Temporary crackdown or reverting to the repressive norm? Jeffrey Black examines the politics and legal basis of recent actions against Egyptian journalists.

The Iranian television drama Narges was a smash hit in 2006, but the action wasn’t just on screen. Josie Delap examines the relationships between the stars’ on-air characters and their private personas, including a sex tape scandal that roiled the Iranian authorities.

“Shafik shows that cinema has enabled filmmakers and viewers to go through cathartic exercises to express dissatisfaction, grief, imaginary empowerment and solidarity, and argues that this artistic channel is especially important because Egypt lacks an adequate civil society,” writes Nesreen Khashan.

Josh Rushing’s Mission Al Jazeera is cookie-cutter "celebrity bio" whose analysis of Al Jazeera and other Arab media developments relies heavily on other scholars, says Tom Scudder.

Can a heavy web presence boost opposition electoral fortunes? Do individualistic bloggers make it impossible to deliver a coherent message? Pete Ajemian looks at the Internet strategies of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Action Front in Jordan.

While the strength of the writing and research varies by chapter, New Media and the New Middle East adds valuable data to a field where usage statistics and baseline information about audiences and advertising are virtually non-existent, says Book Reviews Editor Courtney C. Radsch.

Why was 2007 one of the deadliest years for Middle East reporters since World War II? Publisher and Co-Editor Lawrence Pintak looks back at a year of troubling trends for journalism in the region.

Jennifer Peterson tracks how traditional Sufi poetry is mixed and remixed into contemporary dance music heard widely on the streets of Cairo. Features video and audio examples.

BBC Monitoring Text of report by Hamas-backed newspaper Filistin website on 15 January [Report by Hadil Atallah: "Abu-Hashish: Abu-Khawsah's admission gives Filastin and the families of Al-Ishi and Abdu to institute legal proceedings against him"] Dr Hasan Abu-Hashish, director of the government media office and Information Ministry under secretary in …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by London-based newspaper Al-Hayat website on 15 January [Report by Muhammad Salah: "Race for Protest Against Bush's Visit"] Egyptian media outlets did not show much interest in following up President George Bush's tour of the region, or even information on the issues that he will …