© Media Watch 9 (1) 52-68, 2018
ISSN 0976-0911 e-ISSN 2249-8818
DOI: 10.15655/mw/2018/v9i1/49275
Journalism Education in the GCC Region: University Students’ and Professionalism Perspectives
ABDUL-KARIM ZIANI1, MOKHTAR ELARESHI2, MAHA ALRASHID3 & KHALID AL-JABER4
1 3Bahrain University, Bahrain
2University of Tripoli, Libya
4Qatar University, Qatar
Abstract
This study investigates the perceptions of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) students and professional journalists regarding the quality of curriculum and training sessions that they received at the University and afterwards by looking at curriculum, training sessions and practical programmes related to journalism education, as well as the quality of academic staff and trainings for both GCC journalism students and professionals. A survey was administered to a random sample of 369 students at GCC universities and 34 journalists. Based on the analysed data, the study found that journalism education in the GCC regions is interesting and enjoyable, with respondents being found as ambition, talent skills and motivated. More practical rather than theoretical approach is needed to proof the quality of journalism in the region, though a good number of GCC journalists have had a formal academic journalism qualification. GCC journalism education attempts to reflect the developmental trends in the region.
Keywords: Journalism education, journalism training, GCC region, journalism curriculum, Arab journalism studies
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Dr. Abdul-Karim Ziani is an associate professor in the Department of Media, Tourism and Arts at Bahrain University, Bahrain. He is the author of Conflict of Wills: Gaddafi’s Image in the Washington Post Newspaper in the Era of President Reagan and American Press: Developing, Philosophy and Treatment. Among his special areas of interest are international political communication, new media, politics, journalism and news coverage.
Dr. Mokhtar Elareshi is an assistant professor in the Department of Media and Communication, University of Tripoli, and a former head of the Department of Media at Azzaytuna University, Libya (2003-2006). He is the author of the book News Consumption in Libya (Cambridge Scholar, 2013), co-author of The Future of News Media in the Arab World (LAP, 2014) and co-editor of Social Media in the Arab World (I.B Tauris, 2016). His research interests include news consumption, new media, social media, mobile phone use, and satellite news television.
Dr. Maha Alrashid is an assistant professor and the head of Media, Tourism and Arts Department, University of Bahrain. She was the Director of Bahrain Media Facilities Center (2012-2016). Her areas of research interest are digital public relations, media, women leadership and strategic communication management.
Dr. Khalid Al-Jaber is an assistant professor of Political Communication at the Gulf Studies Programme in Qatar University. He is also the editor-in-chief of The Peninsula published by Dar Al-Sharq Press, and works as Principal at Global Media Consultants Organization in Atlanta, GA, USA. His research interests include Arab and Gulf studies, political communication, public diplomacy and international communication.