In this week’s Jadaliyya “Media on Media” roundup, the war of words over the push for a US-backed “no fly zone” in Syria continues as an extension of the war on the ground: Alternet scrutinizes mainstream media’s “high-octane push for war,” using the 2011 war in Libya as a lesson.
Lebanon’s presidential nominee General Michel Aoun has a history of recurring clashes with the press, which, in a country where it is technically illegal to disparage the head of state, does not bode well for the concept of media freedom.
“Alan Kurdi’s death was a critical juncture in refugee portrayals worldwide,” states a recently published study that explores the political maneuvering behind the media portrayals of Syrian refugees.
In other news, virtual reality technology is being utilized to immerse viewers with ‘The Enemy’, aiming to foster an environment for communication and better understanding in areas of conflict around the world.
All of these stories and more are available below in further detail.
Media and Politics
Mosul: How is IS selling the battle?
Source: BBC Monitoring
As its enemies close in on its Iraqi stronghold of Mosul, ISIS portrays life in the city as "business as usual."
Why the U.S. and western countries could be bluffing about military intervention in Syria
Source: Alternet
Drawing lessons from NATO’s intervention in Libya, Vijay Prashad argues that mainstream media outlets are pushing for a ‘no fly zone’ over Syria.
The killing of a journalist in Jordan uncovers extremism in an otherwise stable kingdom
Source: New Statesman
Public reaction to Nahed Hattar’s murder has revealed increased levels of religious extremism among Jordanian society, especially in the context of Syria’s war.
Media Industries
TV content creators have it their way in Middle East
Source: Gulf News
Media content remains king in the MENA region, as creators provide endless hours of entertainment to an audience who is consuming it regardless of the apparatus used, generating more profit in the process.
Freedom of Journalists/Expression
Will President Aoun respect press freedom?
Source: Now Media
Ahead of Lebanese presidential elections on Monday, questions are raised over the soon-to-be president’s stance on media freedoms as Aoun has long being known for bust-ups with the press.
President or general: what should the Lebanese press expect?
Source: Beirut Report
A compilation of videos shows General Aoun’s reaction to the press, referring to some journalists as ‘animals’.
Al Jazeera journalist released from detention in Somalia
Source: Middle East Eye
Somalia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. The article observes the release of Al Jazeera journalist Hamza Mohamed by Somali security forces who had held him captive.
الاحتلال الاسرائيلي يسعى لتغييب القدس عن الإعلام الالكتروني
المصدر: السفير
تتحدث هذه المقالة عن الضغوطات المتواصلة لقوات الإحتلال على وسائل الإعلام الفلسطينية، وبالأخص «المركز الإعلامي لشؤون القدس والمسجد الأقصى» (QPress) الذي تم اغلاقه مؤخراً وتجريم العاملين فيه.
Analysis: Turkey's press freedom, and the hypocrisy of Gulen supporters
Source: Middle East Eye
This article is critically accusing Gulenists journalists of basically being hypocrites, abusing their self-acclaimed power to influence and oppress other journalists, until the failed coup forced them to change their views and defend the same freedom of expression values they were once against.
Culture
How Arab women are reshaping Israel's film industry
Source: Al Monitor
After recently winning several awards, Palestinian female artists in Israel are reshaping public opinion on gender issues, as well as influencing the local film industry.
How community-based media sparked international activism for Palestinian water rights
Source: Mondoweiss
A film made about the water crisis in Aida refugee camp garnered global attention to the issue of water rights, due to a community-based media initiative.
Social Media
What social media posts tell us about the politics of the refugee crisis
Source: Open Canada
A newly published study aims to use quantitative as well as qualitative data gathered from social media around September 2015, in order to have a clearer view at how Syrian refugees are represented, and how different actors leverage the refugee crisis to promote their political and ideological views.
The secret eye inside Mosul
Source: The New Yorker
Robin Wright interviews an independent historian inside Mosul, who has been running an anonymous blog ‘Mosul Eye’ about life under ISIS occupation since 2014.
What’s in Sisi’s fridge?
Source: Middle East Eye
After telling Egypt’s youth that for 10 years he had nothing in his fridge but water, President Sisi faces major waves of criticism on Twitter.
Media Practices
فجر أردني جديد: كيف غطّت كبرى الصحف الأردنية توقيع وادي عربة؟
المصدر: حبر
بمناسبة ذكرى توقيع اتفاقية السلام بين الأردن وإسرائيل، تعالج هذه المقالة الممارسات الإعلامية لأهم الصحف في الأردن في تغطية هذا الحدث التاريخي.
الصحافيون الشباب في مصر: التحايل على صناعة الوهم
المصدر: شباب السفير
تتحدث هذه المقالة عن الصعوبات التي تواجه الصحافيين الشباب في مصر المتخرجين حديثاً الى سوق العمل، وتلقي الضوء على الصدمات من أثر اكتشاف ما هيّة طبيعة العمل والتغييرات التي حصلت به إثر الأزمات المتتالية على البلاد.
The Islamic State and the media: A symbiotic relationship
Source: Middle East Eye
This article argues that while mainstream media have fueled the exponential growth of IS in terms of gaining popularity among fundamentalists, it now has the opportunity to bring the terrorist organization down ‘during its demise’.
New Islamic State magazine glosses over reality of caliphate: ‘This is their life now, stuck, waiting to die in just another battle’
Source: Syria Direct
This interview sheds light on ‘Rumiyah’, a newly published magazine by IS, and how it managed to leverage its content to attract the western reader.
Mosul and Aleppo: A tale of two besieged cities
Source: Al Jazeera
This week’s episode of ‘The Listening Post’ discusses the differences in the media coverage of the conflicts in Mosul and Aleppo.
السعودية: تغيير الخطاب الإعلامي!
المصدر: الشرق الأوسط
في ظل الأزمة الإقتصادية التي تمر بها المملكة، تنادي هذه المقالة بمستوى افضل من الأداء الإعلامي بهدف جذب الاستثمارات الخارجية.
الإعلام "الصادق" .. الذي تحدث عنه الرئيس
المصدر: الشروق
تحاول هذه المقالة إيجاد تعريف حقيقي للإعلام الصادق الذي يتحدث عنه الرئيس المصري، مع الاجابة عمّا اذا فعلاَ تريد الحكومة هذا النوع من الإعلام المبني على أسس الشفافية والحقيقة.
الإعلام الليبي: صعوبات وتحديات وفوضى عارمة
المصدر: القدس العربي
الحرب الأهلية في ليبيا اثّرت مباشرة في أداء الإعلام، حيث تم إعادة خلط الأوراق من الناحية المهنية والعملية.
Others
Meeting ‘the Other’ Face to Face
Source: New York Times
In an experiment named ‘The Enemy’, Belgian-Tunisian photographer Karim Ben Khelifa alongside Fox Harrell, an associate professor at MIT, has managed to utilize VR technology to bring Israelis and Palestinians facing each other.
From Jadaliyya Media Roundups
Cinema in Yemen: 'Nothing is impossible'
Source: Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup
The Yemeni film “I Am Nojoom: Age 10 And Divorced” has made it into the Academy Awards competition.
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi to be given more lashes in prison
Source: Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup
Badawi was given a sentence of ten years in prison and one-thousand lashes for his writings on freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
Oman: Writer Hamood Al-Shukaily sentenced to three years in prison
Source: Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup
Al-Shukaily has been charged under the Information Technology Crimes Act in relation to a poem he posted on his Facebook page.
Oman: Joint letter to the Sultan of Oman on the right of press freedom and the targeting of journalists and human rights defenders
Source: Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup
The undersigned organisations express serious concern of systematic targeting of media freedom and freedom of expression in Oman.
Slap video shines spotlight on sexual harassment in Saudi Arabia
Source: Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup
A video shows a Saudi woman defending herself after being sexually harassed.
[The "Media On Media Roundup" is an initiative to survey published material in the news and broadcast media that deals with journalism, coverage, or mass communication practices about the region. These roundups are produced and curated in collaboration with the American University of Beirut's Media Studies Program. The items collected here do not reflect the views of Jadaliyya or the editors of the Media Page]