Media concentration in the Arab world. Difficult experiences for the sake of Pluralism, mostly frustrating. A look at Egypt, Tunisia and Syria after 2011.

 

By: Yara Hasan.

Media concentration is the ownership of the mass media by fewer individuals. Critics of this trend contend that media concentration threatens the marketplace of ideas and poses a threat to First Amendment freedoms.

 

Monopolistic ownership of the media, like state control of it, can pose a major threat to the diversity and pluralism of media, and thus to freedom of expression. Regulating competition is an important part of limiting monopoly, as is professionalism and the independence of the press. The diversity of forms of ownership contributes to the promotion of a plurality of viewpoints (public ownership, private, non-profit), as well as the provision of different types of media (print, radio, television, Internet, etc…)

 

The ability to widely disseminate information from a variety of different sources is essential to enriching people's knowledge. When the media, including newspapers and radio stations, is owned by several parties, we see that each of them criticizes the content of the other. On the other hand, the aggregation of media within joint ownership may hinder mutual criticism and instead result in a process of self-promotion.

 

A look into the Arab World:

The fact that Arab countries are lagging behind in their quest for democracy is evident during this year 2003. For decades, rulers have been in power who have denied their people any real opportunity to choose. Restrictive laws close to the absolute power of police forces ensure that no one-party or family dictatorships are ever challenged. The media is controlled by the state in order to calm public opinion and beat the drums of the corrupt and sick ruling clans. In Syria as well as in Tunisia and the rest of the Arab Mediterranean countries, state repression is daily news, and thus the Arab media is not the only victim of the lack of democracy in the Arab world.

 

In order to take advantage of the advancement of information technology and the new developments related to it, a new wave of internet sites that publish or transmit information to Arab viewers has sprung up in the past two years. These websites provide a new portal for the free flow of information, although they suffer from many restrictions and in some cases shutdowns by the authorities. In Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Syria and Jordan, governments are spending large sums of money and devoting a lot of expertise to disrupting opposition websites. In order to promote the values ​​of freedom of expression and create a free press, both journalists and the public need to be educated about what constitutes the pillars of freedom of expression. It includes the basic foundations that will provide a solid ground for achieving freedom of expression

 

With the different labels given to the media experience that was born with the start of the “Arab Spring” in Syria in 2011, such as “alternative”, “new”, “revolutionary” or “free” media, the emerging media share in transmitting other stories that take place away from what is reported by the official media, And the challenges facing its work, most notably the independence related to funding.

 

 

 

With the trend of Arab media outlets, which arose in a situation similar to the Syrian case with the outbreak of the “Arab Spring,” to search for funding methods that protect “professional independence.” The picture remains murky about the Syrian media’s ability to develop its means of financing to achieve the first goals for which it was born.

 

The forms of funding emerging Syrian media institutions after 2011 are reflected in the funding of governments, wealthy businessmen or donor organizations, and this was accompanied by doubts about political trends or “foreign agendas” and the views imposed by the funder on the medium.

 

Tunisia and Egypt are the most prominent and successful experiences in this field in recent years. Lebanon has historically been famous for its freedom of speech, due to the plurality of parties there, as each party has its own media platforms, which gives the opportunity for a greater number of votes. Syria is still very far from any field, because the media available inside Syria, which is controlled by the Syrian state, are completely affiliated with the Syrian government, while the other media affiliated with the opposition are affiliated with external funding bodies that often also have their own agendas.