Seib, P. (2017). As Terrorism Evolves: Media, Religion and Governance. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. USC journalism professor Philip Seib has done a great service for those who follow media-driven events connected with terrorism inspired by Middle East- and Africa-based terror groups that have, for many, become household names, such …
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Sources of Resilience in Political Islam: Sacred Time, Earthly Pragmatism, and Digital Media
Patience. [The member] should have plenty of patience for enduring afflictions if the enemies overcome him. He should not abandon this great path and sell himself and his religion to the enemies for his freedom. He should be patient in performing the work, even if it lasts a long time. …
Read More »Challenges for U.S. Public Diplomacy in the Age of Trump
American diplomats responsible for public diplomacy working in the Middle East have always faced a number of challenges. Most arise from criticisms of U.S. policy; for example, the Arab-Israeli conflict, American intervention in Iraq, or the US posture toward the civil war in Syria. In today’s climate, such substantive criticisms …
Read More »Lost in Discourse: The Mass Media’s Role in Creating Trump and Right-Wing Populism
This article is based on a talk given at the London School of Economics and Political Science on November 18, 2016. Europe is currently facing severe political challenges, some of which seem to be connected. Take for example, the refugee crisis and the rise of right wing populism in countries …
Read More »REVIEW | Islam for Journalists (And Everyone Else)
Most American journalists probably know little about covering Islam accurately, fairly, ethically and contextually amid rising levels of xenophobia, hate speech and “fake news” in the U.S., but help is on the way. In 1980, I arrived in Beirut as CBS News Middle East correspondent. My qualifications for covering this complex …
Read More »Creative Insurgency and the Celebrity President: Politics and Popular Culture from the Arab Spring to the White House
Read an excerpt of Marwan Kraidy's latest book The Naked Blogger of Cairo here. On Tuesday, December 6, 2016, a strange sight appeared on Rabin Square in Tel Aviv. Close to city hall, passersby saw a four-meter high gilded statue of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a suit, legs firmly planted …
Read More »PODCAST | A Just State? A Look Inside the Tyranny of ISIS
Mara Revkin, PhD candidate in Political Science at Yale University, unveils the legal structure, recruitment, and media management of the infamous yet understudied so-called Islamic State (ISIS). As part of her research, she has conducted interviews with defectors and individuals who have escaped ISIS occupied territory. She has also interacted with active members. In the podcast, Revkin explains the legal structures of ISIS and why it is appealing to followers.
Read More »Coup Bid in Turkey Reported Live on Social Media Despite Blockages
July 16, 2016—Despite restricted access to social media sites, Turkey’s attempted military coup exploded across Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube late last night.
Read More »Thinking and Writing About Terrorism: Reflections on an Uncertain World
I am writing a book that will be called Confronting Terrorism. It examines the evolution of terrorism that culminates, for now, in the Islamic State’s ability to hold and “govern” substantial amounts of territory. This requires me to immerse myself in both the literature of terrorism and to view, from a distance, the nasty realities of this topic. I do not pretend to be as intimately involved as are the people who must live under terrorism’s darkest shadows every day. But I think a lot about how terrorism’s presence changes our world...
Read More »BOOK EXCERPT | Media Power and Global Television News: The Role of Al Jazeera English
In her recent book, Seba Bebawi assesses the veracity of Al Jazeera English's self-proclaimed role as a radical "counter-balance" to mainstream global media. She demonstrates a nuanced understanding of modern media through direct narrative comparisons of the same events covered by Al Jazeera English and by other media outlets.
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