The end of pan-Arab media? National, transnational media and identity in Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan after 2011

Abstract

The article explores the relation between identity definition and trust in different information sources in Morocco, Jordan and Tunisia following the 2011 Uprisings. While prior to 2011 literature mostly highlighted the role of pan-Arab news channels in consolidating a transnational Arab public sphere, recent studies argued that there has been a reinforcement of national media and identities in the Middle East and North Africa, as a consequence of a partial liberalisation of national broadcasting. Our study is based on the Arab Transformations survey (2014), which unlike previous surveys included questions covering both media consumption and identity definition. We looked at how in the three countries the choice of Muslim, Arab or national identity definition was associated with the preference for distinct sources of political news. The results only partially confirmed the hypothesis of a renewed importance of national media and showed that in the three countries people tended to attribute very different values to the same news sources.

Assessing the leeway of state-led strategic communication abroad: a comparison of news coverage on Austria, Germany, and Switzerland in Arabic

“…Media content offered in Arabic is thus accessible to a very broad audience, independently of national borders. Accordingly, studies show that media consumption throughout the Arab region is indeed transnational in nature, challenging the conceptualization of the exclusive relevance of national media outlets to the formation of public opinion in the Arab states (Ayish 2012;Haeuptli 2019;Sarnelli and Lomazzi 2019). According to these research findings, the analysis focuses on media in Arabic as belonging to one arena, rather than on a specific Arab country.…”

Contemporary Arab Media Reality Problems and Solutions

“…Therefore, the media outlets aligned with the Islamic faith, especially entertainment content. Sarnelli and Lomazzi (2019) further noted that the Arab media provides an entertainment platform. For example, the media outlets often have sporting programs that air major global tournaments and help promote inclusion through soccer.…”

“…Besides, the media plays the role of exposing the corruption among some leaders to the masses. According to Sarnelli and Lomazzi (2019), the best approach that the population takes as a form of punishment to the leaders is failing to vote them back to the office. According to Ahmed and Cho (2019), the role of the media now includes the investigation of corruption cases that leads to prosecution of affected individuals.…”

“…Some of the issues often presented within the above framework include the dress culture of the people, their everyday foods, religious affiliations, or social behavior. However, Sarnelli and Lomazzi (2019) acknowledged that the Arab media fraternity has failed to fully implement cultural unity and integration. Instead, the media has focused on showcasing the overall behavior and beliefs of the Arabian people without appreciating the internal differences in culture that exist within the region.…”