| Summary: |
Before the war on Afghanistan in 2001, Arab media was
almost unheard of; however, Al-Jazeera’s monopoly over
the coverage of the war on Afghanistan has put Arab media
on the map. While some people have struggled to grasp the
reasons behind the long silence of the Arab media, others have
shown a positive attitude towards the new development of media
outlets in this turbulent part of the world.
Since the independence of most of the Arab countries, the role of
the media, both print and audio-visual, has been to safeguard
Arabic culture and unity. This phase has witnessed tight control of
the media by Arab regimes and governments. The Arab media’s
main focus on matters of concern to the Arab public shifted
because of various historical and economic changes that hit the
region. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Arab media robustly
defended the Palestinian theme and called for Arab unity and
solidarity with the Palestinians. The regional main themes apart,
Arab media has been utilised to promote governments’ domestic
policies and the daily activities of governments and regimes.
Media remains a potent weapon in the hands of governments
to mobilise the public to support their policies.
Today, the Arab world is undergoing a radical media change,
featuring the launch of satellite and cable television channels. This
has ended an era of state-controlled media and given way to
privatisation. The inception of Al-Jazeera, Al-Hurra and Al-Arabiya
are few examples to list here. These three channels have
contributed immensely to generating an open, free and transparent
debate on all matters of concern to the Arab public. Although
these channels broadcast in the same language, Arabic, they have
different sponsors, different aims and objectives, and different
ideologies.
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