Uprisings and revolt are shaping the political future of Arab nations, and journalists are trying to respond to the demand for reporting that people can trust.
On Thursday, Oct. 27, Nieman Reports hosted “The Arab Press: Can It Keep Up With Political Transformations?” an evening of provocative analysis by frontline journalists and keen observers of the changes taking place in the Arab press, including the growing power of the Web and social media.
Nieman Reports published a collection of articles—“Arab News: Troubles and Possibilities”—in its Fall 2011 issue:
- “Arab Media: Rebuilding Trust With Their Public” – Rami G. Khouri, a 2001 Nieman Fellow who is speaking at this event, offers advice to those who “own, manage or work for traditional news organizations” for rebuilding trust with their public.
- “In Jordan, Some Threats Against a Foreign Journalist Are Realized” – Randa Habib, Agence France-Presse’s Jordan bureau chief, writes about her decisions to publish risky news stories and the repercussions she faced.
- “Morocco and Press Freedom: A Complicated Relationship” – Ahmed Benchemsi, former publisher of the best-selling newsmagazine in Morocco, explains how his country went from being a comparative “Disneyland” for press freedom to an environment in which publications were shut down through strategic economic boycotts.
- “The Revolutionary Force of Facebook and Twitter” – Jillian C. York, director of international freedom of expression for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, describes the transformational impact of blogs and social media in Arab nations.
- “Egyptian Journalism: An Oddly Connected Mix of Old and New Media” – Sabah Hamamou, deputy business editor for Al-Ahram newspaper who is speaking at the event, shares her personal journey to blogging and YouTube as a way of portraying the intersections between old and new media.
