A Global Syrian Scientific Achievement
A New Syrian Scientific Achievement
The Syrian American Academics Association extends its warmest congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Layla Al-Husseini on the successful completion of her dissertation defense with distinction and honors, and on earning a PhD in Media and Public Relations, specializing in Global Communication and Intercultural Communication.
The American Islamic University in the State of Minnesota hosted the doctoral dissertation defense submitted by Dr. Layla Al-Husseini, entitled:
“The Role of Local Arab Media in the United States in Raising Awareness of the COVID-19 Crisis: A Case Study of the State of Michigan.”
The scientific significance of this study lies in its examination of the readiness of local Arab media in the United States to function as a form of soft power and a fourth estate in managing public health crises within a different cultural and media environment. The researcher adopted a mixed-methods research approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative analysis.
The study included an analytical survey of 2,596 media items, along with 21 in-depth interviews with a select group of experts, media professionals, and physicians. This enabled a comprehensive and in-depth assessment of the performance of local Arab media during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The findings revealed a professional gap between the cultural and linguistic capacities available to local Arab media and its actual performance. They also identified a crisis of information sources, reflected in a high reliance on unofficial sources, in addition to structural challenges related to financial sustainability and the weak utilization of modern digital media tools.
The study presented a set of strategic recommendations to advance diaspora media, most notably: strengthening professional coordination among Arab media institutions in the United States, adopting a bilingual media discourse, and establishing specialized health media units in partnership with experts.
This dissertation represents a valuable contribution to both the Arab and American academic libraries and opens new avenues for future research on minority media, its role in crisis management, and its contribution to building community awareness.