The Arabic-language news environment is facing significant challenges. Arab journalists work under multiple pressures including the lack of political freedoms, the proliferation of digital technologies and social media, the assumed disinterest of younger audiences and financial constraints facing many outlets.

As part of the research project Arab News Futures (led by Dr Omar Al-Ghazzi, LSE and Dr Abeer Al-Najjar, AUS), in this webinar, we hear from London-based Arab journalists and editors, who discuss the state of Arab news as viewed from London. They address questions such as: what are the critical issues facing Arab journalists and news media? What are the future trends in news making and consuming? How are digital technologies changing the understandings of the audience? And finally: Is London still relevant as a hub of Arabic news?

About the speakers:

Najlaa Aboumerhi is Senior Journalist, Presenter and Writer with with Alaraby TV since 2017 when she joined after 10 years of working for BBC Arabic TV. She has 18+ years experience working for different media platforms (Online, Radio and TV) and outlets in Beirut and London. She has presented news, reported, supervised, and produced political talk shows, documentaries and reported on special coverages including the Sudan Uprising, Algeria/Boutaflika resignation, Gaza War and Beirut Explosion. Recently, Najlaa has been in Ukraine covering the war from Kyiv, adding this experience to a list of events that she covered from the field, such as US Elections, Tunis, (July war in 2006, October 17, Lebanon.), Afghanistan.

Omar Al-Ghazzi is Assistant Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE. His work focuses on questions around the global power asymmetries in the reporting and representation of conflict. He researches digital journalism, the politics of time and memory, and the geopolitics of popular culture, with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa.

Ibrahim Hamidi is a Syrian journalist and Senior Diplomatic Editor at Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in London. Hamidi was the Damascus bureau of the Arab daily newspaper, Al-Hayat, for 22 years and contributes to several other international media outlets and think tanks.

Mai Noman is a media consultant and strategist. She's currently the Digital Content Editor for BBC Arabic. She for responsible for leading digital video content aimed at reaching young and female audiences. Before joining BBC Arabic, Mai worked as a Senior Journalist with the BBC’s World Service Digital Development team tasked with overseeing the digital transformation of the BBC’s 40 different language services. She assisted journalists in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, creating digital strategies and creative visual content. Prior to that, Mai was a video journalist with experience in finding innovative ways of telling complex stories.

Isam Uraiqat is co-founder and editor of the award-winning political satire magazine Alhudood. With experience working in animation, film, writing, and software development, Isam has run Alhudood as a multi-disciplinary innovative organisation, challenging how media in the region and the public interact.