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Findings of a pan-Arab study released yesterday show huge support for media regulation in Qatar and other countries in the region. |
A vast majority of adults who took part in the six-nation survey believe that entertainment content should be more regulated for romantic content (69%) and violence (74%).
Also, 68% feel films or other entertainment programmes should be banned altogether if they are found offensive.
The “Entertainment Media Use in the Middle East” survey was conducted by Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) in partnership with Doha Film Institute (DFI). It represents more than 6,000 face-to-face interviews with nationally representative samples from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia and the UAE.
The survey shows high region-wide concern about cultural preservation as well as a general embrace of international content.
For instance, 65% of residents in the six Arab countries want more content portraying their own culture and history.
At the same time, an almost equal number (66%) say people benefit from watching content from different parts of the world.
Meanwhile, 65% of adults in all countries believe that government oversight helps produce higher quality entertainment. The findings of the survey — pertaining to both media use and cultural attitudes — call into question a common perception that modernity and cultural preservation are at odds in the Arab world.
While 79% of respondents feel that more should be done to preserve cultural traditions, a nearly similar percentage (70%) agree with the statement that more should be done to integrate their respective cultures with modern society.
“These apparently contradictory findings really are not, but reflect how the Arab world is coping with globalisation and still grappling to preserve local culture,” said Everette E Dennis, dean and CEO of NU-Q.
“Understanding cultural attitudes around entertainment is as important to industry leaders and policymakers as viewership and other audience figures,” added Dennis.
“This research provides a base of knowledge for executives across all sectors, including entertainment, sport and children’s programming.”
The survey also showed that nearly half of women in the Arab world “binge-watch” TV series (49%), whether online or on television (where “binge-watching” is classified as viewing two or more episodes of a series in the same sitting). Only 31% of men surveyed do the same.
“This study is the first-of-its-kind in our region and we believe that the findings will be of great benefit to all sectors of the entertainment industry, from both a commercial and cultural standpoint,” said Abdulaziz al-Khater, CEO of DFI.
“What we see from these numbers is a growing demand for locally generated entertainment. The findings reinforce the idea that nurturing a thriving creative industry in our region is vital to enabling the creation of content that accurately reflects Arab culture.”
Meanwhile, 45% of Arabs in the countries surveyed say they watch US films.
While 71% of Arabs believe that Arab films and television are good for morality, 15% feel the same about films from the US.
Also, 34% feel that Hollywood films and television are harmful for morality and 35% are of the opinion that Hollywood films do not accurately portray life in the Arab world, the survey reveals.
Another key finding is that 58% of adults listed comedy as one of their favourite types of film — more than any other genre. NU-Q and DFI launched the collaborative effort in November.
On May 5, the Qatar-specific findings will be discussed in detail at the Qatar Media Industries Forum, an NU-Q initiative that brings together Qatar’s leading media executives to discuss key issues in Qatari and regional media industries.
The survey, conducted in collaboration with Harris Poll, builds on a similar study focusing on news and information media use in the Arab world, released by NU-Q in the spring of 2013 (menamediasurvey.northwestern.edu).
The study was conducted from January 27-February 26, yielding 6,035 face-to-face interviews with nationally representative samples of people aged 18 years or over from the six Arab countries.
The participants answered questions on a wide range of topics, including the role of entertainment media in their lives and related cultural attitudes.
A more detailed summary of the methodology, sample and weighting can be found at mideastmedia.org
