It’s slick, thorough, professional and balanced – but does the new BBC Arabic satellite channel stand out from the crowd? Middle East media analyst Najm Jarrah weighs in.

Is the Egyptian literary scene enjoying a social realist renaissance? Ingrid Wassmann explores new trends in Cairo’s publishing industry.

Flagg Miller’s The Moral Resonance of Arab Media remains at a rarefied, theoretical level, but bears ample rewards for advanced students of Arabic literature, media studies, communication anthropology and public sphere studies, writes Zuzanna Olszewska.

Instant Nationalism contains a wealth of material and a useful set of questions to be explored in further studies of transnational media in the Middle East and the shaping of regional public perception and political action, argues Becky Schulthies.

Journalism in Iran and Media, Culture and Society in Iran will help academic and general audiences navigate between simplistic ‘reformist versus hardliner’ narratives by bringing social science perspectives to bear on the historical development and contemporary diversity of Iran’s media, writes Managing Editor Will Ward.

The utopian vision of media freedom articulated by Jordan’s Princess Rym clashes with the harsh realities facing journalists around the Arab world, writes Publisher and Co-Editor Lawrence Pintak.

Refqa Abu-Remaileh on how one filmmaker uses innovative storylines and production techniques to break with more politically overt narratives of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (features video)

Were the 2006 war and the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh operational setbacks but propaganda victories? Pete Ajemian traces recent developments in Hizbullah’s media strategy. (features video)

Middle East insurgencies are learning from each other’s media strategies, writes Contributing Editor Andrew Exum. Can the U.S. Military catch up?

Principles for Regulating Satellite Broadcasting Transmission In the Arab World. Unofficial English translation.