INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem Although News Media Has Been Part of Media Studies for Decades, It Has Recently Started To
INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem Although news media has been part of media studies for decades, it has recently started to change the ways in which the media package their products in times of national crises (Carr, 1999; Heyboer, 2000). Generally, in times of crisis, people want information. They turn to news sources to find out what is happening and to help them figure out what might happen. Particularly, media research in the Middle East need to concentrate on examining how news media frame national crises news so that it works effectively on interpreting the violent and security related events, which has become a necessity in the escalation of violent perpetrations in some Arab areas. On September 11, 2001, for instance, continuous television coverage of the most horrifying terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York began immediately after the first plane hit the first building. This can help understanding how news media can cover a crisis of unprecedented magnitude. According to Sewell (2007: 1-6): "It is in the agency's interest to provide as much information as possible at the beginning of an issue, rather than see a 1-day story spread over a week as the press gathers more information on its own. Departments must realize that it often is best--and important in the eyes of the public--to publicly confess and repent sins in a timely fashion". In fact, the contemporary emphasis on news media in times of crises has become a by- product of a changing political and media environment, where most Arab outlets are controlled by governments.
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