International Journal of Communication
Publishes a Special Section
on the Gulf Information War

Guest-edited by Ilhem Alagui and Banu Akdenizli, this Special Section on The Gulf Information War brings together five papers (plus an editorial introduction) on the ongoing Arabian Gulf political and diplomatic crisis that led to an embargo imposed on Qatar by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The Gulf Information War is the first of its kind in the Arabian region that was orchestrated through fake news and information piracy. This Special Section investigates its conduct, artifacts and sociocultural resonance.

Guest-edited by Ilhem Alagui and Banu Akdenizli, this Special Section on The Gulf Information War brings together five papers (plus an editorial introduction) on the ongoing Arabian Gulf political and diplomatic crisis that led to an embargo imposed on Qatar by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The Gulf Information War is the first of its kind in the Arabian region that was orchestrated through fake news and information piracy. This Special Section investigates its conduct, artifacts and sociocultural resonance.

These papers explore a variety of topics pertaining to conflict and its social impact in the Gulf countries. They cover fake news and misinformation, cybersecurity, usage of Twitter bots as propaganda tools, political hacking, as well as the impact of such a political crisis on the meaning of nationalism among citizens and residents of the country under blockade.  This Special Section also includes studies that provide a greater appreciation of how outsiders—and eventually country allies who play a significant role in conflicts—frame and narrate this story of conflict. In the Gulf Information War, Turkey has had a monumental role safeguarding Qatar. Through global media coverage, one can understand the bigger story of diplomatic ties and soft power.

We invite you to read these articles that published in the International Journal of Communication  to learn about the new tools, devices, narrative and impact of a new kind of war in MENA, one that is based on information, as well as misinformation, hacking, and fake news. Please Ctrl+Click on the titles below for direct hyperlinking to these articles.

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The Gulf Information War and the Role of Media and Communication Technologies: Editorial Introduction
Ilhem Allagui, Banu Akdenizli

Cyberconflict, Online Political Jamming, and Hacking in the Gulf Cooperation Council
Ahmed Al-Rawi

The Gulf Crisis and Narratives of Emotionality in Nepal’s English-Language Press
Subin Paul

Presenting the Gulf Crisis to the Turkish Public: A Computational Approach to Mapping Media Frames
Ivo Furman, Erkan Saka, Savas Yildirim, Ece Elbayi

Car Decals, Civic Rituals, and Changing Conceptions of Nationalism
Jocelyn Sage Mitchell, Ilhem Allagui

Propaganda, Fake News and Fake Trends: Weaponization of Twitter Bots in the Qatar Gulf Crisis
Marc Jones

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Larry Gross
Editor

Arlene Luck
Managing Editor

Ilhem Allagui, Banu Akdenizli
Guest Editors