Numerous studies address the flow of information between nations and states - especially in the era of globalization - and its contribution to the development of relations across physical borders. By contrast, little attention has been paid to the circumstances under which parties in conflict initiate and build barriers to free flow of information. The conflict in the Middle East may serve as a test bed of controlled disruption of information flow, as covered in Reporting the Middle East: Challenges and Chances. Two parallel types of confrontations appear to take place in the Middle East: the actual physical conflict, and the 'war of words,' conducted via the media, with each side firing its own verbal missiles. Reporting the Middle East: Challenges and Chances aims to show that the media arena is a key element in understanding the Middle East conflict. Media coverage of Middle Eastern affairs remains critical, if only because of its power in determining sources of information, setting decision makers' agendas, and influencing management of the physical confrontation.

This book is a fascinating portrait of Israeli society as a mosaic of minorities and co-cultures. The articles are written by key Israeli minority and media scholars, with special emphasis on those who are also part of minority groups, and based on an innovative paradigm that differentiates between media for minorities and media by minorities. The book includes important insights for understanding the place and roles of the minority media in other national contexts. Numerous studies have noted the dual role the media plays in the lives of minorities: assimilation into the majority society and isolation there from, adopting new identities and preserving original ones. In this context, Israeli society provides a rare test case, as nearly half of its population comprises various minorities, the most significant of which are the Palestinian citizens of Israel, Jewish and non-Jewish immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia and migrant workers, who maintain differential relations with the dominant Jewish majority. The anthology comprises selected studies about minorities and the media in Israel, and includes original material focusing on three areas of research: 1) Creation, development and production of media and content for and by minorities; 2) Minority representation in mainstream media; and 3) Minorities' media consumption and the media's role in minority identity construction and location vis-a-vis the dominant majority.

This book deals with the development of the Palestinian Arabic press during the years 1929-1939, years in which the national identity of the Palestinian Arab public was formalized and shaped and characterized by the development of the Palestinian National Movement. During this period, the Palestinian National Movement, in addition to its struggle with the Zionist Movement, was also involved in a struggle with the British Mandatory government. The primary professed goal of this struggle was to prevent realization of the program for a Jewish National Home, and to lead Britain to a situation in which it would be compelled to grant independence or a certain degree of autonomy to the Palestinian Arabs, as had been granted to other Arab countries, such as Iraq and Egypt. The press became integrated as a central factor in shaping the development of the Palestinian National Movement in a gradual process: it began emerging in the mid-1920's, its weight increased significantly during the events