By Moataz El Fegiery
Increasing calls for media independence are part of the new political reality in the Arab world; such calls have been particularly strong regarding media coverage of elections. In response, some governments have tolerated the emergence of privately owned newspapers and television stations and have regulated the role of government-owned media in elections in order to ensure opportunities for candidates to present their platforms. But Arab media still suffer from partisanship and a lack of professionalism in many respects, and it is difficult to assess to what extent their coverage affects public opinion and voting.
