Faculty

Profile

College / Department

Teaching areas

Global Media, Media Theories, Research Methods, Media Literacy, Media Regulations and Ethics, Women in Media Industries, Journalism Studies, Media Economics and Management, Crisis & Conflict Communication

Research areas

Journalistic Ethics and Practices; Media, War and Political Conflict; Women and Media; Media and Political Islam and others.

Education

PhD, International Journalism, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2004

BA, Arabic Literature & Political Science, University of Jordan, Jordan, 1995

Professional experience

Associate Professor, Department Of Mass Communication, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 2014 - Present

Visiting Scholar, Westminster School Of Media And Communication, University of Westminster, United Kingdom, 2018 - 2019

Visiting Senior Fellow, Middle East Center, London School of Economics, United Kingdom, 2016 - 2017

Assistant Professor, Department Of Mass Communication, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 2007 - 2014

Acting Dean- August 2011- September2012, Jordan Media Institute, Jordan, 2011 - 2012

Assistant Professor - 2004 - 2005, Ajman University of Science & Technology, Ajman, United Arab Emirates, 2004 - 2005

Wrote For Several Arab Online Publications Mainly On Culture And Literature 1995-2004, 1995 - 2000

Producer 1997 - 2000, Saja for Media Production, Jordan, 1997 - 2000

Reporter- 1997 - 1998, Al-Dustour Newspaper., Jordan, 1996 - 1997

Reporter, Al Sabeel Weekly Newspaper, Amman, Jordan, 1995 - 1997

Memberships

Visiting Senior Fellow , Middle East Center, London School of Economics, London, United Kingdom, June 2016 - June 2017

Contact

[email protected]

+971 6 515 2664

Dr. Abeer Al-Najjar

Professor

PhD, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abeer Al-Najjar is a Professor of Media and Journalism at the American University of Sharjah. She was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Westminster and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre. She sits on the Editorial Board of Journalism Studies and The International Journal of Communication. Formerly Dean of the Jordan Media Institute, she holds a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. She publishes on media and politics and co-edited “Language, Politics and Society in the Middle East.” She leads the MENA Index in Critical Media Literacy.

Publications

Abeer Al-najjar And Bouziane Zaid. Western media’s ethical collapse: silencing Gaza’s voice, Third World Quarterly, 1 October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2025

Abeer Al-najjar. Constructing Jerusalem in English-Language News Media, International Journal Of Communication, 2024

Bouziane Zaid And Abeer Al-najjar. Palestinian music and the potential for the nation branding of Palestine, Middle East Critique

Abeer Al-najjar And Mohammad Ayish. Learning Media Ethics in a Multicultural Context A Student-Centered Perspective: A Student-Centered Perspective, The International Journal Of Teacher Education And Professional Development (ijtepd)

Abeer Al-najjar And Harris Breslow. The problem of Palestine's place in a globalized Palestinian cinema, June 2024

Omar Al-ghazzi And Abeer Al-najjar. The problem of top-down techno-centrism in pan-Arab news media, April (2nd Quarter/Spring) 2024

Abeer Al-najjar. The resounding professional downfall of the Western press in its coverage of the genocide in Palestine, Journalism Maazine, 12 February 2024

Abeer Al-najjar And Harris Breslow. The Problem of Palestine’s Place in a Globalized Palestinian Cinema, January (1st Quarter/Winter) 2024

Abeer Al-najjar. The War on Gaza and The Rise of the Inquisitor Reporter, Counterpunch, 13 October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2023

Abeer Al-najjar. Investigating Television as a channel of publicizing high culture, October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2022

Abeer Al-najjar. The Pre-Truth Era in MENA, News Ecology and Critical News Literacy, 8 July (3rd Quarter/Summer) 2021

Abeer Al-najjar. Cultural Resistance in the Middle East, 10 November 2020

Abeer Al-najjar. Public Media Accountability, Media Journalism Engaged Publics And Critical Media Literacy In The Mena, July (3rd Quarter/Summer) 2020

Abeer Al-najjar. • AlNajjar, Abeer (April 29, 2020) Jordan: Corona Virus & the Media., European Journalism Observatory., May 2020

Abeer Alnajjar. “The deal of the century”: how global media silenced the Palestinians, 20 February 2020

Abeer Al-najjar. Modernization, Nation Branding and Dual Discourse on Women in the Gulf, 2019

Abeer Alnajjar. Abolish censorship and adopt critical media literacy: A proactive approach to media and youth in the Middle East, Journal Of Media Literacy Education, 30 November 2019

Abeer Alnajjar. “The American Administration & the Palestinians: Twitter, the new space for propaganda and contestation”., Journal Of Palestinian Affairs., September 2019

Abeer Al-najjar And Mohammad Ayish. Arab millennial identity in cyberspace Arab Millennials' Articulation of Identity in Cyberspace: A study of three MENA YouTubers, Arab Media & Society, 15 May 2019

Abeer Al-najjar. Bias, Ethics And Law Ethics: Principles And Practices, 29 April (2nd Quarter/Spring) 2019

Ilhem Allagui And Abeer Al-najjar. From Women Empowerment to Nation Branding: A Case Study From the United Arab Emirates, International Journal Of Communication, 2018

Abeer Al-najjar. Language, Politics and Society in the Middle: Essays in Honour of Yasir Suleiman, January (1st Quarter/Winter) 2018

Abeer Al-najjar. “Why’s this so good?” No. 100: Susan Dominus & Hana. This Unsual Look at Refgee Children Make us see them differently”, Niemanstoryboard., 19 January (1st Quarter/Winter) 2016

Abeer Al-najjar. Jordan: Toward gender balance in the newsrooms, 12 January (1st Quarter/Winter) 2016

Abeer Al-najjar, Alaanoud Abusalim, Maha Said, Lena Meari, Nicola Pratt, Maha Said, Lena Meari And Nicola Pratt. Framing the Female Body: Beyond Morality and Pathology?, May 2015

Abeer Al-najjar. Freedom on the Net: Jordan, 3 October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2013

Abeer Al-najjar. "Pure Salafi Broadcasting: AL-Majd Channel"., December 2012

Ilhem Alnajjar And Abeer Alnajjar. "Framing Political Islam in the Arab Popular Culture", Middle East Journal Of Culture & Communication,, May 2011

Abeer Al-najjar. Othering the Self: Palestinians Narrating the War on Gaza, Journal Of Middle East Media., January (1st Quarter/Winter) 2010

Abeer Al-najjar. How Arab is Al Jazeera English? Comparative Study of Al Jazeera Arabic and Al- Jazeera English News channels, Global Media Journal., 1 October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 2009

Conference Presentations

"Journalism: From Monitoring Power to Holding Media Accountable", "journalism Forum: The Question Of Relevance In The Age Of Genocide And Information Disorder", 4 May 2025

“The Future of Learning? AI, Critical Media Literacy, and Justice for Arab Learners in an Unequal Digital Landscape”, Humanities, Ai And The Digital Age Conference, 2 May 2025

“Cloaking the Genocide in Palestine: Algorithmic Bias and Digital Power in the Erasure of Palestinian Narratives (2023–2025)”, "digital Capital And Political System: Shaping Inequalities In A Technological Age”., 17 April 2025

The Impact of AI on Economic and Societal Trends in the UAE, The Impact Of Ai On Economic And Societal Trends In The Uae Webinar,, 20 November 2024

"By Women, for Women: Leadership and Gender in the Arabian Creative Industries”., "women And Leadership In The Creative Industries Symposium”, 12 September 2024

Iraq’s digital future and cybersecurity, Baghdad Dialogue - Exploring Regional Connectivity | 24th & 25 February 2024, Baghdad, 24 February 2024

Silencing journalists: Beyond the messenger undermining, the mission, "safeguarding Journalists, Preserving Truth", December 2023

Critical Engagements with News Media Amongst Arab Youth, The International Association Of Media And Communication Research (iamcr), July 2023

First MENA Critical Media Literacy Index, World Literacy Summit, 2 April 2023

The Politics of Modern Arab Newsroom: Dynamics of Journalism Independence, Control and Reform, British Society For Middle Eastern Studies (brismes), 5 July 2022

Narrating the City of Reverence and Resistance: Jerusalem in the International News Media, June 2020

Operationalizing Media Literacy for Peace Building, Enhancing Media Literacy And Creating A Regional Media ‘comfort Zone’, 23 October 2019

“Critical Insight into Cultural Shows in Arab Satellite Television”, Iese – Institute For Epistemological Studies – (october 13, 2019), 13 October 2019

Basic Competencies for the Post truth learner, Understanding The Post-truth Society: From Fake News, Datafication, & Mass Surveillance To The Death Of Trust, 11 October 2019

The Journalism We Need in the Post Truth Society Basic Competencies for Post Truth Learner, Understanding The Post-truth Society: From Fake News, Datafication, & Mass Surveillance To The Death Of Trust, 10 October 2019

Political control in the Modern Arab Newsroom, Fifth Conference Of The International Journal Of Press/politics, 15 September 2019

Modernization, Nation Branding and Dual Discourse on Women in the Gulf, Gulf Research Meeting 2019, 15 July 2019

A case study – How is ‘migration’ covered in the media?, Media Narratives And Discursive Integration In West Asia And The Arabian Peninsula, 11 June 2019

Characteristics of ‘the media’ and ‘the public’ in WAAP, Media Narratives And Discursive Integration In West Asia And The Arabian Peninsula, 11 June 2019

Media Narratives and Public Discourse-Key findings, Annual Conference Of The Tafahum Project, 11 June 2019

UNESCO Consultation with Multi-Stakeholders from the Arab Region on Internet Universality Indicators- Tunis, Unesco Consultation With Multi-stakeholders From The Arab Region On Internet Universality Indicators- Tunis, 13 March 2018

The Role of the Arab Users in Reforming Transnational News Media, The Future Of Journalism 2017 Conference: Journalism In A Post-truth Age At Cardiff University, Cardiff- United Kingdom, September 2017

“ISIS A Brand Built by the Media”, Alarabiya English Global Discussion, 17 December 2015

“National Heroines or Women for Nation Branding: Case Studies from the Arabian Gulf”, Arab American Association Of Communication Educators Annual Meeting, 24 October 2015

“Editorial Policy and Workflow: AJA, ARA and SNA.”, International Media Management Academic Association Annual Conference- Moscow, 17 September 2015

“Old Guards and New Players: Market and Audience for Arab News Media” Hegemony or Resistance: On the Ambigious Power of Communication-, Annual Meeting Of The International Association For Media And Communication Research Annual Conference., 12 July 2015

"Can You Break Through: Women, Social Media & Social Taboos?", Unesco Emeritus Dialogue- 24th Amic Conference- 'communicating In An E-asia: Values, Technologies And Challenges, ., 10 June 2015

“ World Trends Report: Moving Forward, Media Freedom For A Better Future: Shaping The Post-2015 Development Agenda- World Press Freedom Day, 5 May 2014

“Multi-stakeholder Consultation on UNESCO’s Comprehensive Study on the Internet”, Multi-stakeholder Consultation On Unesco’s Comprehensive Study On The Internet” Media Freedom For A Better Future: Shaping The Post-2015 Development Agenda- World Press Freedom Day, 5 May 2014

“Framing and Gendering the Revolutionary Body”, Rethinking Women In Revolutions And Resistance: Lessons From The Arab World Conference- University Of Warwick, Uk, 8 July 2013

Grants and sponsorships

Grant, AI and Research Ethics in Arab Universities: Current Issues, Key Principles and Regulatory Challenges, The American University of Sharjah, 1 January 2026 - 1 January 2027

Grant, Faculty Research Grant, AUS, June 2020 - June 2022

Grant, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung- GCC Grant, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, - October 2019

Fellowship, Visiting Scholar, Westminster School of Media, Arts and Design, - June 2019

Fellowship, Visiting Senior Fellow, London School of Economics-Middle East Center, - June 2017

Awards and Honors

Rolling Research Grant 2026 (RRG26), The American University of Sharjah, December 2025

Futures of Arab News, LSE MEC Academic Collaboration with Arab Universities Programme, Though facing financial and political challenges, the Arabic-language news media sphere is vibrant. Dozens of 24-hour satellite news channels compete to capture the largest share of the Arabic-speaking audience. On digital platforms, new ways to relay news and expand interaction are innovated to capture the interests of young people from Morocco to Oman. The competition is fiercest when it comes to winning the attention of youths. This project, entitled Arab News Futures, examines Arab news media’s ...

The State of Critical Media Literacy in MENA, Faculty Research Grant -American University of Sharjah, This project is designed to explore how young people in the Middle East and North Africa interact with and respond to media at a time of accelerated technological change. It focuses on measuring youngsters’ awareness of media presence and power, their selection of media messages in consumption, creation and interpretation and their awareness media production practices. In addition to investigating young people’s competencies in understanding and assessing personal, and professional ...

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung- GCC Grant, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, This workshop aims to introduce the field of media and digital literacies to school teachers in the UAE. Teachers are in close interactions with kids and can bring their attention to these risks and opportunities associated with the use of digital media. The United Arab Emirates, like other countries in the Gulf, and in MENA at large, has little formal educational resources and expertise in the area of media and digital literacies. This workshop targets government school teachers in the United Arab Emirates and aims to train ...

Gulf Research Meeting, Gulf Research Center Foundation, Women in the Arabian Gulf today, are taking central stage in representing and occasionally spearheading the ongoing process of “nation”-state-building, as well as they contribute to the dynamic reorientation of the large-scale state-modernizing projects across the Gulf. While the current advancement of women in the region is transcending beyond the existing political, professional and leadership stage of women empowerment, their symbolic presence is now rapidly moving towards new unprecedented and “unimagined” spaces, ...

Sabbatical, American University of Sharjah, As a Visiting Scholar at the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI) at Westminster School of Media, Arts and Design I will be working on finalizing my book project on Modern Arab Newsrooms and two academic articles that are briefly described below. The three projects are focused on the media institutions and its particularities within the pan Arab news media, including its structure, work flow and routines, and connections with proprietor and audiences (media users)., March 2017