Phil Taylor's papers
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BACK TO : PROPAGANDA AND THE GWOT Year 3 - 2004 (mainly Iraq)
Al-Hurra Channel... Washington's Error from Arab News  §ion=0&article=48414&d=16&m=7&y=2004
The Middle East's Leading English Language Daily Arab NewsFriday, 16, July, 2004 (29, Jumada al-Ula, 1425) Al-Hurra Channel... Washington's Error Tariq Al-Homayed, Asharq Al-Awsat Six months after the initial broadcasting of the American-Arabic Al-Hurra channel, I can say that the decision to hand it over to an Arabic media team for supervision is a mistake similar to Paul Bremer's release of the Iraqi Army after the fall of Saddam's regime. Bremer's decision begot chaos and those in charge of Al-Hurra have given the impression that the American media is also chaotic and trivial. We had expected Washington's Arabic channel to come with American media values and not compete with Al-Jazeera channel, creating a situation of extremists answering back to extremists. We had expected to see news broadcasts that were not opinionated nor censored, programs that formed an awareness, programs that explained the American political system to the Arab world and the policies of balances in Washington. This contradicts what Norman Pattiz declared, that Al-Hurra 'will create a huge degree of civilized understanding and respect.' We expected refined documentaries of the channel like those of which are stored in the American media archives. If Al-Hurra is a window for science and technology, we wrongly expected those who are of the standard of Dan Rather, the professionalism of Tim Russert or a program with the dignity of 50-year old 'Face the Nation' with Bob Schieffer. What prevents the broadcast of such programs even if they are translated versions? We have not found the depth of American media or its ocean of information in the new channel. Instead, we saw a channel with an approach more like that of the Lebanese civil war and maybe with the same faces. Anyone who knows the American media or has worked in Washington will be shocked watching this satellite channel broadcasting at its present standard. Al-Hurra's problem - possibly also the problem with the Arabic BBC - is that it is entrusted to those who want to settle matters in the Arab world or steer them in one direction. The availability of these huge media establishments in the hands of Arabs as such is similar to putting a modern airplane in the hands of Mohammad Atta for all that he will do with it is crash it into the nearest skyscraper. We had hoped that Al-Hurra would become a voice that characterized the American media; poured into a sea of contradictive information in our Arab world, and perhaps creating a counter-balance to the information our receivers pick up. The channel's current state is contrary to what the US office for radio and TV broadcast declared. It is financed by the American public through Congress and under its supervision and has self-management. It was intended to focus on the protection of professional independence and the integrity of the media. The last thing we expected is Washington selling us our own poor quality goods! |