The Journal of Middle East Media (JMEM) is the first peer-reviewed journal dedicated exclusively to research on media in the Middle East. The annual journal, which includes both Arabic and English articles, serves as a pioneering forum for studies, critical debates and multiple perspectives about the continuously changing Middle East media. JMEM’s main objective is to enhance and contribute to an inclusive understanding of the issues surrounding the media environment in the Middle East. JMEM welcomes primarily academic submissions, but occasionally draws on related work from the professional community.
Digital and mass media play a significant role in the development of
children’s understanding of people around the world. Specific instructional
practices using media can help combat negative stereotypes and increase
knowledge, tolerance and acceptance of the peoples and cultures of the
Middle East. Media literacy education includes activities that involve both
critical analysis and media production. In one U.S. school, elementary
school children interacted with young adults in Kuwait by creating simple
videos and using an online communication tool. Evidence shows that both
students and teachers decreased their reliance on cultural stereotypes.
However, teachers also demonstrated substantial resistance to exploring
contemporary news representations of the U.S. involvement in Iraq and
Afghanistan.