Here is a video of my presentation this week at Waterloo’s Balsillie School of International Affairs on the latest chapter in the Arab media revolution. I discuss the mushrooming of citizen reporting in Syria, the formation of new internet media brands and the subsequent emergence of local news, a relatively novel concept across small towns and cities in the Middle East, even at a hyperlocal neighborhood level.
All these developments are producing a significant impact on political power–within the Syrian opposition for example–as well the spread of avenues for accountability, not just from Arab governments but also private Arab corporations, which have often acted with impunity in the absence of critical media coverage. In the Q and A following my talk with Dr. Bessma Momani, we cover both the problematic issues of these trends and the opportunities for future development in the continuing Arab media revolution.
