Globalization and Media Emergence in the Arab Media Industry
There are different studies on globalization processes in the Arab countries, and there are suggestions that media industry influenced them. Therefore, the ways globalization and media industry connected in the UAE worth studying. My reason for choosing this subject is to learn more about the media emergence. Also, it is necessary to understand how it appeared and affected the current generation. Therefore, this paper discusses the impact of globalization and media industry on the Arab countries, ways media can emerge from one place to another, and differences between classic and modern media emergence.
Effects of Globalization and Media Industry on the Arab Countries
The development of the Arab media influence made it possible to introduce democratic values and ideas, improve globalization, and unite countries in the region. However, a negative point is using media for propaganda. I would like to focus on each media type to show its effect and meaning as well as its emergence from one place to another. In general, globalization results reveal in how the Arab media industry emerge: overtaking traditions and ideas of other countries, increased communication, especially through the Internet and spread of democratic values.
Sometimes, this media focused not on benefits of globalized media but accused of propaganda. However, Sana’a Declaration on the Arab media rejects the “laws and measures that restrict freedom of the press” (UNESCO, 1996).
Classical and Modern Media
There are two kinds of media: classical (printed media, radio) and modern (television or the Internet), and both of them affected the Arab countries almost equally. However, the Internet was the fastest and most powerful one.
After the end of the protracted financial crisis of 2007-2008, the Arab region economy started to develop gradually. Therefore, this fact, of course, affected the media markets of most Arab countries (Barry, 2011). One of the main features was the high level of the TV market growth in the Middle East. In its turn, it significantly increased funding of television channels and platforms. The TV channels are now actively engaged in the purchase of programs and formats of completely different genres and producers. Moreover, the fact that they are in the stage of “probing” of the market and studying the target audience’s interests can easily explain it (Lahlali, 2011).
Talk shows are very popular in the Arab countries as well as various programs for children, educational programs, cultural programs, and English language training. Many TV serials and soap operas purchased in Turkey and the Arab countries mainly cooperate with Europe in the field of buying formats (Lahlali, 2011). The most famous talk show is Arabs Got Talent, which, by the way, is only one version of the show. Its main peculiarity is that it created just for all Arab countries. Hence, the participants are these countries’ inhabitants. Moreover, the most important fact is that the program must not be contrary to the religious traditions of the Arab people.
Arab print media may be conditionally divided into three main categories: public or semi-official newspapers, newspapers published by political organizations, and private. Few of the latter can be considered independent in editorial policy since their owners are wealthy people with political ambitions and desire to expand its influence. This separation is due to the peculiarities of the Arab press historical development.
As for the radio stations, they carried and had the same function in the majority of countries in the Middle East, namely the function is state propaganda. The Arab nations’ radio broadcasts programs of various kinds as a mixture of Arabic and European music, NGOs announcements, news, and reports of events. However, they often have a clear pro-government orientation and tend to biased estimates and direct distortion of events.
The Way Media Emerges from One Place to Another
The Internet is the example of other media, like printed media, radio, and television union and their transformation into a new form. It has grown exponentially over the last 10-15 years and was the most important driving force of globalization. It facilitates the modification of economic growth, its transformation into a global information and innovation. Creation of the Internet as a global and, at the same time, decentralized information network hierarchy, which has no single governing body, has initiated a virtual revolution, globalization has accelerated significantly. As for the Internet, Arabs are actively using social networks and websites providing news (Mellor, Ayish, Dajani, & Rinnawi, 2011). Additionally, it was one of the main tools in Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions.
To sum up, it is possible to state that the Arab media have progressed significantly in recent decades. It became an effective way to the world knowledge dissemination to the Arabic-speaking population and a mean of spreading the Arab civilization values. A large part of the Arab media used for government propaganda, expressing the position of the power structures, and promoting the maintenance of traditional social values. One of the central concepts in the Arab media system is the notion of professional ethics. It prescribes promotion of their country development, the peace process on a global scale, and dissemination of cultural values providing the most complete and comprehensive information, responsibility for its presentation, as well as the refusal to insult anyone’s feelings and beliefs.
References
Barry, W. A. (2011). Global communication models and formats: A case study of the sustenance of the media industry in the Arab world. Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research, 4(1), 23-39.
UNESCO. (1996). Declaration of the Seminar on Promoting Independent and Pluralistic Arab Media, Sana’a: Yemen, 7-11 January 1996. Washington, DC: United Nations.
Lahlali, E. M. (2011). Contemporary Arab broadcast media. Edinburgh, UK: .Edinburgh University Press.
Mellor, N., Ayish, M., Dajani, N., & Rinnawi, K. (2011). Arab media: Globalization and emerging media industries. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.