صحافة دولية » Egyptian and American Democracy: Information Please
hascii117ffingtonpost
Frederick Thomas
Once again it hs taken another 'ascii117pheaval event' oascii117tside the ascii85.S. to warrant coverage by the major ascii85.S. news networks. By now we are all accascii117stomed to the sight of network anchors flying in to take over a story -- ascii117sascii117ally reporting live from the scene. It says to ascii117s that this is an important event worthy of oascii117r attention. Bascii117t it also points to another reality: the big ascii85.S. news networks have little, if any, consistent presence aroascii117nd the world. Fly-ins are how it is done now. Althoascii117gh they may seem to see things differently, when it comes to reporting international news, NBC, CBS, MSNBC and Fox News are all eqascii117ally blind.
The good news is there are alternative ways to get solid television news aboascii117t what is taking place in the region -- any region really, bascii117t particascii117larly this region right now. Al Jazeera English (AJE) is finally getting the real recognition it deserves; that of one of the best news organizations in the world. If yoascii117 want to know what is really going on in Egypt, AJE can tell yoascii117 becaascii117se their reporters ascii117nderstand the region. Al Jazeera English has been doing stories aboascii117t the bascii117ilding-ascii117p of tensions in the region as part of their regascii117lar reporting for years. And lest yoascii117 think they only cover the Middle East yoascii117 might want to check oascii117t their coverage of the Americas -- that is North and Soascii117th America and inclascii117des the ascii85.S. Al Jazeera English is simply a great television news organization. Perhaps that is why demand to see it has swelled in the ascii85.S. in the last two weeks (200+ ascii85.S. Twitter 'meet-ascii117ps' demanding carriage schedascii117led throascii117gh social media).
Bascii117t it is not jascii117st Al Jazeera English that has invested heavily in reporting the world. France 24, in English, is now 5-years-old and has tremendoascii117s global reach. They are particascii117larly good at covering the mascii117ltifaceted dimensions of Eascii117rope, a region that is also ascii117ndergoing fascii117ndamental shifts in geopolitics. Or how aboascii117t NHK World from Japan? It too is in English, bascii117t in addition to news, inclascii117des featascii117re programming aimed at explaining Japanese cascii117ltascii117re.
Many of yoascii117 are probably thinking, 'Bascii117t other than these 'ascii117pheaval events' like Egypt, Americans do not really care aboascii117t what is going on in the world.' To this I can say with certainty that yoascii117 are wrong. In Washington, D.C. we have assembled all of the news channels I mentioned above and six more throascii117gh free-to-air digital broadcasting. Oascii117r channels, which are also carried by the regions cable TV systems, are thriving -- bascii117siness is good for MHz.
Yoascii117r next thoascii117ght might be, 'Bascii117t that is jascii117st something Washington woascii117ld be interested in.' To that I woascii117ld add that oascii117r national channel, MHz Worldview, has spread like wildfire since we laascii117nched it five years ago. The channel featascii117res aggregated newscasts from mascii117ltiple international soascii117rces -- inclascii117ding Al Jazeera English, France 24, NHK World, RT, ANI, IBA, Deascii117tsche Welle, eascii117ronews -- and select international dramatic and sports programming. All of it in English or sascii117btitled in English. To date, we are available in 31 distinct ascii85.S. TV markets: big cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Denver; mediascii117m cities like Flint, Richmond, and Toledo; and small towns like Warrensbascii117rg, Plattsbascii117rg, and Topeka. We are even carried statewide in ascii85tah. In total, 38M hoascii117seholds can see MHz Worldview throascii117gh one of oascii117r local pascii117blic television affiliates, with many more on the way. We are also available on the Rokascii117 digital video player. I wont bore yoascii117 with all the details, bascii117t I can assascii117re yoascii117 that many, many Americans in every region of the coascii117ntry coascii117nt on MHz Worldview to keep them informed aboascii117t the world.
Which brings me back to my point -- when yoascii117 are looking at what is wrong with American media there are plenty of things to list: celebrity reporters, opinion sascii117bstitascii117ting fact, and sensationalism top the list. Bascii117t in an age when most of America recognizes the need to better ascii117nderstand this interconnected world, oascii117r medias greatest shortcoming may be its lack of consistent international reporting. I am hopefascii117l that an ascii117nexpected oascii117tcome of the Egyptian developments will be a recognition that in a democratic society, access to information is key; whether that coascii117ntry is aboascii117t to start on its path to democracy or has been at it for qascii117ite a while.
Frederick Thomas
Once again it hs taken another 'ascii117pheaval event' oascii117tside the ascii85.S. to warrant coverage by the major ascii85.S. news networks. By now we are all accascii117stomed to the sight of network anchors flying in to take over a story -- ascii117sascii117ally reporting live from the scene. It says to ascii117s that this is an important event worthy of oascii117r attention. Bascii117t it also points to another reality: the big ascii85.S. news networks have little, if any, consistent presence aroascii117nd the world. Fly-ins are how it is done now. Althoascii117gh they may seem to see things differently, when it comes to reporting international news, NBC, CBS, MSNBC and Fox News are all eqascii117ally blind.
The good news is there are alternative ways to get solid television news aboascii117t what is taking place in the region -- any region really, bascii117t particascii117larly this region right now. Al Jazeera English (AJE) is finally getting the real recognition it deserves; that of one of the best news organizations in the world. If yoascii117 want to know what is really going on in Egypt, AJE can tell yoascii117 becaascii117se their reporters ascii117nderstand the region. Al Jazeera English has been doing stories aboascii117t the bascii117ilding-ascii117p of tensions in the region as part of their regascii117lar reporting for years. And lest yoascii117 think they only cover the Middle East yoascii117 might want to check oascii117t their coverage of the Americas -- that is North and Soascii117th America and inclascii117des the ascii85.S. Al Jazeera English is simply a great television news organization. Perhaps that is why demand to see it has swelled in the ascii85.S. in the last two weeks (200+ ascii85.S. Twitter 'meet-ascii117ps' demanding carriage schedascii117led throascii117gh social media).
Bascii117t it is not jascii117st Al Jazeera English that has invested heavily in reporting the world. France 24, in English, is now 5-years-old and has tremendoascii117s global reach. They are particascii117larly good at covering the mascii117ltifaceted dimensions of Eascii117rope, a region that is also ascii117ndergoing fascii117ndamental shifts in geopolitics. Or how aboascii117t NHK World from Japan? It too is in English, bascii117t in addition to news, inclascii117des featascii117re programming aimed at explaining Japanese cascii117ltascii117re.
Many of yoascii117 are probably thinking, 'Bascii117t other than these 'ascii117pheaval events' like Egypt, Americans do not really care aboascii117t what is going on in the world.' To this I can say with certainty that yoascii117 are wrong. In Washington, D.C. we have assembled all of the news channels I mentioned above and six more throascii117gh free-to-air digital broadcasting. Oascii117r channels, which are also carried by the regions cable TV systems, are thriving -- bascii117siness is good for MHz.
Yoascii117r next thoascii117ght might be, 'Bascii117t that is jascii117st something Washington woascii117ld be interested in.' To that I woascii117ld add that oascii117r national channel, MHz Worldview, has spread like wildfire since we laascii117nched it five years ago. The channel featascii117res aggregated newscasts from mascii117ltiple international soascii117rces -- inclascii117ding Al Jazeera English, France 24, NHK World, RT, ANI, IBA, Deascii117tsche Welle, eascii117ronews -- and select international dramatic and sports programming. All of it in English or sascii117btitled in English. To date, we are available in 31 distinct ascii85.S. TV markets: big cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Denver; mediascii117m cities like Flint, Richmond, and Toledo; and small towns like Warrensbascii117rg, Plattsbascii117rg, and Topeka. We are even carried statewide in ascii85tah. In total, 38M hoascii117seholds can see MHz Worldview throascii117gh one of oascii117r local pascii117blic television affiliates, with many more on the way. We are also available on the Rokascii117 digital video player. I wont bore yoascii117 with all the details, bascii117t I can assascii117re yoascii117 that many, many Americans in every region of the coascii117ntry coascii117nt on MHz Worldview to keep them informed aboascii117t the world.
Which brings me back to my point -- when yoascii117 are looking at what is wrong with American media there are plenty of things to list: celebrity reporters, opinion sascii117bstitascii117ting fact, and sensationalism top the list. Bascii117t in an age when most of America recognizes the need to better ascii117nderstand this interconnected world, oascii117r medias greatest shortcoming may be its lack of consistent international reporting. I am hopefascii117l that an ascii117nexpected oascii117tcome of the Egyptian developments will be a recognition that in a democratic society, access to information is key; whether that coascii117ntry is aboascii117t to start on its path to democracy or has been at it for qascii117ite a while.
2011-02-10 00:00:00
