Media on Media Roundup (December 6)

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Dec 9, 2016 Syria
Media on Media Roundup (December 6)

Media on Media Roundup (December 6)

By : Media Page Editors

This week’s Jadaliyya “Media on Media” roundup deals with a number of issues, such as the publicised self-representation of countries known for regular attacks on media freedom.

Following the recent controversy revolving the "Muezin Bill" which would ban the public call for prayer in the Israeli-occupied territories, hackers staged a retaliation by interrupting Israel’s Channel 2 with the call to prayer.

Assafir, a Lebanese newspaper, examines "Al-Asaker," the politically-charged documentary about Egyptian conscription aired by Qatari-owned Al-Jazeera network, by analyzing the political relations between the two countries.

Egypt and Qatar have contributed their fair share of oppressive media practices. In Egypt, independent journalism is deemed propaganda and subject to punishment. Meanwhile Qatar’s decision to block its only independently-owned media outlet has left many frustrated, given Qatar’s reputation as the nation which founded Al-Jazeera.

A new Turkish research study critiques Western media’s "freecom claims," arguing that Western nations participate in oppressive media practices in a blatant attempt to justify Turkey’s own.

All of these stories and more are available below in further detail.

Media and Politics

Watch: Hackers broadcast call to prayer on Israeli TV
Source: Middle East Eye
In retaliation to the "Muezin Bill" (intended to ban Muslim public call for prayer), hackers have recently attacked a satellite broadcast of Israeli Channel 2 by interrupting regular programming with the call to prayer.

Iranian media praises OPEC deal as victory over Saudi Arabia
Source: Al-Monitor
A look at a number of Iranian media outlets’ reactions to Iran’s perceived diplomatic victory: the recent OPEC deal excluded Iran, meaning it could produce oil at higher rate than Saudi Arabia.

قرارقضائيلبنانيبإعادةبثّ "المنار" علىقمر "عربسات"
المصدر: القدس العربي
بعد القرار التعسفي بمنع بث قناة "المنار"، التابعة لـ"حزب اللّه"، اصدر قاضي الأمور المستعجلة في بيروت قراراً يفرض على عربسات إعادة بث القناة بأسرع وقت ممكن، ولكن هذه المقالة تشكك بقدرة هذا القرار نظراً لإنتقال مقر عربسات من بيروت الى عمان.

«عساكرالجزيرة»: الإعلامليسخارجاللعبة
المصدر: السفير
تلقي هذه المقالة الضوء على الأزمة السياسية والدبلوماسية القائمة بين الدولتين خاصة بعد بث فيلم "العساكر" الذي يتمحور حول الأوضاع السيئة للمجندين المصريين، مع العلم ان "قطرية" الجزيرة هي السبب الرئيسي وراء هذا النوع من الإنتقادات اللاذعة.

Culture

Reclaiming the culture of Lebanon with culture and art: reviving Hamra Street with graffiti.
Source: The Daily Arab News
Featuring a number of murals by Beirut-based street artist Yazan Halwani, this article uncovers the themes and stories behind his artwork.

Alternative charity Christmas cards show nativity in war-torn Middle East
Source: BBC
To shed light on the devastation and destruction of places like Syria, these Christmas cards take a rather "ironic" approach to show the nativity scene.

Like hero Tupac, Israeli Arab rapper’s music provokes
Source: Kuwait Times
Tamer Nafar, a Palestinian rapper with Israeli citizenship, has caused considerable controversy over the topics he raps about. His career has always been affected by the politically-charged nature of his art and position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, now more than ever.

Media Industries

ارتفاعأسعارالطباعةيعمّقجراحالصحافةالورقية
المصدر: مدى مصر
مع ازدياد حدة الأزمة الإقتصادية في مصر، الصحافة المطبوعة تعاني من انخفاض سعر صرف الجنيه المصري مقابل الدولار الأميركي. تنوي هذه المقالة طرح التأثيرات المباشرة على الصحافة المطبوعة ككل، خاصة في مقابل انتشار وشهرة المنصات الإلكترونية لدى القراء.

"أبوظبيللإعلام" و"مجموعةشبكاتفوكس" توقعاناتفاقيةبثمشترك
المصدر: Arabian Business
تقدم هذه المقالة بعضاً من تفاصيل الاتفاقية بين الشبكتين، التي ستجلب عدداً من البرامج والأفلام النوعية إلى الجمهور العربي.

Freedom of Journalists/Expression

In Egypt, journalism is a crime
Source: Middle East Eye
An overview of Egypt’s tight clampdowns on media, where the state has created a dynamic where you’re either "with us or against us.”

Qatar: Blocking of Doha News website ‘an outright attack’ on media freedom
Source: Amnesty International
An English-language news website in Qatar was recently blocked by the country`s two internet service providers simultaneously.

Doha News statement on the blocking of its website in Qatar
Source: Doha News
As Qatar’s sole independently operating media outlet, Doha News questions the intentions behind the censorship against it.

Meet the Palestinian man arrested for being sarcastic on Facebook
Source: +972 Mag
Anas Abudaabes’ satirical Facebook post on recent wildfires has led to his interrogation by Israeli authorities, who didn’t really "get the joke"---given that they were using Google translate to decipher his post.

استمرارالتضييقعلىوسائلالإعلامفيالسودانومصادرةالصحفبالجملة
المصدر: القدس العربي
تلقي هذه المقالة الضوء على عملية مصادرة أربع صحف سودانية بهدف التعتيم الإعلامي، وما يحمله ذلك من عبء مادي على الوسائل الإعلامية التي تعمل في ظل ظروف اقتصادية صعبة.

Social Media

Jordanians take to social media aiming to end domestic violence
Source: Deutsche Welle
"16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence" is a UN sponsored initiative aiming to raise awareness to domestic violence, gender equality and the LGBT community of Jordan.

Quran verses and Google Translate: Bizarre Israeli responses to Arab social media gloating over fire
Source: AlBawaba
While many articles highlighted Arab reaction to last week’s fires in Israel, this article inspects the Israeli reaction over social media.

How Twitter can empower opposition forces in authoritarian countries
Source: The Washington Post
This article uses three separate case studies from the region to say that the impact of social media usage like Ywitter, differs widely within the context it operates in.

Media Practices

Regarding the spectacle
Source: The Nation
Syrian collective of filmmakers Abounaddara is critiquing the binary representation of Syrians as either killers or victims, proposing an immediate and alternative image of Syrian society.

This is why everything you’ve read about the wars in Syria and Iraq could be wrong
Source: Independent
The absence of independent journalists from the field is leading to very unreliable reporting and coverage of both the Aleppo and Mosul ongoing battles.

Save this New York Times Sunni-Shiite conflict backgrounder while awaiting Trump moves
Source: Get Religion
According to this op-ed, the ‘Times’ fails to properly contextualize the Sunni-Shiite conflict in its coverage of the Saudi-Iranian rivalry.

10 years of investigative journalism in the Arab world
Source: ARIJ
This article celebrates the efforts that the organization has done throughout the years to empower investigative journalists calling for change by uncovering the truth in their respective countries.

شهادتنا على الموت
المصدر: منصّة "الجمهورية"
تعلّق هذه المقالة على الممارسات الإعلامية لبعض القنوات الإخبارية في تغطية الأحداث الجارية في حلب، عبر تقديم تحليل معمّق لمعاني "الصور" وأبعادها في التأثير على المشاهد والشخص الظاهر في الصورة.

فوضىالإعلامالطبي
المصدر: مصر العربية
تعلق هذه المقالة على ممارسات بعض وسائل الإعلام التي تروّج لبعض الأدوية والأعشاب الطبية دون التأكد من صحة المعلومات ومعرفة ما قد يؤدي ذلك بصحة المشاهد.

From Jadaliyya Media Roundups

Photography media roundup (December 1)
Source: Jadaliyya
This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on photography in and of the region and reflects a wide variety of opinions.

Digital Rights Derailed in Bahrain
Source: Jadaliyya Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup
A report from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.

[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 theAmerican 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.]
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Media on Media Roundup (November 22)

In this week’s Jadaliyya “Media on Media” roundup: The battle between the Turkish government and Turkish media continues. Hezbollah flexes its muscles in Syria, and the moon is ready for its close up.

According to a recent report published by Freedom House, Turkey has been downgraded to "not free" status as a result of the increasing government clampdown on media. In a counter-offensive, Turkish opposition outlets have begun courting international support, while TRT, a pro-Erdoğan state outlet, has announced plans for expansion to an English base in order to appeal to a global audience.

Also in Turkey, the debut of the Iranian film Muhammad: The Messenger of God, a film about the prophet’s early life, has recently caused a stir among Turkish critics who have had different reactions to the film.

Hezbollah has recently released a number of photographs from Syria, during its first-ever military parade on foreign soil. The photos, which revealed US-made weapons and artillery, raised questions among critics regarding the organization’s military capabilities.

The moon appeared a little bit bigger than usual this week, and the Arab world has taken to Twitter in reaction to the not-so-drastic increase in size.

All of these stories and more are available below in further detail.

Media and Politics

Concern over display by Hezbollah of American arms like those provided to the Lebanese army
Source: YaLibnan
Hezbollah militants flaunted US-made artillery and weapons during a military parade in Syria. Through their circulation on social media, the photos are raising questions about the status of Hezbollah as a regional power player.

Hezbollah shows off stolen US weapons to threaten Israel
Source: Observer
The timing of the release of images of Hezbollah fighters parading US-weaponry, as well the method of circulation (on Twitter), has led to much debate.

Qatari newspaper chief resigns following tweet on Saudi Arabia
Source: Gulf News
Editor-in-chief of Al Sharq newspaper Jaber Al Harmi recently criticized Qatar’s decision to increase public servants’ salaries, amidst regional shift towards a less oil-dependent economy, leading to his recent resignation for “personal reasons.”

Culture

Iranian film about Prophet Muhammad causes stir in Turkey
Source: Al-Monitor
Iranian director Majid Majidi has recently debuted his film Muhammad: The Messenger of God in Turkey, which documents the prophet’s early life. This has led to a number of critical reactions to the aesthetic, religious, and sentimental values portrayed in the film.

How modern art is helping bridge Arab-Iranian divide
Source: Al-Monitor
Based on Mahmoud Darwish’s poem "The Sea Suspended," an Iranian contemporary showcase hopes to bridge the political differences between Iran and the Arab World through artistic and cultural exchange.

ديلان والأدب ودنيا لا تبقى على حال
المصدر: مدى مصر
تبدأ هذه المقالة بإلقاء الضوء على ردات فعل الأدباء العرب لفوز المغني الأميركي بوب ديلان بجائزة نوبل للأدب، لتنتقل لمناقشة ما يعني أن يكون المرء أديباً في العالم العربي.

Media Industries

International Media Investments acquires ownership of The National
Source: The National
The English language newspaper was sold to Abu Dhabi-based International Media Investments (IMI).

Intelsat is named satellite operator of the year at 2016 Arab states broadcasting union BroadcastPro Television Awards
Source: Business Wire
The award recognizes Intelsat’s continuing leadership as the innovator in space-based communications across the region.

Abu Dhabi`s Image Nation partners with Culture China for $300M film fund
Source: Al-Bawaba
The China Intercontinental Communication Center (CICC) has established a $300-million fund with Image Nation Abu Dhabi to co-fund movies and TV productions in Hollywood, the United Arab Emirates and China.

TRT World launched as public broadcaster seeks global appeal
Source: Daily Sabah
While most Turkish media outlets are under increasing pressures from authorities, TRT, Turkey’s public state television outlet, launched its English-language channel TRT World to appeal to a more "international" audience.

Freedom of Journalists/Expression

حكم غير مسبوق بالحبس عامين لنقيب الصحفيين وعضوين بمجلس النقابة.
المصدر: مدى مصر
في ظل الضغوطات المتزايدة على الصحفيين في مصر، قضت محكمة جنح مصرية بحبس نقيب الصحفيين المصريين وعضوين بمجلس النقابة عاميْن بتهمة إيواء صحفي ومتدرّب بمقر النقابة مع علمهم بأنهم مطلوبين لسلطات التحقيق في أيار الماضي.

UN says freedom of expression in Turkey "grim"
Source: Middle East Online
The UN has expressed concern over Turkey’s repressive media practices, claiming that the failed coup does not give authorities the green light to suppress all forms of freedom of expression.

How Turkey is strangling the internet---and hurting media freedom
Source: Middle East Eye
Turkey’s clampdown on the media has led to its downgrade to become "not free" according to a recently published Freedom on the Net 2016 report, which monitors freedom and democracy globally.

Pixels of War: One student’s path to photography in eastern Aleppo
Source: Syria Deeply
Syrian photographer Yehya Alrejjo recounts how the Syrian uprising and war transformed him from a student of chemistry to a photographer with the opposition in the besieged and fiercely contested city of Aleppo.

Turkish opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet finds a voice in German media
Source: Middle East Eye
Thirty-seven German newspapers and their websites have shown their support for Turkish opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, which has been raided by authorities.

Social Media

Super moon looms over Twitter across the Arab world
Source: Al-Arabiya
The article compiles reactions to last weekend’s super moon.

How social media helps dictators
Source: Foreign Policy
While some believe that social media platforms have "liberated" the public by enabling freedom of expression and active engagement in public debates, it has also enabled regimes to manipulate information and boost surveillance practices

Snapchat Getting In With the Big Guns
Source: Outlook (AUB Student Paper)
Snapchat has recently published ‘live’ coverage of the battle for Mosul, leading many to question the platform’s legitimacy as a news source and the problems which arise from such sensational coverage.

Media Practices

The Terminology of Terrorists
Source: The McGill International Review
This article takes a critical look at the evolution of ISIS as an Al-Qaeda division in addition to the evolution of the term "DAESH."

Social Media’s Globe-Shaking Power
Source: NYTimes
In the aftermath of the US presidential elections, social media platforms are being credited as powerful transnational entities that are capable of skewing reality.

الإعلام الإسرائيلي يحتفي بمرور 20 عاما على انطلاق "الجزيرة"
المصدر: انفراد
تعلّق هذه المقالة على كيفية احتفاء صحيفة "يديعوت أحرونوت" بمناسبة مرور 20 عاماً على انطلاق قناة "الجزيرة"، حيث وصفتها بأنها غيرت وجه العالم العربى من خلال متابعتها للأحداث فى الشرق الأوسط.

From Jadaliyya Media Roundups

"I froze, realising I`d stepped on a body:" Syrian journalists in their own words
Source: Syria Jadaliyya Media Roundup
Five reporters in exile describe the risks they have taken and the horror they have witnessed reporting the civil war.

#600Days of siege & genocide: Twitterstorm calls for an end to Yemen conflict
Source: Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup
Yemenis take to social media to bring attention to the suffering created by the war through a social media campaign.

Oman: Case against “Azamn” journalists must be overturned on appeal
Source: Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup
A coalition of rights groups appeals in advance of a verdict, expected on 17 November.

Oman: Writer, cinema critic and online activist Abdullah Habib sentenced to three years in prison
Source: Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup
Habib was immediately detained incommunicado by the Special Division for using the internet.

Marc Owen Jones: Saudi Propaganda Flooded Twitter with Over Million Fake Accounts
Source: Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup
The accounts have been used to demonize Sheikh Isa Qassim and the Bahraini opposition.

["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.]