Hoping to offset a rising tide of anti-Americanism in the wake of the invasion of Iraq, war in Afghanistan, and the four-year old Palestinian Intifada, the US government launched a new Virginia-based satellite channel on the Arabsat and Nilesat transmission frequencies. Titled Alhurra, or “The Free One,” the satellite channel is packaged as a 24-hour news channel to rival the programming of regional satellite news channels, chiefly Qatar-based Aljazeera and Dubai-based Al Arabiya.
According to www.alhurra.com, the channel is “dedicated to presenting accurate, balanced and comprehensive news. Alhurra endeavors to broaden its viewers' perspectives, enabling them to make more informed decisions... Alhurra is operated by a non-profit corporation called ‘The Middle East Television Network, Inc.’ financed by the American people through the U.S. Congress.”
The Middle East Television Network is a non-profit corporation run by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG); the BBG is a federal agency that monitors, supervises, and supports all US nonmilitary international broadcasting.
Alhurra has been in the works since the invasion of Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and pursue Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network. Funded by a $62 million Congressional fund for its first year of operations, the news channel employs some 200 journalists and communicators, most of whom are either Lebanese or Arab-American, and is hoping to create a forum where American principles – the invasion of Iraq despite the failure to find weapons of mass destruction and US support to Israel – can be better conveyed to the “Arab street.” In 2001, the US government funded and launched Radio Sawa, an American-run predecessor to Alhurra, to try and better explain US policies in the Middle East. The radio channel was a hit, but not because of its news coverage or discussion forums – Arab audiences liked the mix of Arabic and foreign music; it was received as entertainment, little else.
In a recent visit to the Library of Congress, US President Bush told reporters that the establishment of a media tool like Alhurra will “cut through the hateful propaganda that fills the airwaves in the Muslim world.”
The Debate Inflamed
The build-up to Alhurra’s February 14th launch was rife with controversy as news reports that the channel sought to target Arab and Muslim teens were met with accusations of propaganda, brainwashing, and gimmickry.
Critics point to the executive board running Alhurra. Norman J. Pattiz, chairman of the BBG's Middle East Committee and the creative mind behind the development of Alhurra said “there is room in the Middle East for honest, truthful, reliable, and credible [news coverage]. We will not only be able to present American policies but also a view of America’s people, its culture, its society to the people of the Middle East. One mission simply stated is to promote freedom and democracy.” His comments came in an interview that ran early in Alhurra’s first day of broadcast. Regional critics point to a possibility of bias that will inevitably rear its ugly head, given that Pattiz was personally appointed to the BBG by President Bush for a term expiring August 13, 2004.
Bert Kleinman, Alhurra’s president and senior managing consultant for Radio Sawa, is in charge of the American outreach strategy in the Middle East and the Gulf region. Kleinman believes that the Middle East must be made to understand the US position in world affairs and also reach younger, impressionable audiences. Radio Sawa boasts a pan-Arab audience of 15 million.
However, one thing the Arab audience may not know is that Kleinman is Jewish, which could affect Radio Sawa and Alhurra’s credibility in the region. Arab editorialists are already ranting that the Bush administration’s policies towards Arabs were formulated in Israel. They point to Israel’s ongoing construction of the security wall and US pressure on the International Court of Justice not to address the controversy surrounding the wall, and to leaked reports that Kirkuk oil will flow through Jordan to the Israeli port of Haifa, reaping huge economic benefits for the cash-strapped Israeli economy. The Middle East is also a hotbed of conspiracy theories, the most prevalent of which is that Jews control world media. While there is no direct evidence to support such an allegation, it is hard to change mindsets in the region, even with the most tangible of proof.
Rounding out the founders of the channel is Lebanese-born Arab-American Muaffaq Harb, former Washington bureau chief of the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayyat, as the news director of the new channel.
Realizing that there was much criticism coming its way, Alhurra kicked off its first day of broadcast with a talk show/discussion forum called The Four Views featuring Harb, Salama Namat (Al-Hayyat Washington correspondent), Mahmoud Shamam (editor of the Arabic version of Newsweek), and Jihad Al-Khazeri. Al-Khazeri immediately outlined what he believed to be an impossible goal for Alhurra – to change Middle Eastern attitudes towards the US. He explained that Middle Easterners, while admiring the US for its democratic principles and achievement in science and technology, despise US foreign policy, which they view as one-sided and often biased in favor of Israel. Harb responded by alleging that the Arab press spews hatred of all things American and does not distinguish between American citizens and American foreign policy. He claimed that millions of dollars are spent every day to ensure that a deep hatred of Americans takes root in the Middle East; he did not provide proof but spoke in abstract. The debate was often tense and the differing opinions often bordered on personal harangues, making the entire affair rather entertaining.
Shamam did point out that there existed a historical and often logical barrier between the US and the Arab World because of the former’s unwavering support for Israeli polices in the Occupied Palestinian territories, and that any media campaign (in the form of Alhurra, for example) must be accompanied by a change of attitudes in US foreign policy.
Some believe the channel will not be able to bridge the “communication” gap between the US and the Middle East. “This will probably further widen the gulf with the Arabic audience, as the contrast in the awareness of what is really happening on the ground is becoming clearer. Aljazeera, Al-Arabiya and Dubai channels now attract most of the Arab audience. Alhurra is a stillborn,” said Imad Khadduri, former Iraqi nuclear scientist.
When it comes to Aljazeera and other regional news networks, Harb maintained that Alhurra is not about to erase existing Arab media, but rather wants to compete with regional media and be seen as a part of local media offerings.
Simple competition in a rapidly growing satellite market may also hamper Alhurra’s outreach to Arab audiences. “Arabs already have 100-120 satellite channels on Arabsat and Nilesat” for them to watch. This fact makes it more difficult for the US to convey its message through Alhurra, because Arabs already have a lot to watch, enough to divert their attention from Alhurra. The presence of those 100-120 channels is to restrict the influence of Alhurra,” says Mahmoud Khalil, PhD, professor of journalism at Cairo University.
Erich Marquardt, managing editor of the Power and Interest News Report (PINR), believes, however, that Arab audiences will likely turn to Alhurra for news, since much of the information broadcast from the network will be factually accurate. However, this does not ensure that attitudes in the region will readily change.
“Even if the Arab world begins to understand U.S. foreign policy from Washington's point of view, this does not mean that they will agree with that foreign policy. Simply because two groups of people agree on the same set of facts does not necessarily mean that they will come to the same conclusions and policy decisions,” he said.
Gehan Rashty, professor of journalism at Cairo University, joins Marquardt in stating that Arab audiences will likely watch the channel. However, she believes the curiosity and interest will wane.
“The [Alhurra] station represents a policy that is hated in the Arab region, and is financed by a government that is hated, [too]. Thus, the channel is not going to have an influence. At the beginning, people will watch it out of curiosity and to know the news, in the hope of finding accurate, objective news. If they don’t find the news [presented on Alhurra] accurate, they will no longer consider it credible,” she warned.
However, Alhurra may have a self-destruct policy inherent in its heavy reliance on Arab-American broadcast journalists and in its programming that is fashioned and modeled in North America and/or Europe.
“If Mr. Bush really wants to present the Arab world with more ‘accurate, balanced and comprehensive news’, he'd be better advised to help journalists win access to continuing education. In my experience, the influence of IREX/Promedia behind the former “Iron Curtain” and in the East Europe did more to influence the development of ‘accurate, balanced and comprehensive’ reporting in the former Eastern Bloc than anything Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (Alhurra's apparent models) ever managed,” said the editor of a leading English-language Middle East political magazine.
He explained that what the Middle East lacks is journalism development – development in free press standards that can be embraced without appearing remedial or self-righteous. “Advanced seminars on new technology, investigative methods, good writing, story structure - and things like workshops and get-togethers - will do more in the long run to introduce "fair and balanced" reporting into the Middle East than any number of Alhurras,” he added.
Deconstructing Alhurra
Alhurra’s first two days of broadcasts was beleaguered with problems, with some programs completely missing their target audience.
One glaring problem is the poor Arabic-language skills of the presenters and anchors; they strain as though attempting to speak a long-forgotten language.
Commercial breaks were heavy on self-advertising; Arab-American journalists and editorialists were shown giving ringing accolades for what they termed “the first free media in the Middle East , free of government restraints, free of censorship, free of pressure from a minister of information.”
Lebanese-born Arab-American Muaffaq Harb, news director of the new channel, appeared almost vindictive in the first discussion forum on day one. He ridiculed virtually every Arab government, chastising the Arab people for choosing to watch Aljazeera, and launching vitriolic attack on the Arab media. He was rebutted several times by Arabic Newsweek’s editor, who pointed out that many Arab dictatorships were seen to be protected by US interests in the region.
It is also interesting that while Aljazeera was shredded for its alleged bias and anti-Americanism, no one from the Qatar-based Arab news network was present at The Four Views to debate and discuss the topic.
Furthermore, none of the guests on the talk show were based in the Middle East. Four were based in Washington, the other in London. Why were there no Middle East-based journalists? Peculiar.
A quick perusal of last weekend’s Arab and Western press reveals a plethora of Arab-heavy news items. Fifteen Palestinians were killed during an Israeli incursion into Gaza, 144 Iraqi policemen and civilians were killed in attacks and suicide bombings throughout Iraq, US General Abizaid narrowly avoided being killed in a brazen attack by the Iraqi resistance, Algeria and Morocco meet in the finals of the African Football Cup, and Israel is expecting a condemnation at the International Court of Justice for its plans to build a security wall in the West Bank. This is what a reader or viewer would have found in the headlines of the regional press the weekend that Alhurra was launched. Alhurra’s choice of news coverage throughout the day, however, was atypical:
News item 1
A 47-second report on the attacks in Fallujah which saw the killing of nearly 23 Iraqi policemen and the freeing of resistance fighters. An Iraqi man is seen saying “The brave people of Fallujah repelled the cowards’ attack.” It is unclear whom he is talking about. Alhurra claims the attackers were imported Arab fighters, possibly al-Qaeda, but provides no proof. No other news network makes a similar claim. Three days later, Iraqi security forces declare it was Iraqis, not al-Qaeda who carried out the Fallujah attack.
News Item 2
A 2-minute excerpt from an interview with US President George Bush about Alhurra’s importance to the Arab World. “It’s February 2004 and the Iraqis only were liberated in April 2003, and yet in less than a year we have done an amazing job in Iraq,” the US President adds.
News item 3
No video feed. A Jordanian counter-terrorism agency is said to have thwarted an attack by extremists on US interests in the Hashemite Kingdom. No further information is given. It is worth mentioning that there was no mention of the alleged attack in the regional press.
News item 4
No video feed. Red Cross officials say they have received approval to visited Saddam Hussein in jail.
News item 5
Focus on Valentine’s Day celebrations around the world. The off-screen voice-over describes romantic celebrations around the world while the viewer is privy to couples kissing and necking. The off-screen commentary adds: “In Saudi Arabia, however, religious authorities banned any Valentine’s Day celebrations, claiming them contrary to Islamic teachings. Hotels were given three days to remove all items related to Valentine’s Day. The Saudi authorities have launched a vicious 24-hour campaign to root out any items related to Valentine’s Day.”
A program called “magazine” followed the news. It had no Arabic translation in the opening credits; just traditional Arabic music played against the backdrop of scenes from the US - the US Capitol, the statue commemorating the invasion of Iwo Jima. The first issue focused on a children’s camp – Seeds of Peace - which brings together Israeli and Palestinian youth. Against the backdrop of children hugging one another and participating in numerous activities, the segment failed to address the fact that these Palestinian and Israeli youth face danger in Occupied Palestine and Israel from Israeli aerial bombardment, targeted assassinations, incursions, and suicide bombings and reprisal attacks on civilians. Both sides suffer immeasurably; however, the magazine report was detached from the reality on the ground.
A young Palestinian girl who could barely put together a sentence in Arabic (her diction used “camp,” “essay” and other English words) declares that not all Israelis are bad. The camera then pans to an Israeli boy who states that “last week we heard of the explosion at Hebrew University.” This is puzzling. When was this recorded? The Hebrew University bombing occurred on July 31, 2002 . The Alhurra producers may have dropped the ball in airing a feature that is 18 months old.
One segment of magazine that I found amusing was its coverage of the Super Bowl. This is a particularly ignorant choice of subject matter given that the sport of choice in the Arab World is football, or soccer. And there are plenty of stories to choose from; Tunisia ’s win at the aforementioned African Cup championship, which included some of the Arab World’s best teams; the decline of Egyptian Football; the Qatari League; the Saudi League. Instead, Arab viewers of Alhurra can yawn safely knowing that they are about to watch men in tights bounce off one another.
In fact, not one segment of magazine was filmed in the Arab World, involved stories important to Arabs, or referred to an Arab perspective. A report on an Afghan win at the Golden Globes; a Paris fashion show; a Sudanese model’s success in New York and Rome; an Italian Festival; a story on David Beckham’s admission that he has one leg longer than the other; advertising mania during the Super Bowl amidst the Janet Jackson flap – nothing of real interest to Arabs. Why should they tune in?
Even CNN has the common sense to bring stories of the Middle East from the Middle East .
Although the news was very Iraq-heavy, one item that did not make it to the Alhurra news program was the report of the Iraqi civilian who was forced to drown in the Tigris River by five US soldiers near Samaraa, Iraq, on January 3rd. The original story first broke as a blog by the victim’s family, appealing to the world community (with a personal letter to Bush and Blair) to apply pressure on CENTCOM to investigate their son’s murder. According to The Independent, “It is by no means clear that Zeidun Fadhil was intended to die. It is possible he was the victim of an elaborate punishment designed to humiliate the two young men - a punishment that went horribly wrong. Marwan alleged the American soldiers were laughing as they pushed them into the river.”
A breakdown of news items in the final News program of the night:
Eight separate news pieces on Iraq including two on Federalism (repeated three times throughout the night)
Valentine’s Day celebrations throughout the world, except in Saudi Arabia (repeated four times throughout the night)
Four excerpts from Alhurra’s exclusive interview with President Bush
A report on the Democratic bid for the White House
An update on efforts to reopen Baghdad International Airport
A report on the Palestinian Prime Minister and discussions of Israel’s security wall
A report on Tunisia ’s win at the Africa Cup
All the news programs which appeared throughout the first day were laden with three prime recurring elements – coverage of Iraq, including repeated coverage of issues related to Federalism, the alleged presence of al-Qaeda in Iraq, and President Bush’s views on Iraqi moves to democracy, the conflict with Syria, and the need for democracy in the Arab World.
A Monday night talk show, The Free Hour, hosted by Ziad Najeim was very telling; the host persisted in asking questions related to the presence of al-Qaeda in Iraq and al-Qaeda’s responsibility for all the violence in the war-ravaged country. In an interview with Tareq Al-'Azami, a journalist who was the go-between for ABC when they interviewed Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan five years ago:
Najeim: What is the role of al-Qaeda in Iraq?
Al-‘Azami: Al-Qaeda never existed in Iraq . It is a reaction not an action.
Najeim: A reaction to what?
Al-‘Azami: My dear sir, a reaction to the US occupation of Iraq . These reactions are due to flawed and subjective US foreign policy. When the foreigner (Anglo-American forces) came into Iraq , the foreign fighters also entered Iraq . The foreign fighters will leave Iraq when the US leaves and hands over Iraqi sovereignty.
Najeim: What do you see is al-Qaeda’s role in Iraq and when will it end?
Al-‘Azami: Iraq is not an island, it is part of the Arab nation, and the center of the Arab nation is Palestine. If the US does not treat this issue practically they will never have peace in Iraq. This is much bigger than Iraq and al-Qaeda. If the US administration comes to its senses and realizes that Iraq is rooted to the Arab World, then the situation can be fixed. They [Americans] had no idea what they would be facing before they became bogged down in Iraq.
Criticism Comes Quick and Harsh
Jawad Al Obeidi, an Iraqi media consultant in Amman , Jordan, believes that there is a hypocrisy which becomes glaringly obvious when considering that Aljazeera’s journalists are harassed and killed in Iraq and often denied free access in the US . On March 26, 2003 , two Aljazeera journalists were tossed off the floors of the New York Stock Exchange when NYSE spokesman Ray Pellecchia said, “We've had to focus our efforts on networks that focus on responsible business coverage.”
Both the Society of Professional Journalists and Reporters Without Borders condemned the move.
“Will Alhurra protest when Aljazeera journalists are kicked out of Iraq ?” Al Obeidi asks, referring to the barring of certain Arab networks from Iraqi coverage in recent months. “After all, Alhurra says it is trying to bring fair and balanced coverage, let’s see how fair they can be.”
Many in media circles do not expect Alhurra to be perceived as fair and balanced. They point to Radio Sawa’s popularity as a music channel – not a news source – and Hi magazine’s convoluted western message to Arab readers; neither effort has resonated much with Arab masses.
“I doubt [it will take off],” says the editor of a leading English-language Middle East political magazine. “Hi --the ‘magazine version’ of the channel -- remains a lackluster seller at best, from what circulation agencies tell us. My staff's comments on the first day's worth of fare on Alhurra boiled down to: ‘It reeks of propaganda and badly done fluff,’” he added.
Alhurra may inevitably suffer from its lack of vision. It seems there are many goals in launching a US-supported Arabic news channel. On the one hand, according to Pattiz, the mission of Alhurra is to explain American culture, policies and points of view to the Middle East . On the other hand, according to Harb, it wants to compete as a legitimate news source – a bastion of reliable and honest information. These two goals cannot run concurrently. If you try to portray a different view of the US, you may be accused of being a spokesperson or public relations firm; if you try to relay reliable and balanced coverage of Middle East affairs, you will inevitably run into issues that will paint a less-than-positive image of US policies in the Middle East.
Journalism professor Gehan Rashty of Cairo University believes Alhurra will undoubtedly attempt to promote US policies. “If the content of the channel is balanced and objective, which is unexpected, it can succeed. This channel is most likely to fail because it is expected to propagate US policies,” she explained.
www.islamonline.net/english/Views/2004/02/article04a.shtmlE-mail this article