Global communication models and formats: A case study of the sustenance of the media industry in the Arab world

Abstract

The aim of this study is to establish the correlation between the growth, diffusion and innovation of global media models and formats on the one hand and, on the other, the sustenance of the media industry in the Arab countries. Communication scholars maintain that global mass communication is a multifaceted phenomenon. This is reflected in the direct transmission and distribution of media channels, the spread of international media such as the BBC World Service, the creation of domestic media output and the foreign global formats and genres that are tailored to suit domestic audiences. This study utilizes the theoretical development approach. The conceptual framework underpinning this study focuses on different approaches to development media theory. It maintains that global media need to be analysed with new paradigms, positioning socio-economic indicators as core variables in the global media sphere.