Untold stories: Arab media provision for children

Centre for Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Seminar Series 2017/18

• Speaker: Professor Naomi Sakr (University of Westminster)
• Title: Untold stories: Arab media provision for children

Monday 29 January 2018, 12:00-14:00 in ERI 144. All welcome!

Abstract

Is there anything more to screen content for Arabic-speaking children than imported cartoons? To judge from some of the leading TV channels in the Arab region, investment in any other kind of programming seems very limited. Is it really the case that local production is underfunded or are there other factors at work? And what could the current landscape imply in terms of children’s critical engagement with their surroundings and their views of the world? This lecture, based on three years of research funded by the UK Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC), reviews the political economy of screen media for children in the Arab region, comparing approaches to economic challenges and programming options, to reveal areas of over-abundance as well as significant gaps.