Centre for Global Media and Communication, sitting in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, welcomes you to engage you in critical debates about the contemporary moment, which is increasingly defined by crises, conflict, divisions, populism, confusion, panic, mistrust in political institutions and, importantly, a breakdown of communication in a digitally connected global world. In this blog, we at CGMC – staff, students and friends – will talk about what we do
The Department of Media Studies, in collaboration with Al-Jazeera Media Network, and SOAS student society Islaah Collective had the honour of hosting Wael Al-Dahdouh, the former Al-Jazeera’s Bureau Chief in Gaza, for a public lecture at which the award-winning Palestinian journalist reflected on the demands of war journalism and the high price Palestinian journalists face reporting under constant death threats and military targeting by Israel. In his moving conversation with
Why I Chose to Study MA Global Media and Digital Communications at SOAS Lilato Madiri Since 2017, I have been working in community management, building digital networks and nurtured spaces for brands across various industries—engaging people at the intersection of culture, communication, activism, and commercialisation. Looking back now, this involvement gave me first-hand experience of how digital media and online communities were reimagining the structures of voice, visibility, and power.
Author: Nada Kabbary, Media Researcher and Chevening Scholar @ King’s College, Digital Humanities Amidst a substantial economic crisis and preparations for a presidential election scheduled for December 2023, the Egyptian state was primarily focused on cultivating a favourable image of its primary candidate while suppressing potential contenders that posed a threat to its power. This strategic manoeuvre aimed to facilitate President El-Sisi’s pursuit of a third term in office. However,
In 2018, Egypt passed a new law criminalising the publication of online content deemed “fake news”. Since then, the issue of disinformation has been conveniently invoked to legitimise state control over the media and further securitise the online space. Human rights advocates reported that Sisi’s war on disinformation is used to reassert the agenda of national security. This became particularly obvious in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, during which
Misinformation – whether deliberately harmful or unintentionally misleading – is nothing new. Political actors have always competed for attention and legitimacy by strategically framing their narrative, occasionally distorting the facts or counteracting alternative versions of the truth. The term ‘disinformation’ however became somewhat of a buzzword in recent years (Bennett and Livingston, 2018). In today’s media environment, the debate surrounding this issue specifically pertains to unverified or misappropriated claims as
SOAS MA Media and the Middle East graduate Nadine Sayegh comments on the latest Marvel comic For Marvel comic fans, the introduction of the new character ‘Sabra’, announced last weekend at the D23 Expo held in Anaheim, California, generated considerable discussion, particularly because the comic introduces Israeli actress Shira Haas cast as ‘Sabra’ in the upcoming Captain America franchise, New World Order. Discussions ranged from the title of the film
Dina Matar[1] The ongoing public controversy around the use of Spotify by podcast host Joe Rogan to spread misinformation and false claims about Covid vaccines has sparked fresh concerns about the role of Big Tech in spreading misinformation and fake news, the assumed power these networks have in changing or influencing social and political attitudes and the need to regulate their content. The controversy escalated last week as several high-profile
Race and the media; is more regulation the answer? Dina Matar, Centre for Global Media and Communication[1] The highly publicized incidents of virulent British racial abuse against young black football players following the defeat of the English team in the Euro 2020 championship at the weekend, and reactions to these abuses, are not new. Indeed, in February this year, online racist abuse also aimed at Black football players provoked a
Dr Massoumeh Torfeh examines the latest controversy in the Iranian media scene and its impact on the upcoming elections in Iran in a new post for TRT World linked here image credit: “File:Mohammad Javad Zarif 2014.jpg” by Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äusseres is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Dina Matar, Chair, Centre for Global Media and Communication The story of the popularity of the audio chatroom app. Clubhouse, in the Middle East seems to follow a well-trodden route – the platform is launched in the region and elsewhere; the app is quickly taken up by users eager to talk about anything- from what to wear in Zoom calls to discussions of taboo topics, such as honour killings in
