168 Country Report: Information Network

Traditional:

Pressreader is a digital platform that distributes newspapers on a global scale. You are able to type in your country and get newspapers either from the country or newspapers that mention your country in various articles. It offers newspapers published as recently as March 2023 all the way back to 2003. It also offers 7,000 different magazines from around the globe to those who have a subscription. It is a very reliable source because it is used by many renowned institutions such as the New York Library and Yale.

It can be accessed here: https://www-pressreader-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/catalog

I chose to use Pressreader because it is available through the Ohio State Library and it is a very reliable source. I also chose Pressreader because it is pretty simple to navigate. I found it very nice that it offered a newspaper from Saudi Arabia. I wasn’t sure if there were going to be many media sources directly from the country itself.

International Newsstream:

International News Stream is an online platform that allows you to access more than 660 newspapers from around the globe. It also includes specific databases based on regions including the Middle East & Africa. Latin America, Asia, etc. news stream. It also offers newspapers dating back from 1970-2023. It is also used by trusted institutions like the University of Hong Kong and the New York Public Library.

It can be accessed here: https://www.proquest.com/internationalnews1?accountid=9783

I chose International Newsstream because it’s a very reliable source. The site is easy to use and it offers a lot of newspapers that cover broad topics ranging from social topics to economic discussions. It offers resources that offer differing views since it has resources from within Saudi Arabia and other countries talking about Saudi Arabia.

Arab News

Arab News is an English Language daily newspaper that was established in 1975. It is distributed in Riyadh. It is available in print form but it can also be accessed through their website as well. The target audience for this newspaper are diplomats, executives, and businessmen.

It can be accessed here: https://www.arabnews.com/

I chose this because it is distributed in Saudi Arabia but it is written in English. They cover several topics not only about  Saudi Arabia but about the Middle East and Global News as well. The newspaper also offers podcasts which I found very interesting.

New Media:

Saudi Jeans

Saudi Jeans is a blog written by Saudi Arabian author Ahmed Al-Omra. The blog first started in May 2004 as a way to improve his English however he realized his work started to gain more traction and started discussing political issues while also trying to change certain stereotypes about Saudi Arabia. The blog has not been updated since 2015 however, but his last blog was regarding Saudi Arabian women and how they have to ask their husbands for permission to leave the home. He also uses several interviews with other bloggers and citizens of Saudi Arabia to support his blog.

It can be accessed here: https://saudijeans.org/

I chose this blog because I like the fact that is a Saudi Arabian blogger and although he doesn’t currently live in Saudi Arabia he has perspective outside news sources don’t have. He is also able to speak freely about his country without facing the consequences of censorship or government interference. He also said he specifically writes in English in order to reach larger audiences which I like because he is trying to make an impact which reflects in his writing.

The Conversation

It is a network of non-profit media sources that academics/experts write on the topics they are discussing. Each article has a “Disclosure statement” where the website itself will reveal the author’s possible biases. They operate under a Creative Commmons license so all the work can be freely distributed. Cover various topics of most countries including Arts, Economy, Ethics, Politics, etc.

It can be accessed here: https://theconversation.com/us

I picked this new media because I really like how they reveal whether the author would have any bias. You can also click on the author and see their credentials which is think is very important in order to accurately avoid misinformation or potential biases.

Lost with Purpose

Lost with Purpose is a travel blog of a young American woman called Alex Reynolds who is hitchhiking and exploring different parts of the world. She has a specific blog talking about a guide on how to travel in Saudi Arabia and has several helpful blogs talking about applying for a visa or general questions someone might have.

It can be accessed here: https://www.lostwithpurpose.com/travel-saudi-arabia/

I chose this blog because I found it to be very interesting to have the perspective of someone who is a young female traveling in Saudi Arabia. She also goes very much in detail about the country. She talks about not only visa applications but a general run-through of Saudi Arabia’s history, culture, religion, and things you need to pack before traveling.

Social Media Source:

Twitter- @KSAmofaEN

This is a Twitter page run by Saudi Arabian government officials. It is offered in English and was first created in September 2017. It is continuously updated with the last update written on March 10. The Twitter page mainly talks about political and economic achievements as well as important holidays. In the bio of the Twitter page there is a link to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The page is specifically designed for English users; there is also a link to the French version of the account.

It can be accessed here: https://twitter.com/KSAmofaEN

I chose this because most of the media I look at talks badly about Saudi Arabia. Although the site is clearly biased since it is run by the government it offers the opposite perspective of the sources I have been looking at. It is also interesting to take note of what the government wants Western audiences to know or at least take note of.

Life in Saudi Arabia

Life in Saudi Arabia is a Twitter page that was established in August 2014. It’s a very active Twitter page that reports on almost daily news stories that occur in Saudi Arabia. Topics range from tourist attractions to political issues. They have 12,200 followers.

It can be accessed here: https://twitter.com/LifeSaudiArabia

I chose this social media source because it seems like a somewhat small community but I like that they discuss topics such as women’s rights. That’s a topic that isn’t really discussed and even though it is run by Saudi Arabians from around the world they still choose to talk about things that matter to them.

CIC Saudi Arabia

The Center for International Communication is a Twitter page established in August 2017 but it has 116,000 followers with its more recent posts covering the events of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia. There is definitely some bias with this Twitter page. The CIC posts with the Saudi f Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI) which is a part of the Saudi Arabian government which very clearly influences what sort of information can be said about the country and what is purposefully left out.

It can be accessed here: https://twitter.com/CICSaudi

I chose this because it shows a different side than the other sources I’ve chosen. They’ve been very independent but clearly, you can tell some bias in this media because there is no post that criticizes the government in any way.

Data Source:

Statistica

This site offers data from over 22,500 on over 60,000 topics. It also offers data in several different forms including infographics or just numbers. All data also clearly states its sources. It provides data regarding several topics that include consumer markets, mobility markets, technology markets, health markets, etc. Specifically for Saudi Arabia, it shows large amounts of data from just about any topic. Offers data on all Saudi Arabian exports from 1985-2022 or even data for the number of visitors to the U.S from Saudi Arabia  from 2011-2021.

It can be accessed here: https://www-statista-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/

I chose to use this site because I have used it several times before during school assignments not only just for this specific class but for several other projects for my international business classes since it offers so much data on such a broad range of topics. The information is also very reliable and easy to understand, one could view data in just about any type of form.

Ethnologue

Offers data on various languages. Specifically for Saudi Arabia, it mentions how it is the macrolanguage of Saudi Arabia. It also demonstrates the other places Arabic is spoken including Ukraine and Poland. It shows all the different regions and the specific type of Arabic they speak as well as the general population that speaks it which is 372,569,590. It is owned by SIl International which is a non-profit whose main purpose is to research languages.

It can be accessed here: https://www-ethnologue-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/language/ara/

I chose this data source because it is reliable since it is offered through OSU’s library. It is also run by a non-profit organization meaning the information it provides isn’t influenced by other financial reasons or specific contributors who might have a hand in creating a bias.

Passport GMID

This is a Global Market information database it provides statistics on consumer trends and general business activities on several countries. For Saudi Arabia, it provides data on the inflation, money supply, Real GDP growth, and the imports and exports of Saudi Arabia all the way up to 2022.

It can be accessed here: https://www-portal-euromonitor-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/ResultsList/Index

I chose this data because it clearly gives accurate data on the more economical side of Saudi Arabia. Despite the fact that I have been more focused on the censorship issue in Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia has a booming economy mainly due to its oil reserves and that plays a huge role in its political and financial activity.

Visual/audio-based source:

Al Arabiya

Al Arabiya English is a Youtube channel run by Al Ariabiya an International news television channel. It is based out of Dubai and it was first created in 2011 with its most recent video being posted 2 days ago. Al Arabiya’s parent company is MBC which is a media conglomerate in the Middle East and North Africa. It offers videos regarding the social, political, cultural, and economic states of Saudi Arabia but also offers news about international nations.

It can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/@AlArabiyaEnglish/featured

I chose this source because I didn’t want to include only sources outside of the Saudi Arabian government. It gives a good idea of what kind of news the government wants the world to know. I also enjoyed that it offered its viewers international news as well. It also has 311,000 subscribers so it’s a fairly popular audio source.

The Mayman Show

The Mayman Show is a podcast that keeps people updated on Saudi Arabian Pop Culture. It focuses on topics such as celebrities, athletes, models, etc. It also talks about Saudi Arabias culture and tourist attractions. It is hosted by journalist Hussam Al-Mayman

It can be accessed here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ZWSLj6Z2OgteaonktTsTV?si=Gu9Wcn_6S6yXJmNvaEzvTw

I chose this source because I listened to a little bit of it and it was actually very informative. It discusses topics that I never focused on. I learned a decent amount about Saudi Arabian culture.  Its also easily accessible its on multiple platforms.

Pass the Kabsa

Pass the Kabsa is a podcast available on Youtube and Apple Podcast. It is hosted by three young individuals and they discuss any sort of topic related to Saudi Arabia. It is mainly focused on pop culture but their message is that no topic is off the question.

It can be accessed here:

https://open.spotify.com/show/4JrZJMdaPWLDFbA2M9lKzh?si=e5aea5f40e5f4148

I picked this podcast because they actually cover various topics besides pop culture. They have an episode where they discuss even normal topics such as self-worth but in the same episode they also discussed Western media attack on Qatar. I appreciate the diversity in the discussions they cover.

Additional source:

Data

World Bank Open Data

A database that offers specific data over a broad range of topics. It is a site run by the World Bank which is staffed by 189 member countries with staff from over 170 countries. It focuses on reducing poverty and sharing information on most countries, especially developing ones. The World Bank is made up of five institutions which are the IBRD (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IDA (The International Development Association), IFC (International Finance Corporation), MIGA (The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency), and ICSID (The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes).

It can be accessed here: https://data.worldbank.org/

I chose this data source because I have used it before and it has provided me with several data on several different topics regarding Saudi Arabia as well as other projects I’ve had to do for school. I especially like that it offers data regarding women’s education and censorship which are topics that I’ve been particularly interested in throughout this course.

Aljazeera

Aljazeera is a government-owned international new media page based out of Qatar. It was founded in 1996 and is the first independent news media in the Arab world. They have an opinion section on their website where they talk about the consequences of certain political decisions Saudi Arabia has taken.

It can be accessed here: https://www.aljazeera.com/where/saudi-arabia/

I chose this news site because I found it interesting that even though it is based out of Gatar on their website they still identify as an independent news channel. Their about us section, talks about the struggles the journalists have been through in order to relay certain information and the backlash they have faced from state-owned entities.

Essential Middle East

Essential Middle East is a podcast available on Spotify, Apple, and Google podcasts that dissects stories about the Middle East and properly addresses any sort of inaccuracies or misunderstandings in news stories. Some episodes talk about racism in the middle east, how the representation of Arabs in Hollywood is changing, and digital surveillance in the Middle East. It is run by experts who work for the news station Aljazeera, which is an independent news channel.

It can be accessed here: https://podtail.com/en/podcast/essential-middle-east/

I chose this news source because I find podcasts to be the best way to gather information. Not only that it is run by an independent news channel that admits to talking about hard topics others in the Arab world can’t discuss. I found the topics they discussed to be very interesting especially how representation in Hollywood has been changing and how it affects the worldview of Arabs.

Process Notes:

For the majority of my resources, I used the class link to the University Library. I chose to start there since it was websites I knew were reliable to take the information of. I also have visited and used many of these sites before so I know more efficiently how to find/interpret the information. I used the library for the more traditional sense of media. Trusted journals, data collections, newspapers, etc. For the more opinion based such as blogs and visual media, I searched Saudi Arabia and founds several resources that gave me what I was looking for. It was interesting to see where I could use that kind of media. For my updated draft, I explored more into general websites and researched their potential biases. I found more personalized pages of Saudi Arabian citizens or descent speaking on their experiences/thoughts on Saudi Arabian culture, politics, and economy. I would definitely say its harder to find reliable news stories that come directly from Saudi Arabia since the government has such a chokehold on everything media outlets are allowed/not allowed to say.