In the pre-Arab Spring era, the predictable reporting of tame media giants publishing in Arabic and English reflected both political stasis and obedient editorial policies. As recently as 2006, students of Arabic in Cairo were glumly informed that “media Arabic is the key to an empty room”. No longer. Online broadcast and print journalism, blogs and social media have revolutionised how the region is reported and opened up a space for hundreds, if not thousands, of local and pan-regional websites, TV channels, forums and discussion groups.
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