Media Systems in the Muslim World

International Communication Systems, COM 562

Winter 2006

Monday and Wednesday, 9:30-11:20

Room #321 Communications Building

Dr. Philip N. Howard

pnhoward@u.washington.edu

Department of Communication

University of Washington

Room #227, Communications Building

Enrollment:  15 Maximum

Office Hours:  MW 11:30-1:20 or by appointment

Class Website:  http://faculty.washington.edu/pnhoward/mms/mms.html

INTRODUCTION

This course, about media systems in the Muslim world, will be grounded in country case study research because of the significantly diverse range of cultures and institutions that constitute this contemporary category of “Muslim world”. Depending on the country context, communications technologies are simultaneously a tool for social development and a tool for propaganda—domestic or foreign. This discussion will be complex, employing critical cultural theory about how we constitute otherness in our foreign policy and in research itself, employing traditional theories of international communication and development to explain diversity in media systems across the Muslim World, and employing contemporary theories about media effects and political communication in domestic contexts.

We will explore several related questions. Comparatively, how are different kinds of communication technology used across Muslim countries? What defines a media system, in particular national contexts or across cultures? What is the digital divide, and what does it mean in the context of international development and the limited capacity of political, economic, and cultural institutions? How have new media technologies like the Internet and wireless communication tools been used to ‘leapfrog’ over the development problems faced by other countries? What are the constraints and capacities of the institutions of the free press, with specific reference to organizations such as arab media (Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Al Manar)? How transportable are these successful technology projects to other parts of the world? This course will be run as a workshop. Students are encouraged to share their critical insights on development and communication so as to help all of us understand specific theoretical questions about the relationship between cultures, communication and development. This class has several specific goals:

· to understand the role of communication technology in local, national, and regional development in Muslim countries and communities;

· to understand the different theoretical perspectives on technology and community from different disciplines by applying them in comparative methods.

· to critically assess these theories, applying them in a personal research project or case study of selected by the student.

Although this course has no formal prerequisites, students with at least one substantive course and one methods course in the political, social or communication sciences will be best prepared for the pace and expectations of this course.

TEACHING METHOD

This class will be a workshop in which the instructor, students, and guest lecturers can present ideas about the conduct of politics online.  The lectures will make reference to development problems and prospects around the world, but we will always try to return to the three country cases at hand -- India, Indonesia and China. We will often talk about current events in class, so you should start listening for news items related to course topics and our three country case studies.  Each class will probably start off with people sharing relevant clippings or news stories read (New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Economist Magazine recommended) or heard (NPR or BBC recommended) during the week. I will lead the discussion in the first half of each meeting, and students will be responsible for leading discussion during the second half of each meeting. Students will finish the course with a good reference packet of notes, reviews, and other handouts. E-mail will be used to conduct class business and carry on debates outside of class time.  Since irregular attendance will disrupt our learning community, unexplained absences will affect your grade

EVALUATION

Students will be evaluated by their degree of participation in class discussions (10%), short position papers on the readings and a community member interview assignment (30%), and a personal research project to be negotiated with each student (60%). Each student should do two position papers during the class, and they should come to me electronically the night before our meeting so that I can photocopy the paper for the other members of our group. Here is an example of what such position papers might look like.

I will not mark for grammar but if it impedes my ability to understand your arguments your grade will suffer, so it is a good idea to have at least one other person proofread your writing.  Use William Strunk, Jr., and E. B. White, The Elements of Style (New York:  Macmillan, 1979) for writing style questions.  The University of Washington has a number of resources to help with writing style, and they are described online at http://depts.washington.edu/uwrite/.  Howard Becker’s Writing for Social Sciences also has advice on developing good writing habits.  Citations should be formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style.  Please refer to the University of Washington’s “Principles Regarding Academic Integrity” for the definitions and consequences of plagiarism. The late penalty is 1% per day off the final grade, but this penalty can be waived with proof of medical reasons for not completing assignments on time.

REQUIRED READINGS AND MEETING PLAN

Week 1: Defining Others, Defining Ourselves

Documentary: Edward Said on Orientalism.

Said, Edward. Orientalism. New York: Vintage, 1979.

Week 2: What Does it Mean to Study Culture Critically?

Haraway, Donna. "Teddy Bear Patriarchy: Taxidermy in the Garden of Eden, New York City, 1908-36." In Primate Visions : Gender, Race and Nature in the World of Modern Science. New York: Routledge, 1990.

Parks, M.R. "Where Does Scholarship Begin?" American Journal of Communication 1, no. 2 (1998).

Schudson, Michael. "Paper Tigers: A Sociologist Follows Cultural Studies into the Wilderness." Lingua Franca: The Review of Academic Life 7, no. 6 (1997): 49-56.

Walther, J. B. "Interpersonal Effects in Computer-Mediated Interaction: A Relational Perspective." Communication Research 19 (1992): 52-90.

Week 3: Western Values of Political Communication

Al-Makaty, S. S. "Attitudes toward Advertising in Islam." Journal of Advertising Research 36, no. 3 (1996): 16-26.

Al-Obaidi, Jabbar. "Communication and the Culture of Democracy: Global Media and Promotion of Democracy in the Middle East." International Journal of Instructional Media 30, no. 1 (2003): 97.

Amin, H. "Freedom as a Value in Arab Media: Perceptions and Attitudes among Journalists." Political Communication 19, no. 2 (2002): 125-35.

Boyd, D. A. "Radio and Television Audience Research in the Middle East: Why Don't the Arabs Do It?" Communication 13, no. 1 (1987): 13-28.

Ghaffari-Farhangi, S. "The Era of Global Communication as Perceived by Muslims." Gazette 60, no. 4 (1998): 267-80.

Hafez, K. "Journalism Ethics Revisited: A Comparison of Ethics Codes in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Muslim Asia." Political Communication 19, no. 2 (2002): 225-50.

Keenan, K. L. "Public Relations in Egypt: Practices, Obstacles, and Potentials." In The Global Public Relations Handbook: Theory, Research, and Practice, edited by K. Sriramesh and D. Vercic, 179-97. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003.

Siddiqi, M. A. "Ethics and Responsibility in Journalism: An Islamic Perspective." Media Development 46, no. 1 (1999): 42-46.

Week 4: Building Theories about Cultural Consumption

Amin, H. Y., and D. A. Boyd. "The Impact of the Home Video -Cassette Recorder on Egyptian Film and Television Consumption Patterns." Communications 18, no. 1 (1993): 77-88.

Askoy, A., and K. Robins. "Thinking across Spaces: Transnational Television from Turkey." European Journal of Cultural Studies 3, no. 3 (2000): 343-65.

Ayish, M. I. "Political Communication on Arab World Television: Evolving Patterns." Political Communication 19, no. 2 (2002): 137-54.

Pasha, S. H. "Towards a Cultural Theory of Political Ideology and Mass Media in the Muslim World." Media, Culture & Society 15, no. 1 (1993): 61-79.

Schlesinger, P. "Islam, Postmodernity and the Media: An Interview with Akbar S. Ahmed." Media, Culture & Society 15, no. 1 (1993): 29-43.

Week 5: The Context of State Control

Kraidy, M. W. "State Control of Television News in 1990s Lebanon." Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly 76, no. 3 (1999): 485-98.

Lynch, Marc. "Beyond the Arab Street: Iraq and the Arab Public Sphere." Politics & Society 31, no. 1 (2003): 55.

Nisbet, E. C. "Public Diplomacy, Television News, and Muslim Opinion." Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics 9, no. 2 (2004): 11-37.

Vaughan, J. "Propaganda by Proxy? Britain, America, and Arab Radio Broadcasting, 1953-1957." Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television 22, no. 2 (2002): 157-72.

Vogt, A. "Regulation and Self-Regulation: The Role of Media Commissions and Professional Bodies in the Muslim World." Political Communication 19, no. 2 (2002): 211-23.

Sakr, Naomi. "Seen and Starting to Be Heard: Women and the Arab Media in a Decade of Change." Social Research 69, no. 3 (2002): 821.

Week 6: North Africa

Gueye, Cheikh. "New Information & Communication Technology Use by Muslim Mourides in Senegal." Review of African Political Economy 30, no. 98 (2003): 609.

Newsom, V. A., and L. Lengel. "The Power of the Weblogged Word: Contained Empowerment in the Middle East North Africa Region." Feminist Media Studies 3, no. 3 (2003): 360-63.

Sakr, N. "Frontiers of Freedom: Diverse Responses to Satellite Television in the Middle East and North Africa." Javnost: The Public 6, no. 1 (1999): 93-106.

Week 7: Middle East and Gulf States

Boyd, D. A. "Home Video Diffusion and Utilization in Arabian Gulf States." American Behavioral Scientist 30, no. 5 (1987): 544-55.

Boyd, D. A. "Lebanese Broadcasting: Unofficial Electronic Media During a Prolonged Civil War." Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 35, no. 3 (1991): 269-87.

Boyd, D. A., and M. Asi. "Transnational Radio Listening among Saudi Arabian University Students." Journalism Quarterly 68, no. 1/2 (1991): 211-15.

Boyd, D. A. Broadcasting in the Arab World: A Survey of the Electronic Media in the Middle East, 3rd Ed. Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1999.

Hudson, J. C., and S. Swindel. "Television News in Saudi Arabia." Journalism Quarterly 65, no. 4 (1988): 1003-06.

Mowlana, Hamid. ""Middle East Mass Communications: Selected Information Sources."" Journal of Broadcasting 21, no. 4 (1977): 497-510.

Nasser, M. K. Egyptian Mass Media under Nasser and Sadat: Two Models of Press Management and Control. Columbia, SC: AEJMC, 1990.

Week 8: 9/11 and Al-Jazeera

Documentary: The Control Room

Bahry, Louay Y. "The New Arab Media Phenomenon: Qatar's Al-Jazeera." Middle East Policy 8, no. 2 (2001): 88.

Diamond, M. "No Laughing Matter: Post-September 11 Political Cartoons in Arab/Muslim Newspapers." Political Communication 19, no. 2 (2002): 251-72.

Gentzkow, Matthew A, and Jesse M Shapiro. "Media, Education and Anti-Americanism in the Muslim World." The Journal of Economic Perspectives 18, no. 3 (2004): 117.

O'Donnell, W. M., and S. W. Farnsworth. "Prime Time Hostages: A Case Study of Coverage During Captivity." Political Communication and Persuasion 5, no. 4 (1988): 237-48.

Week 9: Student Presentations

Week 10: Student Presentations

ALTERNATIVE READINGS

Week X: Other Regions - Central Asia

Week X: Other Regions - South Asia

Week X: Other Regions - Oceana

Week X: Television Media

Rugh, W. A. The Arab Press: News Media and Political Process in the Arab World. New York: Syracuse University Press, 1979.

Boyd, D. A., and A. M. Najai. "Adolescent Tv Viewing in Saudi Arabia." Journalism Quarterly 61, no. 2 (1984): 295-301.

Boyd, D. A. Broadcasting in the Arab World. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1982.

Robert Hefner, Civil Islam (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000), ISBN: 0691050473 - $19.95

Shaheen, J. G. "Perspectives on the Television Arab." In Image Ethics: The Moral Rights of Subjects in Photographs, Film, and Television, edited by L. Gross, J. S. Katz and J. Ruby, 203-19. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.

Zaharna, R. S. "Understanding Cultural Preferences of Arab Communication Patterns." Public Relations Review 21, no. 3 (1995): 241-55.

Week X: Presentation of the West to the Muslim World

Adnan, M. H. H. "Mass Media and Reporting Islamic Affairs." Media Asia 16, no. 2 (1989): 63-70.

Week X: Presentation of the Muslim World to the West

Shapiro, Samantha. "The War inside the Arab Newsroom." New York Times Magazine, January 2 2005.

Week X: Muslim Communities in the United States

Al-Deen, H. S. N. "Trends in Cross-Generational Communication among Arab Americans." In Cross-Cultural Communication and Aging in the United States, edited by H. S. N. Al-Deen, 83-96. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997.

Mandaville, P. "Reimagining Islam in Diaspora: The Politics of Mediated Community." Gazette 63, no. 2/3 (2001): 169-86.s

Week X: Muslim Communities Around the World

Avraham, E., G. Wolfsfeld, and I. Aburaiya. "Dynamics in the News Coverage of Minorities: The Case of the Arab Citizens of Israel." Journal of Communication Inquiry 24, no. 2 (2000): 117-33.

Avraham, E. "Press, Politics, and the Coverage of Minorities in Divided Societies: The Case of Arab Citizens in Israel." Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics 8, no. 4 (2003): 7-26.

First, A. "The Fluid Nature of Representation: Transformations in the Representation of Arabs in Israeli Television News." Howard Journal of Communications 13, no. 2 (2002): 173-90.

Oren, T. G. "The Belly Dancer Strategy: Israeli Educational Television and Its Alternatives." Media, Culture & Society 25, no. 2 (2003): 167-86.

Turner, G. "After Hybridity: Muslim-Australians and the Imagined Community." Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies 17, no. 4 (2003): 411-18.

Week X: New Media in the Muslim World

Al Shehri, Fayez, and Barrie Gunter. "The Market for Electronic Newspapers in the Arab World." Aslib Proceedings 54, no. 1 (2002): 56.

Ayish, M. I. "Media Convergence in the United Arab Emirates: A Survey of Evolving Patterns." Convergence: The Journal of Research Into New Media Technologies 9, no. 3 (2003): 77-89.

Barzilai-Nahon, Karine, and Gad Barzilai. "Cultured Technology: Internet and Religious Fundamentalism." The Information Society 21, no. 1 (2005).

Ghareeb, Edmund. "New Media and the Information Revolution in the Arab World: An Assessment." The Middle East Journal 54, no. 3 (2000): 395.

Hanley, Delinda C. "The New Arab Media, Satellite Tv, and the Internet." The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs XVIII, no. 4 (1999): 116.

McLaughlin, W. S. "The Use of the Internet for Political Action by Non-State Dissident Actors in the Middle East." First Monday 8, no. 11 (2003).