Arab Media’s Cautious Coverage of the China COVID Protests

Presenter on the privately-owned Egyptian television network Sada Al-Balad discussing the anti-government protests in China.

A number of news outlets across the Arab world acknowledged the ongoing protests in major Chinese cities, a somewhat surprising development given the sensitivities in these countries about large-scale anti-government demonstrations.

Most of the coverage was restrained, simply stating the basic facts and quoting international news agencies like AP and Reuters. Al Jazeera’s Arabic-language service went further than most in its coverage that included background on the protestors’ demands and even some of the demonstrators’ calls for democracy along with President Xi Jinping’s resignation.

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by Nesrine Kamal

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