Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04AMMAN1270
2004-02-19 15:23:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

JORDAN REACTION TO AL HURRA LAUNCH

Tags:  KISL KPAO TSPA OIIP 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 AMMAN 001270 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR R, NEA/PPD, NEA/ARN, NEA/P
WHITE HOUSE FOR OFFICE OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS
STATE PASS IBB
AMEMBASSY CAIRO FOR BULLOCK

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KISL KPAO TSPA OIIP
SUBJECT: JORDAN REACTION TO AL HURRA LAUNCH

-------
SUMMARY
-------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 AMMAN 001270

SIPDIS

STATE FOR R, NEA/PPD, NEA/ARN, NEA/P
WHITE HOUSE FOR OFFICE OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS
STATE PASS IBB
AMEMBASSY CAIRO FOR BULLOCK

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KISL KPAO TSPA OIIP
SUBJECT: JORDAN REACTION TO AL HURRA LAUNCH

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. EARLY REACTION TO THE LAUNCHING OF AL HURRA IN
JORDAN IS PREDICTABLY NEGATIVE FROM THE PROFESSIONAL
PUNDIT CLASS, BUT MORE NUANCED AMONG OTHER -
PARTICULARLY YOUNGER - CONTACTS OF PAS AMMAN. THE
HARSHEST CRITICISM HERE AIMS AT THE VERY PRESENCE OF
THE CHANNEL, NOT ITS CONTENT, THOUGH THERE IS
WIDESPREAD SKEPTICISM AMONG MANY CONTACTS THAT THE
CHANNEL WILL DEAL FORTHRIGHTLY WITH ISSUES RELATED TO
IRAQ AND THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI DISPUTE. THE
CHANNEL'S LAUNCH CAME AMIDST AN ALREADY OVER-HEATED
ATMOSPHERE SURROUNDING REPORTED PLANS BY THE USG AND G-
8 TO LAUNCH A "GREATER MIDDLE EAST INITIATIVE," WHICH
MAY HAVE ADDED TO THE STRONG REACTION. OTHER MEDIA
COMMENTATORS CALLED FOR CALM AND PERSPECTIVE, HOWEVER,
NOTING THAT FOREIGN RADIO BROADCASTS, INCLUDING BY
ISRAELI RADIO, HAVE LONG HAD SUCCESS IN ATTRACTING A
LISTENERSHIP IN JORDAN WITH NO DISCERNABLE NEGATIVE
CONSEQUENCES FOR THE SOCIETY. SOME CONTACTS WELCOMED
THE NEW CHANNEL AS A SOURCE FOR U.S. VIEWS AND AS A
WINDOW ON HOW THE U.S. SEES THE REGION. ONE PAS MEDIA
CONTACT, SKEPTICAL OF BUT NOT AVERSE TO AL HURRA,
COMMENTED, "IF OUR SOCIETIES COULD SO EASILY BE
CHANGED BY THE MERE PRESENCE OF A NEW TELEVISION
CHANNEL, THEN WE REALLY DO HAVE PROBLEMS." END
SUMMARY.


2. EMBASSY AMMAN CANVASSED CONTACTS AND CONVENED A
SMALL "FOCUS GROUP" 2/18 OF EARLY TO MID-CAREER
JOURNALISTS TO GUAGE LOCAL REACTION TO AL HURRA'S
LAUNCH. BLOCK QUOTES FROM NEWSPAPER COMMENTARIES
FOLLOW BEGINNING IN PARA 6. WHILE MANY OF THESE
COMMENTARIES STRIKE A CRITICAL TONE, OUR OWN INFORMAL
CANVASSING REVEALED A MORE NUANCED REACTION. NEARLY
ALL THE CONTACTS WITH WHOM WE SPOKE WERE AWARE OF THE
CHANNEL, WITH MOST HAVING SEEN AT LEAST SOME EARLY
PROGRAMMING. TWO PRINICPAL AREAS OF COMMENT EMERGED
FROM OUR CONTACTS: WHETHER AND HOW THE CHANEL MIGHT
GAIN CREDIBILITY AMONG VIEWERS, AND CONCERN THAT THE
CHANNEL WILL NOT SERVE TO BRIDGE MISUNDERSTANDINGS
BETWEEN THE U.S. AND ARABS, BUT WILL RATHER CONSTITUTE
ONE MORE VEHICLE THROUGH WHICH THE TWO SIDES TALK "AT"
RATHER THAN "WITH" EACH OTHER.

--------------
CREDIBILITY - CAN AL-HURRA EVER ACHIEVE IT?
--------------



3. ESTABLISHING AL HURRA'S EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE AND
CREDIBILITY EMERGED AS THE SINGLE MOST-IMPORTANT ISSUE
FOR OUR CONTACTS. SOME DOUBTED IT COULD EVER SUCCEED
IN DOING SO ("THE DAY THEY BROADCAST A BIN LADIN TAPE
IS THE DAY THEY WILL BE BELIEVED," ONE SAID),WHILE
OTHERS OBSERVED THAT THE FREE - AND CRITICAL -
DISCUSSION THAT FOLLOWED THE INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT
BUSH REVEALED A WILLINGNESS TO AIR MORE THAN ONE VIEW.
A YOUNG FEMALE JOURNALIST COMMENTED THAT WHILE SHE WAS
INHERENTLY SUSPICIOUS OF A NETWORK FINANCED BY THE US
GOVERNMENT, SHE SAID IT COULD ONLY BUILD CREDIBILITY
OVER TIME, AND THOUGHT IT UNFORTUNATE THAT EARLY
PROGRAMS HAD INCLUDED PRONOUNCEMENTS THAT THE NETWORK
WAS AN "ALTERNATIVE" TO AL JAZEERA AND AL ARABIYA.
"THEY SHOULD BE MORE MODEST. ONCE THEY'VE ESTABLISHED
THEMSELVES THEY CAN MAKE SUCH CLAIMS, BUT IT'S A BIT
PRESUMPTUOUS TO DO SO IN THEIR FIRST WEEK," SHE NOTED.
THIS CONTACT ALSO THOUGHT THE VERY NAME OF THE NETWORK
MIGHT BOTHER SOME VIEWERS: "THEY'RE OVERPLAYING ALL
THE REFERENCES TO FREEDOM," SHE SAID, "AND ANYWAY, ITS
NOT TOTALLY FREE - ITS PAID FOR BY THE US CONGRESS."
THIS SENTIMENT WAS ECHOED SOMEWHAT BY ANOTHER
JOURNALIST CONTACT WHO LAMENTED THAT AT A TIME WHEN
JOURNALISTS IN JORDAN ARE URGING THE GOJ TO DIVEST
ITSELF OF ITS HOLDINGS IN THE JORDANIAN MEDIA SECTOR,
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HAS ENTERED THE LOCAL MARKET
RECENTLY WITH SEVERAL LARGE GOVERNMENT-DIRECTED MEDIA
INITIATIVES (SAWA, HI MAGAZINE AND AL HURRA),MAKING
IT MORE DIFFICULT, HE SAID, TO PERSUADE THE GOJ THAT
DIVESTING ITS MEDIA HOLDINGS IS IMPORTANT. THIS
CONTACT THOUGHT AL HURRA COULD, AT THE SAME TIME, HAVE
A LARGE IMPACT IN THE REGION IF IT DARED TO CHALLENGE
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WHO MIGHT BE RELUCTANT TO CENSOR OR
CLOSE DOWN AL HURRA OFFICES (AS HAS BEEN DONE WITH AL
JAZEERA OFFICES, FOR EXAMPLE) IF IT AIRED REPORTS ARAB
GOVERNMENTS FOUND OBJECTIONABLE.


4. SEVERAL COMMENTATORS IN THE MEDIA AND AMONG OUR
CONTACTS NOTED THAT JORDANIANS HAVE LONG BEEN USED TO
FOREIGN MEDIA BROADCASTING, INCLUDING ISRAELI, BRITISH
FRENCH AND AMERICAN RADIO, THAT HAVE EACH FOUND A
LOCAL FOLLOWING. NONE OF THIS HAS LED TO AN EROSION
OF THE JORDANIAN CHARACTER, THEY NOTED, AND SUCH
OUTLETS HAVE OFTEN SERVED AS IMPORTANT SOURCES FOR
NEWS THAT GOJ-CONTROLLED MEDIA HAVE AVOIDED. FOR THIS
REASON, THESE CONTACTS BELIEVED THAT AL HURRA WOULD
NOT BE REJECTED OUTRIGHT BY THE MAJORITY OF THE
JORDANIAN PUBLIC. HOWEVER, THESE AND OTHER
COMMENTATORS EXPRESSED SKEPTICISM THAT AL HURRA WOULD
BE WILLING TO FORTHRIGHTLY DISCUSS ISSUES RELATED TO
THE U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE IN IRAQ AND THE ACTIONS OF
THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND ARMY IN THE PALESTINIAN
TERRITORIES. IF A PATTERN WERE TO EMERGE OF FAILURE
TO DO SO, THEY SAID, THE NETWORK'S CREDIBILITY COULD
BE CRIPPLED.

--------------
A DIALOGUE, OR MORE SPEAKING PAST EACH OTHER?
--------------


5. SOME OF OUR CONTACTS HOPED AL HURRA WOULD NOT ONLY
PRESENT INFORMATION FROM A U.S. PERSPECTIVE, BUT WOULD
ENCOURAGE A TWO-WAY DIALOGUE. THESE CONTACTS NOTED
THAT AS MUCH AS AMERICANS MIGHT FEEL MISUNDERSTOOD BY
ARABS, ARABS ALSO FEEL MISUNDERSTOOD BY THE U.S. AL
HURRA MIGHT HELP BRIDGE THIS DIVIDE, AND THEY HOPED IT
WOULD NOT CONSTITUTE "YET ANOTHER" VEHICLE FOR THE TWO
SIDES TO "SPEAK PAST ONE ANOTHER". IN THIS REGARD,
THE CONTACTS WE CONVENED TO VIEW AND DISCUSS THE
CHANNEL VALUED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THEIR
FEEDBACK AND HOPED THE NETWORK WOULD INCORPORATE THE
VIEWS OF VIEWERS IN THE REGION AS IT MOVED FORWARD.


6. BLOCK QUOTES FROM THE JORDANIAN PRESS

-- "Al-Hurra Following Sawa .. The Problem Lies in
the Policy Not in the Media !!"

Daily columnist Uraib Rintawi writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(02/17): "Neither the U.S. satellite channel "Al-
Hurra" nor other similar channels will succeed in
changing the image of the United States amidst Arab
public opinion . Without any new developments in
Washington's stands and policies, "the professionals"
at Al-Hurra channel and at Radio Sawa will be far from
able to convince any of us that Washington is not
biased towards Israel or that its occupation of Iraq
is blessing and not a curse to the country .
"Washington does not want to acknowledge the radical
reason behind the question: "Why do they hate us?" .
It also does not want to admit that it is greatly
responsible for the collapse of its own image and
position amidst Arabs. This collapse in the U.S.
image is bound to grow deeper even if our countries
and societies begin to enjoy democracy and freedom.
Indeed, this collapse may turn into institutionalized
hatred that expresses itself in elected parliaments
and governments."


-- "The American `Al Hurra' Channel"

Fahed Al-Fanek wrote in semi-official influential
Arabic daily Al-Rai (2/17): "The claim that Al-Hurra
will help spread democracy in the Middle East is false
because the U.S. is the ally of all the repressive
regimes in the region. As for the station's
professionalism, this will be revealed in the coming
days when we notice their selectivity not only in
reporting, but also in using normative-loaded terms
that only reveal the hidden agenda of their user.
Most importantly, Al-Hurra has usurped the slot
allocated for Iraq's satellite station, just as the
U.S. has occupied this country. This makes Al-Hurra
guilty until proven innocent."


-- "The American "Al-Hurra" !! "

On the op-ed page of center-left, influential Arabic
daily Al-Dustour (02/16),daily columnist Ibrahim Al-
Abbssi asks: "How can this Al-Hurra channel make Arab
viewers truly fall in love with America and Israel
while they are being burnt around the clock by U.S.
policies as the case is in Palestine or Iraq ? . We
advise those who are managing "Al-Hurra" channel that
their efforts will be fruitless and that this channel
will not be able to rectify what America and Israel
have spoiled over the decades. This is especially so
when the ongoing U.S.-Zionist aggression is still
based on terrorizing this nation and undermining its
history, civilization, ideology, culture, dignity, and
land. Arab viewers, on whom the managers of this
channel have wagered their bets, are far smarter than
falling into "Al-Hurra" channel's fragile and exposed
trap. This is the case even if this "Al-Hurra" turns
into a cabaret that disseminates vice and perversion
amongst Arab youth, as expected from it in the course
of the next few days, thinking that it could sabotage
and alienate the Arab identity."


-- "The Thing that is More Dangerous to the Arab
Conscience Than Al-Hurra Channel!"

Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(02/17): "There is no need to go overboard with the
reactions towards Al-Hurra television channel. It is
not a programmed cultural and political invasion and
it is no cause for fear for the Islamic Arab culture,
nor does it cause any concern over the "future of the
nation" given that the nation's present status cannot
be any worse. The truth of the matter is that Al
Hurra television channel will be presenting a
commodity that is not marketable in the Arab world,
but is less serious and less influential than the
extremism, the dancing, the impudence, and the
depravity that Arabic-language satellite channel are
broadcasting to us."

Wardam adds: "The channel wants to compete with Al-
Jazeera and Al-Arabiyya satellite channels in
particular. According to the channel's manager, the
dissemination of accurate news reports and the entire
truth will be the main factor in rendering Al-Hurra
channel a success. However, I challenge the manager of
the channel to dare to present the entire truth in his
newscasts. The dissemination of the entire truth
entails exposing the U.S. Administration's lies vis-a-
vis the invasion of Iraq. It also means exposing the
destruction of life in Palestine; the increase in
racism and extremism within the U.S. society; the
predominance of the oil lords and the promoters of
Zionism over U.S. political decision making; and the
plundering of Iraq's resources in the name of
rebuilding. Only when the channel starts to
disseminate the entire truth can we talk about its
credibility. I personally believe that such programs
as Star Academy, songs by Nancy Ajram and Haifa Wahbeh
and the Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda tapes that are being
broadcast by Arab satellite channels constitute a far
greater danger to the Arab conscience - especially to
the youth - than what Al-Hurra channel will
broadcast."


-- "From Al-Hurra to the Greater Middle East !!"

Daily columnist Yasser Za'atreh writes on the op-ed
page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-
Dustour (02/17): "It is clear that Al-Hurra channel
will be less dangerous than Radio Sawa and "Hi"
magazine. This is because it will deal with political
and news-related matters which the Arab citizen will
receive with much skepticism and suspicion, exactly as
he did with Israeli radio. Al-Hurra is part of a U.S.
media project aimed at tackling the question of hatred
with a superficial mentality just like what is
happening with "the Greater Middle East' project,
which the United States plans to present to the G-8
states during their conference in June. We are facing
a multi-faceted war that carries shining titles such
as freedom and democracy, good governance, economic
reform, and spreading knowledge and other titles which
cannot fool rational people who are aware of the
"Imperialist" mentality that rules the United States
these days."


-- "The American public diplomacy hoax: why do they
keep insulting us?"
Opinion writer Rami Khouri writes on the op-ed page of
centrist, influential among the elite English daily
Jordan Times (02/11): "If the U.S. really wanted to
make the Middle East a better place and the U.S. a
safer place, it should start by examining the impact
of its own and Israel's policies on the Arab-Islamic
world, as well as exploring faults within Arab-Islamic
societies.. At many levels today - Palestine/Israel,
Iraq, the war against terror, mass media, public
diplomacy, democratic reform, religion and secularism
- Americans and Arabs are interacting, but not
communicating.The Middle East is a mess, America has
been attacked, and anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli
sentiments are at an all-time high in the region and
the world. By arguing that our region is troubled and
violent because Arabs and Muslims hate American
values, and then attempting to correct this by
launching television, radio and magazine efforts in
Arabic, the U.S. government perpetuates a fatal
combination of political blindness and cultural
misperception that is only going to exacerbate the gap
between Americans and Arabs, rather than close it..
Al-Hurra [the U.S. Arabic-language satellite TV
channel], like the U.S. government's Radio Sawa and Hi
magazine before it, will be an entertaining, expensive
and irrelevant hoax. Where do they get this stuff?
Why do they keep insulting us like this?"
GNEHM