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What challenges does the media face in authoritarian contexts, such as in the Middle East, and how can alternative media change that landscape?
There is an urgent need to understand and support independent journalism in general, but in authoritarian contexts in particular. The challenges media faces are highlighted in diverse contexts such as the Gaza war, where journalists are killed on an unprecedented scale, in authoritarian states where media is suppressed or controlled by the regime, or in democracies where media is increasingly undermined as presenting “fake news”.
In this panel Lina Atallah, editor in chief of Mada Masr in Egypt, will discuss these challenges with Jacob Høigilt, co-author of the book Journalism in the Grey Zone: Pluralism and Media Capture in Lebanon and Tunisia. Jørgen Jensehaugen, Senior Researcher at PRIO will moderate the conversation.
The event is part of the Masahat festival.