Bullets and Bulletins ─ Media and Politics in the Wake of the Arab Uprisings

Bullets and Bulletins: Media and Politics in the Wake of the Arab Uprisings takes a sobering and holistic look at the intersections between media and politics before, during, and in the reverberations of the Arab uprisings. The strength of this volume lies in its multi-disciplinary approach to the topic, with the research backed up by in-depth and rigorous case studies of the key countries of the Arab Spring. The uprisings were accompanied by profound changes in the roles of traditional and new media across the Middle East. What added significantly to the amplification of demands and grievances in the public spheres, streets, and squares, was the dovetailing of an increasingly indignant population-ignited by the prospects of economic and political marginalization-with high rates of media literacy, digital connectivity, and social media prowess. This combination of political activism and mediated communication turned popular street protests into battles over information, where authorities and activists wrestled with each other over media messages. Information and communication technologies were used by both government authorities and protestors as simultaneous tools for silencing or amplifying dissent. Bullets and Bulletins offers original insights and analysis into the role of traditional and new media in what is undoubtedly a most critical period in contemporary Middle Eastern history.

Mohamed Zayani is an Associate Professor of Critical Theory at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar. His works include Networked Publics and Digital Contention (2015), The Culture of Al Jazeera (2007) and The Al Jazeera Phenomenon (2005). Suzi Mirgani is manager and editor for publications at the Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar.