The focus of this paper is the media system of the Arab world, its development, and the local and global factors that have had considerable influence during the last years. Different theories question the importance of communication and media for globalisation and vice versa, therefore the existence of a global communication network or global media and the participation of the Arab world in the global media evolution is observed. In the last fifty years print media, television, and internet have proven to be important agents of social change even if their development has always been accompanied by censorship arrangements in the different political systems of the region.
The Arab world has not been isolated from global changes in the media sector. Mass media, especially the Internet, and their importance for global economy are seen as motor of globalization but capital and technology are expanding faster than the development of trans-cultural communication is able to. This displacement in the action-reaction chain can be observed in the way global content and media are domesticised, transformed, controlled and rejected in the Arab countries and how important topics like cultural imperialism, indigenous values, international norms of journalism, and freedom of speech are discussed and negotiated in these societies.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical basis- Globalisation and Media
2.1 Global communication system
3. Development of Media in the Arab World
3.1 Print Media
3.2 Television
3.3 Satellite Television
4. Internet
4.1 Internet in the Arab World
5. Censorship
6. Global Influence on Media and Society
6.1 Problems in the Arab Society
6.2 Media Development models in the Arab World
6.3 Responses to the challenge of Globalisation
7. Summary
Objective and Core Themes
This work examines the evolution of the media system in the Arab world, analyzing the interplay between local political factors and global influences such as technology and market expansion. The central research question explores how globalization impacts Arab media, whether it promotes democratic change, and to what extent Arab societies effectively integrate these media developments into their political culture.
- Evolution of mass media (print, television, Internet) in the Arab region.
- Theoretical frameworks of globalization and cultural imperialism in communication.
- The role of state control and censorship in shaping media content.
- The impact of satellite technology and new media on the regional public sphere.
- Models of media development and responses to global forces (localist vs. globalist).
Excerpt from the Book
3. Development of Media in the Arab World
Media development in the Arab world has, for the last century, been in tune with social, political and economic changes. Increasing education, urbanization, free-market policies and technological transfer opened the region for new forms of media.
3.1 Print Media
The sector for print media started to develop at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century on a big scale. Newspapers appeared in Cairo, Baghdad, Algier, Tunis, Damascus and other bigger cities in the Ottoman Empire. Over the years there always existed some expatriate press, like the journal al-Urwa wa al-Wuthqa which was published by Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Muhammad Abduh in Paris. But the majority of print media was printed and published in the Arab countries.
Like in Europe and North America domestic journalism was in most cases linked to parties or at least certain political ideologies and therefore played an important part in the public political debate. Problem was although, that many members of the society were illiterate and could not read what the papers wrote about their political or social situation.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the study, focusing on mass media evolution in the Arab world and the methodology for analyzing global vs. local media influences.
2. Theoretical basis- Globalisation and Media: Explores theories concerning global communication, cultural imperialism, and whether a truly globalized communication system currently exists.
3. Development of Media in the Arab World: Provides a historical overview of the development of print media and television, highlighting the shift from colonial-era foundations to later state-controlled models.
4. Internet: Discusses the emergence of the Internet, the associated digital divide, and the specific challenges of Internet access and government control in Arab countries.
5. Censorship: Examines the mechanisms of state control over media and the persistent "red lines" regarding political and religious criticism despite technological advancements.
6. Global Influence on Media and Society: Categorizes media models in the Arab world and evaluates how societies respond to the dual pressures of globalization and the preservation of national/cultural identity.
7. Summary: Synthesizes the core findings, emphasizing that media development is a complex, contradictory process shaped by political authoritarianism, economic necessity, and evolving social values.
Keywords
Globalisation, Arab Media, Print Media, Television, Satellite Television, Internet, Censorship, Cultural Imperialism, North-South Divide, Political Communication, Democratisation, National Identity, Media Development, Social Change, Mass Media.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
This work investigates the development and current state of the media system in the Arab world, specifically focusing on how global and local factors influence its evolution and its role within society.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The key themes include the historical development of print and broadcast media, the emergence of the Internet, censorship practices, the impact of globalization, and models of media interaction with Arab societies.
What is the core research objective?
The objective is to understand how media in the Arab world navigates the tension between state control and global market pressures, and whether these media systems successfully foster democratic engagement.
What scientific methods are utilized?
The author employs a comparative analysis of regional media systems and discusses existing theories of communication, globalization, and cultural imperialism to evaluate the Arab media landscape.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers the history of print media, the rise of television and satellite broadcasting, the challenges of Internet adoption, censorship mechanisms, and the varied patterns of response to globalization.
Which keywords best describe this study?
The core keywords include Globalisation, Arab Media, Censorship, Television, Internet, Democratisation, and Cultural Identity.
How does satellite television specifically influence the Arab region?
Satellite television broke the state monopoly on information by providing an alternative to government-controlled local channels, introducing Western-style programming and diverse political debates, though it often remains influenced by regional political and financial interests.
Why is the "north-south divide" significant in the context of the Internet in the Arab world?
The divide highlights the unequal access to technology, where high costs and limited infrastructure prevent a large portion of the Arab population from utilizing the Internet, thereby restricting the potential for it to act as a truly democratic or transformative tool.
- Quote paper
- Alexandra Samoleit (Author), 2005, Globalisation and media in the Arab world, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/53286
