A new publication co-edited by a Northwestern University in Qatar ( NU-Q) professor offers a comprehensive exploration of the media and culture landscape in the Middle East and the complex changes shaping the 21st century.
'The Handbook of Media and Culture in the Middle East', a new volume of Blackwell Global Handbooks in Media and Communication Research series, co-edited by Prof Joe F Khalil, associate professor in residence, NU-Q, features contributions from established and emerging scholars.
The new volume addresses a wide spectrum of topics, including the evolution of mainstream and alternative media, the contesting historical narratives within the Middle East, and pressing socio-economic and media-related debates.
“This volume is the first one dedicated to regional media and culture,” said Prof Khalil. “What sets it apart is its commitment to broadening the conventional scope of Middle East media research to include mass media, digital and social media, alternative media, and the arts.”
Notable contributions in the volume include an essay by Marwan M Kraidy, dean and CEO of NU-Q.
In the essay, Kraidy examines the concept of hybridity in Middle Eastern media and culture and its connections to globalisation and postcolonial theory, analysing how hybridity as a concept has shaped and transformed the cultural and media landscapes of the region.
Ilhem Allagui, professor in residence and director of the Journalism and Strategic Communication Programme, is the author of another contribution exploring the intricate dynamics of the advertising industry in the Middle East and North Africa region.
The chapter provides critical insights into the evolution and challenges of advertising practices in the region and how media tensions, local-global dynamics, and digital media are impacting and shaping the future of the industry.
The volume also includes an essay by Khalil examining expressions of resistance across the Middle East.
Prof Joe F Khalil
