الملخص الإنجليزي
This descriptive study examines the characteristics of the content of Omani women's magazines, namely Al'Ausrah (The Family), Al Mar'ah (The Woman), Osrat Al Yowm (Today's Family). It describes and analyses the types of content and journalistic writing, the functionality of the pictures and images and the resources these magazines depend on. It also sheds light on the history and scopes of the specialized press in Oman and elsewhere with a special focus on the challenges facing women's magazines in Oman . The results of this study are based on the content analysis of 36 issues selected randomly from the three magazines, with 12 issues from each. A non-structured interviews with journalists working in these magazines were also administered in order to identify the challenges. The study found that Omani Womens' magazines focus on women's issues, such as fashion, social affairs and cooking, respectively more than other subjects. They are also found to focus on content of international nature more than local content and hence, the image of women is mostly depicted in a Western cultural context. In terms of journalistic writing, the most frequently used types are investigative reporting, news and interviews, respectively, while editors and reporters constitute the primery sources for the published content in these magazines. The study also found that the explanatory function is the primary objective of Omani women's magazines. The study pointed to a number of professional, social, cultural, economic and administrative challenges facing women's magazines in Oman. It also offers recommendations for the development and improvement of the content and layout of Omani magazines.
