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Event

Free, but manipulated? Journalism and politics in Tunisia’s fall from democracy

Tunisia was the only country that started developing as a democracy after the Arab Spring. Several important institutions were established to safeguard a democratic development, not least freedom of speech and free media. Today, however, the country is sliding towards authoritarianism. What happened, and what is the role of the media and journalism in Tunisia's withering democracy?
16 March 2023
13:30 Europe/Oslo
Language: English
NUPI
Seminar

Themes

  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Fragile states
  • Governance
  • English
  • Seminar
  • Physical and digital

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This seminar marks the publication of Kjetil Selvik and Jacob Høigilt's book Journalism in the Grey Zone: Pluralism and Media Capture in Lebanon and Tunisia. Based on interviews with nearly 100 journalists, politicians and activists in both countries, the book explains how the media is weaponized by competing factions in hybrid political settings, and how this affects the journalists whose job it is to interpret the course of events. The insights offered by Selvik and Høigilt are relevant to many other parts of the world, particularly at this time, when democratic backsliding and the contest over truth is a growing problem worldwide.

Kjetil Selvik is Research Professor in the research group on Peace, conflict and development at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.

Jacob Høigilt is Head of Research, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, and Professor of Arabic Language and Culture at the University of Oslo.

Katrin Voltmer (University of Leeds, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism) will comment on the book and engage the authors in conversation. Voltmer is among the world's leading experts on media and communication in transitional democracies and author of the widely acclaimed The Media in Transitional Democracies (Polity Press, 2013).

The seminar will also be streamed live to NUPI's YouTube channel

Participants

Kjetil Selvik
Research Professor and Head of the Research group on peace, conflict and development
Jacob Høigilt
Professor, University of Oslo
Katrin Voltmer
Professor, University of Leeds
16 March 2023
13:30 Europe/Oslo
Language: English
NUPI
Seminar

Themes

  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • Fragile states
  • Governance
  • English
  • Seminar
  • Physical and digital