Naomi Sakr

Professor Naomi Sakr is Professor of Media Policy at the University of Westminster's Westminster School of Media and Communications, and former Director of the CAMRI Arab Media Centre (2007-2015). With extensive consulting experience for UNESCO, the European Parliament, UNDP, and the UK House of Lords, she has shaped media policy discourse across the Arab world. Her career spans journalism at the Economist Intelligence Unit (1985-1997), academic leadership since 2004, and international advisory roles including Bonnier Guest Professor at Stockholm University (2012).

Educational background includes:

• MA, School of Oriental and African Studies (1974)
• MA, Institute of Education, University of London (1994)
• PhD, University of Westminster (1999)

Her research pioneers critical analysis of Arab media systems, focusing on political economy, children's screen content, public service media, and journalism under authoritarianism. Key contributions examine Saudi television transformation, Egyptian media evolution, and pan-Arab production cultures. Her work bridges academic rigor with policy impact, notably through UNESCO-commissioned media landscape analyses in Jordan.

Recent publications reveal evolving emphasis from satellite television studies to contemporary challenges in children's media during forced migration, Saudi media reforms, and media governance frameworks. This trajectory demonstrates consistent engagement with shifting Arab media landscapes while maintaining critical political economy perspectives.

Scientific recognition includes:

• British Middle Eastern Studies Book Prize (2003) for Satellite Realms: Transnational Television, Globalization and the Middle East

Major research leadership includes:

• Principal Investigator, AHRC-funded Orientations in the Development of Screen Content for Arabic-Speaking Children (2013-2016)
• Co-Investigator, AHRC Children's Screen Content in an Era of Forced Migration (2017-2018)
• International Expert for UNESCO/IMS Media Landscape Analysis in Jordan (2015)
• Research Team Member, ANR-funded Mediamigraterra project (2009-2012)

Her CAMRI Arab Media Centre (2007-2015) secured funding from Arts and Humanities Research Council, Open Society Institute, and British Academy, establishing a hub for critical Arab media scholarship while mentoring Egyptian and Tunisian academics through Media Diversity Institute programs.