A new academic book examines the challenges of covering business and finance across the Middle East and North Africa, focusing on professional standards, data credibility and the impact of digital transformation on economic news.
Business and Financial Journalism in the Arab World: The Value of News and News Coverage in the Middle East and North Africa was written by Faisal Al-Aqeel and Jairo Lugo Ocando and published by Routledge.
According to the publisher’s description, the book draws on analysis of regional newspapers and in-depth interviews with journalists and editors. It explores how economic news is produced, the sources reporters rely on and the standards shaping financial and business coverage.
The book argues that economic journalism must go beyond repeating figures and company statements. Reporters need to explain what investment announcements, revenue changes and market indicators mean, while distinguishing between planned projects and results that have actually been delivered.
It also highlights the pressure created by digital publishing, where news organisations must balance speed with accuracy. The authors point to the importance of skills in reading financial statements, analysing economic indicators, working with databases and using digital tools to present complex information clearly.
These issues are particularly relevant to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, where economic transformation, major projects and investment activity have increased the need for reporting that tracks implementation and measures its impact on jobs, production, exports and GDP.
Source: Al Eqtisadiah
