Building Up the Arab Science Journalism Landscape

Abstract

Science journalism in the Arab world has passed through many ups and downs; this has been particularly true for the better part of the last decade. Science journalists and editors were initially optimistic that the opening of the media landscape ushered in by the uprisings of 2011 would provide the specialized field of science journalism with a badly needed renaissance. In many ways, the barriers inhibiting the growth and quality of science journalism in the region are similar to those faced elsewhere. The changes in consumption habits and shifts to digital media that have devastated legacy media institutions and forced many to substantially cut science reporting have also negatively impacted some of the most trusted sources of science reporting in the region. However, in many cases, the challenges facing science journalism in the region are unique to the Arab world, or at least manifest differently. The sociocultural, economic, and political contexts within which Arab science journalists operate have a sizable impact on what gets communicated and how. Religious and cultural particularities render certain topics taboo, a fact that lends to the dissemination of inaccurate information in some cases, and an absence of coverage in others. Self-censorship, an issue that plagues the media in many parts of the region, is also an issue with science reporting, and often leads to a lack of critical analysis or simple regurgitation of information provided by official sources.