The Battle For Hearts And Minds
Even before bin Laden's tape, the U.S. was losing the propaganda war in the Arab world
(snip)
Today, even among many educated, Westernized Arabs who admire American pop culture, "America is seen as the evil behind all the problems in the Middle East," says Abdul Rahman al Rashed, editor of the influential Saudi-owned newspaper Al Sharq al Awsat. Many instinctively mistrust the U.S. and refuse to believe an Arab could have carried out the attacks, in part because, they claim, the U.S. has failed to bring proof against bin Laden to the Arab media. This absence creates fertile ground for his views, even among those who would not endorse his acts. "I found bin Laden strangely convincing," says Mariam Ali, a Cairo teacher.
time.com
Wonder why?
A quick look at the map of the Arab media shows that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia dominates 95 per cent of the Arabic-language newspapers and magazines, radio and television stations in the Arab countries and abroad. This domination is either direct, such as total ownership by members of the royal family and their relatives, or indirect.
oneworld.org |
