Journalism Education in the GCC Region: University Students’ and Professionalism Perspectives

ABDUL-KARIM ZIANI¹, MOKHTAR ELARESHI², MAHA ALRASHID³ & KHALID AL-JABER⁴
^{1 3}Bahrain 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

References

Abd El Rahman, A. (1988). Arab world. In K. Nordenstreng & M. Traber (Eds.), Promotion of educational materials for communication studies: Report of Phase. Mass Communication Research Centre. Retrieved from http://www.uta.fi/cmt/textbooks/index.html#app3
Abdul Rahman, A. (1989). The history of contemporary Arab press. Beirut: Dar Al-Farabi.
Abdulrahman, H. (2007). The plan of media departments in Saudi universities. In Paper presented at the workshop of Teaching Media in Saudi Universities. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Ministry of Higher Education. Dhahran: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.
al-Shamekh, M. A.-R. (1982). The emergence of the press in Saudi Arabia. Dar Uloom Printing and Publishing.
al-Shayji, H. (1997). The press in Kuwait and Bahrain since its inception until independence. Manama: Panorama Gulf.
Alqasheami, H. (2008, September 4). The beginnings of the press in Saudi Arabia. Alshsharq Al’awsat. Retrieved from http://archive.aawsat.com/details.asp? section = 19&article = 485477 & issueno = 10873#. WMEtzlXyiUk
Becker, L. B., Fruit, J. W., & Caudill, S. L. (1987). The training and hiring of journalists. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Bjørnsen, G., Hovden, J. F., & Ottosen, R. (2007). Journalists in the making: Findings from a longitudinal study of Norwegian journalism students. Journalism Practice, 1(3), 383–403. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17512780701505085
Curran, J. (2005). Foreword. In H. De Burgh (Ed.), Making journalists (pp. xi–xv). London: Routledge.
Deuze, M. (2004). Journalism studies beyond media: On ideology and identity. Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies, 25(2), 275–293.
Ezzat, A. E. (1983). Press in the Arab Gulf States. Media Documentation Centre.
Ferro, M. (2005). Colonization: A global history. London and New York: Routledge.
Frith, S., & Meech, P. (2007). Becoming a journalist: Journalism education and journalism culture. Journalism, 8(2), 137–164. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884907074802
Hanna, M., & Sanders, K. (2007). Journalism education in Britain: Who are the students and what do they want? Journalism Practice, 1(3), 404–420. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17512780701505093
Hanusch, F., & Mellado, C. (2014). Journalism students’ professional views in eight countries: The role of motivations, education, and gender. International Journal of Communication, 8, 1156–1173. Retrieved from http://ijoc.org.
Jaffe, M. (2013). Laws and regulations of the media in the Gulf Region (GCC).
Mensing, D. (2010). Rethinking [again] the future of journalism education. Journalism Studies, 11(4), 511–523. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616701003638376
O’Donnell, P. (1999). The other 66 per cent?: Rethinking the labour market for journalism graduates. Australian Journalism Review, 21(1), 123–142. Retrieved from https://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=200006228;res=IELAPA
Pavlik, J. (2000). The impact of technology on journalism. Journalism Studies, 1(2), 229–237.
Reporters without Borders. (2016). Kuwait. Retrieved March 7, 2017, from https://rsf.org/en/taxonomy/term/163
Reynolds, L. (2013). History of colonization in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Precursor to cold war conflict. Retrieved March 8, 2017, from https://coldwarstudies.com/2013/01/11/history-of-colonization-in-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-mena-precursor-to-cold-war-conflict/
Saleh, I. (2010a). Journalism curricula in the Arab region: A dilemma of content, context and contest. In World Journalism Education Congress, South Africa (pp. 22–31). Retrieved from http://www.uta.fi/cmt/en/contact/staff/kaarlenordenstreng/publications/WJEC2010_Curriculum_ Panel_ Proceedings1.pdf
Saleh, I. (2010b). Journalism education in MENA: walking on eggshells. Brazilian Journalism Research, 6(1), 78–89. Retrieved from https://bjr.sbpjor.org.br/bjr/article/view/227/225
Self, C. C. (2015). Global journalism education: A missed opportunity for media development? Retrieved February 13, 2017, from http://www.cima.ned.org/resource/global-journalism-education-media-development/
Splichal, S., & Sparks, C. (1994). Journalists for the 21st century: tendencies of professionalization among first-year students in 22 countries. New York and London: Praeger.
Terzis, G. (2009). Introduction. In G. Terzis (Ed.), European journalism education (pp. 17–22). Bristol: Intellect. Retrieved from https: // books.google.co.uk/books? id = GDVA8nJq0DwC & printsec = frontcover&source = gbs_ge_summary_r&cad = 0#v = onepage&q&f = false
Tweissi, B. (2015). Teaching journalism in the Arab world: Challenges and lost opportunities. Retrieved January 23, 2017, from http://www.al-fanarmedia.org/2015/06/teaching-journalism-in-the-arab-world-challenges-and-lost-opportunities/
Yunus, M. (2007). Paper and electronic journalism in the Arab Gulf States: Inception and evolution. Cairo: The Egyptian-Lebanese Dar.

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.