This study aims at understanding the kind of news stories social media users mostly like and comm... more This study aims at understanding the kind of news stories social media users mostly like and comment on by examin
This article analyzes a number of Shiite media productions in Iraq in order to investigate the si... more This article analyzes a number of Shiite media productions in Iraq in order to investigate the significance of heroism and religious symbols during a time of heightened sectarian tension. Many of the popular heroes and symbols discussed here have direct and indirect connotations that extend beyond the national boundaries of individual countries, especially since the regional sectarian conflict is very dominant. The article relies on YouTube videos and screenshots taken from a variety of sources and argues that these symbols, heroes, and media productions play an important role in propagating popular political and religious beliefs that contribute toward the solidification of a distinctly Iraqi Shiite Ummah identity whose shared values demarcate them from the rest of the society. This article deals with some of the implicit and explicit meanings of symbols and heroes such as Abu Deraa, Abu Azrael, and General Suleimani that have emerged as central figures in the Shiite media productions at the current time of sectarian tensions in Iraq. For the purpose of this article, symbols such as figures and narratives will be the focus of the discussion. The study relies on a variety of online sources that are found on social media, especially YouTube and Facebook as well as a few online articles that carry Shiite symbols and deal with the current fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). These online sources provide indications that there is a distinct Shiite Ummah whose shared values and popular beliefs are highlighted in different media productions and are clearly distinguished from the rest of the Islamic world. Aside from the actual physical fight against ISIS, there is also a mediated war that is waged on different media outlets as well as on social media platforms, video games, and mobile apps (Al-Rawi, 2016a). Indeed, this kind of mediated experience is not only limited to the Iraqi context but also extends to other aspects of our daily lives
This article focuses on the study of online communities and introduces an empirical study of soci... more This article focuses on the study of online communities and introduces an empirical study of social media production involving an online group called ''Arab Canadians''. The study builds on Anderson's concept of 'imagined communities' and argues that Facebook provides the platform for an online nation in which users, whether Canadians or prospective immigrants, interact and exchange ideas about a country whose imagined concept varies from one user to another. Facebook here is a virtual nation that offers the community members an imagined sense of identity and belonging which they aspire to get. The results of the study revealed that the majority of comments carry highly positive sentiments towards Canada and its people, yet there is evidence that some comments are moderated. The study concludes that the Facebook administrator functions as a centralized gatekeeper who filters online chatter and leads the discussion to a certain direction. Building on the theory of networked gatekeep-ing, the study argues that vertical and horizontal flows of communication shape the online debate that takes place in this virtual space. Through a close analysis of these practices , the article sheds light on the role of social media in shaping online identities constructed around virtual nationhood.
One of the most serious challenges faced by many Arab countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain, S... more One of the most serious challenges faced by many Arab countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen, is the danger of divisive sectarianism, one that can threaten their very existence. In this context, the various political and religious tensions and divisions are routinely echoed in the media, and in particular social networking (SNS). Online flaming seems to create and lead to an endless exchange of hate speech between different sects, groups, and communities that have obvious offline differences. This is unfortunately an inescapable reality. This paper argues that digital media literacy, and specifically religious literacy, can be used as a tool to enhance the sense of national harmony among the different religions and sects in order to combat online religious radicalization by focusing on the elements that bind citizens together, rather than those that divide them. In other words, the incorporation of media literacy curriculum from the early stages of education can be used to raise awareness of the possibilities and dangers of social media, and disseminate the concept of national identity that transcends political and religious divisions and ethnic differences. These efforts can be state-sponsored, because of the financial and logistical support needed for implementing such programs; they can also be supported or guided by the Media and Communication Division of the Arab League.
This study discusses different media strategies followed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (... more This study discusses different media strategies followed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In particular, the study attempts to understand the way ISIS's video game that is called " Salil al-Sawarem " (The Clanging of the Swords) has been received by the online Arab public. The article argues that the goal behind making and releasing the video game was to gain publicity and attract attention to the group, and the general target was young people. The main technique used by ISIS is what I call " troll, flame, and engage. " The results indicate that the majority of comments are against ISIS and its game, though most of the top ten videos are favorable towards the group. The sectarian dimension between Sunnis and Shiites is highly emphasized in the online exchanges, and YouTube remains an active social networking site that is used by ISIS followers and sympathizers to promote the group and recruit others.
This article investigates the online comments made by Arab Facebook users on news items posted on... more This article investigates the online comments made by Arab Facebook users on news items posted on the Facebook pages of two very popular TV channels: Al-Jazeera Arabic and Al-Arabiya. This study employs different methods to closely examine over 620,000 comments posted on the two Facebook pages as well as studying the most commented on news stories from a total of 11,685 news reports. The results indicate that commentators expressed some dominant sentiments that are mostly in line with the TV channels' coverage of certain events, while certain news topics attracted most of the online public's comments especially on Al Jazeera channel. This research study investigates the online public comments posted on two Facebook pages that belong to two well-known TV channels in the Arab world. There are no previous studies that examined this aspect of social networking sites (SNS) use; there are no other studies that investigated comments in Arabic in such a large scale despite the fact that they have significant importance as part of audience sentiments toward news stories. The theoretical framework of this research article is based on the selective exposure theory, and this study offers a novel approach in examining the social media audiences of TV stations since previous studies have been largely focused on
John Buchan (1875–1940) was the director of British Intelligence in the last two years of World W... more John Buchan (1875–1940) was the director of British Intelligence in the last two years of World War i and a novelist, too. His novel, Greenmantle (1916), examined the decaying stages of the Ottoman empire with a specific focus on radical Islamic movements. Greenmantle reveals Buchan's Western elitist views and the continuation of his imperialist conviction of the deterioration in the East and Islam in comparison to the Christian West. In fact, he presents Muslims as medieval and superstitious people who can easily be mobilized for Jihad. The chapter argues that Buchan's novels can be read as tools to influence the beliefs of a whole generation and as works that echo the prevalent cultural and political views and stereotypes about Islam and Muslims in Britain at the time of World War i. By 1900 the British empire had spread over five continents and controlled many different regions, hoping to make use of their unexploited wealth and to " secure to Great Britain the freedom to sell all over the world the products of her growing interests " (Rose, Newton, and Benians 1940, v). The British politicians and intelligentsia who theorized the ideologies of the empire played a major role in maintaining, expanding and strengthening the British empire as well as managing the affairs of the colonized peoples. John Buchan, a prominent empire commentator in the Edwardian period, was strongly influenced by the ethos of empire in his early fiction and polemics (Lownie 1995). In the 1916 " Preface " to the third edition of A Lodge in the Wilderness (1906), Buchan said that " our Empire is a mystic whole which no enemy may part asunder, and our wisest minds are not given to the task of devising a mechanism of union adequate to this spiritual unity " (Buchan 1922, x). Hence, the " wisest minds " had a duty towards the empire, impelling them to " devise " methods and " mechanisms " to strengthen it. This emphasis on a spiritual dimension to the British people's " duty " to maintain the empire can be connected to the other important forces, beside the pursuit of free trade, that determined the make-up of the British empire. These were " the impulses of evangelical religion " and the " missionary societies " (Rose, Newton, and Benians 1940, vi). It was claimed at the time that Britain
This study examines the news selection practices followed by news organizations through investiga... more This study examines the news selection practices followed by news organizations through investigating the news posted on social networking sites and, in particular, the Facebook pages of four foreign Arabic language TV stations: The Iranian Al-Alam TV, Russia Today, Deutsche Welle, and BBC. A total of 15,589 news stories are analyzed in order to examine the prominence of references to countries and political actors. The study reveals that social significance and proximity as well as the news organizations' ideological agenda are the most important elements that dictate the news selection process.
Several international media organizations worked in Iraq after 2003 to assist Iraqi news organiza... more Several international media organizations worked in Iraq after 2003 to assist Iraqi news organizations and journalists in their work. This kind of assistance included providing technical guidance, equipment, logistical support, training, media monitoring and general consultancy in order to assist in building a new Iraqi media. Many of these international media organizations cooperated with the US authorities that offered funding for various media projects. Aside from critically reviewing previous declassified documents from Wiki leaks on the role of international media organizations, the study is complemented by an interview with the former head of IWPR in Iraq, Ammar Al Shahbander who was killed in Baghdad in May 2015. This cooperation was facilitated by the US government in the first phase to send a message to other Arab countries showing the positive change that can come with the new political and media system in Iraq. Whether by US authorities or international organizations, millions of dollars were spent after 2003 on improving the Iraqi media, yet what was achieved was not up to expectations partly due to lack of coordination among international media organizations and/or Iraqi institutions and the epidemic deterioration in the security situation.
This study aims at understanding the kind of news stories social media users mostly like and comm... more This study aims at understanding the kind of news stories social media users mostly like and comment on by examin
This article analyzes a number of Shiite media productions in Iraq in order to investigate the si... more This article analyzes a number of Shiite media productions in Iraq in order to investigate the significance of heroism and religious symbols during a time of heightened sectarian tension. Many of the popular heroes and symbols discussed here have direct and indirect connotations that extend beyond the national boundaries of individual countries, especially since the regional sectarian conflict is very dominant. The article relies on YouTube videos and screenshots taken from a variety of sources and argues that these symbols, heroes, and media productions play an important role in propagating popular political and religious beliefs that contribute toward the solidification of a distinctly Iraqi Shiite Ummah identity whose shared values demarcate them from the rest of the society. This article deals with some of the implicit and explicit meanings of symbols and heroes such as Abu Deraa, Abu Azrael, and General Suleimani that have emerged as central figures in the Shiite media productions at the current time of sectarian tensions in Iraq. For the purpose of this article, symbols such as figures and narratives will be the focus of the discussion. The study relies on a variety of online sources that are found on social media, especially YouTube and Facebook as well as a few online articles that carry Shiite symbols and deal with the current fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). These online sources provide indications that there is a distinct Shiite Ummah whose shared values and popular beliefs are highlighted in different media productions and are clearly distinguished from the rest of the Islamic world. Aside from the actual physical fight against ISIS, there is also a mediated war that is waged on different media outlets as well as on social media platforms, video games, and mobile apps (Al-Rawi, 2016a). Indeed, this kind of mediated experience is not only limited to the Iraqi context but also extends to other aspects of our daily lives
This article focuses on the study of online communities and introduces an empirical study of soci... more This article focuses on the study of online communities and introduces an empirical study of social media production involving an online group called ''Arab Canadians''. The study builds on Anderson's concept of 'imagined communities' and argues that Facebook provides the platform for an online nation in which users, whether Canadians or prospective immigrants, interact and exchange ideas about a country whose imagined concept varies from one user to another. Facebook here is a virtual nation that offers the community members an imagined sense of identity and belonging which they aspire to get. The results of the study revealed that the majority of comments carry highly positive sentiments towards Canada and its people, yet there is evidence that some comments are moderated. The study concludes that the Facebook administrator functions as a centralized gatekeeper who filters online chatter and leads the discussion to a certain direction. Building on the theory of networked gatekeep-ing, the study argues that vertical and horizontal flows of communication shape the online debate that takes place in this virtual space. Through a close analysis of these practices , the article sheds light on the role of social media in shaping online identities constructed around virtual nationhood.
One of the most serious challenges faced by many Arab countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain, S... more One of the most serious challenges faced by many Arab countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen, is the danger of divisive sectarianism, one that can threaten their very existence. In this context, the various political and religious tensions and divisions are routinely echoed in the media, and in particular social networking (SNS). Online flaming seems to create and lead to an endless exchange of hate speech between different sects, groups, and communities that have obvious offline differences. This is unfortunately an inescapable reality. This paper argues that digital media literacy, and specifically religious literacy, can be used as a tool to enhance the sense of national harmony among the different religions and sects in order to combat online religious radicalization by focusing on the elements that bind citizens together, rather than those that divide them. In other words, the incorporation of media literacy curriculum from the early stages of education can be used to raise awareness of the possibilities and dangers of social media, and disseminate the concept of national identity that transcends political and religious divisions and ethnic differences. These efforts can be state-sponsored, because of the financial and logistical support needed for implementing such programs; they can also be supported or guided by the Media and Communication Division of the Arab League.
This study discusses different media strategies followed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (... more This study discusses different media strategies followed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In particular, the study attempts to understand the way ISIS's video game that is called " Salil al-Sawarem " (The Clanging of the Swords) has been received by the online Arab public. The article argues that the goal behind making and releasing the video game was to gain publicity and attract attention to the group, and the general target was young people. The main technique used by ISIS is what I call " troll, flame, and engage. " The results indicate that the majority of comments are against ISIS and its game, though most of the top ten videos are favorable towards the group. The sectarian dimension between Sunnis and Shiites is highly emphasized in the online exchanges, and YouTube remains an active social networking site that is used by ISIS followers and sympathizers to promote the group and recruit others.
This article investigates the online comments made by Arab Facebook users on news items posted on... more This article investigates the online comments made by Arab Facebook users on news items posted on the Facebook pages of two very popular TV channels: Al-Jazeera Arabic and Al-Arabiya. This study employs different methods to closely examine over 620,000 comments posted on the two Facebook pages as well as studying the most commented on news stories from a total of 11,685 news reports. The results indicate that commentators expressed some dominant sentiments that are mostly in line with the TV channels' coverage of certain events, while certain news topics attracted most of the online public's comments especially on Al Jazeera channel. This research study investigates the online public comments posted on two Facebook pages that belong to two well-known TV channels in the Arab world. There are no previous studies that examined this aspect of social networking sites (SNS) use; there are no other studies that investigated comments in Arabic in such a large scale despite the fact that they have significant importance as part of audience sentiments toward news stories. The theoretical framework of this research article is based on the selective exposure theory, and this study offers a novel approach in examining the social media audiences of TV stations since previous studies have been largely focused on
John Buchan (1875–1940) was the director of British Intelligence in the last two years of World W... more John Buchan (1875–1940) was the director of British Intelligence in the last two years of World War i and a novelist, too. His novel, Greenmantle (1916), examined the decaying stages of the Ottoman empire with a specific focus on radical Islamic movements. Greenmantle reveals Buchan's Western elitist views and the continuation of his imperialist conviction of the deterioration in the East and Islam in comparison to the Christian West. In fact, he presents Muslims as medieval and superstitious people who can easily be mobilized for Jihad. The chapter argues that Buchan's novels can be read as tools to influence the beliefs of a whole generation and as works that echo the prevalent cultural and political views and stereotypes about Islam and Muslims in Britain at the time of World War i. By 1900 the British empire had spread over five continents and controlled many different regions, hoping to make use of their unexploited wealth and to " secure to Great Britain the freedom to sell all over the world the products of her growing interests " (Rose, Newton, and Benians 1940, v). The British politicians and intelligentsia who theorized the ideologies of the empire played a major role in maintaining, expanding and strengthening the British empire as well as managing the affairs of the colonized peoples. John Buchan, a prominent empire commentator in the Edwardian period, was strongly influenced by the ethos of empire in his early fiction and polemics (Lownie 1995). In the 1916 " Preface " to the third edition of A Lodge in the Wilderness (1906), Buchan said that " our Empire is a mystic whole which no enemy may part asunder, and our wisest minds are not given to the task of devising a mechanism of union adequate to this spiritual unity " (Buchan 1922, x). Hence, the " wisest minds " had a duty towards the empire, impelling them to " devise " methods and " mechanisms " to strengthen it. This emphasis on a spiritual dimension to the British people's " duty " to maintain the empire can be connected to the other important forces, beside the pursuit of free trade, that determined the make-up of the British empire. These were " the impulses of evangelical religion " and the " missionary societies " (Rose, Newton, and Benians 1940, vi). It was claimed at the time that Britain
This study examines the news selection practices followed by news organizations through investiga... more This study examines the news selection practices followed by news organizations through investigating the news posted on social networking sites and, in particular, the Facebook pages of four foreign Arabic language TV stations: The Iranian Al-Alam TV, Russia Today, Deutsche Welle, and BBC. A total of 15,589 news stories are analyzed in order to examine the prominence of references to countries and political actors. The study reveals that social significance and proximity as well as the news organizations' ideological agenda are the most important elements that dictate the news selection process.
Several international media organizations worked in Iraq after 2003 to assist Iraqi news organiza... more Several international media organizations worked in Iraq after 2003 to assist Iraqi news organizations and journalists in their work. This kind of assistance included providing technical guidance, equipment, logistical support, training, media monitoring and general consultancy in order to assist in building a new Iraqi media. Many of these international media organizations cooperated with the US authorities that offered funding for various media projects. Aside from critically reviewing previous declassified documents from Wiki leaks on the role of international media organizations, the study is complemented by an interview with the former head of IWPR in Iraq, Ammar Al Shahbander who was killed in Baghdad in May 2015. This cooperation was facilitated by the US government in the first phase to send a message to other Arab countries showing the positive change that can come with the new political and media system in Iraq. Whether by US authorities or international organizations, millions of dollars were spent after 2003 on improving the Iraqi media, yet what was achieved was not up to expectations partly due to lack of coordination among international media organizations and/or Iraqi institutions and the epidemic deterioration in the security situation.
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Papers by Ahmed Al-Rawi