An Arab view of the News flap.
Regional analysts defend Arab media's coverage of Iraq conflict
Coalition: News groups spread anti-Americanism
Rhonda Roumani
Arab analysts defended Arab news coverage of the events in Iraq on Monday after spokesmen for the US-led coalition accused the outlets of fanning anti-US sentiment in the country.
"What do they want? To present pictures of how America sees it?" said Nabil Dajani, a professor of communications at the American University of Beirut. "They want freedom of expression, but they want only their master's voice. I am amazed at them trying to basterdize or prostitute the freedom of expression. You can show only what the US wants to see."
On Monday, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, the coalition's deputy director of operations, told a news conference that "anti-US sentiment had been heightened by Al-Jazeera and other anti-coalition media reporting" on the closure of a Shiite radical newspaper, the fighting in the insurgent bastion of Fallujah and the first anniversary of the fall of Baghdad.
"We have reason to believe that several news organizations do not engage in truthful reporting," coalition civilian spokesman Dan Senor said.
Arab television stations have been providing graphic images of the devastation and casualties in the Sunni stronghold of Fallujah during fierce fighting between US forces and insurgents last week. Al-Jazeera and other Arab news organizations have come under fire on a number of occasions for their coverage. US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld criticized Al-Jazeera for its coverage in Afghanistan and for supporting insurgents in Iraq. Secretary of State Colin Powell also criticized Al-Jazeera after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and asked the Emir of Qatar to curtail its anti-American interviews.
But Arab analysts have argued that the Arab news organizations and journalists have taken great risks to show the world what is happening on the ground in Iraq and their coverage merely reflects a different perspective.
"When the Western media presented Saddam Hussein wasn't that graphic?" asked Dajani.
"Every reporter is influenced by his or her cultural background. They still look at what is going on in Iraq as terrorists. They still look at it as a Sunni triangle or as Shiites. They can't see Iraqis as Iraqis ... Americans have the right to look at it in terms of the Sunni-Shiite and Al-Jazeera has the right to see it as resistance to occupation."
Issa Goraieb, former chief editor of L'Orient Le Jour, a French Beirut-based newspaper, believes the Arab media is doing a good job covering the conflict in Iraq.
"Such accusations reflect the way of thinking of the famous saying 'whoever doesn't stand with us, is against us,'" said Goraieb. "Al-Jazeera is doing a very fine job. They are taking risks and they are in the hot spots where the foreign colleagues cannot go. They risk being abducted or killed."
Dajani also blamed the use of graphic images on developments in satellite technology and the need for live coverage.
The two coalition spokesmen were also bombarded with questions from Arabic media reporters for several days about the high civilian death toll and allegations that US forces were engaging in collective punishment for Fallujah for the brutal murder of four contractors in the town on March 31.
The coalition has denied such allegations.
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