Nearly Half of Arabs Watch American Films, Yet Most Want More Regional Content: Survey

Doha, April 16 (QNA) -According to findings by a massive pan-Arab study released here on Wednesday day has showcased that high region-wide concern about cultural preservation and support for media regulation, but also a general embrace of international content. The survey by Northwestern University in Qatar in partnership with Doha Film Institute and issued here today revealed that 65% of residents in six Arab countries want more content portraying their own culture and history, while an equal number (66%) say people benefit from watching content from different parts of the world. Over 70% region-wide want greater regulation of romantic and violent content. The "Entertainment Media Use in the Middle East" survey represents 6,035 face-to-face interviews in nationally representative samples of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. Findings from the survey of both media use and cultural attitudes call into question a common perception that modernity and cultural preservation are at odds in the Arab world. While 79% of respondents feel that more should be done to preserve cultural traditions, a nearly similar percentage (70%) agree with the statement that more should be done to integrate their respective cultures with modern society. "These apparently contradictory findings really are not, but reflect how the Arab world is coping with globalization and still grappling to preserve local culture," said Everette E. Dennis, dean and CEO of Northwestern University in Qatar. "Understanding cultural attitudes around entertainment is as important to industry leaders and policymakers as viewership and other audience figures," said Dennis. "This research provides a base of knowledge for executives across all sectors, including entertainment, sport, and childrens programming." A vast majority of adults believe entertainment content should be more regulated for romantic content (69%) and violence (74%). Sixty-eight percent believe films or other entertainment programs should be banned altogether if they are found offensive The survey also showed that nearly half of women in the Arab world binge-watch TV series (49%), whether online or on television (where binge-watching is classified as viewing two or more episodes of a series in the same sitting). Only 31% of men surveyed do the same. There are some entertainment habits unique to Qatar. Qatar residents are much more voracious readers of print media for entertainment compared with those in the other countries; this includes newspapers, books and magazines. Eight in ten Qatar residents read newspapers compared with two-thirds overall (81% vs. 65%), and half do so daily (53%). Qatar residents are also more likely than others to participate in sports and exercise (83% Qatar vs. 65% total sample), and three in ten in Qatar claim to exercise every day (31%). Focus on Qatar, where only three in ten Qatar residents watch Qatar-produced television, and even fewer watch online content or listen to music from Qatar (18% and 14%, respectively). A meager 9% watch Qatar-produced films. Half of Qatari nationals watch Qatar-produced TV, 32% listen to Qatari music, 29% watch online content from the country, and 18% watch films Made in Qatar. Qataris are more likely in general to consume content from the United States than from Qatar. Going to the cinema to watch films is popular among non-Arab expats in Qatar, but not as much among Arabs in the country. Two-thirds of non-Arabs go to the cinema (71% of Asian expats, 67% of Western expats), compared to fewer than half of Arabs (43% of Qatari nationals, 38% of Arab expats). People in Qatar are strong consumers of online news and TV news for entertainment; more so than residents of other countries in this study. Non-Arabs in Qatar are more likely to listen to music for entertainment than Arabs living in the country. Only half of Qataris report listening to music for entertainment (compared to 87% of Asian expatriates, 84% of Western expats, and 66% of Arab expatriates). This figure for Qatari nationals is low compared to nationals of other countries (82% of nationals overall listen to music). "This study is the first of its kind in our region and we believe that the findings will be of great benefit to all sectors of the entertainment industry, from both a commercial and cultural standpoint," said Abdulaziz Al-Khater, CEO of Doha Film Institute. Elaborating Al Khater said, "What we see from these numbers is a growing demand for locally generated entertainment. The findings reinforce the idea that nurturing a thriving creative industry in our region is vital to enabling the creation of content that accurately reflects Arab culture." Northwestern University in Qatar and Doha Film Institute launched the collaborative effort in November. On May 5th, the Qatar-specific findings will be discussed in detail at the Qatar Media Industries Forum, an NU-Q initiative that brings together Qatars leading media executives to discuss key issues in Qatari and regional media industries. This survey, conducted in collaboration with Harris Poll, builds on a similar study focusing on news and information media use in the Arab world, released by NU-Q in the spring of 2013 (menamediasurvey.northwestern.edu). The survey was conducted from January 27 through February 26, 2014 yielded 6,035 face-to-face interviews with nationally representative samples of adults aged 18 or over from six Arab countries (Qatar, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and United Arab Emirates). The survey participants answered questions on a wide range of topics, including the role of entertainment media in their lives and related cultural attitudes. Other findings showed that: - 58% of adults listed comedy as one of their favorite types of film more than any other genre. - 45% of Arabs in the countries surveyed say they watch US films. Thirty-four percent find Hollywood content "harmful to morality" and the same number are of the opinion that Hollywood films do not accurately portray life in the Arab world (35%). - 65% of adults in all countries believe government oversight helps produce higher quality entertainment. (END)