The Shifting Communication Ecology of Four Arab Countries and Its Impact on Journalistic Practices during the COVID–19 Pandemic

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the transformations and constraints that journalists from four post-Arab Spring countries – Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, and Bahrain – faced during the COVID–19 pandemic and the impact that had on their journalistic practice. Through in-depth interviews, we investigated the pandemic journalistic practice of 20 journalists who represent different professional affiliations, geographic areas, and demographic profiles in those nations. Using the communication ecology model, which includes interpersonal, organisational, and mediated communication resources, we examined the internal and external factors influencing their journalistic practice: externally, we analysed the political, economic, legal, and infrastructural factors that impacted the nature of the communication ecology; internally, we explored the routines of media organisations and the individual demographic variables of journalists – age, generation, and employment status – and their impact on journalistic practice in those countries.