't want to send a political message by playing in Israel, by refusing to come, he sends a much stronger political message.