Do you speak Arabic? Managing axes of adequation and difference in pan-Arab talent programs

Becky Schulthies

doi:10.1016/j.langcom.2014.10.010

Do you speak Arabic? Managing axes of adequation and difference in pan-Arab talent programs

Becky Schulthies

School of Arts and Sciences, Anthropology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article explores pan-Arab corporate media management of linguistic diversity in televised talent show competitions from 2003 to 2013. Pan-Arab television operates on an ideology and profit logic of transnational Arab ethnolinguistic unity. However, entertainment programming does not utilize Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) as the interactional norm, despite state linguistic regimes. Instead, entertainment media has discursively constructed Mashreqi (eastern) Arabic as unmarked media Arabic. I argue that changes in talent program participation tactics are widening corporate media inclusion and legibility of non-"core" Arabics (such as Tunisian, Fessi, Emirati, non-standard social registers) in recognition of changing market sensibilities.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	59-71
Number of pages	13
Journal	Language and Communication
Volume	44
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2014.10.010
State	Published - Sep 1 2015

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Social Psychology
Language and Linguistics
Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Communication
Linguistics and Language

Keywords

Managing linguistic diversity
Mediatization
Pan-Arab corporate media

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10.1016/j.langcom.2014.10.010

Cite this

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AB - This article explores pan-Arab corporate media management of linguistic diversity in televised talent show competitions from 2003 to 2013. Pan-Arab television operates on an ideology and profit logic of transnational Arab ethnolinguistic unity. However, entertainment programming does not utilize Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) as the interactional norm, despite state linguistic regimes. Instead, entertainment media has discursively constructed Mashreqi (eastern) Arabic as unmarked media Arabic. I argue that changes in talent program participation tactics are widening corporate media inclusion and legibility of non-"core" Arabics (such as Tunisian, Fessi, Emirati, non-standard social registers) in recognition of changing market sensibilities.

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JO - Language and Communication

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ER -

Do you speak Arabic? Managing axes of adequation and difference in pan-Arab talent programs

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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