Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ABUDHABI2678
2004-08-11 12:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

UNITED ARAB EMIRATE YOUTH DON'T TRUST WESTERN NEWS

Tags:  OIIP KPAO KMDR TC PREL 
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Diana T Fritz 02/06/2007 11:52:23 AM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM August 11, 2004


To: No Action Addressee 

Action: Unknown 

From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 2678 - ROUTINE) 

TAGS: OIIP, PREL, KPAO, KMDR 

Captions: None 

Subject: UNITED ARAB EMIRATE YOUTH DON'T TRUST WESTERN NEWS 

Ref: None 
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UNCLAS ABU DHABI 02678

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APPROVED: PA:HMENDELSOHN
DRAFTED: PA:TRWHATLEY
CLEARED: PA:KURBAHN, ECON:OJOHN, POL:SRADDANT

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002678 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA;
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PASS TO MOC; PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KPAO KMDR TC PREL
SUBJECT: UNITED ARAB EMIRATE YOUTH DON'T TRUST WESTERN NEWS


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002678

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA;
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PASS TO MOC; PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KPAO KMDR TC PREL
SUBJECT: UNITED ARAB EMIRATE YOUTH DON'T TRUST WESTERN NEWS



1. Summary: A July 2004 survey by Public Affairs Office
Abu Dhabi of 535 Arab youth in the UAE, age 18-25,
determined that the majority use television as their primary
source of news. The survey also determined that among
television stations, Arabic channels such as Al Jazeera and
Abu Dhabi TV are watched on a regular basis and are
considered credible sources of news. Western stations such
as CNN, BBC and Al Hurra were given low credibility ratings
and are rarely watched, even among those who speak English.
Survey participants rated a station's credibility by a
combination of low government interference, presenting a
variety of viewpoints, and the station sharing common
assumptions and perspectives with their viewers. End
summary.


2. The Public Affairs Office of Embassy Abu Dhabi recently
undertook a non-representative poll of local youth attitudes
towards media and news sources. As part of university
research, a State Department Summer Intern designed a
written questionnaire that he then distributed to 535
Emirati youth, mostly from the UAE University. While not
scientific, the poll allows certain inferences to be drawn
about the larger youth population in general. 407 of the
national respondents came from the UAE University; the other
respondents of mixed nationality were approached at local
shopping malls. There was fair geographical (home Emirate)
and gender distribution (63% female). 82% of the
respondents had English ability. 10% of the respondents
were non-students. The two respondent groups, UAEU students
and other local youth, held nearly identical opinions as
born out by statistical comparison.

-------------- --------------
Television as Primary News Source
-------------- --------------


3. The survey discovered that 69% of survey respondents
count television and 22% count newspaper as their primary
source of news. The three most popular television stations
were Abu Dhabi TV (65% watching "regularly" or "sometimes"),
Al Jazeera (52%),and Al Arabiya (38%). CNN (14%),BBC News
(12%),and Al Hurra (11%) were consistently watched "hardly
ever" or "never."

-------------- --------------
Link Between Credibility and Frequency
-------------- --------------


4. From discussions with survey participants, most
identified credibility as the determining factor in how
often a news channel is watched. Survey results confirm
this relationship, as the credibility ratings when compared
with frequency ratings indicate a direct relationship
between the two. Arab news is both watched far more and
considered more credible than Western news outlets CNN, BBC
News, and Al Hurra. Even among survey respondents who
understand English as well as Arabic, 81% consider Arabic-
language news more credible.


5. CNN and BBC News received an average credibility
ranking slightly above "low credibility," while Al Hurra had
the lowest rating of all the stations. Compared with Al
Jazeera and Abu Dhabi TV, which both rated "fair" in
credibility, the Western networks do not have the trust of
many Arab viewers.

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Defining Credibility
--------------


6. Survey participants were asked in interviews to define
how news outlets were evaluated on the basis of credibility
and what constituted reporting the truth. Besides the
importance of media that is free from the influence of
government political agendas and a balanced perspective that
attempts to report differing opinions, many survey
participants expressed the idea that sharing a common
perspective with the media on a given subject created
credibility. For instance, most considered the use of the
Arabic term shahid "martyr" as more credible and appropriate
than the Western use of "suicide bombers".

--------------
Comment
--------------


7. In addition to statistics, the survey offered good
insight into why many Arab youth do not trust certain news
stations as credible sources. In recent conversations with
representatives from Al Arabiya television, this phenomena
was confirmed when they commented that the station lost many
viewers when they stopped using the term "shahid" in their
editorials to describe Palestinian suicide operations. The
station received many angry calls and letters accusing the
station of abandoning the Palestinian cause. It is clear
that Arab viewers prefer television free from government
interference that is allowed to show a free flow of ideas
and opinions. In addition, and perhaps just as important,
they, like people everywhere, tend to gravitate toward news
that conforms to their commonly held assumptions.

Sison