The Al Jazeera Children's Channel website.

The Al Jazeera Children's Channel website.

The Al Jazeera Sports website:
http://www.aljazeerasport.net

Voices of the New Arab PublicIraq, al-Jazeera, and Middle East Politics Today

To read and listen to an interview with Marc Lynch
To visit Marc Lynch's blog

"Voices of the New Arab Public is an unusually compelling book that examines a crucial issue for the Arab world, Europe, and the United States. Marc Lynch's clear and persuasive arguments add vividness and immediacy to discussions of the role of Iraq in the emergence of an Arab public sphere. The events of September 2001 and those following the invasion of Iraq make an understanding of this issue particularly urgent."—Dale F. Eickelman, Dartmouth College, coeditor of New Media in the Muslim World: The Emerging Public Sphere
"Marc Lynch’s work is a unique and valuable contribution to understanding issues vital to Americans. Its wealth of detail on what Arabs discuss among themselves will help Westerners understand the true nature of Arab media and opinion. Marc Lynch lets us listen to ongoing Arab discussions Westerners rarely hear. "—Ambassador William Rugh, author of Arab Mass Media: Newspapers, Radio, and Television in Arab Politics
Al-Jazeera and other satellite television stations have transformed Arab politics over the last decade. By shattering state control over information and giving a platform to long-stifled voices, these new Arab media have challenged the status quo by encouraging open debate about Iraq, Palestine, Islamism, Arab identity, and other vital political and social issues. These public arguments have redefined what it means to be Arab and reshaped the realm of political possibility. As Marc Lynch shows, the days of monolithic Arab opinion are over. How Arab governments and the United States engage this newly confident and influential public sphere will profoundly shape the future of the Arab world.
Marc Lynch draws on interviews conducted in the Middle East and analyses of Arab satellite television programs, op-ed pages, and public opinion polls to examine the nature, evolution, and influence of the new Arab public sphere. Lynch, who pays close attention to what is actually being said and talked about in the Arab world, takes the contentious issue of Iraq-which has divided Arabs like no other issue-to show how the media revolutionized the formation and expression of public opinion. He presents detailed discussions of Arab arguments about sanctions and the 2003 British and American invasion and occupation of Iraq. While Arabs strongly disagreed about Saddam's regime, they increasingly saw the effects of sanctions as a potent symbol of the suffering of all Arabs. Anger and despair over these sanctions shaped Arab views of America, their governments, and themselves.
Lynch also suggests how the United States can develop and improve its engagement with the Arab public sphere. He argues that the United States should move beyond treating the Arab public sphere as either an enemy to be defeated or an object to be manipulated via public relations. Instead of wasting vast sums of money on a satellite television station nobody watches, the United States should enter the public sphere as it really exists.
Contents

مسيرة الإعلام في العام 2005 اغتيالات واعتداءات ومشاريع وجدالات

عبد الرافع محمد
شهد العام 2005 عددا كبيرا من حوادث انتهاك حرية الصحافة ومحاولات إعاقة الإعلامي وتهديده بسبب أدائه مهمته في نشر الحقيقة، كما تعرض إعلاميون للاغتيال وآخرون للاعتداء بالضرب والاعتقال القسري في بلاد عربية وغربية.

ومع ذلك شهد العام انطلاقا لقنوات فضائية وإذاعات جديدة ومشاريع إعلامية واعدة وكرم صحفيون عرب باعتبارهم رموزا لحرية الصحافة، وبرزت قضايا وتجاذبات ثقافية كان الإعلام طرفا فيها أو جزءا منه.

ونالت قناة الجزيرة النصيب الأوفي من محاولات انتهاك حريتها كمؤسسة وحرية صحفييها في نشر الحقيقة وأداء مهمتهم الإعلامية.

فالزميل تيسير علوني مراسل الجزيرة تصدر السلطات الإسبانية في 26 سبتمبر/ أيلول 2005 حكمها بسجنه سبع سنوات مع الغرامة بتهمة "التعاون" مع ما أسمته منظمة إرهابية، رغم تبرئته من الانتماء لتنظيم القاعدة. وقد رأى خبراء القانون أن العقوبة لا تتناسب مع التهمة التي أدين بها علوني.

ولا يزال الزميل سامي الحاج مصور الجزيرة معتقلا في سجن غوانتانامو للسنة الرابعة دون محاكمه أو اتهام محدد كما يقول محاميه كلايف ستافورد.

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حظيت قناة الجزيرة بالنصيب الأوفى من محاولات إسكاتها والاعتداء على مراسليها واعتقالهم
"
وفي 22 نوفمبر/ تشرين الثاني تنشر صحيفة الديلي ميرور البريطانية مذكرة بالغة السرية تضمنت اقتراحا للرئيس الأميركي جورج بوش بقصف مقر قناة الجزيرة في قطر، وذلك في محضر حديث جرى بين بوش ورئيس الوزراء البريطاني توني بلير.

وفي 10 نوفمبر/ تشرين الثاني تعرض الزميل أحمد منصور لاعتداء بالضرب بينما كان واقفا قرب مكتب الجزيرة في القاهرة وفي مصر أيضا تعرض عدد من مراسلي الجزيرة ومصوريها لمضايقات خلال تغطية الانتخابات البرلمانية المصرية في نوفمبر/ تشرين الثاني.

وفي فلسطين اعتقلت قوات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي الزميل عوض الرجوب مراسل الجزيرة نت ولا تزال قوات الاحتلال تعتقل منذ أشهر الزميل نزار رمضان مراسل الجزيرة نت أيضا.

الاعتداءات لم تقتصر على مراسلي الجزيرة بل توسعت وتعددت أشكالها في صور لم يسبق لها مثيل، وقد برزت في أبشع صورها ضمن الاضطرابات التي يعيشها المشهد السياسي اللبناني في ظل مسلسل الاغتيالات، حيث اغتيل الصحفي اللبناني سمير قصير والإعلامي جبران تويني رئيس مجلس إدارة جريدة النهار اللبنانية ونفذت محاولة لاغتيال الإعلامية مي شدياق أدت إلى بتر يدها ورجلها.

وفي مصر وأثناء إجراء استفتاء في 25 مايو/ أيار 2005 تعرضت صحافيات للإهانة ولتحرشات جنسية. وكان رئيس تحرير جريدة العربي الناصرية عبد الحليم قنديل قد تعرض للاختطاف أواخر العام 2004 وجرد من ملابسه ثم ترك في طريق وعر، بعد الاعتداء على الصحفي والنائب المعارض حمدين صباحي بالضرب.

وفي تونس تعرض مراسل صحيفة ليبيراسيون كريستوف بولتانسكي للضرب على أيدي أربعة أشخاص قبل قمة المعلوماتية بأيام.

وفي اليمن تعرض الأمين العام لمركز التأهيل وحماية الحريات الصحفية محمد صادق العديني للضرب مرتين خلال أسبوع واحد، وقال رئيس تحرير مجلة الوسط الأسبوعية اليمنية جمال عمرو إنه تعرض للخطف في صنعاء على أيدي مجهولين استجوبوه حول مصادر معلوماته واعتدوا عليه وهددوه ثم أخلوا سبيله.

وفي سوريا اعتقلت السلطات الصحفي والأكاديمي السوري حسين العودات مدير دار الأهالي للنشر ومؤسس المسؤول عن رصد الحريات التابع لاتحاد الصحفيين السوريين مع سبعة أعضاء في مجلس إدارة منتدى الأتاسي بعد عشرة أيام من اعتقال الصحفي علي العبد الله عضو مجلس إدارة منتدى الأتاسي أيضا.

وفي ليبيا قامت السلطات باعتقال الكاتب الليبي عبد الرازق عبد الونيس المنصوري في 12 يناير/ كانون الثاني.

"
تزايد الاعتداءات على الصحفيين زادهم إصرارا على تقاليد مهنتهم وجعلهم يصطفون لمجابهة محاولات إسكاتهم
"
لم تكن هذه الاعتداءات ذات أثر سلبي دائما على العمل الإعلامي، بل كانت إلى حد كبير دافعا للصحفيين للتمسك بتقاليد مهنتهم خاصة أنهم تلقوا دعما شعبيا كبيرا ومن المنظمات الحقوقية فضلا عن التضامن المتبادل بينهم والاصطفاف للدفاع عن حريتهم في أداء مهمتهم، وشهد العام 2005 عددا كبيرا من مؤتمرات التضامن مع الصحفيين، وشهدت قطر مع بدايته تدشين اللجنة العربية للدفاع عن الصحفيين.

كما كرم عدد من الصحفيين في أكثر من بلد، فقد منح الاتحاد العالمي للصحف في سول جائزة القلم الذهبي الحر للعام 2005 للصحفي السوداني محجوب محمد صالح رئيس تحرير صحيفة "الأيام"، ومنحت يومية "الخبر" الجزائرية جائزتها الدولية السنوية للصحافة لمراسل الجزيرة طارق أيوب الذي استشهد أثناء تغطيته أحداث الحرب على العراق من بغداد. وفازت قناة الجزيرة الفضائية بجائزة التميز للعلامات الوطنية الخليجية, في إطار فعاليات المنتدى الاقتصادي الرابع لدول مجلس التعاون الخليجي بدبي بالتزامن مع القمة الخليجية التي تستضيفها الإمارات.

وودعت الأوساط الإعلامية هذا العام الصحفي الفلسطيني المخضرم محمود أبو الزلف مؤسس ورئيس تحرير صحيفة القدس المقدسية والصحفي البريطاني ستيفن هيوز المراسل السابق لوكالة رويترز وعدد من وسائل الإعلام الدولية بالمغرب.

"
أطلقت عدة قنوات تلفزيونية ومحطات إذاعية ولكن الاتحاد الأوروبي قرر منع بث قناة المنار التابعة لحزب الله
"
وفي هذا العام أطلقت شبكة الجزيرة قناتين من باقتها إحداهما الجزيرة مباشر والأخرى الجزيرة للأطفال، وأعلنت هيئة الإذاعة البريطانية BBC أنها ستطلق قناة تلفزيونية باللغة العربية بعد عملية إعادة هيكلة خدمتها الدولية عبر إنهاء عمل عشر إذاعات بينها ثمان موجهة إلى أوروبا.

وأعلن وزير الخارجية الفرنسي فيليب دوست بلازي أن محطة التلفزيون الفرنسية الإخبارية الدولية ستطلق قريبا وستبث بالفرنسية والإنكليزية والعربية والإسبانية. وفي ديسمبر/ كانون الأول بدأت قناة عشتار التي تختص بالشأن الآشوري الكلداني السرياني في العراق، كما بدأت مجموعة من الصحفيين المصريين تجربة طموحا لإطلاق أول إذاعة إخبارية عبر شبكة الإنترنت، في خطوة تستهدف كسر احتكار الدولة للبث الإذاعي والتلفزيوني.

ومع ذلك شهد هذا العام قيام مسؤولي الرقابة بالاتحاد الأوربي بمنع بث قناة المنار التلفزيونية التابعة لحزب الله اللبناني عبر الأقمار الصناعية الأوربية ومنعت السلطات الإيرانية.

وقد شهدت الأوساط الإعلامية والثقافية هذا العام سجالا استمر فترة طويلة في قضية الدكتور أحمد البغدادي حيث قضت محكمة استئناف كويتية بحبس الكاتب الصحفي أحمد البغدادي لمدة سنة واحدة مع وقف تنفيذ العقوبة لمدة ثلاث سنوات بسبب آراء تتضمن -حسب الادعاء- سخرية وتحقيرا للدين الإسلامي.

وفي ديسمبر/ كانون الأول أصدرت محكمة كويتية حكما أوليا بإغلاق صحيفة "الوطن" اليومية أسبوعا، وبالسجن شهرين مع وقف النفاذ لكل من رئيس التحرير الشيخ خليفة العذبي الصباح وللكاتب في الصحيفة أحمد الكوس الذي دين بكتابة مقال يسيء إلى الكاتب أحمد البغدادي.


وقد أثارت قرارات تمنع ظهور المذيعة التلفزيونية على شاشات التلفزيون بحجاب إسلامي جدلا واسعا في مصر، بعدما صدر حكم قضائي يلغي قرارا بمنع ظهور مذيعات محجبات على شاشة القناة الخامسة، وفي الأردن رفعت المذيعة نوف التميمي دعوى قضائية ضد إدارة مؤسسة الإذاعة والتلفزيون لأن المؤسسة قررت نقلها للإذاعة بعد ارتدائها الحجاب.
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الجزيرة نت

European-Middle Eastern Relations in the Media Age

But let us take a closer look at Arab media? While I know of only few solid content
analysis of Arab media, my impression is that after 9/11 Arab media developed their
own qualities as well as biases when covering foreign news, especially concerning
regional conflicts. For years, I was the advisor of the German-Arab media dialogue
bringing Arab journalists together, and I recall that already in the late 1990s many
Arab journalists, not only American or British, started to approach the new Arab
satellite broadcasting media with a mixture of great respect and severe criticism.
There is no doubt that transnational Arab television provides the world with images of
Palestinian or Iraqi victims that went previously unnoticed by Western media. It is
equally obvious that Al-Jazeera, out of all the Arab news networks, has been the most
willing to integrate "the other opinion." Israeli, American and many other voices are
heard on the network. In contrast, the leading American television network Fox News
showed no original interviews with Arab politicians during the Iraq War of 2003.
Also, I see no sign that mainstream Arab TV is falling into the trap of identifying
Europe and the US as one and creating a coherent view of an enemy called “the
West”. That is the case with many Islamists, but not with mainstream media.

THE EXPANSION OF AL JAZEERA AND THE RISE OF AL ARABIYA

THE EXPANSION OF AL JAZEERA AND THE RISE OF AL ARABIYA

TBS senior editor S. Abdallah Schleifer reports on the latest developments from Doha and Dubai in Al Jazeera: Once More Into the Fray and Stealth Bouquet: The MBC Group Moves On. Schleifer also sits down with the general manager of Al Arabiya to discuss the channel in A Dialogue With Abdul Rahman al-Rashed.

Michael Hudson reviews the history of changing Western attitudes towards Arab satellite TV news channels in Washington vs. Al Jazeera, while Hugh Miles offers his observations about What the World Thinks of Al Jazeera.

Jon Alterman's The Challenge for Al Jazeera International analyzes the prospects for the station's new English-language channel, slated to begin broadcasting later this year.

Iranian clerics condemn 'repulsive' Al-Jazeera

An Iranian religious group attacked Al-Jazeera television over a programme seen as defamatory to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Shiite Islam's top cleric, state television reported.

"Once again the evil hand of world arrogance (the United States) has come out of the notorious Al-Jazeera network which unveiled its hypocrite face even more than before by insulting and disrespecting his highness Ayatollah Sistani," the Association of Qom Seminary Lecturers said in a statement, accprdomg to AFP.

"Undoubtedly, democracy claimants and enemies of the Iraqi people want to damage the solidarity and harmony he has brought by influencing media and television," the group said, denouncing "this repulsive and ridiculous move".

Qom, situated just south of Tehran, is Iran's religious epicentre.

In a debate aired late on Tuesday on the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite news channel, the London-based Iraqi writer Fadel al-Rubaye said Shiite religious leaders had "favored the entry of American troops in Iraq" and had urged Iraqis not to resist the occupation.

Rubaye, himself a Shiite, also said that clerics such as Sistani should keep out of politics and return to their mosques.

The pan-Arab satellite channel has been accused of bias in favour of Iraqi insurgents and has been banned by the Iraqi government from sending correspondents to the country.

Iran's foreign ministry said on Sunday it had summoned Qatar's ambassador in Tehran to protest over the "absolutely unacceptable" programme.

The comments have also prompted angry protests in Shiite-dominated Iraq, but Al-Jazeera has maintained that "what guests say (during programmes) does not necessarily represent the position of the channel".

In April, the Iranian government also "temporarily closed" the office of Al-Jazeera in Tehran for allegedly provoking separatist elements in Iran's ethnic Arab minority.

Google Zeitgeist: World Affairs: Al-Jazeera is in

Whose News When news is reported instantaneously, and more people than ever expect to get their news online, which sources do people consult – and for which stories? We took a look at three major news organizations which have come to new prominence for a global Internet audience.

Hamas wants satellite station

New station expected to go on air following Palestinian elections, leading Hamas figure says

Hamas is planning on setting up a satellite television station, according to Sheikh Ismail Haniya, a senior figure in the group.

Haniya says the station will begin to operate after the Palestinian general elections.

The leading Hamas member said the group had been weighing the establishment of an independent station for a long period, but economic and local political problems have so far prevented the plan from going ahead.

Haniya said the station will broadcast Hamas’ positions to the Palestinian territories, as well as to other areas.

"We believe there is room for a Hamas satellite station in order to open the movement through a wider scope to the Palestinian people, and so that the movement will be more open for Arab countries, and the international community in general," Haniya said.

He added, however, that his comments did not imply that Hamas has been a closed movement up until now.

"We are willing to have relations with anyone who is willing to support Palestinian interests and help the Palestinian people to regain its rights," Haniya said. He also noted the move to create a station did not signify Hamas’ disappointment with Arab stations.

“The Arab satellite stations operating in the territories are open stations that allow freedom of speech to all sides, including us in the Hamas, who enjoyed extensive freedom of expression,” he said.

Fatah: Crisis continues

While Hamas plans to expand, the crisis in Fatah continues following its split last week. Fatah’s women movement has announced that it is freezing its activity in the general elections, and expressed disappointment with the way Fatah selected its official party list. Many believe that the youth and women’s organizations will only back lists headed by Marwan Barghouti and Muhammad Dahlan.

Meanwhile, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas decided to position a jailed Fatah member at the top of Fatah’s list, in a bid to try and gain the support of Palestinian security prisoners and their families.

The Al Jazeera Phenomenon: Critical Perspectives on New Arab Media

Zayani, M. (2005) The Al Jazeera Phenomenon: Critical Perspectives on New Arab Media
Jon Alterman
Faisal Al Kasim
Muhammad I. Ayish
Gloria Awad
Ehab Yassir Bessaiso
Olivier Da Lage
Mohammed El Oifi
Naomi Sakr
Rondha S. Zaharna
Mohamed Zayani


Few phenomena in the Arab world are more controversial than Al Jazeera—the satellite television news channel that, despite its brief history, has made its impact known throughout the world and changed the face of a formerly parochial Arab media.
This timely collection of articles, many by Arabic-speaking scholars, gives us more information and analysis of the network—and how it has affected the public and even the foreign policies of Western governments—than any other of the very few books published in English up to now.
The book provides rare insights into Al Jazeera’s politics, its agenda, its programs, its coverage of regional crises, and its treatment of the West. The authors attempt to gauge the station’s impact on ordinary Arab viewers, understand its effect on an increasingly visible Arab public sphere, and map out the role it plays in regional Arab politics. The image of Al Jazeera that emerges from this book is much more complex than its depiction in American media. It reveals the powerful role that the network plays in shaping ideas and reconstructing Arab identities during a crucial juncture in Middle Eastern history and politics.

Al Jazeera International

Al Jazeera International is a 24-hour news channel. It also broadcasts thousands of hours of factual programming with detailed features and analysis, documentaries, live debates, current affairs, business and sports.

Arab Attitudes Towards Media

The survey, which was released on December 2, finds that Al Jazeera is the most popular television network for international news, favored by 45 percent of those polled.

Don't Bomb Us - A blog by Al Jazeera Staffers

If you have a blog and want to spread the word, here are a couple of ways you can get involved:1. Pledge to Publish the Al Jazeera MemoRed for created this button for you to put on your website to show your support for press freedom! The lads at BlairWatch are keeping a list of sites who have pledged to publish the Al Jazeera Memo if it was made available (sign-up here).Click here for the HTML code for this button.2. Use this button to link to http://dontbomb.blogspot.com
Click here for the HTML code for this button.

Al_Jazeera entered the wikipedia

"Al Jazeera" is a common Arabic phrase and is used to identify other unrelated media outlets. For other meanings of Al Jazeera, see Al Jazira.

Al Jazeera (Arabic: الجزيرة al-Ǧazīrä), meaning "The Island" or "The (Arabian) Peninsula" is an Arabic-language television channel based in Qatar. Its willingness to broadcast dissenting views, including on call-in shows, created controversies in the autocratic Gulf states. The station gained worldwide attention following the September 11, 2001 attacks, when it broadcast video statements by Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders (see Videos of Osama bin Laden).
Al Jazeera operates several specialized television channels in addition to its primary news channel. These include Al Jazeera Sports, a popular Arabic-language sports channel, Al Jazeera Live, which broadcasts conferences in real time without editing or commentary, and the Al Jazeera Children's Channel. Future announced products include an English-language channel, Al Jazeera International, and a channel specializing in documentaries, and possible music channels or an international newspaper.
In addition to its TV channels, Al Jazeera operates an Arabic and an English language website with news and analysis.
In 2004, Al Jazeera was voted, by brandchannel.com, the fifth most influential global brand behind Apple Computer, Google, Ikea and Starbucks. [1]

فازت قناة الجزيرة الفضائية بجائزة التميز للعلامات الوطنية الخليجية

الجزيرة تفوز بجائزة التميز الخليجية

الجزيرة حازت على أعلى نسبة مشاهدة في العالم العربي (الجزيرة) فازت قناة الجزيرة الفضائية بجائزة التميز للعلامات الوطنية الخليجية, وذلك في إطار فعاليات المنتدى الاقتصادي الرابع لدول مجلس التعاون الخليجي المنعقد في دبي بالتزامن مع القمة الخليجية التي تستضيفها الإمارات. وقد تفوقت الجزيرة على محطات عربية متنافسة ونالت الجائزة بعد عمليات تحكيم استغرقت عدة أشهر. كما حصلت علامات تجارية أخرى على علامات التميز مثل "سابك" السعودية وطيران الإمارات. وأكدت كبرى المؤسسات الاستطلاعية الأميركية أيضا تفوق الجزيرة التي انتهت أحدث دراساتها إلى أن الجزيرة تحوز على أعلى نسبة مشاهدة في العالم العربي. وقالت الدراسة التي أجريت في عدد من الدول العربية ودولتين خليجيتين إن نسبة مشاهدة الجزيرة تصل إلى 65%. وجاء تكريم الجزيرة عقب الكشف عن وثيقة تتضمن اقتراحا للرئيس الأميركي جورج بوش عرضه على رئيس الوزراء البريطاني توني بلير بقصف مقر قناة الجزيرة في الدوحة وعدد من مكاتبها في الخارج.

Media Ethics in Arab Satellite Broadcasting

Cambridge Arab Media Project (CAMP) invites scholars, media experts and practitioners to propose papers for its fourth media conference ‘Media Ethics in Arab Broadcasting’.

- CAMP will cover the expenses of the participants whose proposed papers are selected.
- Priority will be given to papers that are based on case studies and empirical content analysis.
Proposed papers should tackle one or more of the following themes:
The status of ethics in Arab news broadcasting.
The question of whether there is a ‘specificity’ of ethics that is associated with Arab media as opposed to universal ethics? And, whether there are universal media ethics as such anyway?
The role of ethics in creating (mis)conceptions and (false)consciousness in regional and global contexts.
Ethics in news broadcasting and field/live reporting.
Ethics in talk shows.
Ethics and adherence to self-declared principles.
Broadcasting violent material: Ethical considerations versus news reporting.
Ethical media and its role in the process of socio-political transformation.
Ethics and Western media, are there any lessons to be learnt?
Media ethics in the world; lessons and experiences (Western media, Chinese media, Indian media, etc.).

Deadlines and remarks
- The deadline for receiving abstracts of 800 words is 15 December 2005.
- Contributors of selected papers will be informed by 15 January 2006.
- The size of each paper/study should be between 7000 and 8000 words.
- Papers should be made available on 25 June 2006.
- Contributors will be given two weeks after the conference to include feedback from participants and provide us with their completed papers. The proceedings of the conference will be published in an edited volume.
Email your abstract to conference convenor Khaled Hroub at hroubk@aol.com or visit the website www. cambridge-conference.com

Thousands of Iraqi Shias have staged demonstrations in several cities in protest against the Arabic satellite television channel al-Jazeera.

Al-Jazeera is not popular inside Iraq unlike in other Arab countries

The protestors demanded an apology from the channel for allegedly airing an insulting remark about Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Iraq's leading Shia cleric.

A guest on a talk show is reported to have said that Ayatollah Sistani should stay out of politics.

The ayatollah wants Iraqis to vote according to their religious beliefs.

"It is a protest against the traitor al-Jazeera," a woman at a protest in Baghdad said.

"It is not the first time, but the second, and we consider this an insult to all Muslims. It is not just an insult to Sayyed Sistani and the Shias, but also an insult to all Muslims and Arabs."

In the city of Najaf, protesters were joined by Iraqi police who waved their guns in the air and chanted: "No to al-Jazeera, no to terrorism."

Simmering hostility

It is surprising that the expression of an apparently harmless view, which is not uncommon in Iraq, could trigger so much anger.

The protests took place throughout Iraq

One possible explanation is that the incident is being exploited politically to whip up support for the Shia parties in Thursday's election.

These parties currently control the government, but their majority is expected to be reduced after the election.

The demonstrations are also a testimony to the tense relationship between the Shias and the Sunni Arabs.

Attacking al-Jazeera becomes a symbolic salvo in the simmering hostility.

Banned

Al-Jazeera is not popular inside Iraq unlike in other Arab countries.

Many in Iraq believe that the channel has been biased in favour of Saddam Hussein and the insurgents.

Al-Jazeera has run into trouble more than once in Iraq.

The Iraqi government has banned it from operating inside the country for broadcasting tapes by insurgent groups.

Al-Jazeera's employees have long been convinced that their offices in Baghdad were deliberately targeted by the Pentagon in 2003.

But this is the first time ordinary Iraqis have themselves come out in large numbers against the controversial channel in this way.

The battle of the sons of Aljazeera

I did not anticipate that my editorial, “Bombing Aljazeera: a silly joke” would generate the amount of responses and debate that it did. My words were clear and unequivocal. I expected a response from those most concerned by its content but not from the countless scarecrows who did. Of course, I am not denying them the right to react but their response did not address the main issue at stake. Instead, they chose to give advice, judge my intentions and worse.

My stand towards Aljazeera is not caused by the state of Saudi- Qatari relations. Even if agreement replaced discord, as someone who became a symbol of reason once said to me, my answer would be that I would still disagree with the satellite channel. The difference of opinion is purely professional.

On a related note, I received an email by mistake from an employee at Aljazeera. It said, “Once more, Tariq Alhomayed, Editor-in-Chief of Asharq al Awsat, has volunteered to defend US policies and insult Aljazeera and its staff. I emailed him the following message yesterday and I urge my colleagues to follow suit…”

Is there a difference between such behavior and the internet and fax campaigns by Islamist extremists targeting writers and intellectuals? Nowadays, professional PR companies are responsible for such activities, not a satellite channel employee.

Another individual, who identified himself as an Aljazeera member of staff, emailed me and accused me of being “vile” because I allegedly quoted Aljazeera correspondent Tayseer Allouni who is currently in jail and therefore unable to respond. In truth, what I attributed to Allouni appeared in Asharq al Awsat on 28 February 2003. At the time, Allouni was not imprisoned but in Doha!

If my statements deserve such an accusation, then what about the Aljazeera presenter who once excused himself on air, and would return later on air? Or the journalist who quoted the dead? It seems I am being accused of their own ills.

My dispute with Aljazeera is professional; I disagree with everyone who promotes extremism and provides it with a platform. Broadcasting a videotape is vastly different to publicizing its message. Most of these tapes urge buildings be bombed and individuals killed across the Arab world. Terrorism supporters can be seen accusing leaders and society of infidelity, with the notable exception of the channel’s owners. We are told this is an exemplary media. I clearly disagree based not only on the message intended to viewers but also on professionalism.

This is why I will respond to the friends of Aljazeera from a professional angle and refrain from discussing their different points of view. If they hate the United States and Bush, this is entirely their affair. We are not in a football game where every party supports their team. I have decided to use logic and respect my professionalism, unlike others who choose to portray my comments as a defense of Bush.

I referred to Aljazeera as Abu Adas’ channel because of its coverage of the videotape in which Abu Adas confessed to the murder of Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and how it contravened the most basic of journalistic principles! A mention of the channel was included in the Mehlis report but strangely, no one has discussed this or criticized the report, adding credibility to their defense of Aljazeera!

I disagree with Aljazeera just as I have done with al Hurra and Al Arabiyah in the past. I have spoken my mind on both channels, whether correct or wrong. Everyone warns of the dangers of sectarianism and civil war yet no one seems to want to realize that we have a sectarian and ideologically- driven media, one that seeks to set fire to our cities in order to search for a mouse in the darkness! Take Iraq as an example of the channel’s coverage: have the thousands of dead earned the right to receive the same air time as the masked insurgents?

A prominent writer, as he describes himself, wrote that the Americans did not appreciate hospitality, referring to the US bases in Qatar! Hospitality? He should have said presence given that Aljazeera, who he had recommended should receive a medal, used the term occupation to describe the same US presence but outside of Qatar. Didn’t the channel devote countless programs, talk shows and guest speakers to attack this occupation? What about the military bases in today’s coverage?

In its quest to enflame public opinion against these bases, currently referred to as hospitality, Aljazeera celebrated Osama bin Laden and went as far as covering his son’s wedding and broadcast footage of him riding his horse! Has this channel ever excited its viewers with news on Qatar? Or does the country’s democracy resemble the Iraqi’s joke when he told an American, whilst Saddam was still in power, “We enjoy as much freedom as you do when you attack your president. You curse him daily and so do we.”

The difference between me and other celebrated journalists is that I do not believe yelling and talking at random are heroic acts. I also refuse to give in to media hype. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of freedom is the responsibility it carries with it.

By that I mean journalism should be based on facts and not lies and exaggeration, such as the one that prompted a prominent writer to use the term “male prostitute” in his article. Let me remind him of the saying, “the most important thing for a hero – if he ever was one- is to know when to stop”!

To the dear colleagues who want us to believe the silly joke about the US bombing of Aljazeera, I can only say, “If the sane individual believes the unbelievable, then he is not sane after all”. Hating America is not the same as self-deprecation. Is Qatar more powerful than Europe and its armies or stronger than China to merit a US strike on a television station?

Faces and opinions have not changed at Aljazeera; why should the US decide to bomb it at this present time?

Here was the editor-in-chief who lectured and attacked those who opted to be rational and said, “A media outlet does not rejoice at the number of supporters but that of viewers from all persuasions. Nothing harms a media institution more than marginalization and negligence”.

Don’t these criteria apply to, say, pornographic channels? With this standard, aren’t extremist forums more successful than your publication with respect to the number of followers? Our university professor was right when he criticized the Arab media for being the profession of those unqualified for any other!

As for another former editor-in-chief, a slightly more intelligent and humorous character, he wrote to me quoting snippets of information in order to portray my position as a defense of the US president. He demanded I respect the intelligence of my readers and refrain from vile language!

I shall let him do all the talking and quote from an article published on 29 May 2003 in which he discussed Aljazeera, which he now sees as an invigorating channel. “Aljazeera invents a lie, publicizes it and then believes it. It then builds analysis and opinions onto it. Suffice it to say, Aljazeera you lie. Lying never leads to glory! The imagination of those at the helm will dry out and they will find themselves, sooner or later, borrowing from Jewish and Buddhist myths. These will quench the thirst of those attracted by the feeble minded”, he wrote at the time.

The above was a direct quote from his article. The difference between us is that he subjected his position to politics while I wrote and will do continue to do so, in the future, based on journalistic criteria. Needless to say, my tone was never as low as this.

When I wrote clearly and directly, I wanted to be open and refrain from hiding behind rhetoric. Writing by conviction is not motivated by ideology or personal spats, as some have chosen to do.

Arab Satellite News Channels: Which nationality dominates?

By Noha Al Sarraf (Dubai), Munir Al-Mawri (Washington) and Faisal Abbas (London)
Every now and then, there is talk within the media that a certain nationality dominates within the establishments of Arab satellite news channels. Some believe that the employees of that nationality form a mafia like group that rejects employees of other nationalities or undermines them to the extent that they do not achieve either success or popularity in the same way that those of the dominant nationality do.

In this report, Asharq Al-Awsat looks at the nationalities that make up the news teams of the most prominent Arab television satellite news channels. The channels examined are all of a similar nature in that they target viewers throughout the Arab world as well as Arabs who do not live in the Arab World. After all, it is not surprising that local media institutions are dominated by one nationality as they have a set audience.

Al-Arabiya

The news channel Al-Arabiya is made up of 31 presenters, 12 of whom are from Lebanon. The rest originate from a number of Arab countries, 4 Jordanians, 3 Palestinians, 3 Egyptians, 3 Syrians, one Moroccan, one from Saudi Arabia, one from Oman, one from Iraq, one from Algeria, and one from Sudan.

Nabil Al Khatib, the executive editor in chief of Al Arabiya (a Palestinian), told Asharq Al Awsat, "Most satellite channels seek to employ those who have the right experience and who can present material in a modern way that conforms to their style." Concerning Al Arabiya, he continued, "We look for candidates from Arab countries where the broadcasting channels reach a level of professionalism similar to that of our own. Our employee should be dynamic, should enjoy a strong presence on screen, and should have excellent proficiency of the Arabic language." He stated that a diversity of nationalities amongst the team of employees on screen or off screen is required because Al Arabiya targets all Arab viewers. Therefore, he added, the choice of a particular nationality among Al Arabiya's employees is unintended. Al Khatib asserted that throughout his time at Al Arabiya, he had never noticed any difference in behavior towards a particular nationality and had never been instructed to deal with employees according to their nationalities rather than their merit and qualifications.

According to Al Khatib, the officials responsible for hiring the staff of Al Arabiya maintain a certain image in mind when they look for new presenters. They look for somebody with a strong presence, the appropriate appearance, and dynamism that would correspond with the Al-Arabiya's style. Al Khatib added, "When you apply this criteria to candidates from various Arab countries, you would find that Lebanon has the most deep rooted traditions in non-governmental (private) TV media work. I cannot deny that other Arab countries have a lot of experience too, but in Lebanon, the experience is more apparent. This has made those who work in media acquire more experience in television than others; especially that government state television usually imposes many restrictions upon their broadcasters in a way that could not permit them to express freely their individual and distinctive styles."

Al-Jazeera

The news channel Al Jazeera on the other hand, did not respond to Asharq Al Awsat's numerous attempts to obtain information about the composition of its employees in terms of nationality. However, according to the provided information on Al Jazeera's website, there are 28 newscasters within the establishment. The majority of presenters are from Jordan, three of whom are originally Palestinians. The remaining news presenters originate from a number of Arab countries; 4 Lebanese, 4 Syrians (one of whom holds a British passport), 3 Tunisians, 2 Egyptians, 1 Sudanese, 1 Saudi, 1 Moroccan, 1 Iraqi, 1 Algerian, and 1 Qatari.

BBC Arabic Service

The BBC has recently announced that it will launch an Arabic language news channel in 2007, creating a number of new jobs. Rumors are already circulating that the Egyptians will form the majority of the news team. Asharq Al Awsat spoke with Houssam Al Sukari (originally Egyptian) who is the first Arab to become the director of BBC Arabic language radio. Al Sukari stated that he is aware of the rumors yet he added, "It is not how it would seem."

According to Al Sukari, there are approximately 100 employees in the Arabic BBC radio team along with 20 correspondents worldwide. Al Sukari however declined to specify the nationalities of the employees. He responded, "I do not believe we can present such details because we are currently launching a recruitment campaign for people of all nationalities." In response to the rumors that the majority of workers are Egyptian, he said, "We never discriminate either positively or negatively based on nationality." He added, "The Arabic BBC radio service employs a large number of workers from all over the Arab world except the Gulf region as we have a number of problems there. The problem is the lack of local journalists as the local media itself hires foreign staff." He also explained that another reason for the limited number of journalists from the Gulf area was that many of them prefer to work in their own countries where they would receive a better wage.

Al Sukari added, "Most of the media institutions which are not initially biased would mainly hire Egyptian workers." He presented three explanations for this, "Firstly, the Gulf region does not have enough journalists. Secondly, proficiency in the English language is very important which reduces the chances for North African journalists, as English is not the second language for them (despite that, however, we have many). Finally, Egypt makes up a third of the Arab world, has the most university degree holders and the largest number of radio and TV stations." Al Sukari mentioned that the recruitment process is made up of a number of stages including a written test for a selection of the applicants (in Arabic grammar, journalism skills, and translation), and an interview for those who pass the written test. Al Sukari said that the same recruitment procedures would be applicable when choosing employees for the Arabic TV channel, re-emphasizing that nationality is not a criterion.

Al Hurra

Asharq Al Awsat asked the spokeswoman of the American Al Hurra Arabic-language satellite channel, Dierdre Kline, to offer a list of the employees names and nationalities. Despite Kline's popularity for her cooperation with journalists, she declined to offer such a list or to answer the question. She merely stated that the journalists who work for Al Hurra are from 22 countries and "are the best professional journalists." After calling her again, she did not provide any statistics. However, she answered all other questions posed by Asharq Al Awsat.

The salient impression about Al Hurra is that its employees are predominantly Lebanese. A Lebanese worker for Al Hurra considered that "the very fact this topic is raised is inappropriate. The efficiency of the employees should be the only issue to focus on regardless of nationality or race." However, the prominent American congressional representative, Dana Rohrabacher, disputed this opinion. In the most recent congressional hearing, Rohrabacher highlighted the matter of the "Lebanese Nature" of the channel. The News Editor of Al Hurra, Mouwafac Harb (An American of a Lebanese origin) responded as he emphasized that the predominance of the Lebanese employees is no longer a problem. Harb stated that amongst 12 broadcasters there are 4 Lebanese, 4 Egyptians, 1 Qatari, 1 Sudanese, and 2 Palestinians. He added, "We try to reflect the diversity of the Arab World." Harb explained the large number of Lebanese employees when the channel was newly established, saying that Al Hurra made the most of the closure of a Lebanese TV channel, which had an already qualified crew. Yet he insisted that now, Al Hurrah employs journalists, producers, and writers from various Arab countries. Others have stated that the Lebanese channel closed because it failed and that Lebanon was replete with media qualified workers who were rejected by Al Hurra, while others much less qualified were employed. Thus, the reasons for their employment are unknown.

A source from within Al Hurra, who said that he was instructed not to speak to any newspapers, said the problem was not that of qualified personnel since there are many of those who work in Al Hurra. According to that source the real problem was not making full use and benefit of these qualified employees of various nationalities. He urged that there should be more equality in opportunity between employees based on merit only, and the same for applicants. Meanwhile the American Arabic language satellite channel advertised vacancies for writers and producers on 18 November. The observers regarded that such an announcement in itself signifies a positive change that will enable the channel to employ the best qualifications based on standards of merit like the other channels.

Asir Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, president of Arab Thought Foundation, speaks at the Arab and World Media Conference 2005 in Dubai on Monday.

Asir Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, president of Arab Thought Foundation,
speaks at the Arab and World Media Conference 2005 in Dubai on Monday.




Highlighting the role of media in a world that is being transformed into a borderless small village, Asir Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, chairman of the Arab Thought Foundation, said the media today shapes the world’s cultural and political and social orientation in the inaugural address at the fourth annual conference of the Arab Thought Foundation yesterday in Dubai.

Over a thousand participants from around the world are here to take part in the event whose theme is the “Arab and World Media: Getting it right.” The first of the two-day conference covered a wide range of topics regarding the role of the media, changes in the media and future challenges for the media. The conference had panel discussions, breakout sessions on specific issues and spotlight interviews with leading Arab personalities. The first day program left the audience asking for more.

Held under the auspices of Sheikh Mohammad ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai and minister of defense of United Arab Emirates, and in the presence of Jordan Queen Rania, the conference has gathered some of the highly respected and prominent Arab and international personalities and top journalists from 56 different countries. Prince Khaled said in his opening address that the issue of coverage and truth in Arab media is very important because it influences perceptions and decisions. He hoped that the Arab media would take this opportunity to build a better system of cooperation and dialogue, to learn from new technologies in the field and to ask foreign media to be more objective in its coverage.

Prince Khaled also raised some questions that were to be discussed during the conference, including whether the increasing number of Arab media outlets are doing their job in educating the Arab public and holding to Arab traditions or are they simply copying and promoting Western values and images. He also asked whether these outlets are able to introduce a new Arab message and convey it to others or are the Arabs still talking among themselves and whether they have succeeded in overcoming useless arguments and move to a more advanced stage of understanding.

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said in his address that the role of Arabs is under threat of vanishing. Moussa urged that we need to think of our presence in a collective international mind, while warning against the exaggerations and lies in the media about Arabs. Moussa said we have to analyze the lies and come up with recommendations and ideas to help us face the situation with efficiency, while adding that we do have to accept ‘objective’ criticism to improve ourselves.

We face a lot of challenges — reforms, development, real democratization and religion, social and political issues and globalization. We need to understand them. We have started to address these, he said.

The first six breakout sessions of the day covered inside media coverage in Damascus, Cairo and Washington as well as such interesting topics as journalists in the line of fire, censorship and what’s next for radio. With the current situation in Syria, the Damascus session naturally brought in points about political challenges for Syria and the media. The journalists in the line of fire session was exciting, as it highlighted the dangers reporters face in Iraq and other war zones in accessing information. The session on censorship was also saw keen discussions, as it brought up points on the types of censorship and how reporters can get around censorship.

A point was made about how media does not need protection anymore; it is the people who need protection from media’s biased and self-serving coverage.

The first panel session on World Press: Power shifts and flash points was moderated by Arab News editor in chief, Khaled Almaeena. It set the tone for the conference as the panelists tried to answer some thought-provoking questions on how media influences people’s views and how it is influenced, the standards of professionalism, truth vs. respect of authority, reporting vs. analyzing, privatization vs. government subsidy and the issue of objectivity.

Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid, general manager of Al-Arabiya and one of the panelists, told Arab News that standards, journalistic professionalism and credibility is determined by the upper managers and editors.

This panel discussion was followed by an interesting interview of Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holdings, which owns a number of media outlets including some American channels that are perceived to be biased. The prince expressed his views on the Arab and American media and said that instead of complaining Arabs should take a more proactive role in changing things in the media regarding them.

“We can change the view of the Westerners but the effort should be made from our side. In line with this aim, two institutions have been set up at the Georgetown University and Harvard University which will focus on Arab studies and which can contribute to changing the Arab stereotype,” said Prince Alwaleed.

Questioned on the role of media in Iraq, Prince Alwaleed said that the US seems to be imposing the so called ‘democracy’ in Iraq by supporting numerous TV channels and newspapers. He said that this reflects the fact that the US does not really understand Iraq.

Prince Alwaleed said that there are too many voices quarreling in the form of more than 20 TV Channels and 100s of tabloids in Iraq. This, he said, goes against perpetuating stability in the country at the moment.

Another vibrant panel discussion came after lunch on what determines page one news. Editors of Arab and foreign newspapers exchanged views on the factors, obstacles and process of deciding on the front-page news stories and coverage. This was followed by another panel discussion on reporting on political Islam where the panelists differed on whether Islamic movements in the Middle East are receiving adequate coverage and what kind of coverage are they receiving.

Meanwhile, the panelists also pointed out to internal and external pressures in covering Islamic groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and what guarantees do reporters have on their safety in their pursuit of covering these groups.

This was followed by a very intense and moving interview of Saad Hariri, member of Lebanese Parliament, whose father’s murder turned a new page in Lebanon’s history. A full audience listened to Hariri’s vision of a peaceful and prosperous Lebanon in continuation of Rafik Hariri’s legacy. He emphasized on the need for an international tribunal in the prosecution of his father’s killers and a democratic independent Lebanon for all Lebanese.

Finally, there were breakout sessions on inside media coverage in Riyadh, Palestine and Beijing and three specific issues on youth media, the roots of prejudice and citizen journalism, a discussion on how bloggers and the Internet are changing traditional newsrooms and challenging policymakers.