The Position of Arab Media Professionals on Emerging Entrepreneurial Projects: Barriers to Adoption and Development Opportunities

Author

Faculty of Mass Communication, Cairo University

Abstract

The media landscape in the Arab world is witnessing fundamental transformations because of the rapid technological changes. Against this situation, new trends are emerging towards entrepreneurial experiences aimed at establishing independent media projects. In this context, this study aims to explore the trends of Arab media professionals towards entrepreneurial projects in the media field; through a descriptive methodology with both quantitative and qualitative aspects , using an online survey with a sample of (374) media professionals, in addition to (14) in-depth qualitative interviews with founders of pioneering media projects in the Arab context.
The results have shown a general tendency to think about establishing independent entrepreneurial media projects, amid professional dissatisfaction among half of the sample members. The results also revealed a prevailing positive attitude among founders towards prementioned projects, despite clear obstacles related to financing, the legal framework, and a lack of administrative and technical qualifications. Conversely, strong motivations emerged to support this trend, the most notable of which are the desire for editorial independence and the provision of professional content that serves local community issues.

Keywords


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