Al Sharq

Al Sharq
الشرق
Type Daily newspaper
Publisher Dar Al Sharq
Editor Abdul Latif Al Mahmoud
Managing editors Abdul Latif Al Mahmoud
Founded 1985 (1985)
Political alignment pro-government
Language Arabic
Headquarters Doha
Circulation 15,000 (2008)
Sister newspapers The Peninsula
Website Al Sharq

Al Sharq (in Arabic الشرق meaning The Orient) is an Arabic and pro-government daily newspaper published in Doha, Qatar.[1] The paper is one of the three leading Arabic newspapers in the country in addition to Al Raya and Al Watan.[2]

History and profile

Al Sharq was launched in 1985[3][4] and was published by Al Watan Printing and Publishing House under the name of Al Khaleej Al Youm (meaning Gulf Today in English).[1] Eighteen months after its start it was sold to Dar Al Sharq and the paper was renamed as Al Sharq.[1] The publisher of the paper which is led by a member of the ruling family, Al Thani, Khalid bin Thani Al Thani,[5] also own the English daily The Peninsula and Arabic women's magazine Sayyidat Al Sharq.[6][7]

Al Sharq is based in Doha.[8] The editor and manager of Al Sharq is Abdul Latif Al Mahmoud.[7]

In 1996 Al Sharq started a page on the environmental issues.[9] However, it was ended soon.[9] Then the daily began to publish random articles and reports on environmental topics.[9] In addition, it has large supplements on sports, business and finance.[3] Since June 2012 the daily has offered a monthly supplement which is developed by Anadolu Agency's Middle East and Africa regional directorate.[10]

The circulation of Al Sharq was about 10,000 in the early 1990s.[1] In 2000 the paper reached a circulation of 47,000 circulation.[11] Its estimated circulation in 2003 was 15,000 copies.[12] The 2008 circulation of the daily was also 15,000 copies.[13]

Political stance and content

Al Sharq has a pro-government political stance although it is owned by a private company, Dar Al Sharq.[14][15] It mostly provides its readers with the news about the meetings and activities of the ruling family, Al Thani, and government officials.[3] However, in 2008 a Jordanian journalist working for the daily was sentenced to three-year imprisonment due to her article in which she criticized Hamad hospital administration.[16]

While reporting the events following the 2013 coup in Egypt Al Sharq praised security forces while its rival Al Raya, another Arabic Qatari paper, emphasized the demonstrations by the supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and ousted President Mohamed Morsi.[17]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Mohamed M. Arafa (1994). "Qatar". In Yahya R. Kamalipour; Hamid Mowlana. Mass Media in the Middle East: A Comprehensive Handbook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Retrieved 19 September 2013. – via Questia (subscription required)
  2. ↑ Barrie Gunter; Roger Dickinson (6 June 2013). News Media in the Arab World: A Study of 10 Arab and Muslim Countries. A&C Black. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-4411-0239-3. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "Qatar". The Arab Press Network. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  4. ↑ "Statistics on Arab Media" (PDF). Arab Reform Bulletin. 2 (11). December 2004. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Board of Directors". Qatari Businessmen Association. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  6. ↑ "Dar Al Sharq". The Peninsula. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Arab Media Review (January–June 2012)" (PDF). Anti-Defamation League. 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  8. ↑ "Qatari newspapers". Araboo. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 Najib Saab. "The Environment in Arab Media" (Report). Arab Forum for Environment and Development. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  10. ↑ "Qatari newspaper Al-Sharq promotes Turkey". Anadolu Agency. Istanbul. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "World Press Trends" (PDF). World Association of Newspapers. Paris. 2004. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  12. ↑ William A. Rugh (2004). Arab Mass Media: Newspapers, Radio, and Television in Arab Politics. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-275-98212-6. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  13. ↑ "Media sustainability index 2008" (PDF). IREX. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  14. ↑ "Qatari newspapers". w3newspapers. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  15. ↑ "Qatar profile". BBC. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  16. ↑ Abdallah Shalaby et. al. (2010). Towards a Better Life: How to Improve the State of Democracy in the Middle East and North Africa. GPoT. p. 123. ISBN 978-605-4233-21-2. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Of Egypt and Arabs". Al Ahram Weekly. 3383. 16 June 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
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