The Kamal Adham Center for Television and Digital Journalism in the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the American University in Cairo (AUC) hosted a symposium on “Media and Politics” on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. The symposium, which brought together professors specialized in multiple scholarly disciplines, senior journalists, diplomats, and legal experts was organized by the Research and Publications Division of the center. International students from several countries, including Indonesia, South Africa, Malaysia, India, Chad, and Thailand, attended the event, which was extensively covered by Egyptian private and state-owned media outlets.

The symposium included discussions of several topics related to the current political landscape in the Middle East and the role of media, shedding light on recent political developments at both the local and global levels. Specifically, three themes were addressed: Media and religious extremism, media and regional security, and Egyptian media and foreign policy.

The event coincided with a massive wave of terrorism that has hit many parts of the world. Contemporary terrorist groups use social media and the Internet extensively to recruit new members, show their capabilities and send targeted messages to as many people as possible across the globe. Therefore, developing media strategies to combat terrorism is particularly critical at this historical juncture. Read the full report here.