Ground Report

Written by Solana Larsen

Our top 20 list of most read posts on Global Voices for 2011 includes four from Japan, three from Egypt, and two from the Philippines. But only one story is about a giant crocodile!

It’s been an incredible year for the reach and recognition of citizen media around the world, and that means Global Voices is no longer as lonely a media voice when it comes to reporting tweets and blog posts. Still, where mainstream media interest wanes, we’re the ones who strive to continue documenting what local bloggers everywhere need the world to know.

Some of our proudest moments of 2011 will never be reflected on a top 20 list like the one below. This year we exceeded 500 active volunteer authors and translators of countless languages and countries, and we’ve published more than 2,600 long posts and 6,300 short ones in English alone.

Inevitably, many of the stories that don’t get as wide a readership as they deserve are from countries that tend to be overlooked in international media. Unique coverage from across Africa, the Caucasus, Macedonia, the Russian language Internet, Latin America and indigenous rights are among some of the highlights. See the 2011 regional reviews by our editors and authors for a glance of what you may have missed.

Our Middle East and North Africa team deserves special mention this year. Throughout protests, blackouts, threats, they have managed to pull though and keep writing. The bloody images still proliferate, but our authors seek out constructive voices and angles for dialogue. So often, they’ve shared local humor and context that is difficult to appreciate from abroad without a guide.

Perhaps for the first time ever, China doesn’t figure on our top 20 list of the year. These are particularly chilling times to blog about controversial subjects – something Global Voices authors in many other countries unfortunately also experience. This makes the stories that do come from anywhere free speech is frowned on even more precious.

Most read posts on Global Voices in 2011

1. Egypt: Night Falls, After Day of Rage
2. Japan: We’re Losing to Apple, and Here’s Why
3. Mapping the Thailand Flooding Disaster (and also this one)
4. Syria: ‘Gay Girl in Damascus’ Seized (and this one)
   1. Philippines: Debate on Divorce Bill
   2. Japan: Tweeting from Fukushima
   3. Philippines: Lolong, World’s Largest Crocodile
   4. India: Aishwarya Rai’s Baby and Media Madness
   5. Egypt: Feminist Publishes Nude Photograph to “Express her Freedom”
   6. Japan: On Catastrophes and Miracles, a Personal Account
   7. Serbia: Reactions to the Story of Serbian Mercenaries in Libya
   8. Largest Earthquake in Recorded History in Japan
   9. Myanmar’s New Flag and New Name
   10. Mexico: Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt Over Anonymous’ #OpCartel
   11. Argentine Songwriter Facundo Cabral Murdered in Guatemala
   12. Africa, France: Who is Nafissatou Diallo? Victim or Conspirator?
   13. Japan: Fear in Fukushima
   14. Libya: Is Khamis Gaddafi Really Dead?
   15. Egypt: The KFC Revolution
   16. Spain: Thousands of People Take the Streets

5. Our most visited special coverage pages were:

   1. Egypt Revolution 2011
   2. Japan Earthquake 2011
   3. Bahrain Protests 2011
   4. Libya Uprising 2011
   5. Tunisia Revolution 2011

   In 2011 the world has learned more about the transformative power of online citizen media. We believe the best way to support these emerging voices on a global scale is to listen. Thanks for reading Global Voices! And please consider supporting our work with a donation.

Source: Global Voices

Link:http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/01/06/global-voices-most-read-posts-in-2011/