Bloomsbury Academic Instant Nationalism: McArabism, Al-Jazeera, and Transnational Media in the Arab World

Instant Nationalism: McArabism, al-Jazeera, and Transnational Media in the Arab World discusses the role of Arab transnational media, in particular the Qatar-based al-Jazeera, in the emergence of a new pan-Arabism. The book argues that through context and technology a new pan-Arab identity known as McArabism is being formed. McArabism, the author suggests, represents the convergence of local tribal identities with globalization and the forming, or reforming, of a new regional Arab identity. This book also explores the impact of this new identity on Arab society, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and new representations of the West and the Islamic and Arab World. Review With the recent launching of Al Jazeera English, this network is now in a position to offer viewers worldwide an alternative source of information and commentary in an environment that has not traditionally been receptive to independent media. Rinnawi (College of Management, Tel Aviv) provides not only an excellent examination of the Al Jazeera phenomenon, but also a much-needed analysis of the existing satellite broadcast media in the Arab world. The author demonstrates how the media has impacted politics and identities in the Arab world. He also examines how the various Arab governments attempt to regulate transnational media. Summing Up: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates through faculty.--N. Entessar "CHOICE " About the Author Khalil Rinnawi is a lecturer in the School of Media and the department of behavioral science at the College of Management in Tel-Aviv, Israel. He received his Ph.D. in Political Sociology from the Free University of Berlin. In addition to this book, he is the author of two other books and numerous scholarly journal articles.