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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "CMS 331"
COURSE NAME: "Media in the Arab World"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2017
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Donatella Della Ratta
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 6:00-7:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: COM 220
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course examines the various media systems, both news and entertainment, from the southern Mediterranean all the way to Iran through screenings of films and television programs from the region. The topics to be covered include the motion picture industry, news and entertainment media, including satellite TV, magazines, newspapers, internet, and alternative media and their role in the perception and practice of Middle Eastern politics and culture. Special emphasis will be put on questions of gender as well as the use of the media by social movements and the ways these transform the  institutional arrangements between the media, publics and governments, both nationally and transnationally.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This course examines visual media from across the Arabic speaking countries, particularly focusing on: Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Irak, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, and Tunisia. We will watch and reflect upon -- both orally and throughout assigned papers --  audiovisual material from the Region (translated into English) spanning from films, TV programs, news items, web-generated material, TV commercials, etc .

Topics to be covered include the motion picture industry, entertainment media, prominent all news channels such as Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, magazines, newspapers, internet, and alternative media and their role in the perception and practice of politics and culture within the Arab region, and in relation to the wider Middle East (Turkey, Iran, Israel).

Special emphasis will be put on the use of the media by terrorist groups such as ISIS and al Qaeda, and by the social movements erupted in 2011 known as the "Arab Spring"; and the ways in which both of them have transformed the institutional arrangements between the media, publics and governments, nationally and transnationally.

No previous background knowledge of the Arabic language or Islam is necessary.




LEARNING OUTCOMES:

LEARNING OUTCOMES: 

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1.      Critically analyze the interplay of media, publics, Islam, and the political process in the Arab region.

2.      Discuss and assess the role of media in national identity formation within all the countries analyzed in the      
         course, and their responses and adaptations to globalization. 

4.     Critically reflect on how different media sources provide political information in the Arab world, and how mass
         media affect the perception and practice of regional politics.

5.     Discuss and assess the institutional arrangements between different Arab governments and media systems.

6.     Critically analyze the geopolitics of media in the Arab region and discuss in-depth the political economy of the
        most prominent Pan Arab groups. 

7.     Critically analyze mass mediated terrorism, and how it has changed in relation to the rise of networked
        communications technologies.     

9.     Internalize how terrorist groups such as Al-Qaida and ISIS communicate, and critically reflect on their visual
        iconography and imagery.

10.   Discuss and analyze visual media generated during the so-called "Arab Spring" by street protesters and digital
        activists.

 

TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Midterm Classroom test with short answers and one essay question.20%
Attendance and participationAttendance and Participation (10%+15%): Attendance includes attending a mandatory session with the Library. Also see attendance requirements. Participation includes doing the assigned readings and actively contributing to class discussions. Each student (alone or in team with another, depending on total number of students) has to lead at least one group discussion during the semester based on the assigned readings.25%
Final research paper and presentationFinal research paper and presentation (25% + 10%): Students are required to write a research paper (3000-4500 words) that is appropriate to the course material. Detailed guidelines will be provided during the course. Each student will make an oral presentation based on the paper at the end of the semester.35%
Short reflection paper A short paper (1500 words) reflecting on a visual media analyzed during the course. 10%
Quiz Classroom quiz. 10%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course
BThis is a competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluate theory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture and reference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings, yet suffering from major errors or omissions.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:


-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS: 
Please note that the library session on citing (calendar will be provided) is mandatory and an absence will automatically lower your participation grade. 

Also please consider that more than 4 absences will automatically result in lowering your participation grade by one letter grade for each absence.

If you have a serious health problem which causes you to miss more classes than allowed here, please contact the Dean's Office.

Lateness: If unexcused, students more than 10 minutes late are marked as absent. Late arrival (less than 10 minutes) is marked as such, and 3 late arrivals are counted as one absence. 

Class procedure:  Please note that use of cell phones and laptops is strictly forbidden during class. Please make sure that your cell phone is turned off (and not just muted) when class starts. 
ACADEMIC HONESTY 
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

 


Week 1

Introduction and Course overview: general characteristics of Arab media systems


Reading

Selected readings from:

Rugh, William, “ Arab mass media: newspapers, radio, and television in Arab politics,” Praeger, Westport, 1-27.



Week 2

Transnational Broadcasting in the Arab world: historical overview (1960s-1980s)


Reading

Selected readings from:

Boyd, Douglas “ Broadcasting in the Arab world (a survey of electronic media in the Middle East)”, Iowa State University Press/Ames 3rd edition, 1999, 15-54.

Abu-Lughod, Lila “Islam and public culture. The politics of Egyptian television serials”, Middle East Report, January-February, 1993, 25-30.


Watching

Selected clips from Egyptian films


Week 3

Transnational Broadcasting in the Arab world: rise of Pan Arab networks (1990s-2010s)


Reading

Selected readings from:

Mellor, Noha; Rinnawi, Khalil; Dajani, Nabil & Ayish, Muhammad I. “ Arab Media: Globalization and Emerging Media Industries”, Polity Press, 2011

Sakr, Naomi, “Arab Television today”, I.B. Tauris, 2007


Watching

Selected clips from Pan Arab channels


Week 4

The Political Economy of Arab media: Ownership and Media Moguls


Reading

Selected readings from:

Della Ratta, Sakr, Skovgaard-Petersen (eds) “Arab Media Moguls”, I.B . Tauris 2015

Sakr, Naomi “Satellite realms. Transnational Television, Globalization & the Middle East”, I.B. Tauris, 2001



Week 5

Al Jazeera and the all-news revolution


Reading

Selected readings from:

Lynch, Marc “Voices of the new Arab public. Iraq, al Jazeera, and Middle East Politics today”, Columbia University Press 2007

Zayani, Mohamed and Sahraoui, Sofiane “The culture of Al Jazeera: inside an Arab media giant”, McFarland and Company, 2007


Watching

Selected clips from Al Jazeera's shows and news items; “The control room” (2004)


Week 6

Entertainment & TV Fiction in Arab Television

Reading

Selected readings from:

Kraidy, Marwan and Khalil, Joe “Arab media industries”, Palgrave, MacMillan, 2009

Kraidy, Marwan “Reality television and Arab politics. Contention in public life”, Cambridge University Press, 2010

Watching

Selected clips from entertainment programs and TV series



Week 7

Recap and Midterm exam



Week 8

Part I. A Changing Media Landscape in the post Arab Spring: news coverage, social media, and citizen journalism


Reading

Selected readings from:

Kraidy, Marwan, “The naked blogger of Cairo”, Harvard University Press 2016

al-Ghazzi, Omar “Citizen Journalism in the Syrian uprising: problematizing Western narratives in a local context”, Communication Theory, 2014

Snowdon, Peter, “The revolution
will be uploaded: Vernacular Video and the Arab Spring”, Culture Unbound 6, (2014): 401–429.


Watching

Selected coverage of the Arab Spring by Arabic all news channels and citizen journalists; “The square” (2013)



Week 9

Part II. A Changing Media Landscape in the post Arab Spring: Real-time TV Drama, from terrorism to the refugee crisis


Reading

Della Ratta, Donatella “Making Real-Time Drama: The Political Economy of Cultural Production in Syria’s Uprising”, The Annenberg School for Communication, Pennsylvania University, PARGC Press, PARGC Paper 2, Fall 2014

Della Ratta, Donatella “Dramas of the authoritarian state,” Middle East Report online, February, 2012

Salamandra, Christa “Prelude to an uprising: Syrian fictional television and socio-political critique”, Jadaliyya, May 17, 2012


Watching

Selected clips from post-2011 TV series


Week 10

Part I: Armed groups and terrorist organizations as media actors: from Al Qaeda to Isis


Reading

Winter, Charlie “Media Jihad: The Islamic State's Doctrine for Information Warfare”, Institute for Strategic Dialogue, 2017

Della Ratta, Donatella “ISIL and Western media: accidental allies?”, Al Jazeera English , 25 September 2014


Watching

Selected clips from al-Qaeda and ISIS propaganda (graphic material won't be shown)


Week 11

Part II: Armed groups and terrorist organizations as media actors: from Al Qaeda to Isis


Reading

Della Ratta, Donatella “Fighting ISIL through TV drama: the case of Black Crows”, Al Jazeera English, 19 June 2017

Khader, Jamil “On ISIL, Arab TV and post-ideological politics”, Al Jazeera English, 22 June 2017

Atran, Scott “ISIS is a revolution”, AEON, 2015


Watching

Selected clips from anti-extremism Arab TV series (“Beautiful Maidens” 2005, “Black Crows”, 2017), anti-ISIS Ramadan campaign from Zain (2017)


Week 12

Library workshop and classroom quiz



Week 13

Documentaries and independent filmmaking in the Arab world


Reading

Selected readings from Dickinson, Kay “Arab Cinema Travels: Transnational Syria, Palestine, Dubai and beyond”, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016

Della Ratta, Donatella “The unbearable lightness of images: unfinished thoughts on filming in contemporary Syria”, Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication, Volume 10, Issue 1-2, 2017.

Tarnowski, Stefan “What have we been watching? What have we been watching?”, Bidayyat, 2017

 

Watching

Selected clips from post-2011 independent documentaries from Syria, Egypt, Palestine; “The pixelated Revolution” (2012) Silvered Water : Syria's self portrait (2014)

 

Week 14

Paper presentations