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The Layalina Review

VOL. V NO. 11, May 08-May 21, 2009

Western Channels Continue Expansion in the Middle East

A number of foreign channels, both state-run and independent, have launched Arabic news services in recent years in an effort to reach the wider Arab audience, reports Gulf News. Israel, Iran, Germany, the US, the UK, Russia and France have all been racing to get access to the Arab living room.

Some debated at the recent Arab Media Forum in Dubai that foreign political agenda and propaganda were the driving force behind these new initiatives. However, representatives of the channels staunchly rebuked the accusations.

The representative from the American-run Al-Hurra said the channel was not a mouthpiece for the US "but not a charity organization either," while the representative from the BBC pointed out that the group has had an Arabic radio service since 1938.

Nahida Nakad of France24 said the Arab world was "one of the most important places in the world" and events here have repercussions everywhere. "We didn't set up the channel to convey the French political view, but the French way of thinking," she said.

The aggressive moderator Diana Moukalled, Production and Programming Manager of Future TV triggered a debate after accusing the channels of being a mouthpiece of the country of their origin, according to The Khaleej Times. “Isn’t Al-Hurra a tool in the hands of the US?” she asked.

Hossam Al-Sokkari from BBC Arabia was asked whether his channel had the same reliability as its main channel, especially in the 9/11 context. “We are not the voice of the British government. We only present news objectively without following political trends,” he said. The discussion also pointed to the lack of public indicators to judge public opinion.

Participants said that none of the channels were targeting the youth who represent 60% of the population, or encouraging free dialogue. “Arab viewers require BBC Arabia to deal with issues such as democracy and encourage dialogue but you are cautious and hardly touch upon issues affecting the core of the Arab world,” said Diana.

In concluding the debate, Mohammed Al-Sanousi, Former Minister of Information of Kuwait, said that there was no foreign cultural invasion through these channels. “We think it is an invasion from the West. We should look at ourselves. We have shortcomings that we need to overcome instead of accusing anyone,” he said.

Eman Ayyad, presenter at Al-Jazeera, explains for AME Info that the demand for news in the Arab world has resulted in the proliferation of representatives from international media organizations to visit the region and cover events as they happen on the ground. She further highlighted the gap between a foreign correspondent and his/her access to the local Arab community.

Robert Worth, Beirut Bureau Chief of the New York Times said, “In both the US and in the Arab region, dedicating a number of years cultivating your contacts with government officials…will enable you access to information and comments for a credible story.”

Alain Gresh, Deputy Director of Le Monde Diplomatique in France, however, raised the issue that while most foreign correspondents who report on news in the Arab world are not Arabic speakers, they have difficulty understanding the culture of the Arab countries.

Lorenzo Trombetta, head of the Middle East Regional Office for the Italian News Agency Ansa, added, “While it was presumed that speaking Arabic to a representative in the local community would bring me closer to my source, you will find that in some cases, speaking English to senior local officials will open more doors as you are granted access to privileged information.”

In related news, The National points out that investing in Arabic-language news channels has been fashionable for Western media outlets lately. The latest western television broadcaster to invest in expanding its Arabic-language programming is France 24, the French international news channel that extended its daily programming by 10 hours.

Christine Ockrent, the chief executive of France 24, says CNBC’s ability to reach more viewers with its Arabic offering than with its English – in part because the Arabic is available on free-to-air satellite – inspired the French channel’s investment in Arabic.

“We believe that for us, as a French channel expressing ourselves in these three languages, we can bring our viewers added value, or at least a difference, a French touch, both in the way we treat information and particularly in the debates that we want to develop,” she says.

Okrent believes the European perspective on microcredits, education and freedom of expression, among other issues, holds a special interest for the Arab world, which is much more closely linked geographically, politically and culturally to Europe than it is to the US, where media has traditionally dominated the international cable news landscape.

The Arabic service has a team of 36 journalists, but draws on the resources of France 24’s team of 260 journalists, she says. It broadcasts on satellite on Arabsat Badr-4, Nilesat and Hot-Bird, as well as an array of pay providers. It is also available on the internet via france24.com and via mobile phone.

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