Deadline: 01-Dec-2025
For its 40th issue, Arab Media and Society invites scholars, researchers, and practitioners to submit contributions that critically interrogate the nexus between media and geopolitics in the Arab world.
The key themes encompass the multifaceted relationship between media and geopolitics in the Arab world, including how conflicts are framed and mediated through traditional and digital platforms; the use of propaganda, disinformation, and AI in war coverage; and the role of media in nation branding and soft power projection through cultural industries, sports, and mega-events.
They also address shifting media ownership structures influenced by privatization, foreign investment, and global tech platforms; the emergence of new political communication forms such as digital activism, censorship, and diaspora media; and cross-cutting issues like climate change, migration, gender representation, cyber warfare, religious narratives, and the Arab-Israeli conflict, all of which shape contemporary media ecologies and geopolitical discourse.
The transformation of media ownership and the influence of global technology companies have further complicated the media landscape. Sovereign wealth funds, multinational corporations, and cross-border media networks are redefining power structures, making media a key arena for geopolitical contestation. Meanwhile, AI-driven technologies are revolutionizing news production and verification, raising new questions about authenticity and control.
Digital activism continues to challenge authoritarian narratives, providing new avenues for political participation and resistance. Through memes, videos, and online humor, citizens express dissent and construct alternative political imaginaries. Exiled and diaspora media outlets have also emerged as critical voices, reshaping narratives about conflict, displacement, and identity from outside national borders.
The issue also extends to broader and emerging concerns such as climate communication, migration, and gendered representations of violence. Women journalists and storytellers are redefining media spaces, while religious media and sectarian narratives continue to influence regional dynamics. The interplay of these factors underscores the importance of media in understanding the geopolitical realities of the Arab world today.
The deadline for applications is 1 December 2025.
For more information, visit Arab Media and Society.
