JORDAN REACTION TO AL HURRA LAUNCH

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