The Layalina Review: Volume VI No. 6 | Layalina Productions, Inc.

The Layalina Review

	The Layalina Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media The Layalina Review is a peerless bi-weekly source for monitoring developments in the spheres of public diplomacy and Arab media. Its readers include academics, Foreign Service Officers, students, members of Congress and their staffs, foreign diplomats, and professionals in both the private and public sectors. Published 26 times per year, the review is free to subscribers and available in PDF, HTML, and RSS formats. The Layalina Review is brought to you thanks in part to a grant from The Dr. Scholl Foundation of Illinois.
Statistic of the Week The UAE is the 'most connected' Arab country, followed by Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, in a new study. PDF RSS Twitter Facebook Recent Issues Vol. VI No. 5: 2/26-3/11, 2010 Vol. VI No. 4: 2/12-2/25, 2010 Archives Subscribe to our Publications Layalina Review Staff Leon Shahabian Senior Editor Anne Hagood Managing Editor Lyzz Schwegler Contributor Mirna Oud Contributor Lorraine Jablonsky Contributor Adam Zelaazami Contributor The views expressed here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Layalina Productions, Inc.	VOL. VI NO. 6, March 12-March 25, 2010 McHale’s Strategy Sparks Debate After Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale presented the Obama administration’s public diplomacy roadmap at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, pundits are critical that her plan simply mirrors those of her predecessors. New Media: A Force for Good or Evil? A Facebook user calling himself 'Allah,' posted a controversial page on the internet, sparking debate over freedom of speech and internet censorship. However, a recent series at the University of California at Berkley portrayed the positive impact that the internet has on Muslim communities worldwide. New PD Posts Posit Progress The Department of State recently announced the creation of several new senior positions for its public diplomacy team in an attempt to improve America’s global engagement campaign. However, some believe that the lack of clear define security objectives remain a clear obstacle in doing so. The Future of Public Diplomacy A new caucus on the Hill, headed by Reps. Adam Smith (D-WA) and Mac Thornberry (R-TX) aims at addressing America’s global engagement by suggesting a better communication between Pentagon and State Department in drafting strategic communication and public diplomacy strategies. Obama’s Outreach to the Muslim World in Upheaval Critics in the Middle East are disillusioned with President Obama's agenda in the region, which they believe has yielded no results. Citing the stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Arabs and Muslims alike question the president's motives on the heels of Obama's visit to Jakarta. Yemen Censures Two Major Pan-Arab Media Networks The Yemeni government suspended the operations of Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya satellite news agencies. The suspension came at the heel of the agencies’ coverage of recent protests. The action has been viewed by many as repressive towards the press and has drawn condemnation from various sources in Yemen, the Arab world, and elsewhere. To Build or Not to Build? The recent debacles over the approval of new settlements construction is bringing a cool off in US-Israeli relations as some ponder in America if the close relationship between both countries may actually be a danger to US strategic and national security interests. This Week in Internet Censorship According to a study conducted by Reporters Without Borders, internet censorship is at an all-time high in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes. The struggle against censorship is evident in Egypt, where the trials of bloggers Wael Abbas and Ahmed Mostafa have drawn international attention. A New Dawn for Democracy in the Middle East Experts discuss the implications of the findings from the Asda'a Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey, focusing on the future of democracy in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the 2010 Parliamentary Elections in Iraq sheds light on the harsh realities of democracy building in the region. Middle East is Auspicious for Media Investments The Middle East has been identified as being among the fastest growing markets for the multi-billion audio visual and media industries despite the troubling economic environment last year.

The Layalina Review on Public Diplomacy and Arab Media

The Layalina Review is a peerless bi-weekly source for monitoring developments in the spheres of public diplomacy and Arab media.

Its readers include academics, Foreign Service Officers, students, members of Congress and their staffs, foreign diplomats, and professionals in both the private and public sectors.

Published 26 times per year, the review is free to subscribers and available in PDF, HTML, and RSS formats.

The Layalina Review is brought to you thanks in part to a grant from The Dr. Scholl Foundation of Illinois.

Statistic of the Week
The UAE is the 'most connected' Arab country, followed by Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, in a new study.

Recent Issues

Vol. VI No. 5: 2/26-3/11, 2010

Vol. VI No. 4: 2/12-2/25, 2010

Archives

Layalina Review Staff

Leon Shahabian
Senior Editor

Anne Hagood
Managing Editor

Lyzz Schwegler
Contributor

Mirna Oud
Contributor

Lorraine Jablonsky
Contributor

Adam Zelaazami
Contributor

The views expressed here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Layalina Productions, Inc.

VOL. VI NO. 6, March 12-March 25, 2010

McHale’s Strategy Sparks Debate
After Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale presented the Obama administration’s public diplomacy roadmap at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, pundits are critical that her plan simply mirrors those of her predecessors.

New Media: A Force for Good or Evil?
A Facebook user calling himself 'Allah,' posted a controversial page on the internet, sparking debate over freedom of speech and internet censorship. However, a recent series at the University of California at Berkley portrayed the positive impact that the internet has on Muslim communities worldwide.

New PD Posts Posit Progress
The Department of State recently announced the creation of several new senior positions for its public diplomacy team in an attempt to improve America’s global engagement campaign. However, some believe that the lack of clear define security objectives remain a clear obstacle in doing so.

The Future of Public Diplomacy
A new caucus on the Hill, headed by Reps. Adam Smith (D-WA) and Mac Thornberry (R-TX) aims at addressing America’s global engagement by suggesting a better communication between Pentagon and State Department in drafting strategic communication and public diplomacy strategies.

Obama’s Outreach to the Muslim World in Upheaval
Critics in the Middle East are disillusioned with President Obama's agenda in the region, which they believe has yielded no results. Citing the stalemate in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Arabs and Muslims alike question the president's motives on the heels of Obama's visit to Jakarta.

Yemen Censures Two Major Pan-Arab Media Networks
The Yemeni government suspended the operations of Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya satellite news agencies. The suspension came at the heel of the agencies’ coverage of recent protests. The action has been viewed by many as repressive towards the press and has drawn condemnation from various sources in Yemen, the Arab world, and elsewhere.

To Build or Not to Build?
The recent debacles over the approval of new settlements construction is bringing a cool off in US-Israeli relations as some ponder in America if the close relationship between both countries may actually be a danger to US strategic and national security interests.

This Week in Internet Censorship
According to a study conducted by Reporters Without Borders, internet censorship is at an all-time high in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes. The struggle against censorship is evident in Egypt, where the trials of bloggers Wael Abbas and Ahmed Mostafa have drawn international attention.

A New Dawn for Democracy in the Middle East
Experts discuss the implications of the findings from the Asda'a Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey, focusing on the future of democracy in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the 2010 Parliamentary Elections in Iraq sheds light on the harsh realities of democracy building in the region.

Middle East is Auspicious for Media Investments
The Middle East has been identified as being among the fastest growing markets for the multi-billion audio visual and media industries despite the troubling economic environment last year.