Transboundary Nature of Media in the Middle East: "Authentic" and "Divergent" Models

The article is dedicated to a comprehensive analysis of modern trends in the development of the Middle Eastern media space. The subject of this research is the media systems of the Middle East, which are in a state of transformation and configurational revision. The aim of the scientific work is to identify the main principles of the formation of media systems in the region. The article pays special attention to the discussion of a new research paradigm that could serve as an alternative to the Eurocentric (classical) approach. Within the proposed framework, the process of establishing media systems in the Middle East is examined through the lens of transnational factors: the history of the region, Islam, religious denominations, tribal ties, and other non-state actors. This reflects the specificity of the region—spatial and temporal characteristics often prevail over state borders and national politics. A core factor in the formation of transnational media systems in the Middle East is religious stratification—a conflict of ideational and value paradigms that surfaces in the informational sphere. The methods employed in the research include content analysis of normative documents, data systematization, and a historical research method. Based on the results obtained, an analysis of the media space in the Middle East at the transnational level allows, firstly, to identify a predisposition toward its ideational and value polarization; and secondly, to distinguish between two main groups of media systems—the "authentic" and "divergent" (the media block of the "resistance" movement). The "authentic" system includes Sunni pan-Arab media resources (the Qatari channel Al Jazeera and the Saudi holding MBC Group). The "divergent" system (alternatively, "muqawama") comprises media characterized by a Shiite political-religious discourse: the dissemination of Islamic values, support for the "oppressed" (primarily religious minorities), and the struggle against colonialism, imperialism, and westernization. The authors noted that the boundaries of media systems are not static, as they are not confined by geography, the frameworks of organizations and alliances, ethnic groups, and language. The conclusions drawn can be further applied in studies on media comparativism.

transnational media system, journalism, media, media communications, Middle East, Arab world, Islamic Republic of Iran, religious media, Shiism, Islam