105. Name: Shaima Y. Al-Rashed Title: Covering Bahrain: How the Arab Media Told the Story of the Bahraini Protests (Comparing Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, Bahrain News Agency, Al Alam and Al Manar TV) Institution: Howard University Country: United States Date: 2012 Language: English Abstract: When protests in Bahrain erupted in February 2011, the Arab media covered the events as they unfolded. However, the story was covered differently by different stations. This dissertation examines how five selected Arabic stations covered the protests over a period of two months. The five selected media outlets include Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, Bahrain News Agency, Al Alam and Al Manar. As each of the selected stations is based in a different country and adheres to a different agenda, the research examines how factors such as history, religion, and politics played roles in the way each station told the story of the Bahraini protests. The findings suggest that media outlets in countries with similar historical, religious, or political ties covered the protests similarly, with the exception of Al Jazeera, which stood independent of such factors and presented a wide array of storylines. Differences in coverage authorized the relating of differing narratives for the readers or viewers of the respective stations. Newspaper accounts could be compared to personal accounts. Along with differences in political history and religious sect, they helped to test narrative fidelity.
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