With the increasingly central role played by the media in shaping public opinion, the alleged gap between the pan-Arab and Western press continues to be an important issue. 

In 2007 we sponsored ‘The Pan-Arab & Western Media: An Unbridgeable or an Overstated Gap?’  The conference, hosted by the London Middle East Institute (LMEI) at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, brought journalists from the Middle East and North Africa together with those from the wider world.  Three panels, moderated by academic specialists, and featuring leading figures from the Arab and British press, explored, in-depth, their respective viewpoints and reporting of contemporary issues in the Arab world.  They also discussed the impact that resulting coverage might have, positive or otherwise, on the cultural understanding between their respective audiences.