Children's Tv And Digital Media In The Arab World (childhood, Screen Culture And Education)

By (author) Steemers, Jeanette + Sakr, Naomi; Edited by Sakr Naomi; Edited by Steemers Jeanette
Short description/annotation
Interdisciplinary guide to Arab Children''s TV and online media
Description
Who analyses children''s screen content and media use in Arab countries, and with what results? Children, defined internationally as under-18s, account for some 40 per cent of Arab populations and the proportion of under-fives is correspondingly large. Yet studies of children''s media and child audiences in the region are as scarce as truly popular locally produced media content aimed at children. At the very time when conflict and uncertainty in key Arab countries have made local development and diversification of children''s media more remote, it has become more urgent to gain a better understanding of how the next generation''s identities and worldviews are formed. This interdisciplinary book is the first in English to probe both the state of Arab screen media for children and the practices of Arabic-speaking children in producing, as well as consuming, screen content. It responds to the gap in research by bringing together a holistic investigation of institutions and leading players, children''s media experiences and some iconic media texts.With children''s media increasingly linked to merchandising, which favours US-based global players and globalizing forces, this volume provides a timely insight into tensions between differing concepts of childhood and desirable media messages.
Table of contents
Notes on ContributorsChildren''s Screen Content in the Arab World: An Introduction by Jeanette Steemers and Naomi Sakr Arab and Western Perspectives on Childhood and Children''s Media by Feryal Awan and Jeanette SteemersForces for Change in Arab Public Policy on Media and Children by Naomi SakrInsight 1: The EBU as a Transfer Hub for Media Policy by Helle Strandgaard Jensen4. Arab Animation Industries Between Business and Politics by Omar Adam SayfoInsight 2: Prominent Personalities and the Fortunes of Children''s Media in Egypt by Seham Nasser5. Rebranding Al-Jazeera Children''s Channel: The Qatarization Factor by Naomi Sakr and Jeanette Steemers6. A Channel for Every Child: Exploring a Parallel Arab Children''s Television Universe by Tarek Atia7. Gender Constructions in Music Video: The Curious Case of Mini Studio by Kirsten Pike and Joe Khalil8. Domesticating the ''Other'' on Children''s TV: The Cartoon Figure of Bakkar by Ehab Galal9. Representation of Language in Arab Media for Children by Atef AlshaerInsight 3: Educational priorities and language use in Shara''a Simsim by Daoud Kuttab10. Reading Children as Diasporic Audiences: Ethnographic Research among Young Arab Viewers in London by Tarik Sabry and Nisrine MansourNotes Bibliography Index
Review quote
''This book provides a synthesis of research and policy reports as well as professional views on producing children''s media in the MENA region. As such, it sheds new light on the role of policy, ideology as well as technology on children''s media output, covering various genres and case studies. The authors cover an impressive array of topics including media policies, representation of gender and national identity, and the choice of linguistic code used in children''s media. This is a well-written and well-argued book, which will be essential reading for students and scholars of Middle East studies.'' - Noha Mellor, Professor of Media, University of Bedfordshire
Biographical note
Naomi Sakr is Professor of Media Policy at the University of Westminster and former Director of the Arab Media Centre (part of the University of Westminster''s Communication and Media Research Institute).Jeanette Steemers is Professor of Culture, Media and Creative Industries at King''s College London.
Promotional headline
Interdisciplinary guide to Arab Children''s TV and online media