Tunis , Tunisia ( CNN ) -- In the days following Tunisian dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali 's ousting last January , some media reporting on the so-called `` Jasmine Revolution '' presented the internet as the unique factor that led to the fall of his authoritarian regime . But was this revolution -- which I call the Dignity Revolution -- really driven by the internet ? How did internet and social media help in overthrowing dictatorship ? Initially , traditional Tunisian media ignored clashes between security forces and peaceful protestors -- who rallied after the death of Mohamed Bouazizi by self-immolation -- in Sidi Bouzid . They then lied about it because , I believe , they were trying to impose a media blackout -- as it had been the case in 2008 , during the social movement triggered by protests in the Gafsa mining region . Nevertheless , videos showing Bouazizi 's burning body and the clashes immediately starting circulating on the web . People captured Bouazizi 's action using their cell phones ; they recorded it and uploaded to Facebook . A year later , Bouazizi 's legacy still burns . I am one of those `` geeks , '' who are constantly connected to the internet . I was in front of my screen that day when I found the video showing what was going in Sidi Bouzid . I was shocked as it was not the first time a young Tunisian had committed suicide by self-immolation . Some months prior , Abdesslem Trimech had done the same , for similar reasons . I wanted to travel to Sidi Bouzid and see what was happening , but I was unable to afford it . I did , however , want to spread the word about the horrifying incident . I was already in touch with lawyers and a large network of cyber-activists , so I contacted them to collect information , verify it , write about developments and share everything online . This was not an easy task . My blog , Facebook profile and Twitter account were blocked , before being hijacked , probably by Tunisian cyber police . At first , I was able to circumvent censorship and update both my blog and Facebook profile regularly . But after the hijacking episode , I had to create new accounts . My profile had grown through December , as I took part in demonstrations denouncing the violence used against peaceful demonstrators , and shared my photos and video on Facebook and Twitter . At the time , I was also assisting foreign media by giving phone and Skype interviews . On January 8 last year , some French journalists asked me to assist them in the protest areas . I did not think about it at all . I just packed and accompanied them . Tunisians mark anniversary of president 's ouster . This journey took us to Djelma , Sidi Bouzid , Regueb , Sbeitla and Kasserine . I took photos of the dead and succeeded in capturing some of the atrocities and crimes of Ben Ali 's regime and police against peaceful protestors . I was posting everything on the internet . On January 9 , when I was in Regueb , I went to the house of Nizar Slimi , a young man killed just a few hours prior to my visit during a massacre in the city which I suspect was committed by police . It turned out to be a key day in my trip . When I shared my photos , plus images and videos that young residents of the city had given to me to spread through the internet , I was contacted by journalists and people from all over the world . By this time , cyber activists were sharing my work spontaneously , and I was doing the same with theirs . And this is the strength of the internet . The overlapping of contacts and sharing of information by those belonging to the same networks allows the dissemination of information among thousands in a short time . What happened in Sidi Bouzid surprised us , as it surprised the entire world . I had not coordinated as I had for past campaigns ; it happened automatically . Former Tunisia leader faces trial over killings . A previous campaign I had been involved in was `` Nhar Ala Ammar , '' a demonstration against censorship that was organized in April 2010 . That campaign did , indeed , convince people to leave their screens and to act on the ground . I do not think the internet was , in and of itself , the reason behind the success of Tunisia 's uprising . However its use , and cyber activists ' ability to share information and mobilize people , pressured Ben Ali 's regime . But the internet was only one in a long chain of factors which led to the revolution . Tunisian people were rising up against the socio-political situation . They were willing and determined to get rid of injustice , corruption , nepotism , and poverty . It was the nation 's longing for freedom , dignity and social justice which led to the end of Tunisia 's dictatorship . People fed up with oppression and inequality defied the violence of the police of a threatened regime . We should never forget that in Tunisia everything started on the ground , in real life . We should never forget that 300 Tunisians , both men and women , sacrificed their lives to allow us to live in dignity . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Lina Ben Mhenni .
The Tunisian uprising was triggered by Mohamed Bouazizi 's death by self-immolation . Videos showing Bouazizi 's burning body circulated the web . Lina Ben Mhenni posted online what she saw of the revolution , it was spontaneously shared . But she says the internet was only one thing in a chain of factors which led to the revolution .