Your World Today

Once upon a time not long ago, the international community received its dose of Middle East news from outlets that were predominantly European or American. In those times, the Arabic street always complained about the biases inherent in foreign reporting, the bad regional image being portrayed, and the alleged spin that some news outlets engaged in. Rupert Murdoch’s Sky News and Fox News are common targets for this criticism.

Despite the feeling of injustice, Arabic media and news outlets were still in the infancy phase, with little human or financial capital to internationally combat the negative exposure.

However, I am beginning to notice some signs in the international media terrain of an attempt by Middle Eastern stakeholders to engage in the media control game. After all, ruling regimes in the MENA region know the power of information control and closely direct local media in their respective countries.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but my observations of seemingly unrelated events do raise the possibility of a coordinated effort by influential stakeholders in the MENA region to go tit-for-tat with the powers that be in the international media control game. Below are 4 recent reasons for my hypothesis:

1. Dubai Media City: Another over-the-top development project in Dubai created to house international media outlets and to upgrade local media talent and expertise. In mid 2003, the ‘International Media Production Zone’ was launched in the DMC.

2. In late 2006, Qatar-based ‘Al-Jazeera’ news channel launched an English version for international broadcasting. After much controversy, the channel was allowed to be accessed via pay-satellite and cable in the USA.

3. In May 2007, Saudi SABIC company acquired GE Plastics for $11 Billion, effectively making SABIC the world’s largest basic chemicals company. Know what else GE has that would be of interest now that good relations have been established with cash-heavy Saudi? The NBC/CNBC news networks and Universal Studios.

4. In June 2007, Dubai-based Capital Plus Holding Co. announced plans to build a media complex in Florida that could rival studios in Hollywood.

This attempt by MENA outlets to venture into mainstream international broadcasting doesn’t always bode well in some circles, specially when the programming of channels like ‘Al-Jazeera’ is not in line with party stories coming out of the White House and the Pentagon. Does anyone remember what happened when the US asked Al-Jazeera to stop reporting what is going on in Iraq? The US forces bombed Al-Jazeera office in Baghdad with a missile in 2003 (only 2 years prior, the US bombed the Al-Jazeera HQ in Kabul). Then a US tank fired on the Palestine Hotel that was housing about 200 ‘non-embedded’ journalists. Almost all of them left the area after this incident. Hurray for censorship!

Do you see what I see?

Related posts:

1. Bribevertising In The Middle East: A Successful Anti-Corruption Campaign
2. Halifax Transit Bus Authority Censors Godless Ads - Local Media Silent
3. How American Elections Work