The Arab Media

Muslim WakeUp!(http://www.muslimwakeup.com/blog/archives/2006/02/mona_eltahawy_a.php) reports that its own Mona Eltahawy is in Qatar for the Doha Debates, discussing the state of the Arab media. Ms. Eltahawy takes the position that the Arab media can learn lessons from the Western media, and apparently 70% of the Doha Debates' attendees agree with that position. I think that's a positive development, and we could be coming to the end of Arab propaganda-style media like al-Jazeera.

On the other hand, I think the Western media -- or at least, the media in the United States -- is itself in a state of disarray, perhaps too influenced by propaganda either from the Left or the Right, depending upon which media establishment one is talking about. Could the Arab media learn something from the fundamental principles of Western media, namely a truly free press? Yes, but then again, so could we.