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Tunisia: winter of politics, spring of media?

El Issawi, Fatima (2012) Tunisia: winter of politics, spring of media? Middle East Centre Blog (18 Apr 2012). Website.

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Abstract

“It might be the winter of politics in Tunisia but it is definitely the spring of the media”: the statement by a Tunisian secular journalist disappointed by the victory of Islamists in the recent elections of the Constituent Assembly is very well reflective of the “awakening” of Tunisian media, long-time muzzled by the dictatorship of Zine el Abbidine Ben Ali. The opening of the media industry which used to be maliciously operated by a clientalist system run by Ben Ali’s family and friends, has inevitably turned into a complex reform process. Modernising the media industry towards accurate, balanced and plural journalism, is a tough challenge in Tunisia where, under a repressive legal umbrella and lack of media institutionalism and the minimal protection and job security for journalists, the industry was confined to praising the rulers and publishing their press releases. The legal and structural reform of the media industry proceed alongside the urgent task of introducing new media practices, improved editorial policies and a coherent set of ethics. Deeper challenges have emerged for a post-authoritarian media, the most important of which is the change in attitude and adaptation towards modernity necessary to better understand the complexity of modern media spheres. This challenge has yet to be met.

Item Type: Online resource (Website)
Official URL: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/mec/
Additional Information: © 2012 The Author
Divisions: Media and Communications
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications
J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1990 Broadcasting
Date Deposited: 22 Oct 2014 08:02
Last Modified: 15 Sep 2023 18:41
Projects: “Arab Revolutions: MediaRevolutions” Project
URI: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/59917

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