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Alexandra Buccianti
  • London, London, City of, United Kingdom
... Le 30 ao??t 2008, pas moins de 85 millions de t??l??spectateurs arabes sont rest??s coll??s ?? leur petit ??cran pour l'??pisode final de Noor. Une s??rie venue de Turquie dont la diffusion dans ce pays par la cha??ne Kanal D,... more
... Le 30 ao??t 2008, pas moins de 85 millions de t??l??spectateurs arabes sont rest??s coll??s ?? leur petit ??cran pour l'??pisode final de Noor. Une s??rie venue de Turquie dont la diffusion dans ce pays par la cha??ne Kanal D, sous le titre originel de G??m??s (" argent ), avait pourtant peu ...
Over the past several years, the Arab world has been characterised by an increasingly polarised political discourse. ‘After the Arab uprisings: the prospects for a media that serves the public’ looks at the state of broadcast media in the... more
Over the past several years, the Arab world has been characterised by an increasingly polarised political discourse. ‘After the Arab uprisings: the prospects for a media that serves the public’ looks at the state of broadcast media in the region, four years after the 2011 uprisings. It focuses on one particular type of media outlets, national broadcasters. The paper argues that national broadcasters could have the potential to help bridge some of these social divides if these institutions can be reformed to serve public, rather than state, interests. To make this case, the briefing examines four countries undergoing political change - Libya, Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia – the potential and challenges for national broadcasters to play a role that is more explicitly geared towards social cohesion.
This chapter analyses progressive shifts in media consumption behaviours, production and distribution mechanisms in Arab media and in particular drama formats in light of the latest political developments and the rise of digital media.... more
This chapter analyses progressive shifts in media consumption behaviours, production and distribution mechanisms in Arab media and in particular drama formats in light of the latest political developments and the rise of digital media. While television remains the most watched medium, the “small screen” is increasingly challenged by the smaller screens of computers, tablets and mobile phones. The chapter first introduces traditional Arabic drama or musalsalat (plural) formats, which reigned over Arab television screens as early as the 1960s. It then focuses on technology’s impact on traditional storytelling and the introduction of Digital Interactive Storytelling (DIS) techniques by a new generation of drama creators, shifting the power towards more grassroots-based productions. Arab storytelling in the digital age introduces several DIS experiments including the Arab world’s first web drama, Shankaboot, as well as recent Syrian online productions such as Um Abdo al Halabiya.
It concludes by looking at new digital distribution platforms and consequently at the swift adaptation of piracy to more digital-savvy audiences.
Research Interests:
The “Arab Spring” brought global attention and scrutiny to the media of the Arab world. In helping to overturn decades of centralised political control, social media appeared – at first glance – to have fundamentally altered the rules of... more
The “Arab Spring” brought global attention and scrutiny to the media of the Arab world. In helping to overturn decades of centralised political control, social media appeared – at first glance – to have fundamentally altered the rules of the political game in the region. In the years since, it has become clear that the relationship between media – social, broadcast, public and private – and politics is more complicated.

A more pluralistic Arab media environment has undeniably led to an improvement in freedom of expression. But it has also simultaneously allowed the media to be increasingly co-opted in the service of narrow political interests in the region. This panel will explore the relationship between media and social cohesion in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings. It will look at how different types of media shape identity in the region and whether media can help communities overcome social divides or invariably pull them apart.

Panelists included:
Alexandra Buccianti, Project Manager, BBC Media Action and co-author of After the Arab Uprisings: Prospects for a Media that Serves the Public

Joyce Karam, Washington Bureau Chief, Al-Hayat Columnist

Marc Lynch, Professor of Political Science and International Relations, George Washington University and author of The New Arab Wars: Anarchy and Uprising in the Middle East

Sarhang Hamasaeed, Senior Program Officer, Middle East and North Africa Progam, U.S. Institute of Peace
Research Interests:
Presented at 19th DGAP New Faces Conference in Rabat, October 2013
Research Interests:
The political and economic instability since 2011 have triggered a shift in cinema-consumption patterns: demonstrations over the weekend, peaks in violence and temporary curfews but most importantly, people have less money to spend on... more
The political and economic instability since 2011 have triggered a shift in cinema-consumption patterns: demonstrations over the weekend, peaks in violence and temporary curfews but most
importantly, people have less money to spend on cinema. This has caused increasing pressure on an already dysfunctional cinema industry, one that is based on vertical integration (production
companies own distribution companies) and informal relationships. Fewer producers/distributors are willing to take the risk of investing in a socially and politically unstable environment.

In parallel, a new generation of film makers are challenging the traditional motors of media and cultural production in Egypt, with more grassroots-based productions using new technologies and
lower budgets. The availability of funds from Gulf film festivals and the revolution momentum have triggered international interest for this new wave of Egyptian films. Despite winning several awards
abroad, film-makers struggle to access the big screen at home. Moreover, film-makers face complex bureaucratic procedures requiring permits to shoot and screen their work, all governed by rigid censorship laws and vaguely formulated standards. I will analyse the impacts of these changes and how they steered films away from the big screen to smaller screens and virtual platforms in Egypt.
Research Interests: