Fourth annual report on the state of social media in the Middle East and North Africa. The report looks at data from a wide variety of public sources to identify trends in usage, controversies and wider developments across Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and other networks.
Social Media in the Middle East: The Story of 2013 MOTC Qatar
These slides, curated and analysed by ictQATAR's Damian Radcliffe and Shahd Dauleh, look back at the key developments and data points in the Middle East's social media scene during the past year.
Key themes include:
1) Some wide variances in usage amongst different age groups and other demographics
2) Increased Social Media penetration and usage across countries, nationalities and age groups,
3) The continued growth of social media activity in Arabic,
4) YouTube's continued growth, especially on mobile, and;
5) The emergence of platforms such as Vine and Keek, and the evolving usage of Instagram and Facebook for eCommerce.
And more!
The continued rise of visually orientated social networks, the dominance of Middle East social media by Facebook and the wider Facebook family, and continued tensions between telecoms providers and services which allow free internet calls, are all charted in a new report from the journalist and academic Damian Radcliffe. The study offers an up-to-date analysis of how people across the Middle East use social media.
This is Damian Radcliffe’s fifth annual study on the state of social media in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), following previous publications covering developments in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Social Media in the Middle East: The Story of 2014Damian Radcliffe
Third annual round-up of developments in social media consumption and behaviours across the Middle East and North Africa. This white paper explores areas such as the social media market in MENA, as well as key networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp), the use of social media for news and consumption by Arab Youth.
How Qatar uses WhatsApp, Snapchat and other social mediaMOTC Qatar
Insights from a new study into how people in Qatar use social media. Produced by ictQATAR's Rassed team the research looks not just what social media people in Qatar use, but also how and why they use it.
Produced in partnership with Ipsos Qatar, the study features conclusions from interviews conducted with 1,000 residents (500 Qataris and 500 non-Qataris) during September-October 2014.
Covering eight different social media services - ranging from older more established networks like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to newer entrants like Snapchat, WhatsApp and Path – the study provides unique insights into how Qatar uses social media at the end of 2014.
Social Media in the Middle East: The Story of 2013 MOTC Qatar
These slides, curated and analysed by ictQATAR's Damian Radcliffe and Shahd Dauleh, look back at the key developments and data points in the Middle East's social media scene during the past year.
Key themes include:
1) Some wide variances in usage amongst different age groups and other demographics
2) Increased Social Media penetration and usage across countries, nationalities and age groups,
3) The continued growth of social media activity in Arabic,
4) YouTube's continued growth, especially on mobile, and;
5) The emergence of platforms such as Vine and Keek, and the evolving usage of Instagram and Facebook for eCommerce.
And more!
The continued rise of visually orientated social networks, the dominance of Middle East social media by Facebook and the wider Facebook family, and continued tensions between telecoms providers and services which allow free internet calls, are all charted in a new report from the journalist and academic Damian Radcliffe. The study offers an up-to-date analysis of how people across the Middle East use social media.
This is Damian Radcliffe’s fifth annual study on the state of social media in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), following previous publications covering developments in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Social Media in the Middle East: The Story of 2014Damian Radcliffe
Third annual round-up of developments in social media consumption and behaviours across the Middle East and North Africa. This white paper explores areas such as the social media market in MENA, as well as key networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp), the use of social media for news and consumption by Arab Youth.
How Qatar uses WhatsApp, Snapchat and other social mediaMOTC Qatar
Insights from a new study into how people in Qatar use social media. Produced by ictQATAR's Rassed team the research looks not just what social media people in Qatar use, but also how and why they use it.
Produced in partnership with Ipsos Qatar, the study features conclusions from interviews conducted with 1,000 residents (500 Qataris and 500 non-Qataris) during September-October 2014.
Covering eight different social media services - ranging from older more established networks like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to newer entrants like Snapchat, WhatsApp and Path – the study provides unique insights into how Qatar uses social media at the end of 2014.
Internet, Smartphone & Social Media usage statistics by RapidValue SolutionsRapidValue
A presentation revealing the latest statistics on the internet, smartphone and social media usage globally and in individual countries like Chine, India, USA, Brazil, Mexico, Norway, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.
Social Media Landscape of Aruba - Key Facebook Stats Feb 2016Edward Erasmus
Here's an updated presentation containing some interesting Facebook user stats for Aruba (February 2016). The info can be used for research, educational or for social media marketing purposes. Comments and questions are welcome.
A look at what all the big platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube are currently doing, what changes they are making and what marketers will be seeing more of in 2015 from the social media space.
Authors:
Carla Gontier
@GrumpyGont
Tyrone Nell
Insights on mobile internet habits in the Middle East & North Africa from the Media Consumption & Habits of Internet Users Survey conducted by Effective Measure and Spot On Public Relations (January 2011)
The presentation looks at key market data, opportunities and challenges when it comes to market growth in Pakistan.
Pakistan is in its early days of digital growth. Only 16% of the population is using the internet, smartphone penetration is still around 10%, eCommerce is largely non-existant. 3G licenses are a hot discussed topic but regulators can't get their act together to hold the auction.
The trend is clear though - everyone and everything from ads, eCommerce to personal finances wants to go online.
Hoje é um marco importante para todas as coisas digitais, com o novo Digital em 2017 Visão Global relatório do We Are social e Hootsuite revelando que mais de metade da população do mundo agora usa a internet.
Notes from a presentation at the University of Oregon on 3rd March 2016 exploring take up of social media and key questions this poses for news publishers and journalists.
Wave 7: The Story of Why - Social media landscape in Singapore and SEA madhavitumkur
Wave is a global survey conducted by UM, revealing the social habits of consumers in 65 countries. The study has tracked the dynamic shifts that have taken place within the social media landscape for the last seven years. Wave 7 has identified that consumers will connect with brands that meet five basic needs. By answering these needs, and by combining technology, social platforms and media in a more cohesive way, brands can put themselves in an extremely powerful position.
Wave is the world’s largest and longest running social media study. Covering 65 countries with Wave 7 it represents the views, needs and behaviors of more than a billion of the world’s most influential internet & social media users.
Please go to http://wave.umww.com for further insights where you to do your own Wave analysis about the social media topics you are interested in.
The Arab social media report will provide an overview on the social media reality in the Arab world through the monitoring of all social media trends in the Arab world. The report will also provide a detailed view on using social media channels in the different Arab countries. Source : www.arabsmis.ae
Online Behavior of Macau Inbound travelers 2015Hester Lam
Online behavior of traveler is different from one country to the others. The research would help us to understand more about target customer and formulate effective digital strategy to reach them and create leads. The research will base on secondary data for further analysis. It would focus on inbound travelers from 4 key markets of Macau - China, HK, Taiwan, and the other region of S.E. Asia. The online behaviors analysis will be base on 4 dimensions including Communication Device, Search Engine, Online Behaviors and Social Media to compare the difference among 4 key markets.
Data tsunami will hit India in 14-15. Mobile user will get converted to Smartphone users... India is seen as the growth engine for internet, smartphone, social media integration, mobile advertising and social media advertising.... Don't believe this... Check this
Continuing We Are Social's exploration of Digital, Social & Mobile stats and trends from around the world, here are the latest numbers for Australia in June 2016. If you're looking for data for other countries, try our latest global reports: http://bit.ly/DSM2016DI and http://bit.ly/DSM2016YB
Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2015: Selected highlightsDamian Radcliffe
A personal take on some of the key data points and takeaways from the Digital News Report 2015 produced by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University.
For more information please visit: http://www.digitalnewsreport.org/
This companion report to We Are Social's comprehensive new Digital in 2016 report presents headline internet, social and mobile data for 232 countries around the world. Each country snapshot is presented as its own infographic, ready to be copy-pasted direct into your own presentations or web content. For a more insightful analysis of the numbers in this report, please visit http://bit.ly/DSM2016ES.
We Are Social's comprehensive new Digital in 2016 report presents internet, social media, and mobile usage statistics and trends from all over the world. It contains more than 500 infographics, including global data snapshots, regional overviews, and in-depth profiles of the digital landscapes in 30 of the world's key economies. For a more insightful analysis of the numbers contained in this report, please visit http://bit.ly/DSM2016ES.
Internet, Smartphone & Social Media usage statistics by RapidValue SolutionsRapidValue
A presentation revealing the latest statistics on the internet, smartphone and social media usage globally and in individual countries like Chine, India, USA, Brazil, Mexico, Norway, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.
Social Media Landscape of Aruba - Key Facebook Stats Feb 2016Edward Erasmus
Here's an updated presentation containing some interesting Facebook user stats for Aruba (February 2016). The info can be used for research, educational or for social media marketing purposes. Comments and questions are welcome.
A look at what all the big platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube are currently doing, what changes they are making and what marketers will be seeing more of in 2015 from the social media space.
Authors:
Carla Gontier
@GrumpyGont
Tyrone Nell
Insights on mobile internet habits in the Middle East & North Africa from the Media Consumption & Habits of Internet Users Survey conducted by Effective Measure and Spot On Public Relations (January 2011)
The presentation looks at key market data, opportunities and challenges when it comes to market growth in Pakistan.
Pakistan is in its early days of digital growth. Only 16% of the population is using the internet, smartphone penetration is still around 10%, eCommerce is largely non-existant. 3G licenses are a hot discussed topic but regulators can't get their act together to hold the auction.
The trend is clear though - everyone and everything from ads, eCommerce to personal finances wants to go online.
Hoje é um marco importante para todas as coisas digitais, com o novo Digital em 2017 Visão Global relatório do We Are social e Hootsuite revelando que mais de metade da população do mundo agora usa a internet.
Notes from a presentation at the University of Oregon on 3rd March 2016 exploring take up of social media and key questions this poses for news publishers and journalists.
Wave 7: The Story of Why - Social media landscape in Singapore and SEA madhavitumkur
Wave is a global survey conducted by UM, revealing the social habits of consumers in 65 countries. The study has tracked the dynamic shifts that have taken place within the social media landscape for the last seven years. Wave 7 has identified that consumers will connect with brands that meet five basic needs. By answering these needs, and by combining technology, social platforms and media in a more cohesive way, brands can put themselves in an extremely powerful position.
Wave is the world’s largest and longest running social media study. Covering 65 countries with Wave 7 it represents the views, needs and behaviors of more than a billion of the world’s most influential internet & social media users.
Please go to http://wave.umww.com for further insights where you to do your own Wave analysis about the social media topics you are interested in.
The Arab social media report will provide an overview on the social media reality in the Arab world through the monitoring of all social media trends in the Arab world. The report will also provide a detailed view on using social media channels in the different Arab countries. Source : www.arabsmis.ae
Online Behavior of Macau Inbound travelers 2015Hester Lam
Online behavior of traveler is different from one country to the others. The research would help us to understand more about target customer and formulate effective digital strategy to reach them and create leads. The research will base on secondary data for further analysis. It would focus on inbound travelers from 4 key markets of Macau - China, HK, Taiwan, and the other region of S.E. Asia. The online behaviors analysis will be base on 4 dimensions including Communication Device, Search Engine, Online Behaviors and Social Media to compare the difference among 4 key markets.
Data tsunami will hit India in 14-15. Mobile user will get converted to Smartphone users... India is seen as the growth engine for internet, smartphone, social media integration, mobile advertising and social media advertising.... Don't believe this... Check this
Continuing We Are Social's exploration of Digital, Social & Mobile stats and trends from around the world, here are the latest numbers for Australia in June 2016. If you're looking for data for other countries, try our latest global reports: http://bit.ly/DSM2016DI and http://bit.ly/DSM2016YB
Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2015: Selected highlightsDamian Radcliffe
A personal take on some of the key data points and takeaways from the Digital News Report 2015 produced by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University.
For more information please visit: http://www.digitalnewsreport.org/
This companion report to We Are Social's comprehensive new Digital in 2016 report presents headline internet, social and mobile data for 232 countries around the world. Each country snapshot is presented as its own infographic, ready to be copy-pasted direct into your own presentations or web content. For a more insightful analysis of the numbers in this report, please visit http://bit.ly/DSM2016ES.
We Are Social's comprehensive new Digital in 2016 report presents internet, social media, and mobile usage statistics and trends from all over the world. It contains more than 500 infographics, including global data snapshots, regional overviews, and in-depth profiles of the digital landscapes in 30 of the world's key economies. For a more insightful analysis of the numbers contained in this report, please visit http://bit.ly/DSM2016ES.
Continuing our in-depth look at Millennials as the generation to watch, we are turning to a region in the world where they have an even greater impact on society. Although we are at risk of focusing on millennials at the detriment of other equally important demographic groups like Baby Boomers and Generation X, this is not the case in the Middle East, where they make up half of the population.
Halalification is one of the key trends that has caught our attention. No longer limited to the consumable industries of food and drink, the designation of halal is increasingly branching out to everything from cosmetics to holidays as Muslims diversify their understanding of living piously. Vague approximations of vegan or organic products are becoming less acceptable as alternatives.
Social Media in the Middle East: The story of 2016Damian Radcliffe
This is Damian Radcliffe’s fifth annual study on the state of social media in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), following previous publications covering developments in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
The slides highlight the key themes from his report including: the continued rise of visually orientated social networks, the dominance of Middle East social media by Facebook and the wider Facebook family, and continued tensions between telecoms providers and services which allow free internet calls, are all charted in a new report from the journalist and academic Damian Radcliffe. The study offers an up-to-date analysis of how people across the Middle East use social media.
Personal round up by Internet & Society Manager, Damian Radcliffe (@mrdamian76) of developments in the Internet space relevant to the MENA region in the past month. Curation of stories covering social networking, Arabic language developments, research into ICT use and forthcoming developments. Comments and feedback welcome.
A snapshot of internet, social media, and mobile use in every country in the world. This report is part of a suite of reports brought to you by We Are Social and Hootsuite - read the other reports for free at http://www.slideshare.net/wearesocialsg/presentations
Social Media in the Middle East: The Story of 2017Damian Radcliffe
This is the sixth annual report on the state of social media in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) written by Damian Radcliffe, and the first co-written with Amanda Lam.
The paper distills key research findings, industry data and announcements from the past year, providing an essential overview of social media developments in the MENA region.
Social Media in the Middle East 2022: A Year in ReviewDamian Radcliffe
Welcome to the latest annual study on Middle East Social Media Trends. This report, the eleventh in a series dating back to 2012, provides an in-depth analysis of the current state of social media in the Middle East. As the most comprehensive and up-to-date study of its kind, it is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the region's digital landscape.
In this report, we examine the most popular social media platforms and the ways in which people are using them. We explore the impact of social media on politics, business and culture in the region. Our findings will be of interest to anyone interested in how social media shapes the way we connect with one another, as well as the ways in which we consume and find information. These trends are relevant to marketers, journalists, brands and businesses, as well as government agencies and public bodies.
Over the past decade, the Middle East has seen a significant increase in social media adoption. Today, it boasts some of the highest penetration rates of social media in the world, making it a key market for platforms and businesses looking to engage with Arab audiences.
From staying in touch with friends and family to consuming news and entertainment, social media - as it is around the world - is an integral part of daily life in the region. Social media is also playing an increasingly important role in politics, with many politicians and activists using the platforms to connect with the public and mobilize support for their policies.
This report is the eighth in an annual series of publications, dating back to 2012, designed to share the latest stories, trends and research in social media usage from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Using a wide variety of academic, industry and media sources, this White Paper identifies important insights from social media’s development over the previous year.
Of particular note in 2019 is the continued, growing, importance of social media in the lives of Arab Youth, outside of Saudi Arabia and Turkey the declining usage of Twitter (once the poster child social network for the Arab Spring,) as well as greater scrutiny of social media usage by platform owners and governments alike.
Last year’s report highlighted the increasing weaponization of social networks, a trend which continued in 2019. Facebook, Twitter and Telegram each closed hundreds of accounts due to inappropriate use by state sponsored actors and terrorist groups. Social networks were also the target of governments across MENA, in the midst of protests in many countries throughout the region.
Meanwhile, the importance of social video and visually-led social networks, continued to grow from strength to strength. Snapchat introduced new advertising formats to the region and other exclusive functionality, Google highlighted the importance of YouTube in supporting parents and parenting, and in major markets such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Twitter has emerged as a leading platform for online video consumption.
The year ahead is likely to result in a continuation of many of the trends outlined in this report, as social media becomes increasingly engrained across the lives of businesses, governments and residents across the MENA region.
It is authored by Professor Damian Radcliffe, and PhD student Hadil Abuhmaid, at the University of Oregon.
Press release: Social Media in the Middle East, 2019 in reviewDamian Radcliffe
Press release for my latest annual report (the 8th) on social media trends in MENA, which can be found at: http://bit.ly/SM-MENA19
The report contains the latest figures on key social networks in the region, identifies changing usage patterns and media habits, as well as issues related to the wider social media landscape.
Feel free to contact me: damianr@uoregon.edu if you want to discuss further, or reach out via Twitter @damianradcliffe
Understanding Emerging Social Media Platforms in Qatar (Full report, Spring 2...Damian Radcliffe
This report demonstrates the central role social media plays in the lives of many Internet users in Qatar. It explores not only which social media platforms people use, but also how and why they use them. The platforms examined in this investigative exercise are a mix of older and more established platforms like Facebook and Twitter as well as new emerging applications such as Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp and Path.
Originally published at: http://www.motc.gov.qa/sites/default/files/understanding_emerging_social_media_platforms_in_qatar.pdf
A personal take on 22 recent Internet and Technology developments from – and/or potentially impacting on - Qatar and the Middle East by ictQATAR's Internet & Society Manager, Damian Radcliffe.
Diving deep into literally millions of interactions and conversations with different networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, blogs, forums and news sites in order to bring you analytical info about how social media affects different sectors like:Sharing Economy, Banking and Finance, Ecommerce, Telecom and Fintech.
As content marketing continues to shape as a core part of many company's marketing strategy, social media quickly becomes a must-have. What trends, challenges and opportunities should we be aware of? See key stats for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other insights.
25 digital or tech stories you may have missed, from - or potentially impacting on the Middle East - curated by Damian Radcliffe (@damianradcliffe).
Middle East Stories this quarter include: New data on MENA Internet usage, highlights from the 5th Arab Social Media Report, Arab Media Use: Social networks (and the web) are key sources of news, stats on massive mobile growth in the last 10 years, how mobile is increasingly important to get online, Facebook in 2017, highlights from the 5th Arab Youth Survey.
Wider research includes: Our constant need to be connected, “showrooming”, in Q4 2012, more tablets shipped than PCs, “Project Loon”, McKinsey's 12 Disruptive Technologies, How “Connected” Cars could save lives and whether Facial Recognition for device security will be the next big thing?
25 digital or tech stories you may have missed, from - or potentially impacting on the Middle East - curated by Damian Radcliffe (@damianradcliffe).
Middle East Stories this quarter include: New data on MENA Internet usage, highlights from the 5th Arab Social Media Report, Arab Media Use: Social networks (and the web) are key sources of news, stats on massive mobile growth in the last 10 years, how mobile is increasingly important to get online, Facebook in 2017, highlights from the 5th Arab Youth Survey.
Wider research includes: Our constant need to be connected, “showrooming”, in Q4 2012, more tablets shipped than PCs, “Project Loon”, McKinsey's 12 Disruptive Technologies, How “Connected” Cars could save lives and whether Facial Recognition for device security will be the next big thing?
This work comes after the economic crisis April 20, 2018 that some of the largest Moroccan companies suffered from. The latter was the opportunity for me to apply my knowledge in the fields of marketing and economics. Thus, this project is the result of a university research for 5 months after the boycott, a research that neither support nor represent any Orientation or belief in any way.
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In light of emergencies in Morocco or abroad, it is clear that citizens - anxious to collect or disseminate information quickly and directly - are increasingly using social media.
Social media is introducing a new paradigm of communication and information exchange. Many millions of people are now interconnected and can discuss an infinite number of topics. Businesses are not exempt from these exchanges.
Communication can no longer be without immediate feedback. Many discussions around brands come from blogs, wikis and social networks and can be a source of notoriety or play on the brand image and reputation of companies, this is the whole issue of these new social platforms.
If companies could decide the relevance of their presence on the net a few years ago, this is not the case today. With the birth of the Web, 2.0 everyone wants to express themselves on a subject and publish content on the net.
Feedback from Internet users, comments, blogs, posts on Facebook and Whatsapp are now as much useful information but dreaded by companies who can no longer ignore the changes they are subject.
ICTs investments in MENA countries are overtaking the rest of the world but they didn’t improve their cyber legislation systems. Cybercrime in the region is rising alarmingly and there no efforts to tackle this phenomenon. Lack of legislative and technical capabilities are common factors in most Middle East countries along with poor security awareness and education. I’m delighted to introduce my latest research to address these latest cybercrime issues in the region. This research includes extensive study for Internet penetration in MENA, country by country assessment, legal frameworks, and challenges facing legislators in the region.
Succeeding Internationally with your Social Media strategyVanksen
How about a little chat on the subject?
Feel free to contact us at contact@vanksen.com
-
Since we converged with Datawords, our horizons have expanded.
Thanks to their e-multicultural expertise, we have strengthened, through several common projects, our pledge to provide new connections between performance and creativity. We have, among other things, experienced our first international Social Media strategies roll-outs on several continents, simultaneously.
A groundbreaking step in Vanksen’s history.
While browsing this study, you will get to know the particularities of the Chinese “Biaoquingbao” or the Arabian #GroupMessaging trends, discover new cultural and geopolitical factors to take into account when conceiving your Social Media strategy or even learn about different organization models and methodologies your company should adopt based on your objectives.
If the world, today, is all about globalization, context and culture have never been so powerful and important from a communication and marketing standpoint.
The Arab Social Media Report based on a survey conducted by TNS and released part of the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit shows how people in the MENA region are using social media, what are their general perceptions when it comes to social media and describes their main social media habits and activities.
This survey was conducted via in-depth interviews and focus group discussions on a panel of 7000 social media users spread evenly across 18 Arab countries
Today marks a momentous milestone for all things digital, with the new Digital in 2017 Global Overview report from We Are Social and Hootsuite revealing that more than half of the world’s population now uses the internet.
Similar to Social Media in the Middle East: The story of 2015 (20)
Moving Beyond Twitter/X and Facebook - Social Media for local news providersDamian Radcliffe
Slides from a workshop exploring "Moving Beyond Twitter/X and Facebook - Social Media for local news providers"
This presentation outlines social media habits in the US (and globally) and offers suggestions for how local newsrooms can tap into them.
The presentation features key data, user case studies and recommendations for new things to try out.
The presentation was part of the New York Press Association's 2024 spring conference.
https://nynewspapers.com/2024-nypa-spring-conference/
Slides from a workshop exploring "How is AI changing journalism?"
This presentation outlines how newsrooms have been using artificial intelligence (AI) for some time, and how the emergence of Generative AI is accelerating this usage. The presentation outlines use cases, key steps for implementation and some emerging areas and issues to keep an eye on.
The presentation was part of the New York Press Association's 2024 spring conference.
https://nynewspapers.com/2024-nypa-spring-conference/
Lessons from Community-Centered Journalism for Local Journalism ResearchDamian Radcliffe
Slides presented by Regina Lawrence - based on our research - at the 2024 Local Journalism Researchers’ Workshop, March 25-26, 2024 at Duke University. The presentation outlines key points from our research, including: why Community-Centered Journalism matters, the backdrop that it plays out against, and five key challenges for growing this journalistic practice.
After the sobering read seen in our 2022-23 report, this year’s World Press Trends study strikes a more cautiously optimistic note, with more than half of the respondents conveying a positive outlook about their companies’ business prospects for the foreseeable future.
This is despite publishers grappling with challenges on various fronts, including elevated inflation and interest rates, surging paper and printing expenses, continual shifts within advertising markets and audience behaviours, as well as wider geopolitical uncertainty reflected in conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, wider strategic challenges such as the surge of Generative AI, changing relationships with platforms and continued challenges to press freedom and freedom of expression, also continue to vex many journalists and publishers.
In response, news publishers are inevitably looking closely at their revenue strategy, investment priorities, areas of focus, cost management, and their stance on areas such as AI and other technologies. We delve into these themes extensively within this report.
This report is primarily based on the findings of an online survey distributed to WAN-IFRA members and other senior media executives between July and September 2023, and was available in four languages (English, French, Spanish and German).
Survey participants were typically members of the senior team at a newspaper or a newspaper group. Based on the information provided by our respondents, a third (66%) are C-Suite (CEOs, Publishers, Managing Directors). A further third is either a Commercial Director/Heads of Strategy or Executive Editor.
We received 175 complete responses from 60 nations around the world. Using classifications developed by the World Bank, 58% of respondents come from developed economies and 42% from developing economies. Our sample also features a wide range of different countries with respondents coming from countries as diverse as Argentina, Canada, Russia, and Indonesia. They also came from some of the world’s largest media markets, including Germany, India, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Through the data and insights that they provided, we are able to comprehend the attitudes of today’s industry leaders in a variety of business and editorial roles. Their observations, regarding the sector’s present and future, can be seen throughout this report.
As ever, we want to express our appreciation to everyone who participated in this annual survey. This report would not be possible without their contributions.
A huge thank you to all of our contributors: Damian Radcliffe, Dr. Francois Nel, and Teemu Henriksson. Last but not least, this report would not be possible without the support of our partner, Stibo DX.
Full CV/Resume as of March 2023, listing my previous experience, research and journalistic output, media mentions, speaking engagements and events/conferences that I have organized. (Produced for an academic audience, hence the length!)
Redefining News: A Manifesto for Community-Centered JournalismDamian Radcliffe
This forward-thinking report makes the case for embracing a more inclusive, community-focused model of journalism, one that prioritizes listening to and collaborating with communities to produce relevant, equitable and impactful news and storytelling. The report features an actionable framework to put the principles of Community-Centered Journalism into practice and explains how this approach differs from traditional models of journalism, with potential benefits including rebuilding trust, tackling inequities, and fostering civic engagement.
Building a Stronger Local Media Ecosystem: The Role of Media PolicyDamian Radcliffe
This paper plays out against a backdrop of continued closures and diminished local news reporting across much of the United States. It explores the role that media policy can and should play in supporting local journalism.
In examining this topic, we investigate three fundamental questions:
What is local media policy?
What are the key existential issues and/or problems local media policy must wrestle with?
What potential solutions to the local news crisis can media policy potentially help address?
The core of our response to these questions is derived from a series of five public webinars hosted by the Tow Center. Through these events, we invited a range of industry and academic experts to share their perspectives on areas related to these major themes.
Our conversations explored the scope of media policy, barriers to implementation, opportunities for policy to make a difference, and some of the unique characteristics that shape U.S. media policy and attitudes toward potential policy interventions.
To this, we have added further context and updates on some of the latest policy developments, based on a literature review and our continued interest in this subject.
The latest World Press Trends report shows that business sentiment in the industry has taken a downturn, in a context where multiple challenges face news publishers around the world. Yet there are causes for optimism, as revenue diversification progresses and publishers double down on new revenue sources and editorial products.
This year’s World Press Trends study makes for a sobering read after the optimism of our previous report. The mood in the industry has changed, and publishers find themselves in a more unpredictable business environment due to a number of challenges, including high levels of inflation, rising paper and print costs, as well as ongoing changes to advertising markets.
The change in business sentiment is one of the main findings of the new World Press Trends Outlook report. As in the previous years, the analysis is based on an online survey distributed to industry leaders. 167 news executives from 62 countries took part in the survey in Fall 2022 – a big thank you to them for sharing their insights, results and strategies.
WAN-IFRA also works with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Zenith for key performance indicators (global revenues and circulation). For audience insights, we work with analytics specialist Chartbeat. World Press Trends is supported by Protecmedia, the content management provider.
Damian Radcliffe, longtime industry analyst, journalist and academic, authored most of the report, offering his analysis and context to the survey and emerging trends. Dr. Francois Nel, also a longtime analyst, well-known academic within our industry and longtime contributor to WPT, provided his analysis, contribution and data analysis of all our collected data. WAN-IFRA’s Andrew Heslop shared his analysis on our Press Freedom data, and WAN-IFRA’s Teemu Henriksson helped to coordinate the project along with Dean Roper.
Here is what makes up the core of the report:
Executive Summary
Methodology and Profile of Respondents
Chapter 1: Global snapshot of performance indicators
Chapter 2: Business Outlook
- Tougher times ahead
- Priming the profit pump
- Relationships with Platforms
- Digital Transformation
Chapter 3: Revenues
- Back in black
- Print’s continued importance
- Revenue diversification in practice
- A bumpier revenue road in 2023
- Ad advice Publishers, it’s all about controlling what you can control
Chapter 4: Investment and Expenditure
- Investing in Revenues
-Tech spending
- AI and publishers
- Costs and Outgoings
Report partner: How AI and automation solutions can impact newsrooms
Chapter 5: Media Freedom
Damian Radcliffe is a journalist, researcher, and professor based at the University of Oregon.
He holds an endowed chair as the Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism, and he is also a Professor of Practice, an affiliate faculty member of the Department for Middle East and North Africa Studies (MENA) and the Agora Journalism Center, and a Research Associate of the Center for Science Communication Research (SCR).
Damian is also a three time Knight News Innovation Fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, an Honorary Research Fellow at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture Studies (JOMEC), and a life fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).
In spring 2023 he will be a Visiting Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, his alma matter.
With over 25 years of experience in the media industry, Damian has worked in editorial, strategic, research, policy and teaching roles in the USA, Middle East and UK. He continues to be an active journalist, writing regular features for leading trade publications such as Digital Content Next, International Journalists' Network (IJNet), What's New in Publishing, journalism.co.uk and other outlets.
He is a globally recognized expert on digital trends, social media, technology, the business of media, the evolution of present-day journalistic practice and the role played by media and technology in the Middle East.
As an analyst, researcher and trainer, he has worked with a wide range of industry and academic organizations including the BBC World Service, Facebook, FIPP, INMA, Thomson Reuters Foundation, World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the United Nations.
He has been quoted on issues relating to digital media and journalism by major outlets such as AFP, BBC, Business Insider, Editor & Publisher, NPR, The New York Times, Snapchat, Wired and Voice of America.
As a freelance journalist his work has also been published by leading publications and trade outlets such as the BBC, Columbia Journalism Review (CJR), Harvard’s Nieman Lab, HuffPost, PBS MediaShift, Poynter, TheMediaBriefing and ZDNet.
Originally from the UK, Damian lives on the west coast of the US with his wife and three young children.
The Most Popular Social Media Accounts in the Middle East (H1 2022)Damian Radcliffe
For the first time, this report brings together the most popular accounts originating in MENA on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.
Each of these platforms is explored in more detail in this report, but below we outline the account with the largest number of followers, likes and subscribers, across MENA as well as the region's four biggest markets: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
The report was made by possible by support from the New Media Academy and data from Emplifi. My thanks to them both.
From the Ground Up: How Community-Centered Journalism can Help Create a More ...Damian Radcliffe
A look at some of the key themes and ideas from an upcoming report on Community-Centered Journalism, commissioned by the Agora Journalism Center. Presented at a local journalism researchers workshop hosted at the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill, on Feb 19th 2023.
Mental Health and Digital Safety Tips for Journalists.pptxDamian Radcliffe
Tips and recommendations for my Social Media for Journalists class (Fall 2022) at the University of Oregon. The deck includes tips for digital safety, self-care and mental well-being, as well as managing digital overload. It features links to resources and materials from DART, CPJ, Poynter and others.
This edition of WAN-IFRA’s annual flagship research and report reveals an industry challenged but optimistic about its business. It examines the results of publishers’ business in 2021, their forecasts for 2022 and beyond, and the trends and issues shaping the industry.
Our research shows news publishers feel confident about tackling the ongoing coronavirus crisis, and that some of their early pandemic-era pivots are beginning to pay dividends. However, publishers still need to navigate considerable transformation and turmoil, even if there are signs of a resurgence in global advertising markets and a maturing of many reader revenue strategies. The invasion of Ukraine has further undermined companies’ plans, as how that conflict will unfold can have long-lasting effects on industries across the board, in addition to the humanitarian crisis it is causing.
As in the previous years, the World Press Trends Outlook analysis is based on an online survey distributed to industry leaders. 162 news executives from 58 countries took part in the survey in Fall 2021 – a big thank you to them for sharing their insights, results and strategies.
In addition, WAN-IFRA works with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and ZenithOptimedia for key performance indicators (revenue, circulation and ad spend). For additional audience insights, we work with analytics specialist Chartbeat.
World Press Trends is supported by Protecmedia, the content management provider.
--
Per the report intro (page 4): "Damian Radcliffe, longtime industry analyst, journalist and academic, authored most of the report for the first time, offering his analysis and context to the survey and emerging trends. Dr. Francois Nel, also a longtime analyst, well-known academic within our industry and contributor to WPT, provided his analysis, contribution and data analysis of all our collected data. WAN-IFRA's Teemu Henriksson helped to coordinate the project along with Dean Roper."
Resources: Media Literacy and Managing MisinformationDamian Radcliffe
Tl;DR of my wider deck (https://www.slideshare.net/mrdamian/understanding-media-literacy-and-misinformation) on managing information disorder, defining media literacy and knowing how to spot - and manage - misinformation online.
This presentation includes links to valuable resources on managing disinformation, digital trends and research on media literacy in Europe.
1.Wireless Communication System_Wireless communication is a broad term that i...JeyaPerumal1
Wireless communication involves the transmission of information over a distance without the help of wires, cables or any other forms of electrical conductors.
Wireless communication is a broad term that incorporates all procedures and forms of connecting and communicating between two or more devices using a wireless signal through wireless communication technologies and devices.
Features of Wireless Communication
The evolution of wireless technology has brought many advancements with its effective features.
The transmitted distance can be anywhere between a few meters (for example, a television's remote control) and thousands of kilometers (for example, radio communication).
Wireless communication can be used for cellular telephony, wireless access to the internet, wireless home networking, and so on.
APNIC Foundation, presented by Ellisha Heppner at the PNG DNS Forum 2024APNIC
Ellisha Heppner, Grant Management Lead, presented an update on APNIC Foundation to the PNG DNS Forum held from 6 to 10 May, 2024 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
# Internet Security: Safeguarding Your Digital World
In the contemporary digital age, the internet is a cornerstone of our daily lives. It connects us to vast amounts of information, provides platforms for communication, enables commerce, and offers endless entertainment. However, with these conveniences come significant security challenges. Internet security is essential to protect our digital identities, sensitive data, and overall online experience. This comprehensive guide explores the multifaceted world of internet security, providing insights into its importance, common threats, and effective strategies to safeguard your digital world.
## Understanding Internet Security
Internet security encompasses the measures and protocols used to protect information, devices, and networks from unauthorized access, attacks, and damage. It involves a wide range of practices designed to safeguard data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Effective internet security is crucial for individuals, businesses, and governments alike, as cyber threats continue to evolve in complexity and scale.
### Key Components of Internet Security
1. **Confidentiality**: Ensuring that information is accessible only to those authorized to access it.
2. **Integrity**: Protecting information from being altered or tampered with by unauthorized parties.
3. **Availability**: Ensuring that authorized users have reliable access to information and resources when needed.
## Common Internet Security Threats
Cyber threats are numerous and constantly evolving. Understanding these threats is the first step in protecting against them. Some of the most common internet security threats include:
### Malware
Malware, or malicious software, is designed to harm, exploit, or otherwise compromise a device, network, or service. Common types of malware include:
- **Viruses**: Programs that attach themselves to legitimate software and replicate, spreading to other programs and files.
- **Worms**: Standalone malware that replicates itself to spread to other computers.
- **Trojan Horses**: Malicious software disguised as legitimate software.
- **Ransomware**: Malware that encrypts a user's files and demands a ransom for the decryption key.
- **Spyware**: Software that secretly monitors and collects user information.
### Phishing
Phishing is a social engineering attack that aims to steal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details. Attackers often masquerade as trusted entities in email or other communication channels, tricking victims into providing their information.
### Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks
MitM attacks occur when an attacker intercepts and potentially alters communication between two parties without their knowledge. This can lead to the unauthorized acquisition of sensitive information.
### Denial-of-Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks
This 7-second Brain Wave Ritual Attracts Money To You.!nirahealhty
Discover the power of a simple 7-second brain wave ritual that can attract wealth and abundance into your life. By tapping into specific brain frequencies, this technique helps you manifest financial success effortlessly. Ready to transform your financial future? Try this powerful ritual and start attracting money today!
Bridging the Digital Gap Brad Spiegel Macon, GA Initiative.pptxBrad Spiegel Macon GA
Brad Spiegel Macon GA’s journey exemplifies the profound impact that one individual can have on their community. Through his unwavering dedication to digital inclusion, he’s not only bridging the gap in Macon but also setting an example for others to follow.
Multi-cluster Kubernetes Networking- Patterns, Projects and GuidelinesSanjeev Rampal
Talk presented at Kubernetes Community Day, New York, May 2024.
Technical summary of Multi-Cluster Kubernetes Networking architectures with focus on 4 key topics.
1) Key patterns for Multi-cluster architectures
2) Architectural comparison of several OSS/ CNCF projects to address these patterns
3) Evolution trends for the APIs of these projects
4) Some design recommendations & guidelines for adopting/ deploying these solutions.
Social Media in the Middle East: The story of 2015
1. Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
January
2016
2.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
2
2
Table
of
Contents
Introduction
and
Market
Context
.....................................................................................................
3
1.
WhatsApp
.................................................................................................................................
4
2.
Facebook
..................................................................................................................................
5
3.
Instagram
..................................................................................................................................
6
4.
Twitter
......................................................................................................................................
7
5.
Snapchat
...................................................................................................................................
8
6.
Video
Content
...........................................................................................................................
9
7.
Social
Media
and
Digital
News
consumption
..........................................................................
10
8.
Youth
.....................................................................................................................................
11
9.
ISIS
.........................................................................................................................................
12
10.
Freedom
of
Expression
............................................................................................................
13
Further
Reading
..............................................................................................................................
14
Endnotes
........................................................................................................................................
15
About
the
Author
Damian
Radcliffe
is
the
Carolyn
S.
Chambers
Professor
in
Journalism
at
the
University
of
Oregon.
He
is
also
an
Honorary
Research
Fellow
at
the
Cardiff
School
of
Journalism,
Media
and
Cultural
Studies,
the
UK’s
oldest
journalism
school;
and
a
Fellow
of
the
Royal
Society
for
the
encouragement
of
Arts,
Manufactures
and
Commerce
(RSA).
Over
the
past
twenty
years
Damian
has
worked
–
and
written
-‐
for
some
of
the
world’s
largest
media
brands
including
the
BBC,
the
Guardian
newspaper
and
The
Huffington
Post.
Since
December
2013
he
has
written
a
monthly
column
on
tech,
IT
and
telecoms
in
the
Middle
East
for
CBS
Interactive
/
ZDNet.
Between
2012-‐14
he
ran
the
Internet
and
Society
(Rassed)
research
programme
at
Qatar’s
Ministry
of
Information
and
Communications
Technology
(ictQATAR),
exploring
the
impact
of
the
internet
on
society.
The
Rassed
research
has
been
viewed
over
270,000
times
on
LinkedIn’s
SlideShare
platform
alone.
Other
previous
employers
include
Ofcom
(the
UK
Communications
Regulator)
and
the
BBC.
You
can
view
Damian’s
extensive
writing
and
research
portfolio
at:
www.damianradcliffe.com
and
he
tweets
@damianradcliffe.
You
can
contact
him
through
those
channels
or
damian.radcliffe@gmail.com
3.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
3
3
Introduction
and
Market
Context
This
report
is
the
fourth
in
a
series
of
annual
reports
designed
to
capture
some
of
the
key
developments
in
the
world
of
social
media
-‐
within
the
Middle
East
-‐
during
the
past
twelve
months.
Interest
in
this
field,
which
was
first
unlocked
by
the
Arab
Spring,
continues
to
attract
researchers,
marketers
and
businesses.
The
reasons
for
this
are
multiple:
the
region’s
“youth
bulge”
makes
the
market
attractive
for
anyone
seeking
to
attract
a
young
tech-‐savvy
audience,
meanwhile
the
growth
of
ISIS
–
and
their
use
of
social
media
–
continues
to
pose
challenging
questions
for
policy
makers
and
freedom
of
speech
advocates.1
These
developments
play
out
against
a
diverse
backdrop,
and
this
diversity
results
in
wide
variances
in
usage
of
social
media
and
other
digital
technologies;
with
particular
differences
between
the
Gulf
region
and
North
Africa.
In
aggregate,
regional
usage
of
social
media
continues
to
be
behind
the
global
average.
Whatever
else
happens
in
2016,
this
will
continue
to
be
a
region
where
the
rise
of
social
will
continue
to
attract
considerable
interest,
not
least
because
of
the
digital,
socio-‐economic
and
political
implications
which
these
platforms
can
unlock.
As
these
annual
reviews
show,
this
is
an
arena
which
does
not
stand
still.
As
ever,
I
hope
you
find
this
annual
round-‐up
as
interesting
and
useful
as
I
do.
Damian
Radcliffe,
January
2016
Figure
1:
Social
Media
Regional
Overview,
via
We
Are
Social
2
4.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
4
4
1.
WhatsApp
• WhatsApp,
the
popular
messaging
service,
is
now
the
leading
social
media
platform
in
Lebanon,
Qatar,
Saudi
Arabia
and
UAE,
according
to
data
from
Northwestern
University
in
Qatar.3
The
network
was
purchased
by
Facebook
in
2014
for
$19
billion.
Facebook
also
owns
Instagram.
• WhatsApp
is
also
the
preferred
social
media
channel
for
41%
of
social
media
users
in
the
region,
research
presented
by
TNS
-‐
at
the
Arab
Social
Media
Influencers
Summit
in
March
2015
-‐
found.4
• 70%
of
Israelis
say
WhatsApp
is
the
“mobile
app
they
would
not
be
able
to
do
without.”
This
is
up
from
54%
in
2013
-‐
a
survey
by
Bezeq,
the
largest
telecommunications
group
in
Israel,
reported.5
Figure
2:
Top
3
social
media
platforms
in
six
select
countries,
Northwestern
University
in
Qatar
5.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
5
5
2.
Facebook
• Across
the
region
as
a
whole,
however,
Facebook
continues
to
be
the
most
used
social
network,
with
80m
users
at
the
start
of
2015.6
There
are
12m
users
in
Saudi
Arabia
and
11m
in
Iraq.7
Egypt,
with
27m
Facebook
users,
continues
to
have
MENA’s
largest
Facebook
population.8
• TNS
reported
that
87%
of
social
media
users
in
the
region
are
on
Facebook;
and
84%
of
these
access
the
network
via
mobile
devices.
Meanwhile,
89%
of
MENA
users
log
on
to
the
site
daily.
• Northwestern
University
in
Qatar
noted
that
Facebook
usage
among
nationals
had
fallen
in
the
past
year,
from
89%
to
83%,
possibly
as
a
result
of
migration
to
other
channels
such
as
Instagram.
• In
November,
questions
were
asked9
about
why
Facebook
launched
it’s
“Safety
Check”
system
when
terrorists
attacked
Paris,
but
not
when
41
people
were
killed
in
Beirut
the
day
before.10
11
Figure
2:
Facebook
user
penetration
by
%
of
social
media
users,
TNS
Arab
Social
Media
report
6.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
6
6
3.
Instagram
• Instagram
now
has
25m
users
in
MENA12
and
400m
worldwide.13
Saudi
Arabia
has
10.7
million
monthly
active
users,
while
there
are
2.2
million
monthly
users
in
UAE
and
3.2
million
in
Egypt.14
• Ipsos
MENA
reported
in
2015
that
during
the
previous
year,
usage
of
the
network
across
their
regional
panel
grew
+14%,
from
23%
-‐
37%
of
panelists.15
• Instagram
use
has
exploded
among
Arab
Nationals,
Northwestern
University
in
Qatar
revealed,
growing
from
6%
of
internet
users
in
2013
to
28%
in
2015,
across
their
six
nation
study.
Figure
3+4:
Nationals
usage
of
Instagram,
2013-‐‑15
in
Egypt,
Lebanon,
Qatar,
Saudi
Arabia,
Tunisia
and
UAE,
via
Northwestern
University
in
Qatar
Figure
5:
Growth
of
Instagram
(and
Snapchat)
among
Ipsos
MENA
panel
during
2014
7.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
7
7
4.
Twitter
• Saudi
Arabia
and
UAE
continue
to
dominate
MENA’s
Twitter
market
(53%
and
51%
of
SM
users
in
those
countries
have
an
account).
Usage
is
lowest
in
Libya
(12%)
and
Syria
(14%),
TNS
discovered.
• But,
daily
usage
is
highest
in
Jordan,
Libya,
Palestine
and
Syria;
and
lowest
in
Saudi
Arabia
the
same
survey
found;
suggesting
that
despite
lower
Twitter
penetration,
users
are
more
active.
• 45%
of
Twitter
users
are
aged
18-‐24.
Only
a
quarter
(25%)
are
aged
45+,
Northwestern
University
in
Qatar
noted
in
their
latest
media
usage
study.
• Saudi’s
Prince
Alwaleed
bin
Talal
attracted
criticism16
after
seeming
to
tweet
an
offer
of
a
Bentley
to
each
of
the
100
Saudi
pilots
who
took
part
in
airstrikes
in
Yemen.17
The
tweet
is
now
deleted.18
Figure
6:
Percentage
of
Twitter
users
who
access
it
daily
per
country
(TNS)
8.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
8
8
5.
Snapchat
• The
ephemeral
and
fast
growing
social
network
-‐
usage
grew
from
3%
-‐
12%
of
Ipsos
MENA’s
panel
in
2014
-‐
featured
Mecca
on
its
“Live
Stories”
feed
during
Ramadan,
giving
non-‐Muslims
a
rare
insight
into
the
city
(which
non-‐Muslims
cannot
visit).
The
move
came
after
c.300,000
people
tweeted
using
the
hashtag
#Mecca_live
to
get
Snapchat
to
feature
the
Saudi
city
on
their
app.19
Figure
7:
Jacqueline
Saleh,
Twitter
20
• Earlier
in
the
year,
some
Snapchat
and
Twitter
users
in
Saudi
Arabia
used
#RiyadhLife
to
poke
fun21
at
life
in
the
capital
and
stereotypes
about
the
country.22
Figure
8:
Examples
of
#RiyadhLife
9.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
9
9
6.
Video
Content
• MENA
is
the
fastest
growing
consumer
of
videos
on
Facebook.
Consumption
-‐
per
head
-‐
of
Facebook
embedded
videos
in
the
region
is
twice
the
global
average.23
• “Turkey
is
the
second
most
active
country
in
terms
of
Periscope
streams,
according
to
social
analytics
company
Sysomos.
And
three
of
its
cities
—
Istanbul,
Ankara
and
Izmir
—
are
among
the
top
10
cities
with
the
most
Periscope
users,
according
to
Twitter.”
(Buzzfeed,
Sept
2015)24
Periscope,
the
live
video
streaming
app,
was
launched
by
Twitter
during
March
2015.25
• Two-‐thirds
(66%)
of
social
media
users
(based
on
a
TNS
sample
of
7,000+
across
20
MENA
countries)
access
YouTube
daily.
Daily
log-‐ons
are
highest
in
Jordan
(75%
and
Palestine
(74%).
• Among
Nationals,
YouTube
is
the
third
most
popular
social
channel
(54%
of
internet
users)
after
Facebook
(83%)
and
WhatsApp
(77%).
Twitter
and
Viber
rank
next
at
40%
(Northwestern
in
Qatar).
• Growth
in
watch
time
on
YouTube
is
up
over
80%
year
on
year,
Google
data
shows.26
The
top
trending
YouTube
videos
for
2015,
based
on
views,
shares,
comments
and
likes.27
1.
ﺓةﻁطﻴﯿﺎﺭر
(Pilot)
by
Danyah
Cartoon
2.
ﻥنﻓﺮﻋﻮ
(Pharaoh)
by
Masameer
3.
The
Neighbours
/
ﻥنﺍاﻟﺠﻴﯿﺮﺍا
by
Iftah
Ya
Simsim
4.
Mother’s
Day
/
ﺪﻋﻴﯿ ﺍاﻷﻡم
by
Shady
Srour
5.
ﺞﺍاﻟﻤﺰﻋ
(Spam)
by
Eysh
Elly
6.
Temsa7ly
/
ﺔﺍاﻟﺮﺍاﺗﺒﻴﯿ ﺍاﻟﺸﻴﯿﻼﻟﻴﯿﺔ
(Crocodile
Episode
92)
by
Temsa7
7.
ﺔﺿﺮﺑ ﺣﺮﺓة
(Free
kick)
by
Sa7i
8.
ﻱيﺃأﺑﺮ ﺫذﻣﺘﻲ
(My
Conscience)
by
SceenTV
9.
Morning
Routine
/
ﻲﺭرﻭوﺗﻴﯿﻨ ﺍاﻟﺼﺒﺎﺣﻲ ﻟﻠﻤﺪﺭرﺳﺔ
by
Hayla
TV
10.
Bean
Boozled
Challenge
/
ﻱيﺣﺪ ﺍاﻟﺤﻼﻭوﺓة ﺍاﻟﻤﻌﻔﻨﺔ
by
d7oomy999
Figure
9:
Images
from
some
of
the
regions
most
popular
YouTube
videos
in
2015
10.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
10
10
7.
Social
Media
and
Digital
News
consumption
• 41%
of
Arab
Youth
say
they
use
Facebook
to
share
news
articles
with
friends
and
family,
reports
the
annual
Arab
Youth
Survey.28
75%
read
news
online
each
week,
just
behind
TV
news
viewing
(79%).
• Younger
audiences
value
–
and
trust
–
social
media
as
a
source
of
news
more
than
older
audiences.
Northwestern
University
revealed
53%
of
18-‐24s
consider
social
media
reliable
vs.
30%
of
those
45+.
• This
year
the
Wall
Street
Journal’s
Ahmed
Al
Omran
hit
100k
Twitter
followers
(he’s
now
at
114k),
reflecting
the
rising
importance
of
social
as
a
news
source
both
inside
–
and
outside
–
the
region.
Figure
10:
Importance
of
news
sources,
Northwestern
University
Figure
11:
Sarah
Marshall,
Twitter29
11.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
11
11
8.
Youth
• TV
remains
the
most
popular
news
source
for
Arab
Youth
(60%),
followed
by
online
(40%).
Family
and
friends
are
more
popular
news
sources
than
social,
newspapers
and
radio.
• Direct
messaging
apps
–
like
WhatsApp
and
Viber
–
are
popular
across
all
age
groups;
whereas
the
leading
networks
–
Facebook,
YouTube
and
Twitter
–
tend
to
skew
young.30
• Social
Media
aside,
the
16
country
Arab
Youth
Study
revealed
the
ubiquitous
nature
of
digital
technology
among
this
cohort.
82%
of
young
Arabs
use
the
web
daily.
77%
own
a
smartphone.
Figure
12:
Where
do
you
get
your
news
from?
Arab
Youth
Study
Figure
13:
Age
profile
of
Top
5
social
platforms
in
Egypt,
Lebanon,
Qatar
Saudi
Arabia,
Tunisia
and
UAE,
Northwestern
University
in
Qatar
12.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
12
12
9.
ISIS
• A
Brookings
Institute
study,
“The
ISIS
Twitter
Census,”
reported31
at
least
46,000
Twitter
accounts
were
used
by
ISIS
supporters,
with
Saudi
Arabia
home
to
the
largest
number
of
pro-‐ISIS
accounts.32
• Saturday
Night
Live33
and
social
media
users
in
the
region,
created
various
parody
videos
mocking
Islamic
State.
34
Muslims
also
used
Twitter
to
respond
with
humour
to
ISIS’
call
“to
join
the
fight.”35
• In
December,
some
social
media
users
also
took
to
Twitter36
using
the
#SueMeSaudi
hashtag
to
draw
parallels
between
Saudi
Arabia
and
ISIS,
with
particular
emphasis
on
their
use
of
capital
punishment.37
Figure
14:
Image
via
BBC
Breaking38
Figure
15:
Claimed
locations
of
pro-‐‑ISIS
Twitter
accounts.
Image
via
The
Brookings
Institute39
13.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
13
13
10.
Freedom
of
Expression
• The
Pew
Research
Center
found
less
support
in
the
Middle
East
than
other
regions
around
the
idea
that
“people
can
say
what
they
want….
without
state/gov
censorship.”40
Of
the
38
nations
studied,
Palestinians
were
among
the
least
likely
to
say
“freedom
of
expression
is
very
important.”
A
median
of
74%
across
five
Middle
Eastern
countries
said
people
should
be
able
to
complain
publicly
about
the
government.
However,
In
Turkey
(39%)
and
Jordan
(26%)
significant
numbers
said
the
government
should
be
able
to
prevent
people
from
being
critical
of
the
state.41
• Twitter
received
the
most
content
removal
requests
globally
from
the
Turkish
government,
their
transparency
report
(published
in
February
2015)
revealed.
Turkey
submitted
477
take-‐down
requests
between
July
1
–
December
31
2014,
more
than
all
other
countries
combined
(796
global
total).42
The
country’s
relationship
with
social
media
remains
“complicated.”43
• Egyptian
Doctors
took
to
Facebook44
to
highlight
poor
conditions
in
state
hospitals.
The
graphic
photos,
the
New
York
Times
noted,
include
images
of
patients
“surrounded
by
filth,
stray
cats,
sewage,
rodent
droppings
and
snakes.”45
(Be
advised
some
of
these
photos
are
very
unpleasant.)
• Saudi
Arabia's
Supreme
Court
upheld
the
sentence
of
1,000
lashes
and
10
years
imposed
on
blogger
Raif
Badawi,46
following
a
2012
arrest
for
"insulting
Islam
through
electronic
channels."47
• An
American
expat
was
arrested
in
March
after
a
“Facebook
rant”
about
his
employer
in
the
United
Arab
Emirates.
Although
he
posted
the
comments
while
in
the
US,
he
was
arrested
when
he
returned
to
the
UAE.48
Figure
16:
Data
via
Pew
Research
Center
49
14.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
14
14
Further
Reading
Selected
research
recommendations:
• We
Are
Social:
Digital,
Social
&
Mobile
in
2015
(Jan
2015)
• WPP
/
TNS:
The
Arab
Social
Media
Report
2015
(March
2015)
• Arab
Youth
Survey
2015:
Presentation,
White
Paper,
Top
10
Findings
(April
2015)
• Northwestern
University
in
Qatar:
mideastmedia.org
(April
2015)
• Pew
Research
Center:
Global
Support
for
Principle
of
Free
Expression,
but
Opposition
to
Some
Forms
of
Speech
(Nov
2015)
• Damian
Radcliffe:
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2014
(Jan
2015)
(also
available
on
Scribd,
SlideShare
and
Academia.edu)
Please
also
see
previous
annual
round-‐ups
which
were
produced
whilst
I
worked
for
Qatar’s
Ministry
of
Information
and
Communications
Technology
(ictQATAR):
• Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2013
(English,
Arabic)
• Social
Media
in
the
MENA
–
2012
Review
(English,
Arabic)
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
by
Damian
Radcliffe
is
licensed
under
a
Creative
Commons
Attribution-‐NonCommercial-‐ShareAlike
4.0
International
License.
15.
Social
Media
in
the
Middle
East:
The
Story
of
2015
Damian
Radcliffe
15
15
Endnotes
1
See:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-‐security/islamic-‐states-‐embrace-‐of-‐social-‐media-‐puts-‐tech-‐companies-‐in-‐a-‐
bind/2015/07/15/0e5624c4-‐169c-‐11e5-‐89f3-‐61410da94eb1_story.html,
http://fortune.com/2015/12/10/why-‐the-‐social-‐media-‐giants-‐cant-‐ever-‐
wipe-‐out-‐isis-‐propaganda/
and
others.
2
http://www.slideshare.net/wearesocialsg/digital-‐social-‐mobile-‐in-‐2015/26-‐We_Are_Social_wearesocialsg_26SOCIAL
3
http://www.mideastmedia.org/2015/chapter/social-‐media.html#subchapter2
4
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwiG4-‐
itiq3KAhUMzWMKHQitDFsQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wpp.com%2Fgovtpractice%2F~%2Fmedia%2Fwppgov%2Ffiles%2Farabsocialmedi
areport-‐2015.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGQMdOeATiLkDmuh2XMtoqL_jlzzw&sig2=eEe7kvwUSZaXVOpn4x6NGg&cad=rja
5
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-‐News/Survey-‐Israelis-‐addicted-‐to-‐Whatsapp-‐dont-‐pay-‐for-‐streaming-‐movies-‐385980
6
http://www.emirates247.com/business/technology/more-‐facebook-‐addicts-‐in-‐uae-‐compared-‐to-‐global-‐average-‐2015-‐03-‐18-‐1.584646
7
http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats5.htm
8
http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats1.htm
9
https://stepfeed.com/more-‐categories/big-‐news/social-‐media-‐users-‐question-‐why-‐beirut-‐doesnt-‐get-‐facebook-‐safety-‐check/
and
http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/15/technology/paris-‐attacks-‐facebook-‐safety-‐check/
+
others.
10
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-‐middle-‐east-‐34805466
11
http://allfacebook.com/northwestern-‐university-‐qatar-‐doha-‐film-‐institute-‐middle-‐east-‐study_b131129
12
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/influence-‐visual-‐storytelling-‐rise-‐instagram-‐middle-‐east-‐ema-‐linaker
13
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/instagram-‐sees-‐record-‐gains-‐hits-‐400-‐million-‐user-‐milestone/141756/
14
https://stepfeed.com/business/media-‐advertising/the-‐middle-‐easts-‐love-‐for-‐instagram-‐including-‐its-‐adverts/
15
http://www.slideshare.net/IpsosMENA/digital-‐media-‐forum-‐2015
-‐
2014
data
presented
in
mid-‐2015.
16
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/media/digital/2015/04/23/Saudi-‐prince-‐s-‐Bentley-‐pledge-‐to-‐fighter-‐pilots-‐gets-‐global-‐coverage.html
17
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-‐trending-‐32417773
18
https://twitter.com/Othmanbay/status/590844910661697536
19
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-‐trending-‐33478729
20
https://twitter.com/adoomy4life/status/620809813652541440
21
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/media/2015/04/20/Hilarious-‐RiyadhLife-‐snapchats-‐trend-‐as-‐users-‐laugh-‐off-‐stereotypes.html
22
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/riyadh-‐life
23
http://m.dubaiprnetwork.com/pr.asp?pr=99891
data
provided
by
Facebook.
24
http://www.buzzfeed.com/alexkantrowitz/why-‐periscope-‐is-‐going-‐wild-‐in-‐turkey#.mvNgQR9nBj
25
https://blog.twitter.com/2015/introducing-‐periscope
26
Via
email
from
Momina
Chaudhry,
Memac
Ogilvy.
Also
available
in
Arabic
at:
http://google-‐arabia.blogspot.ae/2015/12/youtube.html
27
http://google-‐arabia.blogspot.ae/2015/12/youtube.html
-‐
translations
via
Google
Translate.
28
http://www.arabyouthsurvey.com/
29
https://twitter.com/sarahmarshall/status/593529945529274369
30
http://www.mideastmedia.org/2015/chapter/social-‐media.html#subchapter1
31
http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2015/03/isis-‐twitter-‐census-‐berger-‐morgan
32
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-‐security/in-‐a-‐propaganda-‐war-‐us-‐tried-‐to-‐play-‐by-‐the-‐enemys-‐rules/2015/05/08/6eb6b732-‐
e52f-‐11e4-‐81ea-‐0649268f729e_story.html
33
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L2fazw5Y9k&app=desktop
34
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/3/2/SNL-‐parody-‐of-‐isil-‐made-‐headlines-‐but-‐its-‐far-‐from-‐original.html
35
https://twitter.com/iyad_elbaghdadi/status/680776223606333440
36
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-‐trending-‐34966066
37
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-‐3340697/SueMeSaudi-‐hashtag-‐taunting-‐Arabian-‐nation-‐threatening-‐legal-‐action-‐comparisons-‐ISIS-‐
beheading-‐executions-‐sweeps-‐Twitter.html
38
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-‐trending-‐34966066
39
http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2015/03/isis-‐twitter-‐census-‐berger-‐morgan
40
http://www.pewglobal.org/2015/11/18/global-‐support-‐for-‐principle-‐of-‐free-‐expression-‐but-‐opposition-‐to-‐some-‐forms-‐of-‐speech/
41
http://www.pewglobal.org/files/2015/11/Pew-‐Research-‐Center-‐Democracy-‐Report-‐FINAL-‐November-‐18-‐2015.pdf
42
http://www.statista.com/chart/3217/twitter-‐content-‐removal-‐requests/
43
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/collegeofjournalism/entries/738f63e8-‐b73e-‐45f8-‐8700-‐620808b9d45e
and
http://www.digitalnewsreport.org/essays/2015/how-‐turkey-‐uses-‐social-‐media/
44
https://www.facebook.com/lawgehnosurprise/photos_stream
45
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/13/world/middleeast/egyptian-‐doctors-‐shame-‐government-‐with-‐facebook-‐images-‐of-‐filthy-‐state-‐run-‐
hospitals.html?_r=0
46
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-‐east/saudi-‐arabia-‐upholds-‐blogger-‐raif-‐badawis-‐sentence-‐of-‐1000-‐lashes-‐and-‐10-‐years-‐in-‐
jail-‐10303069.html
47
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-‐middle-‐east-‐33039815
48
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-‐31692914
49
http://www.pewglobal.org/2015/11/18/global-‐support-‐for-‐principle-‐of-‐free-‐expression-‐but-‐opposition-‐to-‐some-‐forms-‐of-‐speech/