World Affairs
Cloud Computing and the Monolithic Narrative
Rami Khater discusses the implications of automated translation based on cloud computing and warns that the subaltern’s narrative and voice could be removed from the interpretation of all human history if our collective knowledge passes through the filters of these trained algorithms.
Storm in a shisha
Some feared the 2008 novel The Jewel of Medina would create the fiercest backlash among Muslims since the Danish cartoon scandal. So why hasn’t it? Shereen El Feki looks at the politics surrounding the book’s publication.
Beyond Media 'Dialogues': Time to put away the champagne flutes
Enough already with the 'media dialogues' between Arab and Western journalists. The fortunes spent on these conferences could be put to much better use in cooperative lessons-learned networks and long-term training programs, argues Publisher and Co-Editor Lawrence Pintak.
Interview: Sue Phillips on Al Jazeera International's First Year
October 2007. Speaking to Arab Media & Societys George Weyman in July 2007, Sue Phillips, London bureau chief for Al Jazeera International, reflects on the networks first year and the changes and challenges that lie ahead.
The Alhurra Project: Radio Marti of the Middle East
Larry Registers forced departure from the US public diplomacy channel marks a low point for American efforts at broadcasting to the Middle East, an entirely predictable debacle which likely puts paid to even the slender hopes that the station might turn itself around argues Editorial Board Member Marc Lynch.
Voice of America versus Radio Sawa in the Middle East: A Personal Perspective
By scrapping Voice of America in the Middle East, the US has both undercut its own public diplomacy interests and the interests of listeners in the region itself, argues Laurie Kassman.
Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa: Advancing freedom in the Arab World
That Arab viewers accept this U.S. government-funded station as credible is a great victory, especially after being on the air little more than three years. That some Arab viewers find the assertions of advocates for freedom jarring to their ears is a price we will gladly pay, argues outgoing Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson.
America's Voice as it could have been
The inability of Sawa and Alhurra to speak with critical populations in the Middle East and their emphasis on the most trivial of American pop culture have marginalized the United States and prevented a reasoned and substantive conversation between the United States and the Arab world, says former VOA Director Myrna Whitworth.
Radio Sawa: America's new adventure in radio broadcasting
In this content analysis of U.S. Public Diplomacy radio station Radio Sawa, veteran Middle East broadcasting specialist Sam Hilmy argues that the pop-music driven channel is not meeting its commitment to provide accurate, timely and relevant news about the Middle East, the world and the United States.
American Encounters with Arabs: The Soft Power of U.S. Public Diplomacy in the Middle East. William A. Rugh. Westport: Praeger Security International, 2006.
Readers of American Encounters will be heartened by the reminder that — regardless of the administration or specific policy — there remain elements in the U.S. foreign policy establishment dedicated to engaging with Arab audiences and keeping avenues of communication open, argues Will Ward.
Death by Video Phone: Coverage of Saddam Hussein's Execution
It is perhaps ironic that the man who controlled the broadcast of his image with an iron grip was executed in one of the most widely watched news events of recent times, says Vivian Salama.
Media and Religion in the Arab-Islamic World
In this edited version of the 11th Templeton Lecture on Religion and World Affairs, Abdallah Schleifer looks at the development of journalism in the Arab-Islamic World, attempting to explain factors shaping journalism practice in the region.
2007: A Fateful Year for America's Voices?
There are several reasons why the new Democratic 110th Congress, the Bush administration, or both need to take a hard, new look at the American networks without delay, says Alan L. Heil Jr.
From Long Island to Lebanon: Arabs blog in America
Through the 2006 summer war in Lebanon, blogging provided an outlet for Arabs in America to vent their frustrations, anxieties and criticisms of events. It also gave many a sense of reconnecting with other Arabs around the Diaspora, says Vivian Salama.
Ben-Shaul, Nitzan S (2006): A violent world: TV news images of Middle Eastern terror and war. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
For its willingness to take on and expose dominant elite ideologies, this book deserves real credit, argues Courtney Radsch.
Uneasy bedfellows: Bloggers and mainstream media report the Lebanon conflict
During the 2006 Lebanon War, bloggers were able to influence the agenda for traditional media coverage more than ever before. But they will not overtake mainstream media anytime soon, argues Will Ward.
'The Perfect War': US Public Diplomacy and International Broadcasting During Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 1990/1991
In this article, Nicholas Cull reviews the performance of the United States Information Agency (USIA) during the Gulf Crisis and War of 1990-91. He concludes by contrasting the effective US use of public diplomacy during this period with the problems encountered following 9/11.