‘The Blood’ and ‘The Bang-Bang’: A Freelancer in Syria
FRANCESCA BORRI, TABSIR: The demands of the editors are depressingly obvious and there is little interest in explaining context.
‘Safe to Speak’ For Journalists in the Middle East? Not Yet.
MICH CAFE: I’ve personally known several journalists who have been assassinated. It’s still a very dangerous occupation in the Middle East.
Photo of the Year: One Tender Moment in Gaza
RICHARD SILVERSTEIN: Time Magazine has chosen its ‘Photo of the Year’ and it is a moment of great sadness during the recent onslaught on Gaza
An Iraqi Icon: Fadhil Al-Azzawi Reviews His Career
AMIRA ABD EL-KHALEK, CGNEWS: He is one of the Arab World’s most revered authors and recently looked back on his life of writing.
‘Major Boost’ for Moroccan English Language Media
THE VIEW FROM FEZ: The story of English language media in Morocco is not a happy one. The arrival of a new title though is cause for hope
Thomas Friedman: PR Guy for the Israeli Government?
DANIEL M. VARISCO: Another one eyed piece from Mr Friedman. Is it too much to ask that he simply recognises the realities of Palestinian life?
‘Reprehensible’ Media Coverage of Gaza Attack
MONDOWEISS: The coverage of the Gaza attack by mainstream media has invoked the outrage of leading academics and commentators on Middle East affairs
Beirut Bomb: ‘Mainstream Media’ Becomes Social Media
ALEXANDER MCNABB: It’s the first time I’ve witnessed the so-called established media diving head first into the social media whirl. It sets a dangerous precedent.
Two Syrian Female Activists Receive Global Recognition
MICH CAFE: One is a lawyer and human rights activist the other is a leading author but the bravery of both women has been acknowledged by a wider audience
The UAE’s ‘Blue Pencil’: A Much Lighter Touch
ALEXANDER MC NABB: My recent experience of being, ah, ‘moderated’ is a far cry from my experiences over the past 25 years
Oqda: “I Will Film Until My Last Breath”. He Did.
MICH CAFE: Abdelkareem al-Oqda was a Syrian blogger and citizen journalist who exposed the horrors of the Syrian revolution and for that he has been killed.
Turbanned, Bearded and Angry: Western Media on Islam
DANIEL M. VARISCO: The Newsweek cover this week is lazy and sensationalist. Not a lot has changed since Edward Said wrote a famous essay 30 years ago.
So What Is the Future of Political Blogging in Egypt?
NADINE EL SAYED: The names of once marginalised voices have entered the mainstream in Egyptian political discourse. But do they have a long term future?
New Regulation: Goodbye Free Speech in Jordan
NASEEM TARAWNAH: Internet censorship is coming soon to Jordan and coming in a big way. What can any of us do?
Syria: We All Have 20:20 Vision in Hindsight
SYRIA NEWS WIRE: Eight years ago the prevailing opinion about the future of Syria was optimistic. A British journalist knew better than everyone apparently
MidEast Journalism: Whatever it Was, It Never Happened
CROSSROADS ARABIA: These stories serve as a useful reminder: Be very skeptical about any reporting coming out of the Middle East.
Twitter: Shoddy Journalism on the Cheap
ALEXANDER MCNABB: When you’ve got people actually there tweeting, you don’t have to be there to report on it, do you?
Playing ‘Cat and Mouse’ with the Syrian Army
NEWS FROM SYRIA: VICE Magazine has been spending some time with the Free Syrian Army. Will their reporting divide opinion once again?
Furore Over New Moroccan Media Rules
THE VIEW FROM FEZ: An attempt by Islamists to mould the Moroccan media in its own image?
‘Mischief Afoot’: Regulation of Saudi Journalists Is ‘Wrong’
CROSSROADS ARABIA: How can civil servants judge whether a journalists is being ‘professional’? The simple answer is they can’t
