“The content about science and technology in Arab media is inadequate and low in quality compared to what we see and read in international media outlets, whether popular or specialized,” said Dr. Mohamed El-Makhzangy, an Egyptian science writer and novelist. “In most cases, the content [about science and technology] is based on poor translation of stories and programs from Western sources. And worse, the coverage sides heavily with the newsy and sensational angles, not science,” he said.

Oddly, this is not what the audience necessarily wants. “Only rarely are audience surveys done to assess what audiences in the Arab world really want to read/see/hear. And when these surveys are conducted, it is even rarer that they are actually acted upon,” said Nadia El-Awady, an Egyptian physician-turned-journalist and the editor of IslamOnline.net’s English Health & Science section. And it may come as a surprise to many that media outlets that provide in-depth content enjoy an enviable readership. IslamOnline.net’s Arabic science section, for example, attracts around 300,000 page views per month. And according to El-Makhzangy, well-made scientific documentaries are as attractive as action movies for a wide range of audiences in the region.

For many practitioners in science and technology communication, the tendency of Arab media to simply translate or arabize what comes out from Western media is a telling indicator of how these outlets view science.

That most of the content is based on Western sources can be attributed to many factors. First, to the vast majority of Arab media, covering science and technology is not a priority, or among the priorities, compared to the coverage of politics. Thus, it is easier for them to ‘copy and paste’ from European and American sources. “Arab editors, producers, and directors give the upper hand to political issues,” said El-Awady.

IslamOnline’s editor thinks this is probably due to the current political conflicts and turmoil buzzing in the region. Another reason for the highly politicized nature of Arab media is that in most Arab countries the best-funded TV channels and newspapers are those which are state-run. And the ruling regimes heavy-handedly manipulate the media content in favor of polishing their image. In an atmosphere like this, coverage of scientific or technological issues rarely finds place. Even when permission is given to non-state media, independent or opposition, their discourse remains overwhelmingly political, never mind in what direction, says Abdel Hakeem Mahmood, a Yemeni television presenter and programmer who focuses on covering environmental issues.

The second reason behind dependence on Western media is that producing original science and technology material requires quite high investments. These investments will not be made unless the decision-makers at the helm of different Arab media outlets realize the importance of communicating science and technology to the general public. So far, this is far from being a reality.

The third reason why most Arab media outlets find it easier to depend on Western sources in their science and technology coverage is paucity in high-quality science and technology journalists. Mainly, this is because neither journalism departments nor media outlets provide courses in science and technology journalism. It, thus, is no surprise that ‘science’ coverage in Arab media is barely serious or informative.

Other science writers see the issue differently. El-Makhzangy, who holds a doctorate in psychiatry and alternative medicine from Ukraine, says that it will bring us no stigma if we acknowledge our current lagging status, both as producers of science and science media. He thinks that the ultimate role of science journalists now is about knowledge transfer. That is, citizens of this region, laypersons and researchers alike, become aware of the exciting developments in science and technology going around. “This is what Japan and [South]Korea did, if we consider them as good precedents,” said El-Makhzangy. “And even in countries where science and technology content in the media is thriving, they still keep an eye on what others are producing. For instance, despite the apparent cultural and political differences between the French and the Americans, there is a French version of Scientific American,” he said. “When it comes to science, there is no such thing as ‘nationalist’, and if you tend to be, you are the loser.”

Yet, El-Makhzangy does not underestimate the serious and advanced research in some parts of the Arab world, like sea water desalination research in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and the laser and electromagnetic wave research in Cairo University. He emphasizes that although these are just scattered cases not representative of a trend, they still warrant coverage and support.

We may agree that contributions from Arab universities to the world scientific developments landscape are not the best they could be. But it is hard to conclusively say that the trickle that finds its way from research labs in Arab universities to the media spotlights is all that is there. Probably there are more innovations that Arab, and maybe international, media might find interesting to shed light on. Who knows? How can we know if a huge communication rift lies between universities and media professionals--which is one of the main maladies afflicting science content in Arab media.

“A solution for this dilemma should include collaboration from both parties. On the universities’ side, there must be a media or public relations specialist whose sole job is to communicate with the media and keep journalists posted with what is new about research and development taking place inside universities,” said Ghosn. “On the media side, prime time and space should be dedicated for science and technology content. And journalists need to be more accurate in their coverage to avoid alienating scientists and researchers,” she said.

Some writers do not think the idea of universities having public relations is a good one, though, at least for now. Rather, what they prefer is that the job of searching and writing be assigned completely to writers. First, says El-Makhzangy, we do not want to burden serious researchers with any more tasks. Second, he adds, ironically, those who will rush to the prospect of coming into the media light are likely to be the least serious researchers, or even managerial officials in state-run research centers who will presumptuously call the efforts of others as their own.

One facet of the dilemma of science communication in Arab media frequently brought up is language. In other words, the central question in this part of the debate has been phrased like this: Is Arabic flexible enough to encompass and assimilate the non-stop flood of science and technology terminologies? “I believe the problem is not about Arabic, rather about those using it. We have a very rich language. But we just all too often succumb to automatic translations of foreign terms,” said the Yemeni TV presenter Mahmood. “We do not work our minds searching for the best equivalent for each term. This leads to Arabic terms which are either inaccurate, or completely meaningless.”

The other problem precluding Arabic is that some authors and writers tend to derive new terms from old or abandoned words or terms. As a result, in many cases, just arabizing the Latin term, as it is, is easier than using the Arabic term. One example I recently came across is the Arabic equivalent of the word pancreas. As an Egyptian, I was educated that this organ from the digestive system is just the same in English and Arabic. But I lately learned that in one Arab country they have derived, or coined, an Arabic term for it based on an originally Arabic origin. The new Arabic term for pancreas was “awthaklah” which, I bet, is never heard of by the majority of Arabs.

“I think we should not be too obsessed with coining neat terms in Arabic to every new foreign term. Rather, let’s utilize the language’s rich lexicon in explaining each term. This is what ultimately matters,” said El-Makhzangy. This approach of using Arabic to clarify the terms, rather than finding equivalents to them, reaffirms the need for highly qualified and up-to-date editors and broadcast programmers.

International and regional organizations are getting in on the act. The World Health Organization and the Arabization Center for Medical Science in Kuwait have been actively involved in arabizing medical and scientific terminologies.

The efforts of individual science writers and programmers, international and regional organizations, though crucial, are not enough to set in motion a new attitude towards science and technology in the media. To push for such change, it takes a political mandate. “I think that this much talk about reform in this region will eventually translate into some true support of science, in universities and in the media,” said El-Makhzangy.

** Waleed El-Shobaky is an Egyptian journalist. You can reach him at: shobakky@yahoo.com.

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