International Media and the War on Gaza: Modalities of Discourse and the Clash of Narratives

Khanfar has served as President of Al Sharq Forum since January 2012. He holds a postgraduate diploma in International Politics (2000) from the University of South Africa, a diploma in African Studies (1994) from the International University of Africa in Sudan, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Engineering (1990) from the University of Jordan.

Khanfar was appointed Director of Al Jazeera Channel in 2003 and later became the Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network (2006–2011). Prior to that, he worked as a correspondent for Al Jazeera (1997–2003) in several conflict and war zones, including Afghanistan and Iraq, and served as the head of Al Jazeera’s Baghdad bureau.

During his leadership, Al Jazeera experienced significant development and expansion, becoming one of the most influential international media networks in the world, encompassing multiple channels, centres and institutes across various media fields.

On 27 July 2015, he launched the Arabic-language news website HuffPost Arabi in partnership with The Huffington Post.

Khanfar also serves as President of the Common Action Forum and has been a member of several boards and councils, including the International Crisis Group’s Board of Trustees, the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Geopolitical Risk (Davos), and the Board of the Global Editors Network, which supports editors-in-chief and senior news executives worldwide in maintaining editorial quality in collaboration with publishers, media owners and news providers.

In 2011, Foreign Policy ranked him among the top 100 global thinkers in foreign policy. Fast Company named him one of the most creative people in business; and in 2009, Forbes listed him among the world’s most influential people.

In addition, Khanfar has authored several books, including: Fi Dhiyafat an-Nabi [In the Company of the Prophet] (2021) and Ar-Rabi’ al-Awwal: Dirasa fi as-Siyasa wa al-Istratijiya an-Nabawiya [The First Spring: Political and Strategic Praxis of the Prophet of Islam] (2020).

Dr. Lugo-Ocando previously served as the Director of Executive and Graduate Education at Northwestern University in Qatar. Until 2018, he was an Associate Professor and Deputy Head of the School of Media and Communication at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. One strand of his research centres on the way the news media reports poverty and development while the other focuses on how journalists use statistics to articulate news. He is author of several monographs and dozens of peer-review journal articles and book chapters. He has been a visiting lecturer at the National University of Singapore, the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in the United States, Vietnam National University, the University of Malaga in Spain, among others. Before becoming an academic, he worked as a journalist and news editor for several publications in Latin America and the US and continues to write columns and blogs.

Dr. Layadi has previously taught at universities in the Gulf region and has held numerous administrative and academic positions both within and outside the university. Notably, he served as an advisor at the Presidency of the Algerian Republic, overseeing information and communication. He has supervised – and continues to supervise – numerous doctoral theses in media and communication sciences.

He is the author of 17 publications in the field, including Al-Itisal wal I’lam wal-Thaqafa: ‘Atabat at-Ta’weel [Communication, Media and Culture: Thresholds of Interpretation]; Hawamil al-Hadith ‘an al-Midiya [The Overlooked Nuances in Media Discourse]; At-Ta’amul ma’ Wasa’il al-I’lam: al-Usus wal Adawat [Dealing with Media: Foundations and Tools]; Wasa’il al-Itisal al-Jamahiri wal Thaqafa: al-Qa’ida wal Istithna’ [Mass Communication and Culture: The Rule and the Exception]; Muqaddima fi Naqd at-Talfizyon [Introduction to Television Criticism]; and Iqtirabat Nadhariya min al-Anwa’ as-Sahafiya [Theoretical Approaches to Journalistic Genres].

In addition, Dr. Layadi has translated seven significant works by foreign scholars from French into Arabic, the latest being Sosyolojiya al-Itisal wal-Midiya [Sociology of Communication and Media], published by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Media. Several of these works have been incorporated into curricula in media departments and faculties.

Currently, he is engaged in revising media and communication theories in response to ongoing transformations in the Arab and global media landscape

Dr. Mazahreh holds two PhDs: one in Journalism and Digital Media, and another in Journalism and Media. She has served as Head of the Department of Journalism and Media at the Faculty of Mass Communication and as Deputy Director of the Human Rights Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dr. Mazahreh prepared international reports for the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Human Rights Committee on Jordan’s implementation of human rights agreements between 1996 and 2012. She is also a certified trainer in journalism, media, public relations and human rights, both in Jordan and internationally.

At the University of Petra, Dr. Mazahreh teaches journalism and media at the undergraduate and master’s levels and supervises doctoral research at institutions abroad. She has guided numerous master’s and doctoral theses and serves as a reviewer for academic promotions, research papers and graduate theses for various Jordanian and Arab academic journals.

Dr. Mazahreh has authored 14 books in the field of media, including Nadhariyat al-Itisal [Communication Theories]; Manahij al-Bahth al-I’lami [Media Research Methods]; Ad-Di’aya wa Madaris’ha wal Harb an-Nafsiya [Propaganda, Its Schools and Psychological Warfare]; At-Tashri’at al-I’lamiya al-‘Arabiya wa ad-Dawliya [Arab and International Media Legislation]; and Idarat al-‘Ilaqat al-‘Amma wa Tandhimha [Public Relations Management and Organisation]. Many of these titles are adopted as core textbooks across the Arab world.

Dr. Mazahreh has also published extensively in international and Arab journals, covering topics such as journalism, digital media, digital public relations and political communication. Her forthcoming books include Manhajiyat al-Bahth al-I’lami ar-Raqami [Digital Media Research Methodology], Al-I’lan al-Iliktroni [Electronic Advertising], Al-Khabar wa at-Taqrir ar-Raqami [Digital News and Reports], and Mawdoo’at fi as-Sahafa wa al-I’lam ar-Raqami [Topics in Journalism and Digital Media].

Dr. Abidi specialises in linguistics and the analysis of media and political discourse. She has held several academic and administrative positions within the university, including Head of the Department of Language, Literature and Arab Civilisation at the Higher Institute of Education and Continuing Training; Chair of the Master’s Programme Committee in Language, Literature and Arab Civilisation at the Faculty of Arts in Manouba; and Pedagogical Advisor at the same faculty. She is an active member of editorial and peer-review boards for numerous Arabic scholarly journals specialising in linguistics and discourse analysis.

Dr. Abidi has organised several international conferences within the Tunisian academic sphere, including “Tahlil al-Khitab wa Mas’alit al-Manhaj” [Discourse Analysis and Methodological Questions] and “Al-Iqa’ wa al-Khitab” [Rhythm and Discourse]. She regularly participates in international conferences both in Tunisia and abroad. Her scholarly contributions include several books such as At-Tahlil an-Naqdi lil Khitab: Namadhej min al-Khitab al-I’lami [Critical Discourse Analysis: Case Studies from Media Discourse], Sultat al-Khitab fi al-Khitab as-Siyasi: Bahth fi al-Isti’ara [The Power of Discourse in Political Speech: A Study of Metaphor], and At-Tahlil ad-Dalali lil Jumla [Semantic Analysis of the Sentence]. In addition, she has published numerous articles in Tunisian and Arab journals, including original research and translations, and contributed to several collective volumes focusing on discourse analysis.

Dr. Abidi currently leads a research team working on an Arabic encyclopaedia of discourse analysis and is pursuing a project on media discourse entitled al-I’lam al-Jadeed wa al-Harb [New Media and War].

Dr. Abdallah has held numerous administrative and media positions at the Lebanese University, as well as at research centres and civil society organisations including the Development Studies Forum, the Lebanese Women Researchers Association and the Islamic Cultural Centre. She participated in founding many faculties of information and communication, media and communication departments and graduate institutes in Lebanon and the Arab world.

In 2014, Dr. Abdallah founded the Arab Association for Scientific Research and Communication Sciences, headquartered in Lebanon, which has branches in most Arab countries and engages in numerous scientific research activities. She also established the journal al-Itisal wa at-Tanmiya [Communication and Development], which has published 28 issues so far. She contributed to the preparation and editing of multiple collective books, including al-Fikr al-Itisali [Communication Thought] (2018) and al-Mustalah fi ‘Uloom al-Itisal [Terminology in Communication Sciences] (2020).

She also paid special attention to the problematics of concepts and terminology. Working with a group of researchers, she helped unify research and media terms, resulting in the publication of Ma’jam Mustalahat al-I’lam wa al-Itisal [The Glossary of Media and Communication Terms] (2014).

In addition, Dr. Abdallah worked to develop a theory reflecting Arab specificity and, in 2016, published a work proposing the theory of community participation in communication in the Arab world.

In her book, Matahet al-Tawasul al-Ijtima’i fi al-Fada’ al-‘Am [The Maze of Social Communication in the Public Sphere], she offers a philosophical approach to social communication in the Arab region. This represents a research effort resulting from the work of the research team at the Arab Association for Scientific Research and Communication Sciences, as well as from the results of a recent survey study on social media usage during the COVID-19 crisis, which revealed the particular ambiguity of communication during times of crisis.

Dr. Khalil previously served as Head of the History Department and Director of the Oral History Center at the university. He has supervised numerous master’s theses on the history of the Palestinian cause and contributed to the preparation of the book Al-‘Ilaqat al-Amrikiya as-Sahyuniya al-‘Alaniya wa al-Khafiya [Public and Secret U.S.-Zionist Relations]. He is also the author of Dirasat fi al-Qadhiya al-Filastiniya [Studies in the Palestinian Cause], written for the Qandil Foundation, which has not yet been published.

Additionally, Dr. Khalil has published many peer-reviewed research papers in academic journals on topics related to the Palestinian cause and the Arab-Israeli conflict, including “Mubadarat al-Musalaha al-Filastiniya 2007-2008: Madhmunha wa Imkanat Najahha” [Palestinian Reconciliation Initiatives 2007–2008: Content and Prospects for Success], “Fathi as-Shaqaqi: Hayatuhu wa Jihaduhu” [Fathi Shaqaqi: His Life and Struggle], “Tatawwur Mawqif Hizb al-‘Amal al-Isra’ili min Qadhaya al-Mar’a (1949-2013)” [The Evolution of the Israeli Labor Party’s Position on Women’s Issues (1949–2013)], “Tatawwur Mawqif Hizb al-‘Amal al-Isra’ili min Madinat al-Quds” [The Evolution of the Israeli Labour Party’s Position on the City of Jerusalem], “Tatawwur Mawqif Harakat Hamas min al-Hudna wa at-Tahdi’a” [The Evolution of Hamas’s Position on Truce and Calm], “Tatawwur Mawqif Harakat Hamas min Dawr al-Mar’a wa Qadhayaha” [The Evolution of Hamas’s Position on Women’s Role and Issues], “At-Tarjama ‘an al-I’lam al-Isra’ili: Dirasa Tahliliya Muqarana bayna Sahifat al-Ayyam wa Mawqi’ al-Hodhod” [Translation from Israeli Media: A Comparative Analytical Study between Al-Ayyam Newspaper and the Al-Hodhod Website], and “An-Niqash al-Istratiji hawl Iran fi Marakiz al-Abhath al-Isra’iliya” [Strategic Debate on Iran in Israeli Research Centres].

Dr. Khalil has also published articles in local newspapers and produced summarised translations of Hebrew books into Arabic, such as “Islah Wizarat ad-Difa’ al-Isra’iliya: Bayna as-Saytara wa as-Sulta wa al-Mas’uliya” [Reforming the Israeli Ministry of Defence: Between Control, Power and Responsibility] and “Isra’il 2.0: I’adat Taqyim al-Amn al-Qawmi al-Isra’ili fi Daw’ ‘Amaliyat 7 Oktober/Tishrin al-Awwal 2023” [Israel 2.0: Reassessing Israeli National Security in Light of the 7 October 2023 Operation].

Dr. Alsmadi holds a PhD from Allameh Tabatabai University in Iran. She is a lecturer and a member of Al Sharq Academia. She worked as a university professor at Middle East University between 2012 and 2013 and at Zarqa University between 2011 and 2012.

Dr. Alsmadi also was a correspondent for Al Jazeera Net in Tehran between 2007 and 2010, a writer for the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat between 2009 and 2020, and a reporter and editor for several Jordanian newspapers, including Al-Arab Al-Youm, Al-Liwa and Al-Sabeel. Moreover, she served as managing editor of Al-Arab Al-Youm from 2003 to 2005 and as a research assistant at Yarmouk University.

Dr. Alsmadi is the author of several books, including Iran wa Hamas: Min Marj az-Zuhur ila Tufan al-Aqsa [Iran and Hamas: From Marj al-Zuhur to Tufan al-Aqsa], At-Tayyarat as-Siyasiyya fi Iran [Political Currents in Iran], Al-Arab wa Iran: Muraja’a fi at-Tarikh wa as-Siyasa [The Arabs and Iran: A Review of History and Politics] and Nisa’ fi Ma’tarak as-Siyasa [Women in Politics].

Dr. Abu Dheir has been a faculty member at An-Najah National University since 1991. He earned his PhD in Media from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, in 1996. Between 2001 and 2003, he served as Head of the Journalism Department.

He played a leading role in establishing the university’s radio station, which later evolved into the Media Centre. He also founded the university’s Documentary Film Festival and chaired its organising committee for eight years. Since 2001, Dr. Abu Dheir has coordinated training projects for media students in collaboration with Oslo Metropolitan University. These projects address a range of important themes including press freedom, the right to access information, journalists’ safety and environmental media.

Moreover, Dr. Abu Dheir has supervised numerous master’s students across several fields, including Public Relations and Communication, Cinema and Television, and previously Women’s Studies.

His scholarly work includes nearly twenty articles published in peer-reviewed journals. Notable studies include “Al-Khitab al-I’lami li-Hamas fi al-Hukuma” [Hamas’s Media Discourse in Government] (2012), published in Annals of Arts and Social Sciences, Kuwait University; “What is Press Freedom? A Study on Journalism Students’ Perception of Press Freedom” (2021), published in Journalism Education, United Kingdom; “In’ikasat at-Tawattur an-Natij ‘an Taghtiyat al-Sahafiyyin al-Filastiniyyin lil-Muwajahat bayna al-Mutadhahirin al-Filastiniyyin wa Junud al-Ihtilal al-Isra’ili ‘ala Ada’ihim al-Mihani” [The implications of the tension resulting from Palestinian journalists’ coverage of the confrontations between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli occupation soldiers on their professional performance] (2023), published in Dirasat: Human and Social Sciences, University of Jordan; “Obstacles and opportunities: Palestinian youth’s uses of social media to promote international solidarity” (2025), published in Global Media and Communication; and “Bunyat al-Khitab al-I’lami al-Isra’ili wa ad-Dawr al-Wadhifi fi Bina’ Tamaththulat al-Harb ‘ala Ghazza” [The Structure of Israeli Media Discourse and Its Functional Role in Shaping Representations of the War on Gaza (2023-2024)] (2025), published in Al Jazeera Journal for Communication and Media Studies.

In addition to journal articles, Dr. Abu Dheir has contributed chapters to academic books, such as “Hurriyat as-Sahafa fi Filastin: al-Afaq ar-Rahina wa al-Mustaqbaliyya” [Freedom of Press in Palestine: Present and Future Perspectives] (1999) in Palestinian Perspectives, and “Al-I’lam al-Filastini: Min Tahaddiyat al-Istiqlal ila Rahanat Bina’ ad-Dawla al-Dimuqratiyya” [Palestinian Media: From the Challenges of Independence to the Aspirations of Building a Democratic State] (2019) in Al-I’lam wa al-Intiqal al-Dimuqrati fi al-‘Alam al-‘Arabi: Bidayet Nihayet al-Istithna’ al-‘Arabi [Media and Democratic Transition in the Arab World: The Beginning of the End of the Arab Exception].

Dr. Jones specialises in disinformation, digital authoritarianism and political repression. He earned his PhD in Government and International Affairs from Durham University in 2016. After completing his doctorate, he undertook a six-month postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Tübingen before joining the University of Exeter in the autumn of 2016. His research focuses on disinformation campaigns and harassment on social media platforms, particularly those originating in or targeting the Middle East. He is the author of two books—Political Repression in Bahrain and Digital Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Deception, Disinformation and Social Media—and has edited several academic volumes on Bahrain and the Gulf region. Jones’s scholarly output includes numerous contributions to edited volumes and journalistic publications, covering topics ranging from digital propaganda to authoritarianism in the Arab world. He has received multiple accolades, including the 2016 Best Thesis Award from the Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (AGAPS), as well as the UK Alumni Professional Achievement Award from the British Council in Qatar. Widely recognised for his pioneering analysis of online disinformation, he has exposed dozens of fake journalists in a 2020 joint investigation with The Daily Beast and uncovered state-sponsored bot programmes designed to influence US politicians. His investigative work has drawn significant attention. He has also written extensively for major international media outlets, including The Washington Post, Time Magazine, The Independent and The New Statesman.

Dr. Al-Khatib is also an Associate Professor of Methodology and Ethics at the Research Centre for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE) at HBKU and the editor-in-chief of Studies in Islamic Ethics, a book series published by Brill. He obtained his PhD from Omdurman Islamic University (2009). His research interests include Islamic ethics, ethical philosophy, Islamic jurisprudence, hadith criticism, the objectives of Islamic law, and the history of Islamic thought.

In addition to numerous refereed studies, al-Khatib has authored and edited several books, including: Qira’at fi Uyounat-Turath al-Akhalaqi al-Islami [Readings into the Perspectives of Islamic Ethical Heritage] (2024), al-Hadith wa al-Akhlaq min Mandhur Muta’addid at-Takhassusat [Hadith and Ethics Through the Lens of Interdisciplinarity] (2023), al-Akhlaq al-Islamiya wa Nasaq al-I’timaniya: Muqarabat fi Falsafat Taha Abdulrahman [Islamic Ethics and the Trusteeship Paradigm: Approaches to the Philosophy of Taha Abdulrahman] (2020), al-‘Unf al-Mustabah: ash-Shari’a fi Muwajahat al-Umma wa ad-Dawla [Violence Made Permissible: Sharia’ Versus the People and the State] (2017), Qabul al-Hadith: Dirasa fi Manahij al-Muhaditheen wa al-Usuliyyin [Acceptance of Hadith: A Study in the Methodologies of Hadith Scholars and Usul Scholars] (2017), Mazar ad-Dawla bayna al-Islamiyyin wa al-ʿIlmaniyyin [The Dilemma of the State Between Islamists and Secularists] (2016), and Radd al-Hadith min Jihat al-Matn: Dirasa fi Manahij al-Muhaddithin wa al-Usuliyyin [Matn Criticism: A Study of the Methods of Traditionists and Jurists] (2011).

Dr. Hala Guta is an academic and researcher in mass communication and media studies. She currently serves as Head of the Department of Mass Communication in the College of Arts and Sciences at Qatar University. She holds a PhD in Mass Communication from Ohio University in the United States. Before joining Qatar University, she taught at Ohio University and in Saudi Arabia. Her research interests include the intersections of communication, culture, and identity; communication for social change; the role of communication in peace and conflict; and women representation in communication. Dr. Guta has participated in numerous conferences, presenting papers on the role of culture in communication, the role of communication in peacebuilding in post-conflict societies, and the role of media and other cultural institutions in social change and identity construction. She has published research articles and book chapters in several journals and edited volumes including “Echoes of Gaza: Semiotic Analysis of Palestinian and Israeli Political Cartoons During 2023/24 Conflict”, “Periphery of the peripheries: Women in Al Jazeera Arabic News”, “Al Jazeera: Non-Violence and Peace Journalism”, and “Sudanese Women   Bridging Conflict, Journalism, (J)Activism, and Media (In)Visibility”.

Dr. Abusharif received his PhD in Religious and Islamic Studies from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and his Master’s Degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. His academic interests include narrative journalism, religious studies, the decolonisation of storytelling and the intersections of religion and media, particularly digital media disruptions and their effects on contemporary religious authority. He also researches the origins, promulgation and effects of key journalistic framing terminologies used in prominent Western news sources in their coverage and reportage of the Middle East and Muslim minorities in the West.

Dr. Abusharif and colleagues from Georgetown University-Qatar and Hamad Bin Khalifa University have recently been awarded a “Multiversity Grant—Innovation in Teaching Grant”. The project focuses on “developing a case study model for teaching religious pluralism in the Arab and Islamic world”. In the past, he was awarded an “Undergraduate Research Experience Program Grant” to study social media texts and the Gulf Crisis.

Moreover, Dr. Abusharif has worked as a journalist, magazine editor, writer, publisher, translator and academic. His journalistic articles and reviews have appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Christian Science Monitor, Dallas Morning News, Religion Dispatches, and The Millions among others. He has edited more than 30 books and translations and has been involved in projects to translate the Quran, as well as classic Islamic texts, from Arabic to English.

Dr. Abdelal received his Ph.D. in Media Strategies from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom in 2012 and joined the Department of Mass Communication at Qatar University in 2019. He has extensive teaching and practical experience and has held various academic positions, including Head of the Department of Mass Communication at Qatar University from 2023 to 2025, Head of the Department of Media and Communication Technology at the University College of Applied Sciences in Palestine, Visiting Researcher at Ahmed Bin Mohammed Military College, and Assistant Professor (Adjunct) at Joaan Bin Jassim Joint Command and Staff College.

In addition to his academic work, Dr. Abdelal has also been involved in consultancy work, such as curriculum development for media and communication departments in Palestine. He has worked as a trainer, speaker and member of the Press House in Palestine. He is also a member of the National Initiative for Media Development in Palestine and received a research grant from the Swedish government to research digital diplomacy and its prospects in foreign policy.

Dr. Abdelal has published a book entitled Hamas wa al-I’lam: As-Siyasa wa al-Istratijiya [Hamas and the Media: Politics and Strategy], as well as several peer-reviewed articles. He also writes regularly for Qatari newspapers.

Additionally, Dr. Abdelal has participated in numerous conferences, workshops and seminars. His current research interests include digital diplomacy, media strategies and digital media strategies for non-governmental organisations in political conflict environments.

Dr. Abouchakra has been a Professor of Higher Education at the Faculty of Media at the Lebanese University since 2006. She holds a PhD in the Sociology of Media and Communication from Sorbonne Nouvelle University – Paris 3.

She is a researcher in the sociology of media and communication and in the mechanisms and techniques of media production. She also works as a trainer in preparing radio and television news bulletins and documentary production.

From 1986 until 2008, when she devoted herself fully to university teaching, Dr. Abouchakra practiced journalism in several Lebanese and Arab media institutions across print, radio and television. Within the Lebanese University, she has held several administrative and academic positions, including serving as the head of the faculty’s research centre.

Dr. Abouchakra has published numerous studies and research papers in peer-reviewed academic journals. She has also authored two books: “‘Indama Tatkallam al-Masadir: as-Sahafiyun wa Masadir Ma’lumatihim” [When Sources Speak: Journalists and Their Information Sources] (2018) and “Khutbat al-Jumu’a wa Fawdha al-Manabir: Azmat al-Khitab ad-dini fi Zaman al-Azamat” [The Friday Sermon and the Chaos of the Pulpits: The Crisis of Religious Discourse in Times of Crisis] (2022).

Dr. Abouchakra is currently preparing a forthcoming book titled,

“At-Tahawullat fi al-Kitaba al-I’lamiya fi az-Zaman ar-Raqami” [Transformations in Media Writing in the Digital Age], set for publication in the summer of 2026.

Dr. Dagher obtained his PhD in Mass Communication from the University of Florida, his MA in Communication Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, and his BA in Journalism and Political Science from Birzeit University.

His academic work focuses on the intersections between public relations, public interest communication and social change, and strategic communication. His research explores political activism, solidarity, colonial discourse, media narratives and the digital public sphere.

Dr. Dagher has held senior positions in communication and public relations for a decade at international and local institutions, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the A. M. Qattan Foundation, and Birzeit University in Palestine.

Moreover, Dr. Dagher has continued to teach at several universities alongside his professional work. He received the Graduate Teaching Assistant Award for Excellence from the University of Florida for 2023–2024.

During his studies, Dr. Dagher was active in several student organisations and labor unions and served as the graduate studies representative on the university’s student council. He also remains involved as a volunteer and board member in a number of non-governmental organisations.ش

Dr. Helal is an academic and researcher specialising in the sociology of law and religion, as well as a lawyer and legal consultant. He holds a PhD in the Sociology of Law and Religion from Marmara University, where his dissertation focused on codification theory and its applications in modern Egypt, and a master’s degree in law from the Faculty of Law at Alexandria University.

Dr. Helal conducted advanced studies in Turkish law at Istanbul Medeniyet University. His research interests include the intersections of law, society, religion and politics; codification theory; comparative legal studies in Arab and Turkish contexts; legal and religious authority in digital spaces; peacebuilding; cultural diversity studies; and the dynamics of interaction among groups in multi-identity environments.

In addition, Dr. Helal has participated in international conferences and academic workshops with papers addressing legal modernisation, the state and judiciary, and legal and social transformations in the digital sphere.

Among his notable studies and papers are: “Ar-Riqaba ar-Raqamiya ka Sulta Qanuniya Muwaziya: Qira’a Qanuniya wa Ijtima’iya li Dawr Shabakat at-Tawasul fi al-Harb ‘ala Ghazza” [Digital Surveillance as a Parallel Legal Authority: A Legal and Social Reading of the Role of Social Media Networks in the War on Gaza], “Dawr al-Marji’iyat ad-Diniya fi Tashkil Mustaqbal al-Mintaqa: Muqawwimat al-Fa’aliya wa Tahadiyat al-Intilaq” [The Role of Religious Authorities in Shaping the Future of the Region: Components of Effectiveness and Challenges of Emergence], and “Al-Andhima al-Qanuniya fi Duwal Munadhamat at-Ta’awun al-Islami: Sira’ at-Taba’iya wa Afaq at-Taharrur” [Legal Systems in the Member States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation: The Struggle of Dependency and Prospects for Liberation].

Dr. Barakat an Associate Professor of Translation Studies at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Science and Technology in Yemen, where she serves as the Coordinator of Graduate Programs and Head of the Master’s Programme in Translation.

She holds a PhD in Translator and Interpreter Education and Training from University Sains Malaysia and has extensive experience as an academic, researcher and translator. Her academic work focuses on translator training, curriculum development for translation programmes, and advancing the translation profession.

Dr. Barakat’s research interests include methodologies for translator training in non-traditional learning environments, integrating translation technology into AI-enhanced contexts, and developing Arabic digital content through innovative platforms.

Her latest research examines the use of Wikipedia as a real-world training environment for translators and as a means to enrich Arabic digital content, alongside a study of quality challenges and ethical implications in the context of collaborative volunteer translation.

Dr. Barakat has presented research papers at international conferences in translation and English-language teaching, and her studies have been published in several peer-reviewed academic journals. Her current research focuses on the use of artificial intelligence in translation, the challenges faced by translators in conflict zones, and the impact of ideology on the framing and translation of media discourse.

Bakri currently works as a researcher and translator. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Written and Oral Translation from Hebron University in Palestine. Her graduation project focused on linguistic choices in shaping narratives following the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip during the current war (2023–present), through a comparative analysis of the coverage by The New York Times and Al Jazeera English.

Moreover, Bakri co-authored a paper on audiovisual translation, addressing the challenges translators face when translating cultural and religious differences as well as idiomatic expressions. Her research interests focus on political media and media discourse analysis from the perspective of audiovisual translation.

Shahd Anwar Abu Mahfouz is a researcher specialising in language, audiovisual and media translation. She holds a master’s degree in Audiovisual and Media Translation from Applied Science University in Amman, Jordan, and a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Translation from Amman Al-Ahliyya University in As-Salt.

Her research interests focus on the relationship between language and culture in digital media, and on the role of translation in shaping and influencing media and entertainment discourses across cultures. Through her research in media discourse and translation, Abu Mahfouz seeks to explore digital media through translation as a tool for conveying meaning and fostering interaction among diverse identities.

Dr. El Hassnaoui is an academic and researcher in international relations, currently serving as an Associate Professor of International Relations at Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakesh. He is also a founding member of the Laboratory of International and Constitutional Studies and Crisis and Policy Analysis at the same university. He holds a PhD in Public Law and Political Science from Hassan II University in Morocco.

His research interests include the dynamics and implications of international competition in Africa and the Arab region, security studies, Moroccan foreign policy, and the study of emerging regions. He has participated in numerous national and international conferences and contributed to several collective publications, most notably the book “Jiyubulitik Hawdh al-Mutawassit: Tarsim al-Hudud al-Bahariyya wa Qadhaya as-Silm wa al-Amn al-Duwaliyin” [Geopolitics of the Mediterranean Basin: Delimitation of Maritime Boundaries and Issues of International Peace and Security], published by the Centre for Arab Unity Studies in 2024.

Dr. El Hasnaoui also took part in a research project on the future of Morocco’s relations with Spain and Portugal, conducted for the Royal Institute for Strategic Studies in Morocco. Among his notable publications are: “Tada’iyat al-Fasad as-Siyasi ‘ala al-Amn al-Insani fi Duwal Ifriqiya Janub as-Sahra’” [The Impact of Political Corruption on Human Security in Sub-Saharan African States], At-Tada’iyat al-Amniya li at-Taghayyurat al-Manakhiya fi al-Qara al-Ifriqiya [The Security Implications of Climate Change in Africa], “Dinamiyat at-Tanafus ad-Duwali ‘ala Mawarid at-Taqa fi Ifriqiya wa Tada’iyatuh” [The Dynamics and Consequences of International Competition over Energy Resources in Africa], and “Ta’thir at-Taghayyurat al-Manakhiya ‘ala al-Awda’ al-Amniya fi al-Mintaqa al=’Arabiya: Dirasa fi at-Tada’iyat wa Istratijiyat at-Takayyuf” [The Impact of Climate Change on Security Conditions in the Arab Region: A Study of Implications and Adaptation Strategies”.

Dr. Ben Abdallah currently works as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Journalism at the Institute of Press and Information Sciences, University of Manouba, Tunisia, where she has been a faculty member since the 2016–2017 academic year. She earned her PhD in Media and Communication Sciences from the same institute in 2015.

Dr. Ben Abdallah teaches master’s and undergraduate students, offering workshops in television production as well as academic courses in media narrative analysis and political discourse analysis. She is a member of the Media, Communication, and Transitional Contexts Research Laboratory at the Institute of Press and Information Sciences, and serves on the editorial and review boards of several peer-reviewed academic journals specialising in discourse analysis and media studies.

Dr. Ben Abdallah’s research interests focus on discourse analysis within the fields of media and communication. She has published research papers and studies in peer-reviewed journals on media discourse, digital social media discourse and political communication, as well as chapters in collective volumes. In 2019, she published a book titled “Al-Harb fi Wasa’il al-I’lam: Aliyat Bina’ al-Ma’na wa Intaj al-Ma’rifa” [War in the Media: Mechanisms of Constructing Meaning and Producing Knowledge].

Doufesh is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Media at Birzeit University in Palestine, a position he has held since 2017. He also teaches part-time at the Al-Quds Bard College at Al-Quds University and previously lectured at Al-Quds Open University. He is a doctoral candidate in Contemporary Communication and Information at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Doufesh holds two master’s degrees: one in Media and Communication from University of Nicosia, Cyprus, and another in International Relations from Near East University, Northern Cyprus. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from University of Batna, Algeria.

Doufesh’s research interests are centred around news coverage and framing in conflict zones, digital media and visual communication. He has published a peer-reviewed study titled, “Ethnocentrism in Conflict News Coverage: A Multimodal Framing Analysis of the 2018 Gaza Protests in The Times of Israel and Al Jazeera.” In addition, he has authored two academic books: “At-Taswir al-Mutaqaddim” [Advanced Photography] (2021) and “At-Taswir as-Sahafi ar-Raqami” [Digital Photojournalism].

Alongside his academic work, Doufesh has extensive professional experience in photography and documentary filmmaking, having produced and directed several films addressing topics such as Palestinian refugees, racism and the media system in Palestine. He has also participated in numerous conferences and specialised workshops in media, visual communication and media education.

Haddad is a full-time lecturer in the Department of English and the Language Centre at Hebron University in Palestine. He holds two master’s degrees: one in written and oral translation from Palestine, and another in multiculturalism and translation from the United Kingdom.

Moreover, Haddad is a certified legal and conference interpreter and language editor, and previously served as Head of the Public Relations Department at Hebron University. He is a member of several Arab and international associations specialising in scientific research, cultural diversity, and translation studies.

Haddad teaches English language and translation courses to undergraduate students and provides training in various language programmes. He has participated in local and international conferences and workshops addressing topics in language, translation and intercultural communication.

Basheer is a researcher, language instructor, and professional translator. He holds a master’s degree in French Language and Literature from Sudan University of Science and Technology, and is currently preparing his doctoral dissertation for final defence at the same university.

Basheer has worked as a lecturer at Al-Neelain University and the University of the Holy Quran and Islamic Sciences, both in Sudan, and served as Head of the French Language Department at the Vista Centre for Languages and Training. He has also worked as a translator at Al-Nahdi Translation and Services Center and Al-Faidi Translation and Services Centre in Doha, and is the founder and director of Toum International Translation Services in Qatar.

Basheer’s research interests focus on critical discourse analysis, media narratives, French language teaching, and literary and media translation. He has participated in numerous international conferences, including “Translation in a Changing World: Status Quo and Future Prospects” at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar (October 2025), and EdEx Qatar from 2017 to 2022.

Basheer has published several papers in peer-reviewed academic journals, including one of the Sudan University of Science and Technology’s journals, and has translated a number of books and novels from Arabic to French and vice versa.

Dr. Echkaou teaches Public Relations and Communications Media at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane (AUI), Morocco. He earned a PhD in Communications Media and Instructional Technology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and another in Humanities from Mohamed V University of Rabat in 2018.

Dr. Echkaou was also a Fulbright visiting scholar at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (EUP). His work focuses on online and digital news, social movements and social media, youth, migration, and higher education, crisis management, audio production, the pedagogy of podcasting and alternative media, and online news selective exposure.

In addition, Dr. Echkaou has coordinated several field research projects, particularly on urban youth, the realities of insecurity among Atlas Mountain communities, and electronic media in Morocco, supported by the Orientalisch Institute at Leipzig University. His research has been published in numerous journals and edited volumes.

Dr. Zougagh is a researcher and university professor of sociology at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Mohammed I University in Morocco. She holds a PhD in digital sociology and is a member of several regional and Arab scientific bodies, including the Arab Council for the Social Sciences and the board of writers of the Lebanon-based Ourouba 22. She is also affiliated with influential national institutions such as the Scientific Committee of the publication series, Rawabit Raqamiya, and the Laboratory of Digital Media at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat.

Dr. Zougagh has accumulated distinguished academic experience in university teaching, having taught various modules within the sociology department at the Regional Centre for Education and Training Professions in Morocco’s Oriental region and at Mohammed I University in Oujda. She has also coordinated a number of academic units and departments.

Moreover, Dr. Zougagh has participated in numerous international scientific conferences and symposiums organised by research institutions and centres, including the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha, where she presented papers addressing topics such as Arab network activism, digital resistance and networked culture. She has also taken part in events organised by UNESCO’s Beirut Office, the Knowledge Transfer Project of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, and the Claroline platform in Brussels, in addition to academic events held in Tunisia and Jordan.

Dr. Zougagh has published several peer-reviewed studies reflecting her interest in the sociology of digital spaces, technological culture and the empowerment of Arab women. Among these are studies in Rawabit Raqamiya on networked solidarity during the pandemic, and others on digital culture and the techno-social society. She has also contributed to collective volumes addressing topics such as media, development and Arab women’s discourse.

Dr. Zougagh’s research work represents a continuation of a scholarly project that seeks to understand the transformations of social and political spaces in the digital age through a critical approach combining sociological analysis with a philosophical vision of communication and culture

Dr. Miladi holds a PhD and a master’s degree in Media and Communication from University of Westminster in London, United Kingdom. Before joining Sultan Qaboos University, he served as Head of the Media Department at Qatar University, where he taught media and communication for 11 years. He also worked for ten years at various British universities.

Dr. Miladi’s academic experience includes developing master’s and bachelor’s programmes in media and journalism at several UK universities, and supervising numerous master’s and doctoral research projects in media and communication. He is also a member of major international associations and academic networks in media and communication, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the first peer-reviewed international journal in English dedicated to Arab media studies, published in the UK.

Dr. Miladi’s research interests include youth and social media networks, media and public opinion formation, media and crises, media ethics and the digital revolution, media and democracy, and digital media and the battle of narratives.

Additionally, Dr. Miladi has numerous publications, including books and articles in peer-reviewed journals in media and communication. His notable works (co-authored or individual) include:

• Global Media Coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
• Global Media Ethics and the Digital Revolution
• The Routledge Handbook of Arab Media
• Al-I’lam wa al-Intiqal ad-Dimoqrati fi al-‘Alam al-‘Arabi [Media and Democratic Transition in the Arab World]

Dr. Miladi has received 23 research grants from European and Gulf institutions, and has led multiple research teams under projects funded by the Qatar National Research Fund (NPRP), including a national research project on “Digital Media: Youth and National Identity in the State of Qatar (2022–2023)”.

Breimer is currently a researcher with SembraMedia on the Google News Initiative–supported Global Project Oasis, mapping digital-native media organisations. She holds a master’s degree in Radio & Television Journalism and a bachelor’s degree in Arts Management from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

Breimer is also a certified Solutions Journalism and Complicating the Narrative trainer (Solutions Journalism Network, 2022–2023) and completed the Entrepreneurial Journalism Creator Program at the City University of New York (CUNY) in 2023. She has participated in PhD-level programmes on decoloniality, including the Maria Lugones Summer School in 2021, Decolonizing Global Health at the University of Groningen in 2022, and Emancipating Knowledges & Socionatures at the University of Oslo in 2023.

Breimer’s research interests include journalism from a decolonial lens, independent digital-native media, innovative storytelling, media ethics and representation. Her selected writings include the analysis “How Palestine Is Forcing Journalists to Reexamine Objectivity and Decolonize”, published in Al Jazeera Journalism Review. Her prior academic work includes the thesis “Zo is het… zo was het”: Onderzoek naar de commotie over het ‘Beeldreligie’-item in de derde uitzending van ‘Zo is het toevallig ook nog ’s een keer’ (Research into the Controversy Around the “Beeldreligie” Segment in a Dutch Satirical TV Programme).

A researcher in the field of communication and media, Kouiyache holds a master’s degree in Media Studies from the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in Qatar. He is currently preparing his doctoral dissertation at Abdelmalek Essaâdi University in Tetouan, Morocco. His academic research focuses on issues of media framing, cultural narratives and the formation of identity in North Africa and the Arab world.

Among his recent research works is an English-language study titled “Shifting Currents: Hespress and El País Framing of Irregular Migration Before and After Spain’s Recognition of the Moroccan Sahara”, in which he analysed representations of irregular migration in Moroccan and Spanish media and their connection to the improvement of Spanish-Moroccan relations. In 2025, Ko presented a research paper titled “Decolonizing Arab Cinema: Internalized Islamophobia, Muslim Representation, and the Global South Narrative in The Horses of God Film” at the conference, “The Arab World and the Global South”, organised by the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in Qatar.

Kouiyache’s body of work reflects a sustained scholarly commitment to exploring how media discourses construct political meaning in the Arab world and North Africa.