Mosireen and the Rise of Citizen Journalism

The Mosireen Collective redefined citizen journalism during and after Egypt&s;s 2011 uprising, transforming digital tools into instruments of exposure and resistance. This chapter situates their work within a broader landscape of digital dissent, tracing how mobile technologies and grassroots networks disrupted official narratives and enabled new forms of collective witnessing. Drawing on theories of alternative media and transnational activism, it examines how Mosireen combined visual documentation with political action. Their decentralised media practices and archiving strategies exposed the state&s;s monopoly on narrative and reasserted public presence under repression. A commitment to shared authorship unsettled journalistic hierarchies and highlighted the political significance of collective voice. Through Tahrir Cinema, subtitling initiatives and transnational solidarities, Mosireen developed a radical aesthetic shaped by affect and memory. Their media practice contributed to the foundations of a global insurgent media culture that continues to challenge authoritarianism and reclaim public truth.