Faculty members from Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) have presented their research at the annual Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conference in the US. 
“Research conducted by NU-Q faculty continues to contribute significantly to international research taking place among the leading universities in the world. From our leading research on communications in the Middle East through usage and by industries, to the broader topics on freedom of expression and media law and policy, our faculty are leading voices in communication and journalism research,” said Everette E Dennis, dean of NU-Q.
During a panel titled “Media Use & Media Production in the Middle East: Results from Longitudinal Surveys and an Inventory of Media Industries”, Klaus Schöenbach, associate dean for research at NU-Q, discussed NU-Q’s region-wide study, Media Industries in the Middle East, 2016, which showed an increased and continued consolidation of media production in Arab media hubs such as Cairo, the UAE and Lebanon (The full report can be found at http://www.mideastmedia.org/industry/2016/).
The panel also discussed the fourth annual media use survey, which examines media and communication behaviour, and political and cultural attitudes in the Middle East. Among the key findings in this year’s survey are that soaring Internet connectivity in the region has provided for more digital options, and consumers in the region now use more Arabic content and less English (http://www.mideastmedia.org/survey/2016/).
Joining Schöenbach on the panel will be Justin D Martin, assistant professor, journalism; Ilhem Allagui, associate professor, journalism; and Marium Saeed, research assistant.
Amy Sanders, associate professor in residence, journalism, also participated in several panels at the convention. Sanders participated in three panels: Comparative Law in the Classroom — Internationalising Your Instruction; the Freedom of Information Act 50 Years Late: Is The US Law Still Serving as the Touchstone?; and the Internationalisation of Media Law and Policy. 
Martin also presented a paper, “Media use predictors of online political efficacy among Internet users in five Arab countries”, which was developed with NU-Q students Ralph Martins and Shageaa Naqvi. Martins, a graduate of the Class of 2016, joined Prof Martin for the presentation.
Also presenting a paper on a faculty/student research project is Susan Dun, assistant professor in residence, and Syed Owais Ali, a recent NU-Q graduate. The paper, “Enabling Tailored Message Campaigns: Discovering and Targeting the Attitudes and Behaviours of Young Arab Male Drivers”, is based on a study aimed at discovering the driving attitudes and behavioural intentions of young Arab men. 
Dun also participated in a panel on women, sports and media – “From Kane to Cooky and Beyond: Research on Women, Sport and Media”.
AEJMC is the premier association in the US for journalism and mass communication education and research.