International Aspects of Recent Phenomena in Media and Culture

The volume provides an updated perspective on international aspects of various developments in media and culture. It includes discussions on how the digital environment contributes to the transformation and re-interpretation of existing phenomena, such as violence-on-demand in online movies, the internet appeal of virtual gangsta rappers, or the revived battle rap tradition, which operates outside the commercial limitations of the music industry and generates more views on social media than most recording artists.

The book offers a new consideration of long-term trends and developments, and demonstrates in various examples how formerly marginal practices like gaming or the previously shunned Turkish movie industry have turned into influential tools of social change. In addition, the reciprocity of media content and political settings is underlined in a focus on the Arab world and the reconstruction of impulses from transnational media outlets to recent forms of citizen journalism, as well as in the case of governments’ approaches to media policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The book places the spotlight on pressing issues, such as the ongoing enforcement of information control in the name of public health or the local politics and practices that hinder the process of democratization in authoritarian systems.

Martin Abdel Matin Gansinger studied Communication Science and Political Science at the University of Vienna, Austria. For his dissertation on improvised music and intercultural communication, he conducted ethnographic research in Ghana and among the Bobo Shanti Rastafarian Mansion. Alongside a long-term field study on intuitive instructional speech in the Naqshbandi Sufi order in Cyprus, he worked at the European University of Lefke and Girne American University, serving as Head of the Radio/TV/Cinema and PR Department. After completing studies in Taoist health practices in France, he currently holds the position of Assistant Professor at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco.

Ayman Kole received an MA in English from the University of Sydney in 2006, and wrote the short story “The Mirror”, which was a Phoenix Journal finalist. He has wrote for various publications and worked as a Lecturer in English, Film and Creative Writing at various universities. He completed his PhD in History, English and Creative Writing at Charles Sturt University, Australia, and is the author of the historical novel Mark of the Crescent and various academic books. He currently lectures at Final International University, Cyprus.

“As a professor of media studies in the US, I have long wanted a book like this one. We live in a globalized media landscape, where trends in one country affect trends in another; it is increasingly important for students to understand the impact the media have worldwide. In this new book, the authors have their finger on the pulse of major issues in media: they offer new perspectives in the ongoing debate about whether viewing violent media affects our behavior; they analyze cultural and political perspectives in video games; and they explore the use of social media by movements such as Black Lives Matter. But they also offer important insights into media effects and controversies in countries like Morocco, Turkey, France, and China; information that was previously not widely available. I especially like the user-friendly style: while each chapter is thorough and scholarly, the authors write in a manner that will be interesting (and understandable) for students. And this book will also be a useful resource for professors.”
Donna Halper
Associate Professor of Media and Communications, Lesley University, USA

“This compilation of essays addresses the ethical and academic implications of many global trends, using up-to-date examples. These current discussions, in my view, will be welcomed worldwide.”
Dr Jane L. Chapman
Professor of Communications, Lincoln University, UK

“From Charlie Hebdo to Black Lives Matter, citizen journalism to Aljazeera, gangsta’ rap to soap operas, this book accurately carries stimulating and intellectually-engaging perspectives that capture the true face of international media and culture studies in an age of continuous disruption. Martin A.M. Gansinger and Ayman Kole deserve more than just praises for giving us this must-read book that anyone interested in contemporary media-centric developments around the globe, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa will find richly rewarding.”
Bruce Mutsvairo
Associate Professor and Chairman/Global Media Studies, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

Ahmed Afi

Ayodeji O. Awobamise

Aspen Barker

Radia Bennani

Aya Boutajrit

Kenza El Fassi

Najlae El Ghazal

Fatine El Omari

Halil Ercan

Aicha Harrak Fettan

Youssra Gouddar

Yosra Jarrar