Master’s Degree Awarded to Mr. Abdullah Al-Hemyari in Radio and Television

Mr. Abdullah Qa’ed Salah Al-Hemyari was awarded a Master’s degree in the major of Radio and Television with a grade of (Excellent) and an average of (95%) for his thesis titled “The News Framing of Human Rights Issues on Foreign Arabic-Speaking Channels and the Attitudes of the Yemeni Elite Towards Such Channels,” which was submitted to Department of Radio and Television, Faculty of Mass Communication – Sana’a University. The defense was held on Monday, October 13, 2025.

The MA Viva-voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Post-Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following members:

Committee Members

Designation

University

Position

Assoc. Prof. Nawal Abdullah Al-Hazoura

Internal Examiner

Sana’a Uni.

Chair

Prof. Mohammed Abdulwahab Al-Faqih Kafi

Main Supervisor

Sana’a Uni.

Member

Assoc. Prof. Abdulmajeed Al-Solwi

External Examiner

Taiz Uni.

Member

The thesis aimed to analyze the news framing employed by foreign Arabic-speaking channels—specifically Alhurra, BBC Arabic, Russia Today, and Al Mayadeen—in their coverage of human rights issues in Gaza during the conflict with the Zionist Entity over the past two years. It also sought to evaluate the credibility and objectivity of these channels as perceived by the Yemeni elite.

Key Findings:

The thesis found a clear disparity in news framing and a bias in the coverage that served the interests of the channels’ funding and owning states. This bias often came at the expense of marginalizing the humanitarian and rights-based dimensions of the Palestinian people’s suffering.

The thesis showed that channels which adopted a direct humanitarian narrative, such as Russia Today and Al Mayadeen, enjoyed the trust of the Yemeni elite. Conversely, coverage by Alhurra and BBC Arabic was perceived as being closer to justifying the aggression or weakening its human rights context.

The findings affirmed that the Palestinian cause, particularly the tragedy in Gaza, topped the priorities of the Yemeni elite, who demonstrated increased reliance on international news sources while expressing declining confidence in official Arab channels.

The thesis concluded with several key recommendations, notably:

Adopting a professional humanitarian media discourse that focuses on the suffering of civilians rather than political justifications.

Diversifying news sources and involving human rights experts and independent field correspondents.

Enhancing critical awareness among elites and the public regarding biased media framing.

Developing academic curricula on the analysis of human rights media discourse in Arab universities.

The thesis was examined and recommended by the Viva-Voce Committee for acceptance and approval. The defense was attended by a number of academics, researchers, interested individuals, in addition to the candidate’s colleagues and family members.