Germany’s government spends over a quarter billion Euros a year on this satellite network aimed at stimulating intercultural dialogue. But does Deutsche Welle really connect with Arab viewers? Carola Richter investigates.

Unofficial translation of an alleged draft Egyptian media law published by Almasry Alyoum. It appeared on 9 July 2008 under the headline: “’Full text of AL-Fiki’s’ Bill, which the Government is preparing to present to the People’s Assembly in the new parliamentary session.”

It was only a matter of time before the world’s biggest name in the music and youth entertainment industry would tap into the consumer hungry, but conservative Middle East, writes Contributing Editor Dana El Baltaji

Mideast Wire Al-Akhbar, an independent pro-opposition newspaper, wrote in its lead editorial on May 9: “Only a few hours after the secretary general of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah ended his news conference, groups of fighters belonging to the opposition forces succeeded in taking control of the Future movement’s offices in …

Mideast Wire On May 8, the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya.net news website carried the following report by Faraj Isma’il: “A source in An-Nas religious satellite channel, admitted that three senior clerics presenting shows on it stopped their shows following the recent appearance of young cleric Amr Khaled on its screen. The source …

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.

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.

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.

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

What’s the difference between nine and 50 percent? Two months in prison or $5,000 if you’re a journalist in Sudan. Shereen El Feki on new initiatives to improve health and science journalism in the Arab World.