This study investigates the perceptions of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) students and professional journalists regarding the quality of curriculum and training sessions that they received at the University and afterwards by looking at curriculum, training sessions and practical programmes related to journalism education, as well as the quality of academic staff and trainings for both GCC journalism students and professionals. A survey was administered to a random sample of 369 students at GCC universities and 34 journalists. Based on the analysed data, the study found that journalism education in the GCC regions is interesting and enjoyable, with respondents being found as ambition, talent skills and motivated. More practical rather than theoretical approach is needed to proof the quality of journalism in the region, though a good number of GCC journalists have had a formal academic journalism qualification. GCC journalism education attempts to reflect the developmental trends in the region.

This article investigates the relationship between university students’ consumption of satellite TV news services and their perceptions of news issues. It examined students’ general news consumption habits and their motives for the choices they make as well as the gratifications they obtain. A survey was administered to a random sample of 325 university students to determine the varying gratifications associated with satellite TV. The findings showed that time spent watching local TV channels was affected by the use of international TV services. Respondents received fewer programmes than they desired from local TV. The data also revealed that entertainment and surveillance needs were the most important gratifications obtained from satellite TV. Interestingly, students have abandoned Al Jazeera TV programmes in favour of other TV services. These findings are discussed in relation to the growing impact of satellite TV services and the emergence of new niche markets in news in Bahrain.

Many critical questions concerning the relationship between the news media and political knowledge involve the extent to which the media facilitate learning about news, war and politics. Political awareness -via the news media -affects virtually every aspect of citizens' political attitudes and behaviours. This paper examines how

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Al-Jazeera typifies the West’s perception of the new Arab satellite news channel. Seemingly rising from out of nowhere, the fledgling Al-Jazeera satellite news channel took a western-style cable news format and adapted it to the cultural perspectives of a Middle Eastern audience. As a result, it has become one of the most popular news channels with people in the Middle East and Arab expatriates around the world. One reason for this popularity may be the result of audiences identifying with their favorite news personalities on the network - possibly even developing a mock-interpersonal relationship with them. This ‘parasocial interaction’ may be linked to viewing levels, perceptions of the network as credible and a number of motives for watching the channel. To test these possibilities, the authors surveyed over 5300 Al-Jazeera users during a two-week period in 2002. They found strong evidence that parasocial interaction is related to amount of time spent with the channel and belief in the network’s credibility.