The Arab Mass Media: Newspapers, Radio, and Television in Arab Politics

Book Description
Since September 11, 2001, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, many television viewers in the United States have become familiar with Al Jazeera as offering an alternative take on events from that presented by mainstream U.S. media, as well as disseminating anti-American invective. Westerners have tended toward simplistic views of Arab newspapers, radio, and television, assuming that they are all under government control and that freedom of press is non-existent. William A. Rugh, a long time observer of the Arab mass media, offers a more nuanced picture of the Arab press as it relates to the political situation in the Arab world today.


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Examining the economic and organizational structure and operation of Arab mass media, Rugh (president, America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc.) categorizes Arab print media into five subtypes, describing and analyzing them in separate chapters. Syria, Sudan, Libya, and pre-2003 Iraq are argued to have "mobilization" systems, in which the press is largely a tool of the ruling powers in mobilizing public support. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman have a "loyalist" press characterized by private ownership, but also their susceptibility to government economic and political influence. The "diverse" press in Kuwait, Morocco, and Yemen is privately owned and relatively freer. Finally, the "transitional" system, seen in Jordan, Tunisia, Egypt, and Algeria share characteristics of the above, but are in a state of flux. He also describes the emergence of an international pan-Arab press and briefly analyzes Arab radio and television structures. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


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