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Censorship, Satellites, and Tech-Savvy Arabs: Media Revolutions and Social Transitions in the Arab World
Abstract
There has been an unprecedented transformation on the Arab street. The developments in Tunisia and Egypt have shaken up Arab governments and awakened the Arab people to new possibilities. For many of these states, the past decades have allowed for the establishment of interminably stable regimes. Leaders maintained an unwavering power through an absolute control over their public. Their clench over information and political expression has been critical in asserting their rule by completely silencing opposing views. Media control and censorship, therefore, were instrumental for these regimes in maintaining hegemony. State media systems soon found their competition as private Arabic satellite channels began emerging. These were privately owned stations that some Arab entrepreneurs established overseas. Unlike European and American satellite channels that reached Arab households, these stations brought viewers content in Arabic. Thus, broadcasting in a cultural language to which audiences could relate, these stations introduced alternative views from within the Arab circles to a growing number of satellite viewers in the region. The content of programs that these satellite channels introduced started a momentum of political debates in Arab communities. For the first time in the history of the region, Arab nationals gained access to media that provided them with a space for expression. State media were further undermined as people gained access to the Internet and social media. Essentially, new media leveraged debates on human rights, nationhood, and democracy in the Arab world. These electronic forums emerged as sites for voicing the rage and discontent that citizens harbored against state practices. Facebook communities, activist blogs, and Twitter feeds gave voice to a new generation that was otherwise condemned to silence and state censorship. With the proliferation of Internet and social media use, Arab governments needed to reconsider their ownership and management models. This paper surveys the history of broadcasts flows in Arab societies. It will follow the stages of transformation of media in the Arab world: from state instruments to public spheres. The paper will explore these media technologies and their contributions to the success of the Tunisian and Egyptian rebellions. The discussion will utilize a theoretical approach to understand the dynamics that govern these media practices and how new media have emerged as an infrastructure to mobilize for social action.
Discipline
Media Arts
Geographic Area
All Middle East
Sub Area
Arab Studies