The Death of State-Owned Arab Media

Gaddafi's bizarre appearance on state TV while Libyans were being killed

Bahrain state TV shows Saudi troops coming in to tear down Lulu (Pearl) Roundabout

The Arab Spring has affected Arabic media as well. During the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen, state-owned TV has proven itself to be a blatant propaganda machine. Arab state TV is notorious for its inaccuracies and biases; its kind of like the Fox News of the Middle East.

Over the course of the revolutions many people in the Middle East sought 'new media', (such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs), and pan-Arab satellite stations like Al-Jazeera for more accurate information than what state-owned TV and newspapers had to offer.

In countries where the revolution has not yet ousted the tyrant, (Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria and Saudi Arabia) state TV still spews its propaganda and fear-mongering lies while the government arrests anyone who tries to get the truth out. Despite Arab governments' suppression of free speech and press, state-owned media is on the decline, losing its credibility more and more each day.