Jerusalem's Girl: Press Freedom

Saturday 5 December 2009

Press Freedom

Measuring truth
Facts and truth is there such a thing? In today’s mass of internet media even what we perceive to be fact or real news must be crossed referenced more than once or twice to be sure it has not been filtered through an individual’s cultural, religious or other paradigm.

With the internet presenting such a wide range of news websites, however, almost no one these days even pretends to be fair or balanced and therefore it is up to readers and those who rely on such news to make sure they are aware of the slant…




Take, for instance, the website belonging to Arabic-language television news station Al Arabiya. Presented in Arabic and English, this portal -- launched in 2003 and based in United Arab Emirates -- offers the main news headlines from across the world.

Al Arabiya relies heavily on stories published by reliable news agencies, mainly AFP and Reuters, but it also carries some opinion pieces, mainly from the Arab-speaking world.

According to a New York Times interview with the channel’s director Abdul Rahman al-Rashed last year, its goal was to provide the Arab world with a moderate voice but in reality it appears to be just regurgitating the news from western news sites and provides very little new or original material.

Al Arabiya’s non-confrontational approach to the many clearly sensitive issues facing the Middle East has caused it to be blasted by some in the Arab-speaking world for being pro-American. It has even been mockingly calling Al Hebraia (The Hebrew) for its lenient approach towards Israel in the context of the conflict with the Palestinians, says an NYT article.

Partly owned by the Saudi broadcaster Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) and with additional support from the Arab league, this news source has also drawn criticism from some who note that it is also not financially free to really provide any serious analysis or criticism of the Arab world.





Equally slanted and constrained is www.aawsat.com, the website belonging to the Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat.

Its news sources are of course credible, with most of its posts also drawn from internationally recognized news agencies. While the ethics of these news agencies are fairly standard, with the Saudi royal family behind Asharq Al-Awsat, one must of course question the story choices presented on its home page and the emphasis or importance placed on each one.

In addition, its opinion pieces – once again almost all coming from the Arab world – receive prominence on the home page and a brief investigation of these commentaries indicates that Asharq Al-Awsat’s commentary sources must be viewed with extreme care.

Take, for example, the opinions of one Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban, who dedicates her column this week to explaining the truths and realities of the Arab world. She comments without restraint on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict but never indicates her sources or whether she has even ever visited the region and met with the people (and not the politicians) involved.

As a political representative in her country, it is questionable whether Dr. Shaaban has ever even met with a regular Israeli or taken the time to really understand the personal issues from the other side of the conflict.


GAWKER

As the debate around the validity of information posted on news blogs such as www.gawker.com continues, it is pertinent to point out after reviewing ‘real news websites’ such as Asharq Al-Awsat and Al Arabiya, that the multitude of voices on gawker-type portals is totally refreshing.

Of course most of what is posted on gawker.com is based on gossip and rumors about the rich and famous or is simply ripped from other dubious celebrity news sites, but the posts are short and straight-to-the point. They provide a great starting point for any journalist but obviously they must be backed up with as much proof as possible.

I would never cite this website as a source but, if I was a Hollywood reporter, I would definitely use it as starting point for a story.

The contributors and the commentaries come from a wide range of people and that too makes it fun and interesting to read.


American Idol winner Adam Lambert featured on Gawker.com

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