Diversity and pluralism in Arab media education curricula: an analytical study in light of UNESCO standards

The study addresses how Arab media education curricula incorporate learning objectives related to diversity, pluralism, rights, and freedoms amid regional deficits in democracy and civil liberties reported by IDEA (2022) and Freedom House (2022). It identifies a research gap: prior evaluations of Arab media education were narrow (focused on single programs, countries, or specific courses). The main research question is: How have issues of diversity, pluralism, rights and freedoms been addressed as learning objectives in Arabic media education curricula? Sub-questions: (1) What proportion of diversity/pluralism appears in UNESCO’s MIL learning objectives? (2) What are the strengths and weaknesses of Arab media education curricula regarding diversity/pluralism? (3) Which courses develop diversity and pluralism management skills? The study situates its analysis within UNESCO’s MIL curriculum for Educators and Learners (2021).

Theoretical background outlines learning objectives and competency-based education in MIL, drawing on Hobbs (2010), the European Charter for Media Literacy, and UNESCO’s expanded MIL framing as a human right linked to civic participation and sustainable development. UNESCO’s five MIL laws emphasize human rights, participation, and intercultural dialogue. In the Arab region, MIL initiatives include UNESCO workshops (Tunisia 2002; Cairo), integration in Lebanese curricula (since 2005) and the Media and Digital Literacy Academy of Beirut (MDLAB), the Doha Declaration (2013), Jordan’s MIL project (2016), Morocco’s integration within Islamic education and film activities, and Egypt’s university-level MIL resources. Foundations in the region include combating stereotypes, promoting press freedom and ethics, preserving local cultures, and promoting peace. Prior international studies used UNESCO standards to evaluate MIL integration (e.g., Russia, Uzbekistan, Latvia, Thailand, Bahrain) and identified content priorities (media’s democratic role, access, representations, ethics, rights, protection from harms) and challenges (administrative resistance, overloaded curricula, insufficient teacher training). Comparative work (Canada, Iran, USA) shows differing integration models (cross-curricular vs. standalone). In Arab higher education, evaluations reveal gaps and discrepancies compared to Western programs, with calls for course revisions, specialization, and more training. Overall, literature suggests MIL should be integrated across subjects, aligned with local contexts, and support inclusive, democratic participation.

Design: Mixed-method documentation analysis, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. Materials: (1) UNESCO MIL curricula—first edition (Wilson et al., 2011) and second edition (Grizzle et al., 2021); (2) Academic plans from 21 media colleges/departments/institutes across 10 Arab countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Qatar, Yemen, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya). Sampling: Convenience (availability) sampling from official institutional websites, collected February–March 2022. Analysis framework: Three levels. Level 1: Extract and code all MIL learning objectives and identify those specific to managing diversity/differences. Level 2: Group diversity-related objectives into major items/categories. Level 3: Analyze Arab academic plans to assess clarity (clear/unclear) of learning objectives tied to managing diversity/differences and list courses that reinforce these objectives. Operationalization: “Diversity learning objectives” include acceptance of others, tolerance, dialogue, freedom, justice, equality, human rights, pluralism, and women’s empowerment. Clarity criteria: A plan is “clear” if an area is explicitly stated in program-level objectives or at least one course; “unclear” if no reference is found in program objectives or course descriptions.

- UNESCO MIL objectives: First edition (2011) contained 153 learning objectives, with 44 (28.8%) specific to managing diversity/differences. Second edition (2021) contained 238 objectives, with 79 (33.2%) specific to managing diversity, indicating increased international emphasis. - Classification of 79 diversity objectives (second edition): Human rights: 26 (32.9%); Pluralism and democratic practice: 17 (21.5%); Culture of dialogue/peace/intercultural understanding/combating extremism and hate speech: 13 (16.5%); Media ethics: 13 (16.5%); Promoting equality/empowering women/combating racial discrimination: 10 (12.6%). - Arab curricula analysis (n=21 plans): • Media ethics was emphasized by all plans (e.g., media laws and ethics, public relations ethics, journalism ethics, advertising ethics, audiovisual media ethics). • Culture of dialogue, peace, intercultural understanding, and countering extremism/hate speech was clearly emphasized in 17/21 plans (e.g., international/intercultural communication, media globalization, media and development issues, contemporary issues). • Human rights was clearly present in 12/21 plans (often via general university requirements such as human rights in Islam/international covenants, citizenship). • Pluralism and democratic practice was clearly present in 8/21 plans (e.g., political communication, governance, media and development). • Promoting equality and empowering women was clearly present in 6/21 plans (e.g., women and development; women and the media). - Courses explicitly developing diversity-management skills include: human rights, political communication, good governance and ethics, international/intercultural communication, globalization, media and development, contemporary issues, citizenship, and specialized ethics courses. - Some institutions offered standalone or elective MIL courses; others embedded MIL elements via critical thinking or media criticism courses. Weaknesses centered on unclear treatment of pluralism, democratic participation, equality, and women’s empowerment across many plans.

Findings show growing global prioritization of diversity management within MIL (from 28.8% in 2011 to 33.2% in 2021). The five identified categories align with international perspectives on coexistence in pluralistic societies and with cross-curricular integration trends. In Arab curricula, strong emphasis on media ethics and, to a lesser extent, dialogue/peace and human rights reflects areas less constrained by political systems, whereas pluralism, democratic participation, equality, and women’s empowerment show variability and ambiguity, likely influenced by political and religious constraints. The discussion underscores that MIL should be locally contextualized, linked to sustainable development goals, and not imported wholesale from Western models. It advocates communal, needs-based approaches (e.g., communal feminism; locally relevant examples) to empower marginalized groups, increase civic participation, and address local socio-political realities. Integrating MIL across curricula can strengthen democratic engagement, critical citizenship, and inclusivity while respecting cultural privacy and promoting stability.

Arab media education curricula generally align with international standards by emphasizing media ethics and, to a degree, human rights and intercultural dialogue/peace. However, pluralism, democratic participation, and women’s empowerment are insufficiently and inconsistently addressed. The study, covering 21 programs in 10 countries, offers a broad yet focused assessment of learning objectives linked to diversity management. To advance, curricula should explicitly develop objectives promoting pluralism, diversity, and equality, integrate MIL across courses, and align with labor market needs and sustainable development imperatives. Policymakers and educators should engage in structured dialogues to integrate MIL in culturally appropriate ways, drawing on global and comparable regional experiences. Future research should examine the five diversity areas across all education levels and consider the roles of families, schools, universities, religious institutions, and other socialization agents.

- Convenience sampling of curricula available online; not all Arab media education plans were accessible. - Desk-based analysis of plans and course descriptions; deeper content analysis of syllabi, teaching materials, and training practices is needed. - Time-bounded data collection (Feb–Mar 2022) may miss recent changes. - The study focuses on stated objectives; it does not measure implementation or learning outcomes. - Broader socialization influences (families, schools, universities, places of worship, clubs) were not analyzed empirically and warrant future study.