Influence of Arab Media

At a conference titled "The Power and Influence of Arab Media," participants talked about the operation of Arab news sources and programming by media outlets. Following remarks by Mr. Fandy, Ms. Bennett, moderated a panel on the question "How Does Ownership of Arab Media Outlets Drive the News Agenda?" Among the issues addressed were perceptions of the West by the Arab media, U.S. foreign policy in the region, growing media markets in the Middle East, and freedom of the press and human rights issues. They also responded to questions from the audience.