30
January 2018
Past Event
Broadcasting Change: Arabic Media as a Catalyst for Liberalism

Broadcasting Change: Arabic Media as a Catalyst for Liberalism

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
January 30, 2018
30
January 2018
Past Event

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004

Speakers:
Joseph Braude

Advisor, Al-Mesbar Center & Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute

Ambassador Alberto Fernandez

President, Middle East Broadcasting Networks

Adam Garfinkle

Founding Editor, The American Interest

Eric Brown

Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

Given the turmoil in the Middle East, liberals in Arabic-speaking countries have been routinely dismissed as too small in number to make a difference. Yet today, Arab liberals lead some of the largest regional media outlets, using their broadcasts to promote religious toleration and pluralism, civil society, gender equality, and rule of law.

In his recent book, Broadcasting Change: Arabic Media as a Catalyst for Liberalism, Middle East specialist Joseph Braude–a participant in Arabic media–vividly portrays how the ongoing struggle between reformers and hardliners in Saudi Arabian comedy, drama, and news broadcasts have helped tipped the scale towards reform. The book illustrates that some of the most effective Arab liberal activists do not define their struggle in terms of a zero-sum conflict between an authoritarian regime and its people, but instead seek to strengthen reformist trends while isolating hardline and corrupt elements within government and among the population.

Arab liberals in the media now seek international partners. With the new National Security Strategy’s emphasis on “Competitive Engagement,” how can the United States work to bolster the efforts of these reformers in Arab media? What forms of assistance would best serve these media messages without undermining their legitimacy?

On January 30th, Hudson Institute hosted a discussion to assess the challenges to strengthening reformist media in the Arab World. The panel consisted of Joseph Braude, Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and advisor at the Al-Mesbar Center for Research and Studies in Dubai; Ambassador Alberto Fernandez, President, Middle East Broadcasting Networks; Adam Garfinkle, Editor, The American Interest; and Eric Brown, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute.

Related Events
07
April 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
Evolving Issues in Regulation of Digital Platforms: A View from the UK and EU
Featured Speakers:
Professor Suzanne Rab
Harold Furchtgott-Roth
Getty images
07
April 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
Evolving Issues in Regulation of Digital Platforms: A View from the UK and EU

Join Hudson for a discussion on European Union and United Kingdom competition and regulatory authorities’ increasing focus on digital platforms. 

Getty images
Featured Speakers:
Professor Suzanne Rab
Harold Furchtgott-Roth
07
April 2025
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Stephen Miran on the Trump Administration’s Economic Agenda
Featured Speakers:
Stephen Miran
Thomas J. Duesterberg
Getty Images
07
April 2025
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Stephen Miran on the Trump Administration’s Economic Agenda

Stephen Miran will join Hudson to discuss the Trump administration’s economic agenda.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Stephen Miran
Thomas J. Duesterberg
10
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization
Featured Speakers:
Douglas Murray
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Getty Images
10
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization

Murray will join Hudson Senior Fellow Dr. Rebeccah L. Heinrichs for a discussion on his conversations in the Middle East, the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, and the historical and moral dimensions of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terrorists who seek to destroy it.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Douglas Murray
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
04
April 2025
Past Event
Mexico Navigates New Challenges
Featured Speakers:
Luis Rubio
Antonio Ortiz-Mena, PhD
John Creamer
Moderator:
Daniel Batlle
Getty Images
04
April 2025
Past Event
Mexico Navigates New Challenges

Join Hudson Institute for a panel discussion examining the potential scenarios for Mexico and the future of the US-Mexico relationship.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Luis Rubio
Antonio Ortiz-Mena, PhD
John Creamer
Moderator:
Daniel Batlle