Saeed Dabbour is a doctoral student at the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication, where his research focuses on reality television in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA), specifically the Westernization of reality TV in Arab countries. As a critical, cultural, and rhetorical scholar, he uses qualitative methods to analyze how reality television constructs identity and adapts global formats within regional cultural contexts. His work includes an exploration of Qesma w Naseeb, an Arabic dating show influenced by Love Island, examining how the show adapts Western reality TV formats to fit MENA cultural norms.
Beyond reality television, Saeed’s work extends into popular culture and game studies, exploring how representation and identity are communicated in media. He examines Middle Eastern representation in video games, particularly in Overwatch 2, analyzing how characters reflect or challenge dominant narratives about the MENA region.
His scholarship has been recognized at major academic conferences, and he has been selected to present at the International Communication Association (ICA), National Communication Association (NCA), and Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS).
Graduate Employee Assignments:
- JCOM 203
- Fall 2024, Winter 2024, and Spring 2025
- J 211
- Summer 2024
- J 320
- Spring 2024
- J 211
- Fall 2023, and Winter 2024