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The mass media in the Arab world plays a significant role in socialization and promotion of cultural and developmental standards. It has been severely criticized by scholars of Arab communication, mainly for lowering cultural standards and tastes, encouraging consumerism, promoting foreign values, and alienating recipients. Because of this concern, a model for Arab mass culture has been presented in this paper. The model views mass culture as one component of a large process, which also includes cultural heritage, the writer/critic role, Arab mass media and content, the producer/artist role and the audience.

These components interrelate and affect each other and each is discussed in the light of problems, which currently affect the mass media. Solutions are proposed to deal with these problems, with the ultimate aim of developing Arab mass culture.