This special report examines how the media covered the Arab Spring, in a time when normal citizens stepped up and into the role of the press. Through the eyes of citizens, journalists were able to report what was happening on the ground. The Arab Spring forced many to look at the wider question of who should be protected as a journalist during times of conflict. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press faced great challenges during the uprisings and that on-the-ground, first-hand reporting can sometimes be done by those not trained in the profession and with no special propensity to practice journalism otherwise.

This special report is a partnership between the International Press Institute and the University of Missouri School of Journalism.