Analyzing Rebel Communication Strategies in the Libyan and Egyptian Revolutions of 2011

In this paper, I analyze communication strategies in Western media of rebel leaders in the Egyptian and Libyan revolutions of 2011, to explore how expectations of third-party intervention affect how rebel leaders position their cause in the media. I find that Libyan rebels used more rhetoric focusing on the regime's human rights abuses, while Egyptian rebels focused more on communicating with an internal audience.