Alhemaidi Abdulla (NU-Q)

This is my Capstone Project for the Media and Politics Minor. Welcome.

When I started this minor, I thought media were simply a news-sharing platform, a way to inform and maybe entertain people. Now, I know media as more than that. It does more than inform the world; it narrates the world.

This project sums up everything that I’ve learned. I examined how media can be used to manipulate people, cover for governments, or disseminate political messages. I witnessed how the internet can be cut to eliminate protests in Iran. While in Ukraine, I saw firsthand how the image of a president’s selfie video became a symbol of strength. I saw firsthand how, in Qatar, a sports event was wielded as a tool of rewriting a nation’s narrative. It was in hearing these stories that I learned the media could be one of empowerment, or obliteration. The truth can come out of it or stay hidden. And at all those extremes, real people, real lives, real consequences.

It changed the way I read, the way I listen, the way I talk. Which is why I am wondering: Who tells the story? Who isn’t being heard? What does the message want to accomplish? I hope this project helps you to remember that media is not static you passively hear. It’s the soundtrack of our politics, our protests, and our aspirations. And if we take a listen to the stifled voices and broken folks, then maybe we will make room for more honest, inclusive, and human stories.

Thank you for being here.