Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE

Media Credit: Roberto Rodriguez Dr. Eli Avraham, NT's schusterman visiting professor, presented a lecture entitled "Public Relation in the Middle East: How Israel and the Arab States Improve Their Image" in Wooten Hall Wednesday.

Eli Avraham of the communications faculty led a discussion about Middle Eastern techniques toward media and marketing strategies Wednesday in Wooten Hall to give NT students a better idea of what the industry is like in the region.

Avraham discussed the large effort of these countries to draw in more tourism and international appreciation through advertising.

"These nations will do anything for a positive international image," he said.

This interest in a favorable global outlook has come from the negative attitude directed at the countries from other nations.

"Other countries see the Middle East as violent, intolerant and extremist, but this is only found in a small part of the region," he said. "There are other aspects of it that are quite appealing."

This effort towards a better reputation has come in a variety of forms. The visiting of a celebrity, international exhibitions and cultural events have all been a part of an underlying scheme to promote a positive perception. Advertising on the Internet is now a critical part to Middle Eastern media and continues to grow.

Avraham stressed that it was not only the national government working on this campaign.

"Independent tourism promotion organizations have been the main source of advertising in the Middle East," he said.

Nations in the region have also taken action in the media in ways that are morally questionable.

There have been cases of journalists being threatened, media access being blocked and failure to acknowledge a crisis in an effort to alter the perception of the country. This is more evident in extreme cases, such as the conflict in the Gaza Strip or in Lebanon.

Each individual nation has its own approach towards tourism, and the strategies used by these countries tend to vary. Economic and infrastructural stability are two factors in determining what type of media technique each nation uses.

"The overall goal is the same, but the strategies certainly vary due to the conditions of each country," Avraham said.

Avraham's lecture had a strong impact on Mike Franco, international studies senior, who said he was aware of what to expect but was still impressed.

"I have him as a professor, so I knew what was coming and what material he would cover," Franco said. "But I enjoyed it nonetheless".

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