A wide-ranging poll of the US public has revealed a huge “knowledge gap” when it comes to the Arab world, with 81 percent of the respondents unable to point out the region on a map.
That was a key finding of an exclusive Arab News/YouGov poll, the results of which are published to coincide with the Arab Media Forum in Dubai.
An Arab News panel discussion on “The Arab Image in the West” discussed the media’s role in addressing the perception problem, as well as the poll results.
The survey of 2,057 people in the US revealed an alarmingly low level of awareness about the Middle East and North Africa, but also a desire for more media coverage of the region.
When presented with three maps, only one of which accurately highlighted the geography of the Arab world, only 19 percent of the respondents could identify the correct image.
More than a fifth of respondents said Agrabah — the fictional city from “Aladdin” — is a real part of the Arab world. An even higher proportion — 38 percent — said they would be happy with a US travel ban on citizens of Agrabah should they be proven a threat.
The “The Arab Image in the US” poll, conducted from March 17-21, found that 65 percent of respondents admitted to knowing little about the Arab World, with 30 percent having no interest in understanding the region further.
Over three-quarters of the respondents said they would not consider travelling to the Arab world, with 39 percent saying the whole region is too dangerous to visit.
While almost eight in 10 said they follow international news, of those only 24 percent tune into news about the Arab world.
“Many always felt there was a misconception or misrepresentation when it comes to the Arab image in be US; what this study does however is tell us how high the level of ignorance is,” said Faisal J. Abbas, editor in chief of Arab News.
The poll findings do however suggest an opportunity for those gathered at the Arab Media Forum in Dubai, Abbas pointed out. Half of the respondents to the survey said US media do not provide sufficient coverage of the Arab world, with many saying they would like more social and cultural news from the region.
“There is clearly an opportunity for the media industry — in both the US and Middle East — to step up to the challenge,” Abbas said. “At a time when fake news is thriving, telling and investing in real, credible stories of the region is essential to solving the perception problem and closing the knowledge gap.”
This month, Arab News announced a regional media partnership with global polling experts, YouGov, with the aim of exploring the hearts and minds of the Arab World towards global affairs and vice versa.
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