The Tunisian media’s obsession with terrorism
A look at the flip side of media freedom in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.
Earlier this month we reported on how media freedom in Tunisia has given birth to a host of new news outlets but has polarised political debate there.
This week, we are going to look at another consequence of the unshackling of the Tunisian news media – the coverage of the national security story and how disproportionate it has become.
Under the regime of former President Ben Ali, journalists were told how, what and when to report on national security issues, if at all. But buy a newspaper today or switch on the television and you will find that national security stories, headlined terrorism, frequently top the news agenda.
The question now is does the story merit the amount of coverage it is getting. Are Tunisians really in the kind of danger that their media suggest or are news outlets just chasing eyeballs – trying to sell papers, drive up ratings? Is the story overhyped?
The Listening Post’s Nic Muirhead now, from Tunis, on the flip side of media freedom, in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.
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