The information dimension of the Middle East conflicts

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problems of the Middle East conflicts from the point of view of the development of the information society and the increasing influence of digital technologies. The author focuses on the problem of propaganda, censorship and the development of the free media in the Middle East conflict zones. The problem of regional conflicts` “informatization” and the “information wall” phenomenon is examined in the article. An attention was paid on a duality of informational influence upon the Middle East conflicts. On the one hand, the influence of mass media within the conflicting state is increasing. In fact, the national press determines the assessment of the outcome of the war. On the other hand, there is an effect of an “information wall” between the warring parties, which cuts off communications between the antagonists and hinders diplomatic ways of resolving the situation. Two different trends are taking place in the Middle East were researched in the article. Some states, such as Qatar or Oman, are trying to become information centers, their mass media are becoming very influential either in the Arab world, or all over the planet. Other states tends towards the complete censorship and control. the “packaged journalism” during the Middle East conflicts was described in the paper. “Packaged journalism” means unequal working conditions for journalists. Such circumstances cause an uneven review of events in favor of specific conflict side. The conclusions state that the degree of informatization of the societies of the Middle East directly affects the intensity of conflicts and determines their outcome. In its further perspectives, studies of the information dimension of conflicts reveal the prospects of analysis and practical conclusions regarding the expansion of peacekeeping activities and the possibilities of reducing the intensification of crisis situations in the world.