Are countries with a free press less corrupt than countries where the press is partly or completely unfree? Our empirical investigation finds evidence of a significant relationship between higher levels of press freedom and lower levels of corruption with other variables being equal. Furthermore, we provide evidence that while democracy deters corruption only in countries that enjoy press freedom, rule of law reduces corruption whether the press is free or unfree. Press freedom and democracy are complements rather than substitutes in the fight against corruption.

While a consensus has emerged on the importance of creativity in graphic design and multimedia field, little systematic research has attempted to understand its facilitators or inhibitors in the graphic and multimedia education across colleges and universities. The current investigation surveys a sample of experts as well as professors teaching across the Arab World concerning their perceptions on the most significant correlates of creative thinking among students. Results point to the importance of: (1) instructors’ engagement; (2) appropriate use of instructional strategies, tools, and resources; (3) institutional support; (4) peer support; and (5) the removal of red-tape regulatory frameworks. Most importantly, this research highlights the need to move away from the rigid higher education creativity model assuming perfection, precision, accuracy, and optimal effectiveness to a more flexible creativity framework. The Multi-Layered Autonomous Phases Model (MLAPM) is proposed as an alternative approach to cultivating creativity at the higher education level. The MLAPM applies to all levels beginning with the students and the instructor in the classroom and all instructional tools applied, moving upward to the institutional administration levels. The model offers cost-effective, flexible, dynamic, and effective practices that improve levels of creativity and creative thinking among students without the need to invest in new costly equipment, tools, curriculum, or instructional programs.

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The purpose of this research is to explore the patterns of journalistic treatments for issues of Arab Language in Al Arab Qatari newspaper during the year of 2017. It also seeks to understand the degree to which this journalistic behavior enhances Qatar National identity. The importance of this research, which is funded by Qatar National Research Fund, No. UREP21-095-5-009 is to test the relationship between journalistic practices in relation to coverage of Arabic language issues and national identity. As interdisciplinary research combining Arabic language and journalism studies, its data were gathered by students of Arabic and Mass Communication Departments. The study adopted the descriptive and analytical approach to explore a sample of 841 publications that covered 10 linguistic forms including folk literature, translation, sermon, thought, novel, narration, poetry, story, drama and others as well as 6 editorial forms including investigative report, news report, dialogue, news, article, feature story and others. We analyze both the editorial content and the layout treatment. The results showed a statistical significance in the use of different editorial forms to demonstrate the Arabic language topics in Al Arab Qatari newspaper as well as the use of different layout techniques such as positioning, size, headline style and the accompanying visual elements. Future studies can compare the influence of different journalistic practices on national identity.