Independent journalism across the Arab world is quietly being strangled. In this episode, we explore how governments that once tolerated critical media as a pressure valve are now shutting it down—using arrests, spyware, financial pressure, and advertising chokeholds to silence dissenting voices. From Egypt to Algeria, newsrooms are closing, foreign broadcasters are pulling their punches, and journalists are being pushed into exile or online obscurity. As state-controlled media loses credibility, audiences are turning to social platforms instead. What’s lost when independent Arab media disappears—and what fills the void when fear replaces scrutiny?

https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/01/13/the-arab-worlds-rulers-have-turned-journalists-into-courtiers