Comparison: Representation in Arab and American Television (and the need for further research)

After diving into Lynch's Voices of the New Arabic Public once again, it occurred to me that al-Jazeera often includes representatives from the United States in its debates -- not only on foreign policy relating to the U.S. but on domestic, "Arab" issues as well. These representatives come in the form of U.S. government officials, MENA scholars, Middle Eastern Americans as well as others. The opinions expressed by these Americans vary widely and provide an array of Western perspectives to the vast Middle Eastern audience.

This doesn't occur nearly as often in American debate and news shows. Beyond the occasional visit by an Arab or Muslim who supports U.S. policy, their voices are seldom heard. Some are expressed, as was Bandar bin Sultan's ("Bandar Bush" as some know him) on Larry King Live, pushing rhetoric that seemed published by the Bush administration; but it isn't often that a real voice from the region is represented in the United States. The only other voices from the Arab or Muslim worlds are those of radicals who don't represent the general population.

Although I have formed my opinion on the matter -- that too few Middle Eastern representatives are made visible on American television -- systematic analysis to represent this would be interesting and useful. One could conduct content analysis to compare the number and content of appearances on American television by Middle Easterners (Arabs, Persians, Muslims, Christians...) and vice-versa. (This need not be limited to the Middle East but to other regions of the world as well). This would not only provide insight into which region provides better representation but could also be expressed by individual shows. This is the kind of research that could provide an objective and empirical look at the comparisons between American and Middle Eastern media.