Virtual Theme Collection: Journalism and Mass Communication Research in the MENA Region

The contribution of the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region to the communication research field has been hampered by a combination of socioeconomic and political/cultural challenges, including low literacy, regional conflicts, obsession with nation-building, and authoritarian systems. Even so, the Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (JMCQ) articles featured in this theme issue have used a remarkable range of methods including case studies, surveys, face-to-face reconstruction interviews, comparative content analysis focusing on two countries, and even a Q-methodology. The selected 10 manuscripts vary, each clearly grappling with an issue of interest within the MENA region and the research community. These include critical approaches to investigating the symbiotic relationships between media institutions and political and economic systems; perceptions of media credibility; the various influences on media professionals; and the impact of technological changes on media production and consumption.