Arab Journalism
Arab League Satellite Broadcasting Charter
Principles for Regulating Satellite Broadcasting Transmission In the Arab World.
Unofficial English translation.
The Arab States Charter for Satellite Television: A quest for regulation
The Arab League Satellite Broadcasting Charter is not so much different than the charters of many of the world’s broadcasting networks, such as NHK, BBC, and others, argues Hussein Y.Amin.
Satellite censorship Arab League style
The Arab Satellite Charter is not an attempt to create an Arab version of the FCC, but rather a move to control the minds and thoughts of Arab viewers, mostly on political issues, writes Daoud Kuttab.
The rise and decline of London as a pan-Arab media hub
Why is London losing its appeal as an Arab media hub? Not much has changed about Britain as a host, but structural shifts in the industry and a changing political landscape have combined to reduce the need for an offshore base, writes Najm Jarrah.
Egypt's Press: More free, still fettered
Temporary crackdown or reverting to the repressive norm? Jeffrey Black examines the politics and legal basis of recent actions against Egyptian journalists.
Taking Stock
Why was 2007 one of the deadliest years for Middle East reporters since World War II? Publisher and Co-Editor Lawrence Pintak looks back at a year of troubling trends for journalism in the region.
Dubai: An emerging Arab media hub
Dubai is fast becoming a global media hub – but for whom? Dana El-Baltaji examines Dubai’s business-friendly media model and its implications for the future of media in the Emirates.
The Alhurra Project: Radio Marti of the Middle East
Larry Register’s forced departure from the US public diplomacy channel marks a low point for American efforts at broadcasting to the Middle East, an entirely predictable debacle which likely puts paid to even the slender hopes that the station might turn itself around argues Editorial Board Member Marc Lynch.
The Arab Broadcast Forum 2007: Self-criticism surfaces despite some sidestepping
The Arab Broadcast Forum both intentionally and inadvertently exposed some of the obstacles that continue to plague Arab World television media, as well as the conference’s own shortcomings. But its ability to critically examine these things—despite some flaws—demonstrates that the Arab media is at least on the right track, says Abigail Hauslohner.
Are Lebanon's Media fanning the flames of sectarianism?
Politics have become so divisive in Lebanon that the national media council chief urged the media in January to curb "tense rhetoric" that could instigate violence among the country's religious sects, writes Contributing Editor Paul Cochrane. So what are the media up to? Are they guilty of fanning the flames?
British Middle East representative, Jon Wilks: Fluent Arabic spokesmen can “promote a freer media in the Arab World”
Recently posted at the British embassy in Dubai, Jon Wilks is no newcomer to the Middle East. Having served across the region over a number of years, the fluent Arabic speaker has been brought in to explain British government policy to the Arab World. Speaking to Arab Media & Society Managing Editor George Weyman, Wilks talks about his role, revealing his mixed views on Arab-channel interviews and how he avoids discussing conspiracy theories.
Arab Media in the Information Age. Emirates Center for Strategic Studies. Emirates Center for Strategic Studies: Abu Dhabi, 2006.
The methodological shortcomings and scarce editing make this book a frustrating read. The lessons to be taken from this book regard the challenges facing Arab media studies as much as those facing Arab media, argues Contributing Editor Sune Haugbolle.
Darfur: Covering the “forgotten” story
There is no issue in Arab journalism today that is more controversial than how the region’s media cover Darfur. It is the hot-button issue in the Arab newsroom not because of the physical danger but because the issue bores right to the heart of the mission of Arab journalism and the self-identity of those who practice it, writes Publisher and Co-Editor Lawrence Pintak.
Picture perfect: How the story of Dubai's other side can never be told
I hesitate to call myself a journalist. Technically, I am one, but I haven’t broken ‘news’ since the day I took up my position on Time Out in Dubai. Still, I take comfort in knowing that most journalists in the emirate are equally frustrated working in a media industry that ‘makes nice, not news,’ reports Dana El-Baltaji.
Do National political systems still influence Arab media?
Although recent changes in information technology, especially the growth of satellite television, have had an impact on Arab media, making national borders more porous, existing national political systems are still a dominant variable affecting the structure and behavior of Arab media, argues Editorial Board Member William A. Rugh.
Lines in the Sand: Problematizing Arab Media in the Post-Taxonomic Era
Without a critical cultural examination of the multiple sides of the “Arabic” and “Arab” media terrain, the fervent attachment to the production of taxonomies to describe this terrain at a time of exponential transformation may provide little more than lines in the sand, claims Editorial Board Member Adel Iskandar.
Death by Video Phone: Coverage of Saddam Hussein's Execution
It is perhaps ironic that the man who controlled the broadcast of his image with an iron grip was executed in one of the most widely watched news events of recent times, says Vivian Salama.
Press Under Siege Conference Raises a Cry for a Freer Middle East Press
It was not clear whether the ultimate point of the conference was to support Arab journalists in their struggle for protected freedoms, or to promote Siniora’s government—then under heavy fire—as democratic and free before a would-be sympathetic international audience, claims Abigail Hauslohner.
Censorship: What you didn't see
Do Arab newspapers say one thing in Arabic and another in English? Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy thinks so. She was a columnist for the Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily Asharq Alawsat until she was abruptly dropped last year. One reason may have been her complaints about how her articles were being edited for the Arabic edition. Here's your chance to read one of her original op-eds alongside the edited version.
Media and Religion in the Arab-Islamic World
In this edited version of the 11th Templeton Lecture on Religion and World Affairs, Abdallah Schleifer looks at the development of journalism in the Arab-Islamic World, attempting to explain factors shaping journalism practice in the region.
