Scroll down for the Arabic abstract. Due to the rapid technological and scientific advances nowadays, the need to improve scientific literacy has become increasingly important for Arab citizens. YouTube is a Web 2.0 video-sharing platform, widely used by ordinary citizens-called “YouTubers”- to increase the public's interest in science and science …
Read More »Applying the Four Models of Science Journalism to the Publics’ Interaction with Coronavirus News
Abstract Since the outbreak of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, the news has been covering its rapid developments by the minute, while feeding the eager publics the information they seek regarding its origin, health-threats, symptoms, preventative measures, and global impact. It is thus of pressing importance, to track the Egyptian …
Read More »Communicating Science in the New Media Environment: The Advancement of Science Literacy
“Science literacy is the artery through which the solution of tomorrow’s problems will flow” - Neil deGrasse Tyson Abstract Science is the social foundation that encompasses all facets of life, from educating individuals, to allowing them to make informed decisions in their daily lives. Science is ultimately our way of …
Read More »The Earth Turns and the World has Changed: Egyptian and Arab Science Journalism in the Digital Age
Abstract Science journalism in Egypt reflects the way science is taught, perceived and practiced in the country. Online publications cover science and technology in different ways. Yet, all of them rely on translators as most of the science stories are sourced from foreign outlets. This paper looks at how science …
Read More »The Reality and Challenges of Scientific Journalism in the Arab World (Arabic)
Scroll down for the Arabic abstract. Despite its early onset in the Arab world in the nineteenth century, science journalism is, nowadays, facing different challenges that hinder its role in contributing to the sustainable development and prosperity of our society. The main pillars of science journalism are professionalism, accuracy, reliability …
Read More »BOOK REVIEW | OUR WOMEN ON THE GROUND
What was it like to be a woman over there?” Hannah Allam recounts being frequently asked of her time reporting from Iraq in the first essay of Our Women on the Ground. The collection of essays by female journalists, edited by Lebanese-British journalist Zahra Hankir, provides an account of “life …
Read More »BOOK REVIEW | America & Islam: Lawrence Pintak’s Holy Grail?
Award-winning journalist-cum-academic Lawrence (Larry) Pintak has been on a mission for years trying to explain Islam to Americans, with his latest volume nailing it in the age of hysterical xenophobia and white supremacy. The cover of America and Islam: Soundbites, Suicide Bombs and the Road to Donald Trump sets the …
Read More »Film Review | Watching “Us” in the Middle East
“Us,” Jordan Peele’s newly released horror film, raises questions about American identity that will appear very different to viewers outside the United States. Peele has claimed that “Us” aims to hold up a mirror to American society, showing “us” how “we are our worst enemies.” But for international viewers, especially …
Read More »Book Review | Preaching Islamic Renewal: Religious Authority and Media in Contemporary Egypt
The impacts of new media have long fascinated scholars of contemporary Muslim societies. Beginning from the premise that new media configurations portend the “fragmentation” of religious authority (Eickelman and Anderson 1999; Anderson 2003), such works often display a curious mix of euphoria and anxiety about the “democratizing” potential of new …
Read More »Marathon TV Watching among Emiratis in the Interactive Media Environment
Abstract The study investigates the habits of binge TV watching—also called marathon TV watching—among a sample of Emiratis. It refers to watching consecutive episodes of a series in one setting for several hours. The research examines the expected outcomes for binge-watching and the possibilities of anticipating regret after such activity, …
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