American News

Beirut (RPN) – Jeremy Tunstall hit the mark when he named his book, “The Media Are American”. Two of America’s oldest Media operators, the news service & Hollywood — possess a remarkable strength on the world media scene.  For decades the news-service wires have been and still dominated by the Americans and partly shared with Europe.

Although, the American slice of the world media pie is weaning due to the growth of the internet, nevertheless, mass media is still in the realm of players in the U.S. and Europe.  Even today with the internet & World Wide Web, news content and information is produced and disseminated by the mainstream western media outlets, like Reuters, AFP, AP, BBC, CNN and Dow Jones.

Even countries with a long standing abhorrence for the west are clients of the western media.  If one is to visit any news service on a web portal from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, one will find that more than 75% of news content contained in those sites is a product of the dominating western press.

Even smaller & more local print publications the region use and rely for their source of news and information from these media houses, both in English and Arabic.  Major publications like, Al-Khaleej, Gulf News, Jordan Times, Tehran Times & others, carry lead stories on their front pages that are produced by the western and European press. Even the Arabic press is not immune. Reuters and AFP stories constitute at least 50% of news content inside the pages of Beirut’s dailies An Nahar and As Safir and the London-based Al Hayat or the Saudi-owned Asharq al Awsat.

Although western news agencies do provide real time news from the MENA region, its coverage tends to be limited in scope, focusing on conflict, natural disasters and major events like the peace process and presidential visits. Insightful and localreporting about the major issues affecting regional countries, their economies and business prospects, is scarce. Analytical and contextual reporting is rarer still.

What’s more disturbing is that the American media structure, while it sustains a wide array of expressions, has become more concentrated in its control by a very select few of large corporations and a certain ethnic make-up.  It is inevitable that these corporations/ethnic groups will have their own agenda to influence the reader, as is the case in the United States and some European countries.

The point worth emphasizing here is the fact the flow of information for the MENA region is overwhelmingly flowing from the west to the east. As such, it is essential for those of us in the Media business to reverse this process and give the opportunity to the people of the Middle East to voice their opinions, report their news and write their analyses for consumption in the Western world in particular and globally in general.

American News, Global Audience

It is sad to see the Middle East with all its riches, culture, talents, creativity, liquidity and intellect, relying on what is mostly American news, discussing and debating issues that will effect and shape everything about the region.  And what’s even worse is the fact that people of the region, whether knowingly or unknowingly are a very active participant in this unfortunate event.

Today, news coverage has to be looked at from a global perspective but reaching to the local level.  However, since a distinct characteristic of America journalism is isolation, which leads a western journalist to determine good guys and bad guys in the Middle East based on preconcieved ideas and prejudice, or simply straight out bias in order to follow a preset agenda.

Most people learn about national and international events from the mass media — newspapers, radio, and especially television. Therefore, the media can contribute to conflict escalation, either directly or indirectly. Media coverage of the conflict played a key role in turning U.S. public opinion against the Arabs, Palestinians and Muslims and in shaping the current American foreign policies.

The media can also contribute to conflict de-escalation. As such, media houses in the Middle East, publishers, editors and reporters have the duty and the responsibility to do all they can to reverse the flow of information and make it stream from the East to the West.  We must provide an accurate view of the conflict through both, words and pictures, and we should serve as an example in honest and unbiased reporting by providing both sides of the story even if it points out some of our shortcomings.

What the Middle East, the Arabs and Muslims need today is an honest, clear and transparent effort to create additional space in the Western media for their perspectives and for news coverage produced by professional journalists who live in the region and who have the proper background and experience to provide contextual, honest and fair reporting for the consumption in the Western world.  The Jews at-large have done the same successfully.  What’s stopping the Arabs from accomplishing this very important goal?  We either have the will and courage or we don’t. There cannot be a gray line in this struggle. Half-hearted attempts are not enough and will not work.  Clear and convicing conviction is required and those who have this conviction have the responsibility to act and to act now!

Fadi Chahine, is the Executive Editor of RPN

Originally published here.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.