(Un)Civil War of Words : Media and Politics in the Arab World

As the 'War on Terror' rages, another battleground has quickly taken shape and is being waged on daily newscasts around the world.

In the Arab world, al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya are leading the fight.

Do these news networks simply provide the news? Or, are they, as some westerners suspect, tools used by governments and terrorists alike to relay their message to the man in the street?

The author examines the impact that these and other news organisations have had on the 'War on Terror', on the Arab world, and on the relationships that Arab nations share with each other, as well as those they share with the West.

Focusing on al-Jazeera and other Arab networks, the author examines the battle between the Arab world and the West through the popular medium of television.

He explores how autocratic governments control the media in order to preserve their own power while simultaneously engaging in a war of words, either with their neighbours, the West, or many times, both.