Raw Iran

I usually don't post about the news of the day, but events unfolding in Iran resulting from its sham election will likely have long term implications not only for Iran but for the entire Middle East. Some reporters are comparing the Iranian events to the brutal Tiananmen Square crackdown but an advantage the Iranians have in 2009 that the Chinese didn't have 30 years earlier is the Internet, specifically Twitter, Flickr and Youtube, all of which have proven to be powerful tools for organizing and displaying to the world events as they occur.

Andrew Sullivan's blog and the New York Time's "The Lede Blog" are both doing an excellent and timely job of reporting on the events as they happen. A large part of their news is coming directly via Twitter feeds, YouTube videos, and Flickr photos from people in Iran. The rawness of the coverage is stunning.

For additional online sites with extensive coverage, check out the BBC's article "Internet brings events in Iran to life."